EMMY CHERRY (BRIGHTSPIRIT): WARRIOR

Countdown to Warriors Day!
2008-09-20 00:00:00 GMT-05:00

On February 5th, 2008, Emmy Cherry, age 10, was killed when a tornado ravaged Central Arkansas.  She will be remembered forever as a character in the pages of her favorite books.

Students at Atkins Middle School were asked to write a report  “My Favorite Author.” Emmy didn’t hesitate when she chose Erin Hunter, the author of Warriors.  Combine cats and books, and you get the bestselling series, Warriors; fantasy novels about clans of cats surviving in the wild. (Learn more about Warriors at the author’s official site www.warriorcats.com).  Erin Hunter is the pen name of authors Victoria Holmes, Kate Cary, and Cherith Baldry.

It all started with a phone call. . . .

Emmy and her family were frequent customers at Vintage Books in Russellville. Instead of sending flowers, the owners, Stephen and Lynn Wiman wanted to do something different to honor the little girl.  They wanted to get an autographed copy of one of the Warriors series, to donate in Emmy’s honor, to her school….but found out there was no such thing. The authors, who all live in the United Kingdom, have never signed a book with their real names.  Lynn  called Harper Collins, the publisher. She ended up talking to a publicist’s assistant and telling her Emmy’s story.  The assistant relayed the information to the three Erin’s.

“The authors were touched and wrote they were all going sign a book and send it, along with an entire set of the books to the school. This is the first time all three of them will be signing one book together,” Lynn said.

The author’s and Sheila Ruth, webmaster of the popular children’s website, www.wandsandworlds.com   posted a tribute to Emmy on their Warriors forum.   Children wrote in to pay tribute to Emmy.  They suggested that Emmy and her  parents should have a Warrior cat name. They chose Brightspirit for Emmy, Shiningheart for Dana, and Braveheart for Jimmy.

The authors saw the tribute, liked the names and decided to use them as the names in their upcoming book, Long Shadows, Book Five of the Warriors: Power of Three series.  (Release date:  November 2008).

The authors’ tribute doesn’t stop with new characters. They are also sending an autographed Warriors  set to be auctioned. …an extremely rare set. The literary team will for the first time sign their works as Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry and Victoria Holmes, rather than their pen name "Erin Hunter” making this set the first ever offered for sale. Proceeds will go to the Brightspirit Relief Fund, a non-profit  fund set up by Emmy’s Grandmothers, Kay Cherry and Elaine Kizer, in honor of Emmy and her favorite author.  (See our DONATE page to contribute!)  Emmy’s family will use the fund to support charities that Emmy loved, animal organizations, and literacy organizations, and storm relief.   Additional items that will be auctioned include a telephone call with author Victoria Holmes, lunch with Victoria, the pen that he author’s use to sign books on tour,  personal copies of the author’s books with their notes written in their own handwriting, Warrior Earrings, signed pictures the authors cats who were inspiration for the characters and autographed copies of books written by the authors, as well as  other famous authors.

Erin Hunter (Victoria Holmes) will appear in Russellville,  September 20, 2008 to participate in WARRIORS DAY. Warriors Day will be a day of celebration honoring  Warriors Emmy, Dana, and Jimmy Cherry, and to raise money for Brightspirit Relief Fund. It will be a day of fun for Warriors fans of all ages.   Erin Hunter will speak at local schools, conduct writing workshops, and celebrate Warriors Day with many events.  She will be signing her books on Warrior’s Day, at Vintage Books, 602 E Parkway in Russellville.   To learn more, see the pages Warriors Day  and Warrior’s Day Schedule, both at the tab on the top of the screen, or call Vintage Books at 479-880-2152.

DONATE BOOKS TO CHILDREN AT WARRIORS DAY BY SENDING THEM TO VINTAGE BOOKS, 602 E. PARKWAY, RUSSELLVILLE, AR  72801