The primary beneficiary of I am a Softwire’s sponsorship activities is author PJ Haarsma’s The Softwire series. As a secondary benefit, the majority of the books I am a Softwire purchases with funds raised by this website will be donated to The Kids Need to Read Foundation for distribution.

Kids Need to Read is a charitable organization founded by PJ Haarsma and actor Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Serenity). The foundation provides new books to under-funded schools, libraries and institutions that serve disadvantaged children. Please visit the Kids Need to Read website to learn more about their work to inspire literacy in children. (I am a Softwire is a fan-based support effort and is not part of Kids Need to Read.)

For more about The Softwire and the author, please visit PJ Haarsma’s board and his corresponding online game, Rings of Orbis.

Listen to Nathan Fillion read the first three chapters of The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1.

Interviews with PJ Haarsma

The New York Times: Using Video Games as Bait to Hook Readers, October 5, 2008

Ideas in Writing Kids Club: PJ Haarsma is interviewed by Bianca Huang, August 26, 2008

WhedonAge: PJ Haarsma, author and designer of Dr. Horrible remote, July 30, 2008

Sending a Wave podcast #32 and #33: Interview with PJ Haarsma and Nathan Fillion, March 11, 2008 and April 8, 2008

East Valley Tribune: Unusual Courses Used to Grab Students’ Interest (Press Mention), November 14, 2007

Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy: Interview With PJ Haarsma, November 2007

Big Damn Zine: Fillion ‘Fills In’ Empty Library Shelves with Help of Friend and Author, PJ Haarsma, October 20, 2007 (pdf)

The Signal Interviews PJ Haarsma (podcast), September 27, 2007

SFX: Author PJ Haarsma talks to SFX about his young adult SF book projects, September 23, 2007

The Student Operated Press: Judyth Piazza chats with PJ Haarsma, Author of The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1 (Audio Interview), September 8, 2007

IGN: Nathan Fillion Interviews PJ Haarsma, August 16, 2007

Pink Raygun Interviews PJ Haarsma, April 25, 2007

Animating The Softwire with PJ Haarsma (Video Interview), February 2007

Renderosity: PJ Haarsma and The Softwire, February 2007

PJ Haarsma & The Softwire Science Fiction Novel (Video Interview), January 2007

IGN Interviews PJ Haarsma, October 6, 2006