The author of 'Game of Thrones' novel is astounded at the unexpected flow of donations he received for a wolf sanctuary in Santa Fe.
- Jun 12, 2014
AceShowbiz - George R.R. Martin is in disbelief that his fans, who were previously urged to donate for Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary and Food Depot in Santa Fe, New Mexico, would donate more than he expected. So far, the donation has reached more than $370,000.
Previously, the author of "Game of Thrones" novel offered two characters, who would die in his future book, to be named after whoever donate $20,000. Those available two characters were snagged within hours after the contest was announced, leaving eight other fans in the waiting list.
Commenting on fans' response to the contest, George stated, "The outpouring of love and support has been far greater than I could ever anticipate, and has left me astonished and at a loss for words."
Actually, it was hard for George to kill off a character in his book. "Despite my sinister repute, I actually find it hard to kill off characters that I've been writing about for some time. Good guys or bad guys, they're all my children," he said, "But this time the slaughter should be easy, since the victims will be laying down their lives in a good cause. I will do my best to make their ends memorable."
A Facebook employee, David Goldblatt who won one of the rare characters, shared that he was fortunate to get it. He said, "I'm fortunate enough to be in a position to do this cool thing, and it's going toward a good cause. I don't think I'm doing anything extraordinary."
"I want to be a Valyrian if at all possible," David revealed his wish to be one of his favorite characters in the book, "But he[George] figures it out himself. I wouldn't want to impinge upon his creative process."
The contest was launched after George got the idea from Prizeo about offering characters to be named after fans who donated $20,000 which George immediately agreed. "The minute George got it, he started pitching these crazy ideas of what he could do. The helicopter tour was all him," said Leo Seigal, Prizeo co-founder, about the other prizes George offered.
George expressed his satisfaction with the donations, saying, "We have already met and exceeded our original goals, and the donations are still pouring in. Every gift, large or small, is much appreciated, and will help feed hungry people and provide shelter, habitats, and care for the wolves and wolf-dogs at Wild Spirit. I wish we had enough prizes for all our donors."
