by Beth Dunn on October 31, 2009
Melissa Averinos and I have cooked up something really fun and, we hope, truly helpful to those in need this holiday season:
I’ll have more on this in the coming days and weeks, but for now here’s the official word:
This holiday season, Melissa Averinos and Beth Dunn invite you to create hand-knit items for donation to local women and children in need. Handmade for the Holidays, in partnership with Harwichport-based nonprofit We Can, will collect hand-knit hats, scarves, mittens, blankets, and quilts for delivery to Cape Cod residents who are going through difficult economic and emotional times. Handmade for the Holidays is also accepting donations of yarn, needles, and other knitting and crafting supplies to be used by local volunteer crafters.
The staff of WE CAN will ensure that the items go directly to needy women and families in time for the holiday season. All participants — and the general public — are invited to celebrate the conclusion of the project at a public open house at Yummy Goods on Friday, December 4, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Handmade for the Holidays especially requests the following items in adult AND child sizes:
- Scarves
- Hats
- Gloves
- Mittens
- Socks
- Blankets
- Quilts
- Softies (handmade stuffed animals)
Get together with other participants and create your items in a relaxed group setting at one of two gatherings at Yummy Goods in November:
- Wednesday, November 11, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
- Friday, November 20, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Beginners are welcome, and registrants will be notified about what type of materials to bring along if you need guidance. (Feel free to bring your own projects if not a beginner.) Relaxed and inclusive instruction will be provided.
Click here to register for any aspect of Handmade for the Holidays, whether as a crafter/creator, a donor of materials, or to attend the grand finale — the public open house at Yummy Goods on Friday, December 4 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. We’d love to have you!
by Beth Dunn on October 27, 2009
It’s a good day for author J.C. Hutchins. You? You get a pretty sweet free download, if you want it. J.C. becomes an “officially” published author. A good day!
Today, St. Martin’s Press releases the first book in J.C.’s new technothriller trilogy, 7th Son: Descent.
Today, J.C is celebrating by offering a free download of the first TEN chapters of his book. You want it? Scroll down to the cover image and click away.
Doing things differently
So here’s what J.C. did:
- He wrote a book.
- He was unable to sell his book to a literary agent or publishing house.
- He shifted gears.
- He produced and published his books as free, online audio books. People listened. They liked. They loved.
- He worked his tail off for four years, and built his community, slowly and surely, using the power of free podcasts, free downloads, word of mouth, events in the virtual world Second Life, blogs, and oh, lots more.
- His books attracted a nifty international fanbase. (Who then created a pretty nifty online fan community.)
- He eventually attracted the attention of a major publishing house, which is now pleased to release the first book in the trilogy.
7th Son: Descent - Special Edition DOWNLOAD
What’s it about? Here’s a snippet from J.C.’s website:
The president of the United States is dead. He was murdered in the morning sunlight by a four-year-old boy…
As America reels from the bizarre presidential assassination committed by a child, seven men are abducted from their normal lives and delivered to a secret government facility. Each man has his own career, his own specialty. All are identical in appearance. The seven strangers were not born, but grown — unwitting human clones — as part of a project called 7th Son.
The government now wants something from these “John Michael Smiths.” They share the flesh as well as the implanted memories of the psychopath responsible for the president’s murder. The killer has bigger plans, and only these seven have the unique qualifications to track and stop him. But when their progenitor makes the battle personal, it becomes clear John Alpha may know the seven better than they know themselves…
