Sean Gibson's Blog - Posts Tagged "do-gooding"
Honor Amazing Woman, Support Great Cause, Get Free Book
How can you NOT click on something with a title like that, right?
July 25 will mark the one-year anniversary of the unfair and untimely , a wonderful human being and the most talented insulter of yours truly that ever lived. I miss her immensely, though my ego is considerably less bruised these days (I would not be shocked, however, if, in an attempt to remedy that state of being, divine powers, at Sarah’s prompting, hurl a thunderbolt my way any moment now).
A while back, I wrote about how, in an attempt to follow Sarah’s lead in doing something that I love to help people, I would be donating $1 for every copy sold of The Camelot Shadow: A Novel to , an incredible organization that provides free surgical and medical care to disadvantaged individuals around the world (Do What You Do Well to Do Good). As an independent author unlikely to approach Stephen King-level sales, that’s unlikely to be a financially significant gesture (let’s face it—I also can’t match Mr. King’s raw sexual magnetism...ladies dig that guy). As noted in the aforementioned blog post, though, it’s not the size of the individual (thank goodness) or his effort that matters so much as our collective contribution to the greater good, and I wanted to at least try to do something to increase that level of effort to honor Sarah’s memory this month.
To that end, then, I would like to extend an offer to readers far and wide: make a donation of $10 (or more!) to Surgicorps between now and July 31, 2015, and get a free copy of The Camelot Shadow in the ebook format of your choice. To make it happen, just execute these two simple steps:
1) Go to and make a donation in memory of Dr. Sarah Pettrone.
2) Email me at [email protected] (or, if you’re reading this on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ, feel free to make a note in the comments section) to let me know that you made your donation and to let me know in what format (PDF, Mobi, or ePub) you’d like the book* and what email address to send it to.
(*Given that the prospect of having to read my purple prose may, in fact, actually deter people from wanting to donate to such a worthy cause, I’ll note that you don’t actually HAVE to read the book, or even let me know you donated if you don’t want me to overload your overworked inbox with pages and pages of overwrought and underwhelming tomfoolery.)
I realize that disposable income is in short supply these days, and that there are many worthy causes to which we all try to stretch those precious extra dollars. If you aren’t in a position to make a donation now, I understand completely. But, I’d be grateful if you could share this link with any reader friends who might be interested in order to help me get the word out.
Either way, thanks for continuing to read the nonsense I like to spew out in this space, and be on the lookout for an update on some work in progress, coming semi-soon…assuming I get some sleep again at some point in this life (having two wee tykes is amazing, but when they decide to tag team on not sleeping at different points during the night…aye carumba).
July 25 will mark the one-year anniversary of the unfair and untimely , a wonderful human being and the most talented insulter of yours truly that ever lived. I miss her immensely, though my ego is considerably less bruised these days (I would not be shocked, however, if, in an attempt to remedy that state of being, divine powers, at Sarah’s prompting, hurl a thunderbolt my way any moment now).
A while back, I wrote about how, in an attempt to follow Sarah’s lead in doing something that I love to help people, I would be donating $1 for every copy sold of The Camelot Shadow: A Novel to , an incredible organization that provides free surgical and medical care to disadvantaged individuals around the world (Do What You Do Well to Do Good). As an independent author unlikely to approach Stephen King-level sales, that’s unlikely to be a financially significant gesture (let’s face it—I also can’t match Mr. King’s raw sexual magnetism...ladies dig that guy). As noted in the aforementioned blog post, though, it’s not the size of the individual (thank goodness) or his effort that matters so much as our collective contribution to the greater good, and I wanted to at least try to do something to increase that level of effort to honor Sarah’s memory this month.
To that end, then, I would like to extend an offer to readers far and wide: make a donation of $10 (or more!) to Surgicorps between now and July 31, 2015, and get a free copy of The Camelot Shadow in the ebook format of your choice. To make it happen, just execute these two simple steps:
1) Go to and make a donation in memory of Dr. Sarah Pettrone.
2) Email me at [email protected] (or, if you’re reading this on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ, feel free to make a note in the comments section) to let me know that you made your donation and to let me know in what format (PDF, Mobi, or ePub) you’d like the book* and what email address to send it to.
