Dear Readers,

I have someone very special to thank for helping to bring the Savvy Auntie book to life. There’s a little girl in Tanzania named Leah Albert who I met on Twitter (@leah_albert) back in the fall of 2009. A wonderful organization called Epic Change had started a campaign called Twitter Kids (#TwitterKids) which has been helping Tanzanian kids get connected, and Leah was one of the most active.

It was through my immediate adoration for this sweet little girl that I met my original editor at HarperCollins, Debbie Stier. In a Twitter exchange, we found ourselves bonding over the Tanzanian kids, and Leah specifically. Soon after, Debbie invited me in to have lunch in her office and before I left, we were planning the Savvy Auntie book! (And yes, Leah is mentioned in the acknowledgments!)

A year and a half later, the book is being released. It was a joy and honor to write. Through research and interviews with some of America’s leading authorities, like Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, Vice President of Research and Education at Sesame Workshop and Christiane Northrup, M.D., ob/gyn physician and author of the New York Times bestseller, Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, I am able to bring you a book filled with information and advice I wish I had years ago myself. It’s a true celebration of you, for you.

But Savvy Auntie isn’t just a book, or a Website. It’s a movement. It’s a call to America to take another look at the nearly 50 percent of women who are not moms (yet) but who love the children in their lives with amazing devotion. Every boo boo we kiss, every hand we hold, and every hug we give, is a gift. Aunthood is a gift to the children, their parents, and of course, we Aunties ourselves. Every child deserves as much love as they can get and aunts and godmothers are valuable members of the American Family Village giving them that care.

There are also children all over the world who could use more love from the Global Family Village. We have an opportunity to be BenevolAunts to children in one of the world's poorest countries, children like Leah who are doing their very best to strive in school under difficult circumstances.

You can help.

To support my mission to get the Savvy Auntie book on the New York Times Bestsellers list (Print: Advice, How-To, Miscellaneous), I will personally donate $1 for every book *sold between now and April 27, 2011, to EpicChange.org, the non-profit organization led by Stacey Monk, a Savvy Auntie herself, that supports children in need all over the world, in honor of you, the Savvy Auntourage – and of course, Leah Albert.

It’s not about ego. It’s about empowerment.

If the Savvy Auntie book lands on the New York Times Bestsellers list then influential people will take notice. America will take notice. Aunties will officially be recognized as a valuable part of the fabric of family in America. This is our DebutAunt Ball!

All you have to do is order the traditional print version of the book (e-books are not counted toward the List) on or by April 27th to help the Savvy Auntie book get there. And we’re close. Over 1000 copies have been pre-sold. But we have to sell thousands more! If the Savvy Auntourage supports the book, you’ll help all of us be BenevolAunts to the children who need more love, like Leah Albert.

This is our moment to shine. This is our chance to be heard. This is our chance to show we’re an important part of the family village. The Global Family Village.

Who’s with me?  You can pre-order the book here: http://bit.ly/bJ1Af7

If you're on Twitter, please help spread the word with this Tweet:   Yes! @SavvyAuntie donates $1 to @EpicChange #TwitterKids for every book sold in honor of @Leah_Albert http://bit.ly/bJ1Af7

XOXO,

Auntie Melanie

*(Up to $1000)