about bulletins books Maureen Johnson dot com blog f.a.q. contact community
 
 
 
 
 
suite scarlett
girl at sea
devilish
13 little blue envelopes
the bermudez triangle
the key to the golden firebird
vacations from hell
let it snow
 
 

Monday, March 17, 2008

SCARLETT’S ELEVEN

Things are buzzing in the mj office these days. I’ve been gearing up for the release of Suite Scarlett, working on the second Scarlett book, and preparing to leave at the end of the week to go to the UK office and then to the Bologna Book Fair. (Which I am very, very excited about.)

I also made a quick visit home to Philadelphia to see the Family Johnson, and my lawyer, C. Catso Fangola. Aside from being my legal representative, C. Catso is a Siamese cat, and therefore very, very chatty. I spent an embarrassing amount of time with him on Friday doing duets like this:

ME: (singing) They try to make me go to rehab and I say no,

CATSO: meow.

ME: No. They try to make me go to rehab but I won’t go,

CATSO: meow.

ME: Go.

It was a brief moment of leisure in a whirlwind!

In the next few weeks, it’s going to be a Scarlettpalooza around here. This entire website is getting an overhaul, for a start. It will be prettier, shinier, and even more jellyfish-free. And it will feature cool things, such as an interactive map of Scarlett’s New York City, and the F.A.Q. to end all F.A.Q.s (and thus solve many of your book report dilemmas).

The Really Big Suite Scarlett Contest is still being finalized. I actually have nothing to do with the Really Big Suite Scarlett Contest (that is, I have nothing to do with how it is run, or how the prize will be given out, but I may have something to do with the prize itself), so I can’t make that happen any faster or tell you anything right now.

But that will not stop me from giving out things on my own. There will be book giveaways, and Suite Scarlett sleep mask giveaways . . . just as soon as I get them.

The upshot of all of this is that my office looks like . . . well, it looks like someplace recently visited by J.K. Paper and books everywhere, half-eaten coasters all around, hundreds of unanswered e-mails . . .

In the midst of all this, I was incredibly heartened to see just how many you want to FREE ALAN RICKMAN. Naturally, this cause has taken up much of my time this week as well, as I have been lobbying several human rights organizations to try to secure his release from J.K.’s basement. Unfortunately, J.K. is above the law in many people’s eyes, and no one took my petitions seriously. Alan is still down there, getting “Snape training.”

I am also glad to see how many of you liked the shirt, which I hastily designed while on hold with the U.N. Many of demand the shirt—you demand the world know of Alan’s wrongful imprisonment!



The shirt.



I hear your plea. And I have a reply . . . and a challenge.

With all this madness, I kind of need help. There’s so much to do, so many people to tell about Scarlett. So I decided to combine my need for a Crack Team of MJ Fans with a FREE ALAN RICKMAN LIMITED EDITION T-SHIRT GIVEAWAY.

Yes, I am ordering a batch of these excellent shirts as a kind of pre-Scarlett celebration, and also to spread the word of Alan’s plight. There will be only twelve FREE ALAN RICKMAN shirts made! One, I will keep and wear myself. But other eleven . . . will be going to Scarlett’s Eleven.

WHO ARE SCARLETT’S ELEVEN?

Scarlett’s Eleven are a group of wily readers of this blog, chosen for their skills, dedication, and desire to spread the word of Scarlett and to FREE ALAN RICKMAN.

WHAT WILL YOU GET AS A MEMBER OF SCARLETT’S ELEVEN?

You will get a FREE ALAN RICKMAN shirt.

You will get a NUMBER.

You will get a CODE NAME.

WHAT WILL SCARLETT’S ELEVEN DO?

The primary mission of Scarlett’s Eleven will spread the word of Scarlett, but they will also spread the word of Alan Rickman’s plight by the wearing of awesome t-shirts. Members of this secret gang will use the internet and ALL OTHER AVAILABLE MEANS to get the word out. They will work together as a unit. A secret (or sekrit) unit!

WHY ELEVEN?

Um, the shirt company was selling the shirts in batches of 12. Also, it was the title of a movie.

WHO ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

There are no restrictions on who can apply to be a member of Scarlett’s Eleven. Ideally, though, you should:

- probably like either this blog or my books (or just pretend to)

- want to FREE ALAN RICKMAN

- have a deep yet largely inexplicable desire to tell the world about Suite Scarlett and be in my gang

- want to work with ten more people like yourself over the next month or two

- like code names


HOW DOES ONE BECOME A MEMBER OF SCARLETT’S ELEVEN?

You e-mail me, telling me why you should be. Tell me about yourself and your special powers. Do you make Youtube videos? Are you a master of myspace? A Facebook fiend? Do you run a reading group? Do you just spend WAY TOO MUCH TIME ONLINE? Do you like to hatch plots? Play nicely with others? Do you have an unusual job? A weird talent? Tell me what you might do as a member.

What have you got? Tell me any way you like. Tell me anything you think is relevant. There are NO INSTRUCTIONS and NO LIMITATIONS.

WHEN DO I HAVE TO DO THIS BY?

You have until March 26th to send in your applications. I will chose Scarlett’s Eleven on the 28th of March.

AND IF I AM CHOSEN?

Shirt, code name, and code number will follow. You will introduced to the world on this blog, and in private to your fellow gang members. From there, it is largely up to you what Scarlett’s Eleven does. You will, of course, get secret communications from me.

SO, THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL T-SHIRT GIVEAWAY, BUT ALSO THE FORMATION OF A SECRET GANG?

Yes.

AND IF I DON’T GET INTO SCARLETT’S ELEVEN, I STILL GET THE CHANCE TO WIN ALL KINDS OF STUFF, INCLUDING BOOKS, SLEEP MASKS, AND THE REALLY BIG PRIZE?

Yes.

SO THE OPPORTUNITIES TO WIN THINGS WILL JUST KEEP COMING?

Yes.

So there it is! I have thrown down the gauntlet! Now I have to get back to business. It is a crazy week! (And did I mention that I am going backstage at the circus? You’ll be hearing about that later this week as well . . .)

Come on! Apply! Be one of Scarlett’s Eleven! FREE ALAN RICKMAN! And be IN MY GANG!



Are you ready to be in SCARLETT'S ELEVEN?

Labels:

26 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ha, first I think!!!
that would be such a cool idea!! I soo want to try... and will!!! yaaayy!!! = )

7:20 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is far too cool.

7:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh my God. It could be that I am more excited about this than the Really Big Prize.

7:30 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That's such a fawesome contest thing. *squeals in fangirlish delight*

8:02 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thats sounds slightly cult like Maureen 0=

8:16 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

So even if we don't win the shirt and get in your Scarlett's Eleven, can you make more shirts later? We'll pay enough to get you a small profit on each shirt! Promise! Aaaai, me wants.

8:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Possibly stupid question: from what does Alan Rickman need to be freed?

4:06 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

From bondage, of course.

6:44 PM  
Blogger Nina said...

If we, by chance, happen to not make the Eleven, is there a chance you'll make more shirts? And by that I mean: I AM NOT GOING TO GET IN BECAUSE I AM NOT A WINNER. TAKE PITY.

10:54 PM  
Blogger Shausto-la said...

MJ! I FEEL LIKE YELLING!
this is probably your fawesomest challenge yet.

and..uh..the list of applications to get into your personal gang..this will not be released to the public? correct?
I have a feeling my mom would not be too happy to find out I have been applying to gangs in my spare time... :D

11:23 PM  
Blogger Reese said...

I want this more than anything.

I'm so serious.

11:59 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ohh! Theres another Ally! That is way awesome. Must email!

12:06 AM  
Blogger Reese said...

JUST ENTERED!!!!!
YAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!

12:31 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yayness!!!!!!!!!!!
eeeppppppp.
so excited *squeals*
going to email you right now.

2:14 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

um, does being a ebay lover and being unable to spell count as a super power?

3:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

COOLEST CONTEST EVER!!!!!!!!!! i am sooo entering!!! i've already started my application! wow.... *dreams of being one of the Scarlett Eleven*

4:35 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i am going to be in scarletts 11. i am going to send an email. i will win muahahahah-pauses for a moment choking in the corner- ahem hahahahahahahahah

6:31 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

this contest is def. the bombDOTcom. just as much as the shirts are. yeah dawg.

7:46 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i dunno if anyone answered, but according to maureen, hes locked in JKs basement

6:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello Maureen, I'm new to the blog, loved 13 little blue envelopes and hope to read all your other books.

Oh Maureen, if you could see me now you would not be proud, as I write this I'm imagining you shaking your head in disappointment... what did I do?... well, i got caught up in the celebration of my best friends birthday... we went to the beach (when the waves are starting to be at their highest), and confused the bottle of tanning oil for the sunblock... what were we THINKING!?... now we're all red and itchy and burnt (gah! the peeling!)...And of the 75% of water in out bodies, about 30% is salt water. The only good thing I can see in all of this is that it gives us loads of time to think about ways to spread the word about Alan Rickman and Scarlett... as we hide our redness from society and wait for the moment we'll resemble a group of lizards shedding... *shudders*

9:36 AM  
Blogger limeywesty said...

I am so thrilled that I may very well have the opportunity to actually free Alan Rickman...
I'll have to think about this...

10:48 AM  
Blogger Nine said...

Hi, my name is Aline and i'm from Brazil.

I really want read your books, I have looking for it at every library in here, but I didn't found anyone.

Do you have any estimates of when they arrive here?

I'm sorry about the mistakes of spelling or another mistakes, I'm not so good in english.

thank you. kisses, Aline.

11:46 PM  
Blogger Heather said...

Yes!!

*does a nedfighterly happy dance*

Yay!! I'm so there. Really. Seriously. I'm there. I'm going to start my entry in about 45 seconds. that is once I get done with this comment! yay!

DFTBA
♥Heather

2:59 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hope you knoe the hole spelling thing and ebay was a serious question (is that spelled right gee i hope so) anywho I just have to say I hope youll accept me because I lose at losa stuff

8:08 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I like this blog and your books.
I want to Free Alan Rickman even though I don't know the man and have seen perhaps 1% of his films.
I have a deep desire to tell the world about Suite Scarlett because you are made of awesome, and so are your books.
If there are ten more people like me in the world, then world dominance must be imminent.
I like code names.

Also: Have you seen the latest Aleve commercial in which a zoo worker says she sometimes has to chase stubborn monkeys? Um, you should.

12:53 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

thank you nice sharing

3:38 PM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home