From the blog:

Operation Auction will be going live on Sunday, March 27th at 12:01 am PDT. We will have all items in the Operation Auction ebay store.

http://stores.ebay.com/operationauction2011

None of the items will show up until the auction is live and not all items are going up at the same time. We have divided the items as equally as possible into three batches.

• Batch One will be up March 27th at 12:01 am PDT, ending March 30th at 12:01am
• Batch Two will be up March 28th at 12:01 am PDT, ending March 31st at 12:01am
• Batch Three will be up March 29th at 12:01 am PDT, ending April 1st at 12:01am

All listings will run for three days. The only exception is the breakfast at RT with Angela James, Jane Litte, and Sarah Wendell. Because that event is approaching very soon, it will be in batch one and be a one-day auction only.

We are going to try our best to get lists up of what items are in which batch, but with new donations still coming in I’m not sure everything will be included. There will be categories in the store to help you find the items you want.

Shipping details will be in the description of each item. Please read those carefully before you bid to see if it is US only or international.

Don’t wait, go bid!

The generosity of the romance community is a moving and powerful force.

As I mentioned before, Fatin and her daughters lost their husband and father to a terrible and senseless act of violence last week. Authors, editors and readers have rallied around one of our own, organizing in record time a series of eBay auctions to benefit the family. Click on the image to read more about it.

People interested in helping can donate all sorts of things (contact Lillie or Sharon directly for more details) or bid on them once the auctions go live–or they can simply use the handy PayPal button on the blog.

Thank you–and please, keep Fating and her family in your thoughts.

Many of our readers have probably heard by now, via twitter or blogs, of this terrible, senseless tragedy.

Fatin, known widely throughout romance blogland as Mad of the Novel Thoughts blog, has lost her husband to a workplace shooting. You can offer your condolences to her and their four daughters there.

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Lillie, who for the past several months has helped Mad run Novel Thoughts, will keep the community updated as to what we can do to help Fatin and her family during the aftermath of their loss.

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ETA: Information on an education fund set up for Fatin’s daughters has been added. Let’s do what we romance lovers do best and give them our support.