Please help

I haven't been on the site much lately -- I've been lurking a bit, but a huge thing has been taking up so much of my time. I live in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and some of you may know that we were hit by major tornadoes on April 27. The damage is extensive. There are 41 confirmed dead, and more than 1,200 were injured. Parts of town are simply gone.

I know this is off-topic for this site, but I want to take a moment to just ask that you please think about giving to tornado relief in Alabama. There is such a huge need here. People are homeless and jobless -- my own workplace took a direct hit. Our office is no longer there. However, we were lucky -- we were back up and running in a new location within days, thanks to the donations of several individuals. And thankfully, my home was spared. Houses two blocks away are total wrecks.

It is worse than what you see on TV. A third of this city is just ... gone. It looks like something you would see in Sarajevo or the West Bank.

There are literally dozens of ways to donate. Probably the best way is through the Red Cross. However, if you're one of those people who want to get value for your money, I am offering my novel for sale, with ALL PROFITS over the next 90 days going to Tuscaloosa tornado relief. This is NOT a sales pitch: I am keeping none of the money generated. It will go through my account and be verified by a CPA here in Tuscaloosa.

Whatever you do, whether you donate or volunteer or buy my book, I would ask you to do something to help -- the need is great. You can see the e-book version of the novel here: http://tinyurl.com/2e9k996. There's also a trade paperback: http://tinyurl.com/2ag7njo.

Thanks for reading.

--Bobby Mathews