YE GODS! THE CHUPACABRA IS HELPING ANIMALS AGAIN!

The rescue organizations that are tentatively scheduled to receive the donations.
Subject to change based on response and approval by the organization.

 

Part of the plot in Ye Gods! A Tale of Dogs and Demons has to do with animals needing mercy from abuse. In the story, that abuse sometimes comes from neglect, but more often from the misuse of animals for "entertainment" like dogfighting or cockfighting.

As much as I love the Caribbean, and especially the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, one of the dark sides of the region is the prevalence of unwanted animals. Spay/neuter programs have limited success in cultures where emasculating a dog is seen as cruel, but dumping a litter of puppies alongside the road is acceptable. Even where dogfighting is illegal, authorities have a blasé attitude about enforcing those laws.

Needless to say, animal rescue organizations in the region have an uphill battle. The people involved in these operations are true heroes. My friend Guillie Castillo Oriard works with CARF--Curaçao Animal Rescue Foundation--and somehow, even seeing the horrors, she maintains her optimism and enthusiasm.  In this article, she discusses the plight of the animals eloquently. I admire her ability to not use many, many four-letter words regarding those who abuse animals, and to refrain from extracting a bit of "eye-for-an-eye" vengeance on behalf of the animals she works to protect. And she's not that different from all the many, wonderful, and brave individuals who volunteer their time, homes, money, and lives to this worthy cause.

I don't have the heart or the stomach. I know myself enough to know I'd be tempted to start exacting revenge. I'm a curmudgeon enough without seeing first-hand the horrors "humans" can bestow on man's best friend and other animals. So, I'm doing what I can, little as that may be, by donating 100% of the proceeds from e-book sales of Ye Gods! to different rescue organizations each month for the next year.



The e-book cover for
Ye Gods! A Tale of Dogs and Demons

You may ask, "Why donate the profits from ebooks instead of print?" The ebook cost ($4.95, a little higher than the norm for ebooks, but it's for a worthy cause!) is 1/3 that of the print book ($15.00) so wouldn't that be better? The math of book publishing means, from that $15, the printers costs have to be paid, then the publishers costs, then I get my share from that. I actually make less per print book than I do on ebook sales, even at 1/3 the price. That means the recipient organizations get more, too. That doesn't mean I don't want people to buy the print book. I hope those who do purchase the ebook because it's for a good cause will enjoy it so much they'll want the print book for themselves, too. (Or am I the only one who does that?) The second consideration is that many of the organizations who will benefit from the ebook sales are in the Caribbean where shipping costs can make the purchase of print books exorbitant so ebook sales might do better.

The tentative schedule of what organizations will benefit when is below. Ye Gods! is available as an ebook through online book sellers like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

MONTH       ORGANIZATION (*indicates the date/month for this organization to receive proceeds has not been finalized and may change)

May              CARF-Curaçao Animal Rescue Foundation

June              Charleston Animal Society

July               St. John Animal Care Center

August          St. Thomas Humane Society

September     St. Croix Animal Welfare Center

October         Tazewell Animal Rescue Coalition

November      Charleston Animal Society

December       Morningstar Animal Rescue

January           *Pet Helpers, Charleston, SC

February          Animal Rescue Foundation of Rincon

March              St. Croix Animal Welfare Center

April                Broome County Humane Society