Help Haiti and get a free book

(borrowed, with permission, from Jeri Smith-Ready)


Words like "devastate" can easily weaken from overuse. "He is devastatingly handsome." Or "I'm devastated they canceled Pushing Daisies."

But when a 7.0 earthquake destroys the capital city of the hemisphere's poorest nation, a nation whose infrastructure was shoddy and piecemeal to begin with, a nation whose people live off the equivalent of $2 per day? That's devastation.

Many charitable organizations are pitching in to help those affected by the earthquake in Haiti, including the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Doctors Without Borders.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF, which stands for their original French name Medecins Sans Frontieres) is in my opinion one of the bravest and noblest charities in the world. They go into war-torn areas that others won't dare to enter. They operate independent of political, religious, and military affiliations. They speak out against the atrocities and violence they witness in the course of their work. And they don't care who they piss off in their battle for compassion, mercy, and better medical care for those in need. That's why they got the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999, and deserved it.

Let's help MSF help Haiti.

If you donate $5-$10 to Doctors Without Borders, I'll send you a copy of my ebook edition of Glorieta Pass (Civil War historical fiction).  If you donate $11-$29, I'll send you your choice of paperbacks:  Red River (Civil War) or The Betrayal  (fantasy), autographed and personalized, while supplies last.  If you donate $30 or more, I'll send you both paperbacks and the ebook.

Rules:

1. Donate at least $5 at the Doctors Without Borders website and forward the donation receipt to me at stargazer AT patinagle DOT com. Then leave a comment to this post--it can be anonymous if you prefer, but this will help other readers gauge how many people have already given.

2. Giveaway will continue while supplies last (10 of each paperback). I'll modify this post the moment the target is reached.

3.  International readers welcome. However, it costs a bundle to ship a book overseas, so if you are outside the US or Canada, please be a pal and only do this if you really really intend to read the book or give it to someone who will.

4. Retail value of books: ebook $5, paperbacks $8. Helping doctors help injured, homeless Haitians: priceless.

5. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.

6. I'll personalize the book to you, unless you request otherwise.

Thanks, and spread the word!