Once again, Ylva Publishing is donating the proceeds from our Christmas anthology, Do You Feel What I Feel, to two charities, one based in Europe and another here in the US.
YouthCare Seattle is the parent organization that funds Isis House, a queer youth homeless shelter. Until very recently, they were the only such organization on the West Coast.
As many of you might recall, Isis House was very special to author Cate Culpepper. And Cate was very special to me.
For those who don’t know, Cate wrote the Tristaine series. These books told of a group of modern Amazons who lived a simple life in the mountains, far away from the reaches of the corrupt government regime in the city. More than once, I offered to follow Cate off into the wilderness to help make Tristaine a reality. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to feel this way.
Last year, Cate lost her battle with cancer. She was a fabulous woman, a challenging mentor, and a passionate advocate.
We selected Isis House as our American charity as a way to honor Cate’s memory. If we help even one lost kid to believe in the possibility of a good future life, then I know Cate will smile on our efforts.
Across the Atlantic, we took a different approach. Ylva staff member Gill McKnight lives on Lesbos, a small Greek island that is closer to the coast of Turkey than Greece.
Their tiny island community is hit every day with a steady wave of refugees who flow in with the tide. They strap their belongings to life rafts, and pile forty or fifty to a raft meant for ten. Some never make it across. Those who do are tired, wet, and hungry.
The citizens of Lesbos work to meet the ever increasing need for help. They cobble together the kindness and resources of a small community to help provide fresh drinking water, clean clothes, makeshift shelter, and food.
Half of the proceeds from Do You Feel What I Feel will go to help their efforts. Last month, Gill blogged about the crisis from her feet-on-the-ground perspective. Check out Gill’s take on things HERE. Ylva is also donating proceeds from our Halloween anthology, Tales of the Grimoire, to this same charity.
So, if you’re still struggling with your Christmas gift giving list, I ask that you consider a copy of Do You Feel What I Feel. Not only is it a great read, but it’s a gift that gives twice. And, really, any time we can do that, we should. You can pick up a copy HERE.
Twelve lesbian fiction authors bring you a heartwarming collection of holiday-themed short stories.
From a tattoo artist hiding an origami angel in her lover’s desk to a seventy-year-old woman hesitating to accompany her partner to a family celebration on the first night of Hanukkah, this anthology will delight you with romantic holiday moments.
Authors: Alison Ruth Solomon, B.A. Caldwell, Blythe Rippon, Caren J. Werlinger, Catherine Lane, Chris Zett, Eve Francis, Jove Belle, Lois Cloarec Hart, Lyn Thorne-Alder, Patricia Penn, and Ruth F. Simon
I can’t thank Ylva enough for this. It is a pleasure to work with a group of people so pragmatic and informed. Please support these chosen charities especially selected for wherever you live.
Thanks for the shout, Jove.
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I love both of the anthologies, Do You Feel What I Feel and Tales of the Grimoire. I love them even more because of the charity aspect.
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