I'm donating 100% of the profits from the sale of my historical novel Sovereign Oak to organizations supporting Hurricane Helene relief efforts in the mountains of Western North Carolina. I've pledged to do so for a year, and there are 10 months remaining in that commitment period. For the first two months, I chose organizations that are helping to feed those in need of assistance. I started with Manna FoodBank and then I chose World Central Kitchen. Both do tremendous work, and they've been a godsend as this region works to recover from Helene's destruction.
I'm tweaking the time period that organizations are designated for donations to align it with how Amazon calculates royalties on book sales. Sovereign Oak came out in the middle of November. At the time, I said I would donate the profits earned in the first 30 days to Manna FoodBank, and then I said I would donate profits from the second 30-day period to World Central Kitchen. I'm new to self-publishing and I was unaware that Amazon tabulates sales and royalties on a monthly basis, and they send out checks about 60 days later. So, for books sold in the month of November, the check comes in the latter part of January. It will simplify the process if I designate organizations for monthly periods rather than 30-day periods that cross over months. Since the third period started 8 days into the month of January, I'm going to let it run through the end of February and I'm going to designate two organizations to split the profits earned during that period.
Scores of people lost their lives -- 104 according to figures released recently by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services -- and many more lost their homes or suffered significant structural damage when Hurricane Helene hit on September 27th. A life lost can't be repaired or rebuilt, but a home can. I'm changing my focus for this period and designating two organizations that are committed to increasing the availability of affordable housing in and around the Asheville area and helping those in need make repairs to homes that were damaged by Helene.
BeLoved Asheville
BeLoved Asheville began in 2009 when a group of local people decided that everyone needs a village where they belong and feel a sense of community. Part of that effort includes making affordable housing available through their BeLoved Village project and helping people who have housing to be able to stay in their homes. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, BeLoved was able to finish 12 homes and they are working on more. They are also providing help to those who suffered damage to their homes, so their homes are livable and sound. You can learn more about BeLoved Asheville by clicking here.
Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity
Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1983 and was the first Habitat affiliate in the state of North Carolina. No one had a closer connection to Habitat for Humanity than former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalyin who were dedicated Habitat volunteers for many years. I've been able to volunteer with Habitat here locally several times, and I hope to do more with them as the area continues to rebuild post-Helene. Habitat has built more than 400 affordable homes in the Asheville area and repaired over 500 more. They have been working steadily since the storm hit helping area residents make repairs to their homes. You can learn more about Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity by clicking here.
Sovereign Oak is available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, and e-book formats. You can order it by clicking here.
Thank you for supporting the people of Western North Carolina. Please come back to visit ... the Blue Ridge Mountains are still as beautiful as ever!
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