It’s snowed.
We had a proper snow this time, probably about 5″ (a little less than 15 cm, in my rough mental rounding). The dogs are indifferent to the snow but are annoyed at the cold and would like me to fix it. I have not been able to oblige. I did build a nice wood fire for sitting in front of, and that has helped.
I’ve been participating in Giftmas, raising charity funds with other authors, for — wait, that can’t be right. A decade? Really? That’s amazing. Most of that support has gone to the Edmonton Food Bank, occasionally elsewhere, and I feel good about that.
Our Giftmas theme this year is connection, and I’m not sure what to write about that. 2025 has been rough, right from the start. After a whole year of 2025, it’s hard in December, and especially this week for personal reasons, to think about human connections.
Maybe we don’t have to be with “our tribe” but rather with “our fellow humans,” because maybe altruism isn’t about advancing our genetics or our subculture but our world.
But maybe that’s the point. Maybe, when the closest we thought we knew turn out to be something else, maybe that’s when we look up and out, maybe when we realize tribalism and niche demographics are great for sports team merchandising but not the general population. Maybe that’s when we focus on the commonality we have overall. Maybe we don’t have to be with “our tribe” but rather with “our fellow humans,” because maybe altruism isn’t about advancing our genetics or our subculture but our world.
I’m not from Edmonton. I’m not from Canada. I don’t even like hockey. (I’m sorry! I am a big fan of moose, though.) But “me and mine first!” has never been a good look, and the indie author community has long asserted that a rising tide lifts all boats. I’m going to donate to my local food bank and to Edmonton’s. So there.
Our Giftmas goal this year is $1,500 CAD, which through the food bank’s leveraged buying power can provide over 4,000 meals. And American dollars can stretch even further to reach that goal, just sayin’. :-) We have a phenomenal start already, after just two days! Will you help us?
You can donate directly (no money passes through Giftmas participants’ hands).
Make sure you follow along the blog tour, too (see below), because most of us are giving away something.
I’m giving away short stories or novelettes, which I think are seasonally or otherwise appropriately themed. Two are Realm Award winners, one is a Pushcart Prize nominee, and one is…also free!
Click on any of the above stories and use the code IGAVE to get one or several for free. (Well, “A Midwinter Theft” is already free, but look, it’s got magic and a little bit of snow, just grab it with the lot.)
You can also use the code GIFTMAS to get my popular Christmas novella So To Honor Him in ebook for just $1. (You may have to get this in a separate transaction from the short stories, if the shopping cart is skittish of taking two codes at once.)
I’m not going to ask you to mail me your donation receipt or anything; I’m going to trust there’s good out there. Make a donation of your choice, claim your stories, forge a chain, leave some beauty, do some good.
Follow along!
November 30th – Rhonda Parrish – https://www.rhondaparrish.com/home/
December 1st – Beth Cato – https://www.bethcato.com/
December 2nd – Stephanie C. Cain – https://www.stephaniecainonline.com/blog
December 3rd – Laura VanArendonk Baugh – https://lauravanarendonkbaugh.com/
December 4th – Jamie Perrault – https://jamieperrault.com/
December 5th – Jemima Pett – https://jemimapett.com/
December 6th – Susan Mayse – https://susanmayse.ca/posts/
December 7th – BD Wilson –https://www.patreon.com/bdwilson/
December 8th – Rhonda Parrish – https://www.rhondaparrish.com/home/