(Sacramento, CA), May 2008 – As the mother of a child with type 1 diabetes, bestselling author Brenda Novak uses the creativity and vision she calls upon regularly as a writer to create the 4th Annual Online Auction to Benefit Diabetes Research. Held each May in honor of Mother’s Day, the month-long event can be accessed at www.brendanovak.com from May 1st through May 31, 2008. This year, a new beneficiary has been added, the Diabetes Research Institute – a place Novak has come to know as the best hope for a cure for her son and the millions of others living with this insidious disease.
“I’ve faced some very dark moments in my life because of my son’s diabetes, and this Online Auction for Diabetes Research is an annual bright light that I’ve seen grow in size and importance in the four years it’s been running,” said Novak. “I’m particularly proud to have the Diabetes Research Institute on board this year. It is one of the most progressive forces in the search for a cure.”
In its first three years, the auction raised more than $250,000 for diabetes research with the beneficiary being the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. In 2007, the auction boasted almost 70,000 hits and 10,000 unique visitors to the website. With the help of some of the biggest fiction writers in the business, including Nora Roberts, Debbie Macomber, Lisa Scottoline and Scott Turow, as well as the participation of such powerful publishers as Grand Central Publishing (formerly Warner Books) and Bantam/Doubleday/Dell and Harlequin Enterprises, the 2008 auction will be the largest and most visited yet.
Novak has assembled a unique array of items that can’t be found anywhere else, such as the chance to appear as a character in her next novel, personal meetings and mentoring from top-notch, celebrated authors, and autographed books. Additionally, aspiring writers will jump at the chance to bid on evaluation opportunities with some of the most powerful and well-connected agents and editors in publishing, and possibly face-to-face interaction with these A-list publishing industry giants.
“We are in awe of what Brenda has been able to do with her event in just a few short years, and we are proud to be joining with her as both a participant in helping make the event a huge success and as a beneficiary of the proceeds,” said Robert A. Pearlman, president and CEO of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation.
About Brenda Novak
Brenda Novak is a national bestselling author, widely known for her popular Stillwater Trilogy (“Dead Silence,” “Dead Giveaway,” and “Dead Right”). Her dynamic new trilogy is due out this summer – “Trust Me” (June), “Stop Me” (July) and “Watch Me” (August). Many of her books have been designated an RT Book Review Magazine “Top Pick” and have gone on to place in contests such as the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, The Write Touch Reader’s Award, and the Bookbuyer’s Best. Novak has given numerous writing workshops and appeared on various television and radio programs. To learn more, visit www.brendanovak.com.
About the Diabetes Research Institute
The Diabetes Research Institute, a center of excellence at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, is a recognized world leader in cure-focused research. Since its inception in the early 1970’s, the DRI has made significant contributions to the field of type 1 diabetes research, pioneering many of the techniques used in islet transplantation. From innovations in islet isolation and transplant procedures to advances in cell biology and immunology, the DRI is now harnessing the power of emerging technologies to develop new cell-based therapies to restore insulin production. For the millions of families already affected by diabetes who are looking to the world of science for answers, the Diabetes Research Institute is the best hope for a cure. For more information, call 1-800-321-3437 or visit the DRI website.