Readathon

Welcome, Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-A-Thon participants! Need a break from reading or cheering? Then why not try your hand at a hodge-podge proposal? You could win one of the fabulous Read-A-Thon prizes…and have a little fun, I hope!

Here’s what you must do to participate in the Hodge-Podge Proposals Mini-Challenge. First, grab a pen and paper, open up a text file, or fire up your memory and list:

  1. The first name of any character in the book you’re currently reading (or just finished)
  2. The make or model of your current car, whichever you like better (if you don’t have a car, use one you’ve had or would like to have)
  3. A job you think would be especially fascinating

For example: (1) there’s a Tasha in the book I was reading as I wrote up this post; (2) I drive a Hyundai Elantra and like the second half of its name better; (3) I think being a professional recipe tester would be really interesting.

Ok, do you have your three things? If not, stop reading now and list them! When you’re done, keep reading to find out what you do with them.

———

Numbers 1 and 2 become the first and last name of your new character, and 3 is his or her occupation. Now briefly pitch me a new series in the genre of your choice based on this hodge-podge character!

For example: Tasha Elantra, professional recipe tester extraordinaire, is highly sought after by all the world’s top chefs. Her company, Tested by Tasha, is thriving. Then suddenly, every recipe she tries falls flat. Is Tasha losing her touch? Are her high-profile clients dropping the culinary ball? Or is sabotage on the menu? Each book will bring Tasha one step closer to uncovering the truth and include one of Tasha’s favorite recipes for readers to try at home!

To participate in the challenge, leave a comment with your character name and occupation, your series synopsis, and a way to contact you. (Alternately, you can post your proposal on your blog and leave me a link and contact info in the comments.) I will draw one winner at random a few minutes before Read-A-Thon Hour 15 begins and pass the winner’s name along to the Read-A-Thon prize committee. Winner will also be announced on the main site and will be contacted about choosing a prize.

Good luck — let those creative juices flow!

Join the Conversation

57 Comments

  1. Lizzy Prius is a Space Ranger! What does a Space Ranger actually do? That’s the problem — nobody knows what it is that she does, and she’s determined to keep it that way…

  2. Character name: David Miatta
    Occupation: Gravedigger

    It was bad enough that the traditional occupation of being a gravedigger had been passed down from one generation to the next in his family – which meant that someday, eventually, he would take his father’s place. But to top it all off, they didn’t bury just any old people – they buried crazy paranormal beings too. A graveyard filled with zombies, vampires and more of their kind? Definitely not his cup of tea.

  3. Drew Chevy is an agent for famous people. No, he can’t tell you who they are. But one day, his most famous client, whom we will call “Robert” decided that he wanted to switch places. Drew could be famous and he could be his agent. The only problem: What does an agent do? They are both determined to find out.

    email booksatruestory at gmail dot com

  4. Tiki Contour, is a teen psychic but she tries to ingnore the ghost that she can see, and she never told her friends. Now a group of her friends have decided to spend the night in a haunted mansion near by because they have heard all the frightening tales. Tiki’s friends thinks its going to be a great night of fun along in a large house, but Tiki knows differently. She can see the horror that is in the house, and she knows it will not let them out alive.

  5. Lily Concorde lives the jet-set life, traveling the globe, planning multi-million dollar weddings. From the exquisite flowers, to the gourmet dishes, to the extravagant decorations, every detail of a Lily Concorde event is fabulous – until a string of unfortunate deaths threatens to leave Lily’s business stranded at the alter.

  6. Rose Accord has spent her life dreaming of flying above the earth. But growing up in the deep south, practically a swamp, her chances of escaping her small town are slim. Trying to fight her way against prejudiced teachers and the deep-set current thinking of her day, she finally makes her way to astronaut training, only to be bested by what she least expected – her own self. In this highly acclaimed novel set in the early 1970s, we see one woman’s struggle against the thinking of her day and the weakness of her own body to triumph in ways she’d never imagined.

    This was fun, thanks!
    librariansbook(at)gmail

  7. 1. A character in my book is Tessa
    2. My car is a Mitsubishi
    3. A fascinating job (to me) would be wine taste tester

    Tessa Mitsubishi, who had a mediocre job at a liquor store is suddenly promoted to the prestigious WINE TASTER job after the previous worker, Will, falls deathly ill and passes away. Tessa takes the job not knowing the risks – was it the wine that killed Will? Or was it the perils of working in the business? Surely there isn’t someone out there trying to MURDER the taste tester … or is there?

  8. Katsa Mustang is a musician, and a damn good one, too. When she sings, everyone around her stops what they’re doing to listen. She plays a lament and they cry, hums a reel and they dance. At her first public concert, two strangers fail to react the same way as everyone else–and they don’t look happy with her…

  9. Valentine Jeep, marine biologist, is tired of not being taking seriously. His parents have to tell everyone they named their son for the day and place they conceived. On the way to the courthouse to change his name, he witnesses the crime of the century. Does he fess up with what he knows and become the “it” man or does he ignore what he saw?

    nisethusfarATyahooDOTcom

  10. Xander Cavalier, criminal anthropologist, has just been kidnapped, taken by the very mafia group he was researching for the government. The time is ticking away and the CIA are hot on the heels of the criminals. Will they be able to reach them in time and save Xander, or will he be the next victim of the criminals he has been trying to stop?

  11. Fenno Vibe is the unluckiest of detectives. Just when it looks like he will finally get a big case, he walks in on his chief in an, um, compromising postion and is immediately fired. When he opens up his own private eye shop he immediately becomes a suspect in the chief’s murder. Did he do it? What happens to a detective named Fenno Vibe in prison? You’ll have to read to find out!

  12. Deisel Camry is a forensic accountant that dreamed of a more exciting job. Forensic accounting usually just consisted of looking over cooked books and passing the findings on to the FBI, but when he gets called to investigate the Porsche Racing Team things rev up. Cooked books, a missing driver and a body found in the trailer; Deisel finds himself wishing for more idle times…

  13. Ash Cherokee, a wildlife photographer, has always walked in the face of danger. From the wilds of Africa to the sands of the Middle East, he has never turned down an assignment no matter the danger. However that was before he visited the lost tribe of the Muhalla’s and learned that their mystical beast of a God might truly be real. As fantasy and reality become one…will Ash be ready for the assignment of a lifetime? Or will fate dictate that this will this truly be his last photograph?

    Thanks for the fun mini-challenge.
    Courtney
    stilettostorytime at gmail dot com

  14. Okay, my brain is really tired, but here goes:

    The year is 1990 and Hannah Suzuki, a renowned wildlife photographer, leaves her home in Boston and travels to Rwanda on an assignment for National Geographic. But her hopes of spending ten days in the wilderness shooting photos worthy of a Pulitzer prize are derailed by the onset of civil war. Caught up in the chaos, Hannah attaches herself to a journalist whose ties to the country and the political upheaval are deeper than they first appear. As the violence escalates, Hannah must unravel the mystery surrounding this man before time runs out.

  15. Character: Kim Cooper
    Job: Librarian

    Kim Cooper has just graduated from Portland State with her Master’s in Library Science, and has landed the perfect job: a media librarian position for the public library in her tiny hometown of Dallas, OR. The job starts off perfectly, but soon somethings start to go wrong. Some of the media files Kim is in charge of go missing, and the head librarian accuses her of stealing! On top of that, some of the other files keep getting rearranged, making Kim’s job that much harder. Who could be messing with Kim? Who could want her fired? Only time will tell.

  16. Rebecca Audi was a rockstar anyone would remember. That, she was sure of. If not for her music, then at least for her death. And what a death that would be.

    One day a handsome stranger approaches her after another gig without any audience and promises her heaven.

    Little does she know that one small word can seal a pact not from this world…

  17. Nicole Intrigue is a National Geographic wildlife photographer. Her job takes her all over the world, capturing images that move and inspire readers in every country. But lately, Nicole hasn’t felt very inspired herself. When she’s called back home to deal with a family crisis, she feels both trapped in the small town she tried to forget and rooted even deeper into its history. Will she ever travel the world again, or has she found a new subject to photograph right in her own backyard?

    amyliz2008[at]gmail[dot]com
    http://www.amyliz2008.blogspot.com

  18. This is fun. 😀

    Ann Jaguar (I really have no idea if that’s even a car name) is a professional photographer whose life takes an unexpected turn after a series of photos in which she captures the face of Death.

