Thank You From Literacy Suffolk

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

On Saturday, May 8, twelve generous authors donated their time and their talents at Pindar Vineyards to a fundraising event for Literacy Suffolk. At the end of three hours, we'd raised $464.00 for this worthwhile organization!

Today, I received the following letter from the staff of Literacy Suffolk:

May 10, 2010
Ms. Gina Ardito, President
Dunes & Dreams Romance Writers



Dear Gina,


I think it’s safe to say that Literacy Suffolk had never before been in the same thought-stream as “romance” before Dunes & Dreams stepped in. Thanks for heating things up!


Our sincere thanks to all of the authors who offered their time, good spirit, and craft for the benefit of adult literacy this past Saturday at Pindar Winery. Everyone’s thoughtfulness and good will has been truly wonderful. Your collective support will help fill an often embarrassing and painful void in students’ lives, and we gratefully accept Dunes & Dreams donation on their behalf.



Sincerely,


Gini Booth, Executive Director
Suzanne Smith, Community Affairs
Christine Moriarty, Finance
Susan Shiloni, Testing and Assessment
Jenn Vasell, Data and Web Manager

It's never too late to donate. The smallest pittance, (five dollars; ten) can make a difference in someone's life. Check out Literacy Suffolk's website for ways you can help!

I hope we'll see you next year when we do it all again. Until then...thank you to all who participated, visited, or helped in any way.

Meet Margaret Reyes Dempsey

Sunday, May 2, 2010

As a voracious reader since I first spoke the words "See Spot run," I know what reading has meant to me. A good book is a journey, a dream, a bit of harmless escapism at the end of a long day. Reading for enjoyment, however, is the icing on the cake. The part we take for granted is the reading we do throughout the day when we don't even realize we're reading. We find our way by reading signs, we fill out applications, read recipes from cookbooks or the lyrics to a song that everyone is singing along to. We review our child's homework, enjoy the birthday card from a relative or the love letter from the one who makes our heart melt. Think about how hard your life would be without the ability to read. Then, give the gift of literacy to someone. Come out on Saturday, buy some books, and sip some wine. It's Mother's Day weekend, a perfect time for a ladies' outing.

I'll be signing copies of The Benefactor, a novel of romantic suspense. Here's a blurb:

They say the truth will set you free...

After her parents' tragic deaths, eight-year-old Kate Barrett began receiving anonymous gifts from someone called Secret Friend. Years later, after landing a challenging job and the apartment of her dreams, she is caught off guard when another package shows up at her now unlisted address. Troubled that someone is watching her every move, she sets out to discover the stranger's identity.

The pressure rises when a coworker's flirtatiousness crosses the line and Kate makes a disturbing discovery at work. Just when things couldn't get more bizarre, love comes from a surprising direction, and shocking clues to the mystery surface in an unthinkable place. But nothing can prepare Kate for the truth about Secret Friend, the deaths of her parents, and how her destiny has been cunningly manipulated.