For The Love of Helping a Good Cause-Book Donations

Many published authors choose to support a worthwhile and personal cause through their book sales. A portion of my own book sales goes to Breast Cancer Research as well as libraries affected by natural disaster. As the season of giving quickly approaches, I would like to share an interview I recently had with another author who makes her own contribution through her books revenue, Jo Fulkerson. Jo has been blessed with the talent to write a book and smart enough to have it published; now she contributes a portion of her book sales to her own personal cause. Read on.

Carol Denbow: How or why did you decide you needed to "work for the cause?" What is your mission?

Jo Fulkerson: I guess I decided to write for and about social issues dealing with young people because I have always been interested in young people and concerned for their issues. As a Wal-Mart employee for ten years, I couldn't help seeing so many young people practically ignored and left to their own devices by parents day in and day out. We raised five children, lost one at 14 in a car accident, and I very recently lost a grandson, so my feelings for young people run deep. If I have an actual mission, it is to create fictional "heroes" for young people to look up to and perhaps give them an incentive to make something of their lives, perhaps even unobtrusively showing young people that there are people who care about them and want to do something for them.

Carol Denbow: You told me about your idea to donate your book to schools. Why are the schools so important to you and how did you get involved?

Jo Fulkerson: The idea of getting my book into schools was not original with me. Somewhere along the line while researching promotional outlets, it was suggested, especially since my novel deals with teenagers. I have only just begun to expand on this idea, but realized that the cost of really doing this on a large enough scale to make any kind of impact was beyond my means.

Carol Denbow: What is your dream result from all your hard work?

Jo Fulkerson: My dream result would be to make a difference in the lives of young people, having my characters become special "friends" and reach out to anyone who might need a friend at a particular moment in their lives.

Carol Denbow: How can other authors get involved with your cause?

Jo Fulkerson: Anyone who would like to help further this can do so by buying copies of FOR LOVE OF TEDDY to be donated to schools, either in a designated area or in any area, or by making donations to be used to purchase copies of the book to be placed in schools. (If they order copies through me, they are about $10 less than anywhere else.) My Website is www.freewebs.com/thedesertwriter and info about the book and about ordering is posted there.

Carol Denbow: Tell us about the book.

Jo Fulkerson: FOR LOVE OF TEDDY tells the story of Michael Kirkpatrick, high school senior basketball star, and his younger brother, Teddy. Michael is determined to save his brother, Teddy, from the clutches of teenage drug dealers. Feeling responsible for Teddy's slight mental handicap, Michael wages his own war to get rid of the dealers and the supplier. Teddy is mistakenly singled out by the school's Assistant Principal who sees Teddy hand a small package back to Leo, a teenage drug dealer, not realizing the true circumstances of Teddy's involvement. Teddy is further duped and manipulated by the dealer to run an "errand" for him. Michael then becomes more determined to bring down the drug dealers by convincing Leo that he, himself, will get involved in Leo's dealings if Leo will leave Teddy alone. When Michael confronts the supplier, his own life falls into jeopardy and his basketball prowess comes into play as he fights for his life and to bring down the supplier.

Carol Denbow: Are there any future books inside Jo?

Jo Fulkerson: Although I have begun another young adult novel dealing with foster children, I have put that on the shelf and will be working on another novel dealing with teens and drugs in which I plan to reach deeper and more dramatically into the issue.

Carol Denbow: Jo, thanks you for being here and sharing your information with us; you are an inspiration.

For more information about Jo Fulkerson’s fundraising project, or to order her book, visit her Website at www.freewebs.com/thedesertwriter.