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Giving Thanks

11/24/2016

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Happy Thanksgiving!

I’d like to wish all my American friends and family a happy Thanksgiving. I hope you have a wonderful day, filled with laughter and good company.

While Thanksgiving stems from the historic feast in November of 1621, when the Wampanoag Indians joined the Pilgrims at Plymouth for a goodwill feast*, our holiday traditions—the Holiday Season that spans from late Fall through the end of the year—stems from times when fall harvests were the last times of plenty and winter stores were finite. Holidays are also designed to bring cheer during the darkest days of the year, when the moods of many tend to reflect the reduced sunlight. Celebrations lift us up. Gathering with loved ones lifts us up. Comfort foods lift us up.
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First Thanksgiving - public domain picture
I have to wonder, however, if a piece of our traditions might be in need of a facelift. This piece would be the gluttony. I know everyone says, “But it’s the holidays,” but what does that even mean? That it’s okay to waste food just because it’s a depressing time of the year?

Yes, I’m saying it: wasting food.

We say Thanksgiving is about being thankful, and yet we show that thanks by overindulging. That doesn’t seem like very thankful behavior to me—especially when a good portion of our population is already obese. I say it’s time we celebrate Thanksgiving not by making feasts for ourselves, but as an opportunity to be to the poor what the Wampanoag Indians were to the Pilgrims: by giving to those in need.

Showing thanks by giving.

We can still gather with loved ones, celebrate our appreciation for one another, but with normal-sized meals. By giving instead of wasting food, we can spread good cheer beyond our small circles. Really, isn’t that what this holiday truly is about?

*A&E Networks. History.com. 2011. http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/first-thanksgiving-meal
(accessed November 24, 2016).

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Update: Vampire Books for Blood

11/16/2016

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I want to thank those of you who participated in this year's Vampire Books for Blood fundraiser, the benefits of which have gone to the American Red Cross and Canadian Blood Services. Here's a short note from event organizer Scott Burtness:
Well, that’s it! The 3rd Annual Vampire Books for Blood is done and done....

As of today, ~75% of participants have confirmed with me that they fulfilled their pledge to donate to the American Red Cross and/or Canadian Blood Services.

Together, we donated $3,396!!!

I think we can all agree that’s pretty awesome.

Thank you all for participating! I had a blast, and I hope you had fun too. 
Thanks again!
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Happy October!

10/1/2016

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Begin the Countdown to Halloween!

Jane the Hippie Vampire and I are participating once again in the annual Vampire Books for Blood fund raiser. I’ve reduced the price of Revival (1st four stories) to $0.99 for the entire month of October, and 100% of all Jane the Hippie Vampire royalties will go to my local Red Cross.

About Vampire Books for Blood:

Author Scott Burtness created the Vampire Books for Blood (SM) event in 2014. It is held annually from October 1st through October 31st. The event brings authors and publishers of vampire-themed books together for a shared goal: to raise money for the American Red Cross and Canadian Blood Services.
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Participating authors and publishers pledge to make a financial donation to the American Red Cross or Canadian Blood Services at the conclusion of the event. The donation can be an amount per book sold in October, a percentage of royalties earned from book sales in October, or a flat amount at the conclusion of the event.
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When an author or publisher pledges their support, their book is listed on the "Vampire Books for Blood" event website. The website allows readers to easily browse books from participating authors and publishers, and link to where the books are sold. By purchasing a book from a participating author or publisher, readers know they're helping that author or publisher support the life-saving work of a vital organization.
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Blood products are perishable and the need is constant to help prevent a shortage and ensure an adequate blood supply for patients. Red blood cells have a shelf life of only 42 days and platelets just five days, so they must be replenished constantly – there is no substitute.
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Proceeds from “Vampire Books for Blood” will help the American Red Cross and Canadian Blood Services organize, promote, and manage blood drives, as well as support other great services.


You can check out some of the other participating books at:
http://www.vampirebooksforblood.org/

Please help me spread the word about this really great cause!

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Happy Women in Horror Month!

1/31/2015

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It’s that time again, the time when we take a look at female writers who specialize in dark fiction. For those who aren’t familiar with this yearly spotlight, the horror community observes Women in Horror Month every February. Why? Because, despite iconic female horror writers like Mary Shelley, women are sorely underrepresented in the genre. There are various theories as to why this is, the main one being that female stereotypes portray women as meek and incapable of writing the same caliber of horror as men.

I believe there is merit to the power of stereotypes. Just as people judge books by their covers, many also judge authors by outward appearance. I think far too many women’s works are going overlooked, never even given a chance, because of judgments made without so much as a glance at the actual text. As far as we’ve come in civilized society, women are still plagued by expectations that are both unfair and harmful. We are sex symbols, nurturers, homemakers, mothers—existing in a man’s world, our purpose in many cases being to exist for men.


Granted, feminism has helped to fracture these stereotypes, but it has not destroyed them. Are potential horror readers going to choose a book written by a knock-out blonde, a sweet grandmother, or a quiet but pretty young woman over one written by a gruff-looking guy oozing testosterone? I know a good number of women write under male pseudonyms just to gain equal footing with their male counterparts. And guess what? Their books sell notably better than the books they publish under their actual names.

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Women in Horror Month is our attempt at shattering those stereotypes for good, urging readers to give female authors a shot despite any reservations they might have about doing so. It’s about proving we can compete with the best of men, that we have what it takes to write stories capable of making you shudder and giving you nightmares.

So, what do you say?
 Do you have it in you to help us to make Women in Horror Month obsolete? Think you might take a chance on my traditional Gothic horror, Finding Poe, or my mixed-genre dark fiction collection, Jane, Volume 1: Revival?

I’d sure appreciate it.


As always, thank you for your readership and support!

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Authors Supporting Our Troops 2014

5/10/2014

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This year, horror author Armand Rosamilia organized a massive charitable event in which hundreds of authors donated copies of their books to troops currently fighting in Afghanistan.
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Fronting all costs, Rosamilia offset the expenses by selling tee shirts for those who wanted to help out even further. Given that he's had about 2,500 books to send out (many sent and more on the way), these sales have likely only served as a supplement to the sizable shipping fees.
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Although I could only donate a few books, I'm excited to be a part of the event. I hope that those who end up reading my books find some sort of respite in them. I recently received my "Authors Supporting Our Troops" tee shirt, and I plan on wearing it proudly.

For updates on this event, you can use hashtag  #ASOT2014 on Facebook.

Kudos and many thanks to Armand Rosamilia for taking the time to make this happen.

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A Quick Note to My Fellow Authors

10/14/2012

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I want to thank those of you who have been so supportive of me while I've been taking the time to adapt to my partial vision loss.  I'm sure I've been a bit self-absorbed (no one wants to join someone's pity-party) and I want to apologize for being distant and somewhat MIA for the last couple of months.

I'm adapting, even writing a little again, and want to be there to offer the mutual support you all deserve.  I'm still not up to doing a whole lot of reading, but I want to be there on whatever fronts I can.  Anyway, thanks for bearing with me.  I hope to be more active online in the coming weeks.
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