(*Given that the prospect of having to read my purple prose may, in fact, actually deter people from wanting to donate to such a worthy cause, I’ll note that you don’t actually HAVE to read the book, or even let me know you donated if you don’t want me to overload your overworked inbox with pages and pages of overwrought and underwhelming tomfoolery.)
I realize that disposable income is in short supply these days, and that there are many worthy causes to which we all try to stretch those precious extra dollars. If you aren’t in a position to make a donation now, I understand completely. But, I’d be grateful if you could share this link with any reader friends who might be interested in order to help me get the word out.
Either way, thanks for continuing to read the nonsense I like to spew out in this space, and be on the lookout for an update on some work in progress, coming semi-soon…assuming I get some sleep again at some point in this life (having two wee tykes is amazing, but when they decide to tag team on not sleeping at different points during the night…aye carumba).
Heloise & Grimple is Released, and Good Is (Hopefully) Done
I’m delighted to announce, thanks in no small part to the loyalty and support of the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ community, the publication of The Chronicle of Heloise & Grimple, which is now . (Take note, loyal FOHAGs—the collection includes the previously unpublished concluding installment.)
You can find a description of the book on the Amazon page or on the GR listing for the book, but I’d like to focus here not on the particulars of the story (which is probably the greatest fantasy saga ever told, in my completely objective opinion), but on the wonderful GR community that helps make it possible for these types of stories to find their way out into the world.
I have a crazy busy job that requires long hours. I have two kids under the age of 3.5 who require a ton of hands-on attention (and who think sleep for their parents is optional). I have a house to keep up and take care of. And, I have a fairly lengthy commute (usually upwards of 2 hours roundtrip each day). In short, I have a lot going on these days.
I also have an incurable addiction to telling stories.
So, what do you do when you’re desperate to write stories, but have very little time (specifically, a 15-20 minute chunk of time in the morning during the carpooling portion of your commute, and a similar chunk during the trip home in the evening)? If you’re me, you start banging out a semi-coherent, serialized story about a quippy half-elven bard and her gambling-addicted hill giant companion, and you rely on the GR community to give you the energy you need to keep at it day in and day out no matter how tired you are in the morning (after a bad night of sleep) or how worn out you are in the evening (after a stressful day of work).
Over the past 9 months, I’ve released 12 installments of The Chronicle on this blog, and, in each case, it was the enthusiastic, supportive, and very witty comments from GR readers that kept me pushing the story forward. I can’t speak for all writers, but I write stories simply in the hope that people will read and enjoy them, and that they can, in some small way, make someone’s day a little better. Of course, hearing directly from people that a story I’ve written has managed to do precisely that probably makes me feel ten times better than my story made them feel in the first place�
And so I say thank you, a million times over, to everyone on GR who took the time to read or comment on the story somewhere along the way. I would especially like to thank the following readers, who were kind enough to read/like/comment upon darn near every installment, and whose opinions and suggestions helped shape the narrative (so, yes—you can blame them for anything you don’t like), presented in alphabetical order: Aileene, Amber, Bret, Cathy, Cindy, Ginger, Lolly, Miriam, Mona, Paul, Shadowdenizen, Sharyl, and Trish (Bret, Lolly, and Paul all also contributed some stellar artwork to the collection)
In keeping with the tradition that began with The Camelot Shadow, I’m hopeful that the publication of The Chronicle will manage to do some small bit of good beyond nominally entertaining the easily entertained (not to denigrate my readers, mind you). As described previously in this space (see "Do What You Do Well to Do Good"), I’m an advocate for using the skills and abilities that we all have to try to inject some goodwill into the world; to that end, all proceeds from the first 150 copies sold of The Chronicle of Heloise & Grimple will be donated to ProLiteracy (), an organization that promotes adult literacy through content development, programs, and advocacy. So, feel good about your purchase, dear readers, and contemplate how you can use YOUR unique skills to do some good out there.
So, what’s next? Glad you asked (or, at least, are sticking around while I tell you, whether you’re interested or not). The sequel to the aforementioned The Camelot Shadow calls, and Bret and I are slowly making progress on Cheesecalibur. There may also be further adventures starring our friends Heloise and Grimple, and there are a slew of other stories waiting—practically begging, in fact—to be told, if only time will slow down enough for me to write them.
Regardless, you’ll be hearing from me soon, and probably far more (and far sooner) than you’d like.
Until then, I’ll take a cue from Grimple and sign off by saying, simply�
Tally ho!
