Big-Name Celebrity Blurbathon

Now that THE FAMILIARS is edited and ready to go to galleys, you'd think all that would be left for us to do is put the champagne on ice and start the countdown to hitting bookstores. But alas, our adventure has only just begun. Yes, it turns out writing the book is only a small part of being an author. There's also marketing, promoting, and selling your book! That means blogging, vlogging, tweeting, interviews, pre-sales conferences, and getting blurbs.

Yes, blurbs. The blurb, or endorsement, is a brief promotional statement found on the book jacket. Preferably, it is not written by the author's friends or parents. A fellow respected author who writes in your book's genre can be of great value. (Full disclosure: we already have two fantastic, wonderful author endorsements, from two of our personal favorite YA authors -- Michael Buckley, author of the exceedingly clever fairy tale detective series "The Sisters Grimm" and the new irreverent series "Nerds," and Roderick Gordon, co-author of the compellingly readable action-adventure series "Tunnels.")

But a Big-Name Celebrity blurb can, in the words of book marketing guru John Kremer, "Shoot Your Book To The Top Of The Best-Seller Lists & Sell More Copies Than You Ever Thought Possible!"

So we have decided to seek out a Big-Name Celebrity to endorse THE FAMILIARS. According to trusted on-line database ContactAnyCelebrity.com, "Always remember the 'Three Ps' for getting celebrity testimonial and endorsements for your books: Be Polite, Be Persistent, and Be Patient!"

Which brings us to the Big-Name Celebrity Blurbathon. We will be seeking a laudatory endorsement of a famous person. But not just any famous person. No, a famous person who loves animals.

Here are the 10 Big-Names will be pursuing:

10. Alyssa Milano, best known as Samantha on "Who's the Boss?" and more recently as Phoebe on "Charmed," is a vegetarian and supporter of PETA. Her dogs' names are Lucy, Ripely, Stella, and Hugo, and she has four cats named Simon, Lucy, Daisy and Miles.

9. Denise Richards, E reality star and former Bond girl, is involved with a charity called Much Love that rescues animals and finds them loving homes. She has three cats (Max, Billy, and Stan), 11 doggies (Tina, Hank, Wally, Luke, Scarlet, Lily, Emma, Olivia, Sugar, George, and Lucy), and two oinkers (Charlotte and Bert)!

8. Pink is a passionate campaigner for PETA, and once sent a letter to Prince William Windsor criticizing him for fox hunting and to Queen Elizabeth II protesting the use of real fur in bearskins of the Honourable Artillery Company and the Foot Guards.

7. Alicia Silverstone, voted sexiest female vegetarian in 2004, is an animal rights activist and PETA supporter. During the filming of Clueless (1995), she adopted a raggedy old mutt, whom she found wandering the streets of Los Angeles. She named him "Samson," and kept him on the set.

6. Paris Hilton, reality star and socialite, is not only an animal lover, but also an animal activist. When she viewed a video of an animal being brutally killed for fur, she promised to never wear real fur again.

5. Pamela Anderson, Baywatch babe and worldwide sex symbol, is a vegetarian, an advocate for animal rights, and an active member of PETA, taking part in several campaigns for animal rights. She has also campaigned against Kentucky Fried Chicken and seal hunting in Canada.

4. Jessica Simpson, singer and reality star, has a dog named Daisy.

3. Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore. Dog lover Ashton famously once said, "I pee outside my house in my yard. I usually start my day off by taking my dogs out. While they go, I go."

2. Ellen DeGeneres has been praised by The Humane Society for her dedication to promoting key animal rights issues.

1. Oprah Winfrey is a dog owner and 2008 PETA Person of the Year. And she's Oprah.

THE FAMILIARS is an animal empowerment story. These celebrity animal rights activists and animal lovers seem like ideal candidates for our Big-Name Celebrity Blurb. We're going to chronicle our quest for a celebrity endorsement, but also call upon all of you out in the blogosphere and twitterverse for help as well. Please help with posts and tweets and any direct contact with these celebs that might aid our cause!

Today, we begin with Alyssa Milano. Wish us luck.