Blog for Hope: Will You Help?

First of all, my apologies for being away for so long -- my summer has been a very busy one, and the month of September looks even crazier.

I would like to thank you all for your kind support toward Golo's Gingerleigh's effort to raise money for Neti Pots for the soldiers. Please don't forget that next weekend she will be hosting a car wash to raise even more money. The event will take place at Eastgate Shell, 4043 Wake Forest Rd in north Raleigh. I will, unfortunately, be out of town and unable to participate, but I will surely be there in spirit.

Also, I would like to mention two other efforts you might be interested in.

The first one involves a lady who was referred to me by a minister friend. She is 60 years old and for the last ten months she has been living out of her car. She is a very upbeat lady, and an ex professional skater and drummer who ran into a lot of health problems the past year, and lost everything. Her needs: she is looking to rent a room somewhere, for $300 or $400 a month. She can help with housework, childcare, and elderly care, as long as there is no heavy lifting involved. Her car also stopped working because her catalytic converter was crumbling and her muffler was completely unwelded. We sent her to a nearby muffler shop where they also replaced her catalytic converter at a very good price. The total bill was $250 which I already have about $180 for. Anyone willing to help with the rest? If so, please e-mail me: lunanera(at)netzero.net.

Last but not least: Starting on August 27 and lasting through September 30, ALL proceeds from my digital book sales (Kindle, Nook and any application supported by Smashword) are being donated to the Louisiana SPCA in memory of all animals lost during Hurricane Katrina. If you would like to support our four-legged friends, this is a good chance to do so. For more information, please visit http://www.hookedonthebook.com

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend!

Eye on New Orleans: Katrina's Other Orphans

As we continue our Hooked on the Book campaign, we would like to take the time to honor yet another category of Louisiana residents -- our four-legged friends. During Hurricane Katrina many animals were lost and separated from their families. Thanks to the effort of the Louisiana SPCA, many were able to be reunited with their original families, while others were placed in new loving homes.

As we approach the fifth anniversary of Katrina, I am proud to announce that $1 from the sale of each hard copy of Housekeeping for the Soul and The Book of Obeah, and ALL proceeds from e-book sales, will be donated to the Louisiana SPCA through Hooked on the Book, a Books for Good campaign.

Especially during active hurricane season, donations are fundamental to upkeeping the service agencies like SPCA are able to provide, so I hope you will join me in this effort and you will help me spread the word by forwarding this information to your family and friends. For more information, please visit http://hookedonthebook.com/

And please, always remember our motto: 'If everyone gives a thread, a poor man will have a shirt.' In this case, we might not be able to weave a shirt for our animal friends, but we'll ensure that they will have a home away from home if they ever need one again.

Many blessings,

Sandra

See You Soon...

As this hot, long summer is racing toward the finish line, I need some time to reorganize things; because of that, unfortunately for me, my writing time is going to be cut short.

Several exciting things are at the door: My five-year-old daughter is getting ready to start her first, long-awaited year in elementary school, one of my sons is practicing his driving skills, I’m anxiously waiting for my sister to come from Italy for a three-week-long visit, and, finally, I am gearing up to have a memorable time in ever-magical New Orleans at the beginning of September, when I will travel to Louisiana for a mini promotional book tour. A lot of excitement is certainly in the works, but also a busy time ahead which will require undivided attention and expandable energy.

So, it’s time to fuel up. I look forward to spending the next couple of weeks reading materials someone else has written, shopping with the kids and working on doing a little remodeling at my house in occasion of my lovely sister’s visit. The week after I return from New Orleans, September 18, I will be signing books at Abagayle’s Books and Collectibles in Henderson between 12pm and 3pm – if you are in the area, I hope you will stop by and say hi; I would love to see you.

I will not be posting any new blog entries until October 1, but I will stop by in the mornings to say hello. Please, feel free to drop me a line via e-mail at any time.

See you soon…

Sandra