Author of Contemporary Gay Romance
I am VERY happy to announce that we have reached and exceeded our first small fundraising goal for Lost-n-Found. Our goal was $466 by the end of July. That’s two weeks worth of food, shelter and transportation for a homeless LGBT kid. We exceeded that amount by $100 thanks to YOU. [Read more…] about Good News and Bad News
How can I help?I get asked this quest a lot. At least two to three times per week day. What can I do? How can I help? Unfortunately, impulse usually stops at asking instead of acting. I’m not quite sure why that is, from my perspective it seems to be fear.
Most people don’t ask the question when the need is immediate, they just jump right in without worries about religious bent, political affiliation, sexuality, or any of the other ‘norms’ we discard people for. In an emergency we are all just human.
So, since other authors tend to ask me this question most, I have taken all my accumulated ‘wisdom’ and blogged about it over at Suzanne van Rooyen’s Off the Page.
Getting involved is actually quite simple.
This is a national campaign designed to raise awareness and funds for local and national LGBT Organizations. As you know, here around the Shire we raise funds by donating 10% of the proceeds from our books to two organizations that work tirelessly to get homeless LGBT youth off the streets.
Both of these organizations are taking part in today’s event and you can donate to them at the links below. I would like to particularly emphasize that you take note of the Lost-n-Found page. On the right they have a donation list and it tells you exactly what just a few dollars can do and how much it can mean to a homeless kid.
Both organizations work toward the same goal, if you can, please give equally.
GLBT Advocacy & Youth and Lost-n-Found
~ From James Robinson, Executive Director of GLBT Advocacy & Youth Services (reposted from Facebook.)
Today’s spotlight is on one of our volunteers … Ashley Ross is completing her Master’s in Social Work degree from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Ashley first met with me about 9 months ago to discuss the possibility of an internship placement with the agency. I knew there was something special about Ashley when she showed up in December, a month early for her internship placement, and began volunteering. Since then I have learned some amazing things about Ashley and her dedication to social work and her support of equality and social justice. Ashley is our first intern from UA and I later found out she had worked for 2 years within her department to secure a placement with our agency. Last week as Ashley received the Margaret S. Odom Social Work Award from the Alabama Gerontological Society I learned that Ashley had based her submission for the award on an encounter she had with a gay man in a Senior Center program where she was working. This gay man shared his life story with Ashley and his story touched her heart. His decades of [Read more…] about Spotlight on an LGBT volunteer and why $12 is important
Welcome Carey Parrish to the blog, my friend and fellow author. We’ve gone back and forth on social media but I’ve never really had the chance to chat with this amazing man. Today, we changed that. Hope you enjoy. ~B
Of the books you have in print, which one is your favorite and why?
I would say my novel Big Business. It’s a sequel to my first novel Marengo. The reason I feel so proud of it is because I tackled the most complex plot I’ve yet written about with that one. I brought back characters from Marengo, who proved to be very popular with readers – I was still getting emails asking for more of them almost two years after Marengo was published – and I put them all in a heftier plot with a lot more intrigue and danger. I also introduced some new characters which I had a blast creating in my mind! The whole thing flowed like honey once I finished my outline and my research, and really started writing the book. And I was really proud of the fact that even though it is a sequel, it stands on its own; you don’t have to read the first one to enjoy the second. I plan to do more with this series. [Read more…] about Interview with LGBT Author Carey Parrish
When we started this writing crusade some 18+ months ago one of my first questions was how I could make a difference concerning those issues that are important to me. Making a difference doesn’t always mean a monetary donation as some believe. A difference can be made by the offer of a kind voice, and unbiased ear, a warm heart, or a gentle embrace when it is needed most. I believe too many people shy away from what matters most to them because they fear that what they can offer is inadequate.
But when you have nothing, when there is no one to turn to, what then? What you would label as ‘inadequate’ is a goldmine to some. Knowledge, time, compassion are all commodities that have much, much more value than money. [Read more…] about What have you Accomplished?