    As she tries to escape haunted memories of her and the ghosts in her pictures, her life is threatened by the blue eyed stranger who never likes to be seen. Especially not when working…

    Again, this was so much fun. 😀 Congrats for the great challenge!

  19. Character: Manny Corolla
    Job: Advertising

    By day, Manny Corolla is a suit and tie advertising exec at one of New York’s premiere firms. By night, Manny is…a vampire. How can he maintain his secret identity when his two worlds begin to collide? How can he hide his bloodlust from his new girlfriend, Leanne, who also happens to be the head of his department? Will she give him a raise, or will he be unable to resist the urge to suck her blood? Find out, in this exciting new comic thriller.

  20. Shoot, I don’t think it posted my comment…take number 2!

    Nicole Intrigue is a National Geographic wildlife photographer. Her job takes her all over the world, capturing images that inspire others. But lately she hasn’t felt very inspired herself. Called back to her small hometown for a family crisis, Nicole oscillates between feeling smothered and feeling accepted. Will she ever get back out and travel the world, or has she found something much more worthwhile in her own backyard?

    amyliz2008[at]gmail[dot]com

  21. John Alto works for the food police. He lives in a dangerous world where international restaurant chains send out their best in the field of espionage. Read and find out how he saves the world everyday from culinary horrors while forcing the big guns to play with each other!

  22. Solange
    Pontiac Vibe
    Rodeo Clown

    Solange Vibe used to be the best rodeo clown on the circuit. That young upstart, Dominic, was trying to stir up trouble with the bosses. Too bad he didn’t know she was one of the silent bosses!

    The rides get wild when the bulls and the broncs are safely away for the night and the Others come out to play.

    Beware of things that go silently at night.

    She was getting too old for this. There had to be some way to fire her without triggering the wrath of the family.

  23. Katniss Chevy has been an Art Historian for the past six years. When she was in graduate school, the idea of working with paintings, sculpture, and other artistic media, both classical and modern, was nothing but thrilling to her. After more than half a decade, though, the museum life has gotten a bit dreary. Just when Katniss Chevy begins to doubt her life and career choices, she discovers a dangerous message etched ever so lightly into the base of a recently unveiled statue of Madonna by Michaelangelo. Decoding the message will send Katniss spiraling into a dark abyss previously unkown in the art world. She has been waiting all her life for an opportunity like this – it is sure to stamp her name in every history book for generations to come – but will the discovery turn out to be more than she asked for?

  24. Katniss Fit, Kat for short, has just gotten her first job as Zookeeper with Mystwood Zoo in the small but secluded town of Avalon, Wyoming. What Kat doesn’t realize, however, is that this isn’t just any ordinary zoo. This is a zoo for magical creatures and houses some of the most rare and beautiful specimens of the other realm. It is her job, not just to keep them healthy and happy but to ensure that they are safe from those who seek to destroy all of the magic that once filled our world so that the wonder they bring is not lost for all of eternity. Will she succeed or will the earth as we know it be plunged into an eternal monotony of gloom and predictability? And more importantly, why was SHE chosen for the job when, before today she wasn’t even aware that there was another realm?

  25. Scarlett Accord is a tester. She links into the system and allows the mainframe to run its experiments, new tweaks in advertisement and entertainment that will eventually be downloaded to every citizen. But hey, it’s money right? So she has to deal with some crappy ads and play some obnoxious farming games. It’s really not a big deal. Scarlett’s never found her job dangerous, that is until she was “randomly” selected to participate in Beta X. Quickly Scarlett realizes that this isn’t a normal test and she’ll have to start taking life a lot more seriously if she wants to find a way out of the system alive.

    here’s a link to my blog too: http://amandapearlsbooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/mini-challenge-hodge-podge-proposal.html

  26. Scarlett Accord is a tester. She links into the system and allows the mainframe to run its experiments, new tweaks in advertisement and entertainment that will eventually be downloaded to every citizen. But hey, it’s money right? So she has to deal with some crappy ads and play some obnoxious farming games. It’s really not a big deal. Scarlett’s never found her job dangerous, that is until she was “randomly” selected to participate in Beta X. Quickly Scarlett realizes that this isn’t a normal test and she’ll have to start taking life a lot more seriously if she wants to find a way out of the system alive.

  27. Here is the link http://www.booksdevoured.com/p/readathon.html

    This was really fun!! I think mine is pretty terrible though! Booooo! My three was Miles, Mustang, Musician.

    Miles Mustang just graduated college with a medical degree. Instead of finishing his residency, he decides to travel across the country with his 3 best friends to try and get a recording contract. Miles learned to play guitar after the first time he saw Amy-Lynn kissing Billy after their 6th grade talent show. Billy is now a band mate and Amy-Lynn their lead singer. The drummer Grant got them a place in the National Band Competition and if they win, they will surely be famous. Miles has to decide if his heart is still with the band, with Amy-Lynn or with his dream of being a Dr.

  28. Alright, here goes!

    Philip Liberty, a research librarian at Cambridge, has always been content with his life–sure, he works late hours behind the desk, but he has always enjoyed helping others find their sources. Then, one night, in the wee hours, he comes across a body in the Social Sciences stacks, runes marked in blood across the bare torso. Soon, more bodies turn up with runic symbols. Could some sort of otherworldly force be lurking within the confines of the library? Or has some sleep-deprived grad student finally lost their marbles? Philip Liberty might be just the one to find out as he uses his research abilities and boundless source of books to uncover the menace at Cambridge Library!

    That’s all I’ve got–my brain is still mushy from reading!

  29. Diana Forester, a movie critic by day, but a fighter of crime by night. Forester’s life has been spent hiding her secret identity as a crime fighter, usually people fall easily for for disguise, they can’t seem to see the Forester for the trees, but will this case take her too close to being exposed? Find out in the latest adventure of Forester, the hunter of the evil.

    Sorry, so bad, but my brain is fuzzy!

    avidreaderreader25@gmail.com

  30. Dominique Six, a film director, is about to have the opening night of her life. Just at the most climactic moment of the screening, the power goes out and an announcement comes over the loudspeaker: “BRAAAAAINNNNNNSSSSSS. We are here for your BRAAAAINNNNNSS.” As bedlam breaks looks in the theater, Dominique looks onto the stage to see the man she’s always loved…as a zombie.

  31. Cassia Elantra, children’s book author, has run into a horrible problem — she has been cursed by an evil fairy to only use words that are longer than ten letters! Cassia is afraid her award-winning reign as Greatest Picture Book Writer of All Time is about to come to an end, when an enterprising friend (and possible love interest) suggests to her that perhaps she could start the children of the English speaking world early in preparing for the SATs with a new series: The Polysyllabic Primer. Will Cassia’s new endeavor be a success? Or will she have to defeat the evil fairy and regain her previous abilities? Find out next week on My Polysyllabic Problem.

  32. Katniss Beetle had an ordinary life: ordinary job, ordinary cat, ordinary apartment in the ordinary town of Little Newport. But her world gets turned upside down by the rapid appearances of Mothmen, Thunderbirds, and the Jersey Devil in her hometown. She is inexplicably recruited by her reclusive neighbor into the mysterious world of cryptozoology, where she begins to track the world’s most elusive creatures that have suddenly started invading her town. Save Little Newport: save the world.

  33. My character: Hazel Spectra
    Job: Pastry Chef
    catagory: fantasy

    Hazel’s cooking isnt for everyone. Customers who come to her either love her or hate her. Her loyal customers flurish with each bite of her treats: careers soar, romances are started, healings abound. but now hazel has lost her talent, but not her friends, something is stealing her magic and her best customers soon become her enchanted guardians 🙂

  34. Jack Freestar has it all. A great bachelor life with a great job working at Ceasar’s Palace as one of the hottest blackjack dealers in the state. It all changes the night that Sierra Electric walks into his life and walks away with $3 million dollars from his table. With an angry pit boss on his tail, he leaves for New Orleans where he finds the true meaning of tough luck…

    (this is why I’m a reader and blogger, NOT a novel author, people)

  35. Lucy Aveo is a famous actress, featured both on the Broadway stage and the Hollywood screen. She comes from a long line of stars, including her parents.
    While pondering whether to take a TV pilot or release a solo album, she receives an email. The anonymous email accuses her parents of adopting her. Is the accusation true? Who are Lucy’s real parents? Who is she if not a member of the illustrious acting family? Lucy embarks on a worldwide adventure to discover her true roots.

    Lindsey.Stefan@comcast.net

  36. You would think a crayon dipper wouldn’t get much action but that’s not the case with Charlie Mazda. There is something about the way Charlie molds hot wax that drives the ladies wild. Now for the first time Charlie Mazda is going to share his secrets with YOU!

    qemorio@earthlink.net

  37. I love this challenge!

    Character Name: Kitty Sierra
    Occupation: archaeologist
    Synopsis: Kitty Sierra, world famous archaeologist, is on to a major discovery. Her top secret gig has attracted the attention of some very unsavory characters. How, she does not know, but she’s certain there’s a mole among her dig assistants. Kitty must protect her find at all costs, before privateers steal it from the hands of the public domain. The world can learn much from this artifact. Kitty will risk everything to make sure the world gets the chance.

    Fun! Thanks!
    truebookaddictATgmailDOTcom

  38. Denver Cherokee- Wildlife Biologist

    Denver Cherokee is rugged, sexy and smart. A wildlife biologist, he’s always on some grand adventure in some distant land, making new discoveries or tracking down old ones. But Denver may have gotten more than he bargained for when he signed on to take wildlife photographer Jessica Stiles into the Amazon in search of a previously undiscovered primate. Sightings of the primate are trickling in, and if they can be confirmed and a specimen captured and tagged, it will be the greatest discovery of this century. Denver is in it for the scientific discovery and pursuit of knowledge. Jessica is in it for the fame and fortune, and is far more wild than any of the animals that Denver has ever sought out before. Can Denver tame the wily Jessica and convince her that there is something greater to be found in the Amazon than simple fame? Something like love? Humanity?

    nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

  39. Great mini-challenge! I came up with: Henry Sportage walked away from life in the corporate world to volunteer in the villages of Thailand. When the leader of the village turns up murdered and strung from a tree, Henry is pulled in to the mystery and finds himself playing the role of detective in a land whose culture he is just beginning to understand. With every twist and turn, Henry finds himself more entangled. When he receives a letter threatening his OWN life, however, things take an even more deadly turn. Will he be able to catch the killer before the killer catches him?

    I also listed it in my update post: http://www.knittingandsundries.com/2011/10/wonderfully-wicked-and-deweys-read-thon.html

    Thanks so much!

    knittingandsundries(at)gmail(dot)com

  40. Character Name: Kincar Accent
    Occupation: Library Owner

    Kincar Accent, Owner of Hyundai Library, is the owner of some highly looked for books. Mr. Accent, lends out his books to anyone who askes for them; to read. A problem has just accured though. His number one customer has just been found dead in the attic of the Library. What was Mr. Kushi doing in the attic, who killed him and how did he get in? All these questions and more, will keep Kincar Accent on his feet and out of a killer’s sights.

  41. Sarah Wrangler is a high profile food critic in Minneapolis Minnesota. After giving a poor (but truthful) review of a well known restaurant that included a bout of food poisoning, Sarah finds herself receiving threatening notes at her office and even more frightening… at her home.

    Things only get more dangerous after someone attempts to poison her best friend in the world, her dog, Maggie.

    With the help of her rather good looking co-worker Beckett, Sarah tries to keep up a professional appearance while trying to put a stop to whoever is trying to crush her career.

  42. Hi Erin,

    I’m sending my readers over here to read all these proposals, both funny and fabulous. Here’s what I posted today:
    http://bonniesbooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/hodge-podge-proposals-youve-gotta-read.html

    And here’s the proposal I didn’t think was good enough to post here:

    Lauren Maxima seems an unlikely candidate to become queen of the world, but that’s her goal. For now, she’ll settle for president of her fifth grade class. (Hmm, this needs more thought before I submit it. If, I submit it.)

    That’s what I posted at Hour 12 on my blog about Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-Thon, found here:
    http://bonniesbooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/deweys-read-thon-october-2011.html

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