You can find a description of the book on the Amazon page or on the GR listing for the book, but I’d like to focus here not on the particulars of the story (which is probably the greatest fantasy saga ever told, in my completely objective opinion), but on the wonderful GR community that helps make it possible for these types of stories to find their way out into the world.
I have a crazy busy job that requires long hours. I have two kids under the age of 3.5 who require a ton of hands-on attention (and who think sleep for their parents is optional). I have a house to keep up and take care of. And, I have a fairly lengthy commute (usually upwards of 2 hours roundtrip each day). In short, I have a lot going on these days.
I also have an incurable addiction to telling stories.
So, what do you do when you’re desperate to write stories, but have very little time (specifically, a 15-20 minute chunk of time in the morning during the carpooling portion of your commute, and a similar chunk during the trip home in the evening)? If you’re me, you start banging out a semi-coherent, serialized story about a quippy half-elven bard and her gambling-addicted hill giant companion, and you rely on the GR community to give you the energy you need to keep at it day in and day out no matter how tired you are in the morning (after a bad night of sleep) or how worn out you are in the evening (after a stressful day of work).
Over the past 9 months, I’ve released 12 installments of The Chronicle on this blog, and, in each case, it was the enthusiastic, supportive, and very witty comments from GR readers that kept me pushing the story forward. I can’t speak for all writers, but I write stories simply in the hope that people will read and enjoy them, and that they can, in some small way, make someone’s day a little better. Of course, hearing directly from people that a story I’ve written has managed to do precisely that probably makes me feel ten times better than my story made them feel in the first place�
And so I say thank you, a million times over, to everyone on GR who took the time to read or comment on the story somewhere along the way. I would especially like to thank the following readers, who were kind enough to read/like/comment upon darn near every installment, and whose opinions and suggestions helped shape the narrative (so, yes—you can blame them for anything you don’t like), presented in alphabetical order: Aileene, Amber, Bret, Cathy, Cindy, Ginger, Lolly, Miriam, Mona, Paul, Shadowdenizen, Sharyl, and Trish (Bret, Lolly, and Paul all also contributed some stellar artwork to the collection)
In keeping with the tradition that began with The Camelot Shadow, I’m hopeful that the publication of The Chronicle will manage to do some small bit of good beyond nominally entertaining the easily entertained (not to denigrate my readers, mind you). As described previously in this space (see "Do What You Do Well to Do Good"), I’m an advocate for using the skills and abilities that we all have to try to inject some goodwill into the world; to that end, all proceeds from the first 150 copies sold of The Chronicle of Heloise & Grimple will be donated to ProLiteracy (), an organization that promotes adult literacy through content development, programs, and advocacy. So, feel good about your purchase, dear readers, and contemplate how you can use YOUR unique skills to do some good out there.
So, what’s next? Glad you asked (or, at least, are sticking around while I tell you, whether you’re interested or not). The sequel to the aforementioned The Camelot Shadow calls, and Bret and I are slowly making progress on Cheesecalibur. There may also be further adventures starring our friends Heloise and Grimple, and there are a slew of other stories waiting—practically begging, in fact—to be told, if only time will slow down enough for me to write them.
Regardless, you’ll be hearing from me soon, and probably far more (and far sooner) than you’d like.
Until then, I’ll take a cue from Grimple and sign off by saying, simply�
Tally ho!
Your Good Deeds Deserve Free Books -- So Come Claim Them!
While one hopes that the pursuit of philanthropy is a year-round endeavor, there’s little question that the combination of November/December holidays and the prospect of the end of another year prompt people to focus more on do-gooding than they might at other times.
(I’m reminded of the “Let’s make Earth Day every day!� campaign, and thinking that it would probably have been less successful had the holiday focal point been Columbus Day. “Let’s make Give the Natives a Smallpox Blanket Day every day!� just isn’t quite as catchy (unlike smallpox…hey-oh!)…but, I digress, as I usually tend to do. (Note: the preceding insensitive joke was made with no intent to offend anyone to whom it might prove offensive, and I apologize for offending anyone who might be offended by my pre-apology to anyone who might have taken offense. I think that disclaimer covers Red and Blue America both.)
I’ve written before about the importance of using one’s own gifts, hobbies, and interests as a means of giving back (see Do What You Do Well to Do Good), but, this time of year, people often focus on two simple ways of doing what they can to improve the world around them or the lives of those who are in need of assistance: by donating time or money to various charitable causes.
Not everyone has extra cash laying around to donate to worthy endeavors, as much as they might wish to, and some people are so exceedingly busy that the donation of time is as feasible as a comfortable colonoscopy, but in most cases, people can find one or the other, at least in a small quantity.
I want to hear about what you’ve done this year to help make someone’s life better, whether it was volunteering at a soup kitchen during the holidays, shoveling an elderly neighbor’s driveway, boxing up some gently used clothes to donate to the local mission or shelter, or contributing ducats to an organization that helps those in need, be they children, grown-ups, adults, or Earths. It’s always inspiring to hear what people are doing to help others, and my hope is that hearing what fellow Goodreaders are up to will inspire some ideas for all of us—not just now, during a time of giving, but all throughout 2017.
To encourage you to share (though I realize this might have the opposite of the intended effect), I will be giving away free copies of The Chronicle of Heloise & Grimple and The Camelot Shadow to anyone who shares their story in the comments section below by December 24 (I promise not to force either on you, however—you’re more than welcome to post even if you’ve already read either (or both) (because you’re awesome) or have no interest in reading either.* It’s a contest where everyone’s a winner!
So, tell us what you’ve done this year to help someone in need, and help inspire others to continue to do good into 2017 and beyond!
*That said, no less an authority than my friend Kevin**, who once finished a book, declared, after seeing both books, that they “certainly have all the outward characteristics possessed by books.� So, if that doesn’t pique your interest, I don’t know what will.
**I don’t actually have a friend *** named Kevin.
***I don’t actually have friends. Just nemeses****.
****None of my nemeses are named Kevin.
My realtor was named Kevin, though, and he was a solid guy. He’s never read, or seen, either book, though.
(I’m reminded of the “Let’s make Earth Day every day!� campaign, and thinking that it would probably have been less successful had the holiday focal point been Columbus Day. “Let’s make Give the Natives a Smallpox Blanket Day every day!� just isn’t quite as catchy (unlike smallpox…hey-oh!)…but, I digress, as I usually tend to do. (Note: the preceding insensitive joke was made with no intent to offend anyone to whom it might prove offensive, and I apologize for offending anyone who might be offended by my pre-apology to anyone who might have taken offense. I think that disclaimer covers Red and Blue America both.)
I’ve written before about the importance of using one’s own gifts, hobbies, and interests as a means of giving back (see Do What You Do Well to Do Good), but, this time of year, people often focus on two simple ways of doing what they can to improve the world around them or the lives of those who are in need of assistance: by donating time or money to various charitable causes.
Not everyone has extra cash laying around to donate to worthy endeavors, as much as they might wish to, and some people are so exceedingly busy that the donation of time is as feasible as a comfortable colonoscopy, but in most cases, people can find one or the other, at least in a small quantity.
I want to hear about what you’ve done this year to help make someone’s life better, whether it was volunteering at a soup kitchen during the holidays, shoveling an elderly neighbor’s driveway, boxing up some gently used clothes to donate to the local mission or shelter, or contributing ducats to an organization that helps those in need, be they children, grown-ups, adults, or Earths. It’s always inspiring to hear what people are doing to help others, and my hope is that hearing what fellow Goodreaders are up to will inspire some ideas for all of us—not just now, during a time of giving, but all throughout 2017.
To encourage you to share (though I realize this might have the opposite of the intended effect), I will be giving away free copies of The Chronicle of Heloise & Grimple and The Camelot Shadow to anyone who shares their story in the comments section below by December 24 (I promise not to force either on you, however—you’re more than welcome to post even if you’ve already read either (or both) (because you’re awesome) or have no interest in reading either.* It’s a contest where everyone’s a winner!
So, tell us what you’ve done this year to help someone in need, and help inspire others to continue to do good into 2017 and beyond!
*That said, no less an authority than my friend Kevin**, who once finished a book, declared, after seeing both books, that they “certainly have all the outward characteristics possessed by books.� So, if that doesn’t pique your interest, I don’t know what will.
**I don’t actually have a friend *** named Kevin.
***I don’t actually have friends. Just nemeses****.
****None of my nemeses are named Kevin.
My realtor was named Kevin, though, and he was a solid guy. He’s never read, or seen, either book, though.
