Something a Little Different - Sommer Marsden

Today I wanted to spotlight another author who is having difficulty. Sommer Marsden is facing some big medical bills, so several of us authors have gotten together in a fundraiser for all the proceeds to benefit Sommer.

This is exactly what Buy a Book, Tell a Friend blog is about. So I'm passing on the information. There is an information website which talks about the fundraiser and the where's and why's of the event. You can find it HERE.

In addition, Bronwyn Green, a fabulous person and event coordinator, has put up the list of items you can "donate" for on her site. Just click HERE to see all the fabulous things for sale. Each item is offered as incentives for a specific monetary amount.

For instance, I'm offering some handmade baby blankets for a donation of $20 each. When the donation comes in, I'll send the blankets off to the person/people who donated. All the proceeds go to Sommer to help her out.

In addition, I've posted her books on the right hand sidebar and you're welcome to buy a book, which will also help her out. Please take a moment to peruse the items for donation on Bronwyn's site and hopefully we can all win. Do you think you could donate or share this information?

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)

Author of the Week: Jenika Snow

Good morning and happy Tuesday!

What are you reading these days? Need some new books? I have just the author for you. Jenika Snow writes some wonderful paranormal romance and she's also a really nice lady. Here's what's going on in her own words:

"On 8/19 my mother was diagnosed with glioblastoma, which is the most aggressive, malignant brain cancer. With it being inoperative they gave her a life expectancy of 12-18 months, and we knew we would not take one moment with her for granted. Three days after her diagnoses she had a biopsy to confirm if it was indeed cancer and less than 24 hours after her biopsy her physical and mental health declined. Our beautiful mother became non-responsive, and we were told she had days left to live, and that she would most likely not wake up. Miraculously she woke up a day and a half later, with an appetite to rival a full grown man :) she wasn't herself, was confused, but she knew who we were, and we were grateful. For three days she gifted us with hugs, kisses, and her love. But after those three wonderful days, she slipped back into being unresponsive. For the next three weeks she was in and out of consciousness, and even though she could respond to some of our questions, tell us she loved us, and sang, she wasn't the mother I remembered with her spunky, lively personality. She passed away 1 month and 1 day after being diagnosed with her brain cancer in the comfort of her home with her loved ones surrounding her.

My mother's short and very devastating diagnosis taught me a lot about life. In the blink of an eye everything can be taken away, and we have to embrace each and every minute. My mom touched a lot of lives in the 55 years she was alive. She was an RN, a Portuguese immigrant at the age of 18, was in the US Army, and worked harder than anyone I knew."

Loss of a loved one is one of the hardest hurdles to face and it's difficult to find ease with such a huge change. Can help her by taking away some of the financial worries? Just buy a book and tell a friend. That's all you have to do. It's giving and receiving all at once - you get a book and give a smile to someone's face who could really use more of them right now.

Thanks for stopping by. :)

Author of the Week: Tara Rose

Good morning, all!

I hope this Tuesday finds you in good spirits. Today I'm highlighting author Tara Rose, a contemporary menage a'trois author. Tara has been experiencing some personal issues that would scare any of us, an unsettling shift in the normal routine of things. We can all relate to that.

I'm reminded of the lyrics from Baz Luhrmann's "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)":
"The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday."

Going with the idea that on some idle Tuesday, long before 4 PM, we can head off some of those troubles, please check out Tara's books on the right sidebar. You can find all her books at Bookstrand.com, which has all the digital formats, but they are also on Amazon. Thanks so much for taking the time to buy a book and tell a friend. :)

Siobhan

Author of the Week: Hennessee Andrews

This week, the author I'm highlighting is Hennessee Andrews.

Hennessee writes a variety of romance from menage a'trois, M/F romance, and M/M romance. She writes different heat levels, but all of her books have a sweetness in them that speaks of her heart. Right now Hennessee is experiencing some family issues and could use any help you're willing to offer. Send her some book love. Some of her books are listed in the sidebar to the right, but more can be found on her website.

Thank you for taking the time to buy a book, and tell a friend. :)

Want to Help Someone?

Have you ever wanted to help someone, but felt like you didn't know what you could do?

That's what this new blog is about. Today the US Government shut down because Congress essentially threw a tantrum. They stopped talking, they stopped negotiating, and they put their egos in front of the needs of the American people. 535 people affected 300 million. How does the math work with that?

One of those people deeply affected is a very good friend of mine. He has to make some tough choices about what he'll pay on his current paycheck and he hopes the furlough will be so short so he'll get paid again at the regular time to take care of his financial responsibilities.

Scary place to be.

A lot of people face this problem every day, whether they lose their jobs, or there's a medical issue rearing its scary head, or a family member is dying or has passed on. Any way, money is the current barter system and usually these sorts of events hit people blindside, requiring a lot of it. You don't see the events coming and they steal your happiness.

I hate feeling that way.

So what am I going to do about it? What can I do? I can buy books. I see that look you're giving me. You're wondering how that helps.

Buying books pays the author. And telling a friend about the books encourages more sales. Simple, isn't it? Buy a book, tell a friend, help an author's family.

I know a lot of authors, and remarkably enough, they're people just like the readers. They have families and worries and love to read. I'm no different. And I want to help them when stuff like this happens.

This is why I started this blog. I want to help people I know are going through tough times. Scary times. And you can help, too. Plus, when you "buy a book and tell a friend", you're getting something out of it for less than most Starbucks coffees cost. What if you bought a book every day like folks do with Starbucks? (Some authors have multiple books) Think of the good you'd do for that author and his/her family.

So let's all work together to help, because as Ronald Reagan said, "We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone."