By Gail Z. Martin
I’ve been posting a lot on social media about the Dance Like a Monkey anthology on Indiegogo. We’re coming down to the last 8 days of the funding campaign, so I wanted to explain why this is so important.
The anthology is a charity benefit to help out fellow author CJ Henderson. He’s battling cancer for the second time and the fight to stay alive has racked up major medical bills as well as taking him offline for writing and for selling his books at conventions, which is his source of income. So a bunch of CJ’s friends rallied together to put out an anthology where all the proceeds (except for shipping/printing and Indiegogo’s fee) go to help CJ with his medical expenses. None of the participating authors are getting paid, and neither is publisher Silence in the Library.
CJ was one of the first people I met when I began doing conventions as a pro after The Summoner came out. He is a loveable curmudgeon, and he is also a fantastic encourager, good friend and a mentor to many beginning authors (although he hides it well beneath a crusty manner). I always knew that whenever I was at a convention with CJ, I had a friend close at hand. He’s been a positive influence on a lot of people, which is why his friends are doing this book to help him out.
Everyone who funds at $10 or more gets an AWESOME collection of stories by 31 authors including Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta, Maggie Allen, Jack Dann, Ed Greenwood, Joe Haldeman, Nancy and Belle Holder, Tanya Huff, Gail Z. Martin, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Jean Rabe, Mike Resnik, Hildy Silverman, Janine Spendlove, Michael A. Stackpole, Anton Strout, Kelly Swails, Robert E. Vardeman, Elizabeth A. Vaughan, Bryan Young, Jean Marie Ward, Gene Wolfe, Tera Fulbright and Timothy Zahn. And, of course, CJ Henderson.
Every stretch goal we reach adds more goodies—either additional authors to the anthology or free ebooks, e-short stories and other loot.
So please, check out the Indiegogo campaign before May 1. Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/1l0t4nk. If you like it, please toss in your ten-spot for an awesome antho. And please, help us add funding and extras to the anthology by passing the link along to your friends on social media.
Because in the end, we’re just Monkeying Around for a Good Cause!
