Tag Archives: jk rowling

Write to Give: 7 Charitable Authors

One of the only things better than sitting down with a good book is knowing that the author who penned it cares deeply about giving back to his or her fanbase and communities. There are many authors who have learned the value of generosity and selflessness, and they exercise it on a regular basis. Did your favorite novelist make the list of authors who are giving back? Here are seven charitable authors we love.

1. Sylvia Day’s Day It Forward

Sylvia Day

Aside from being a #1 New York Times and #1 international best-selling author, Day also connects with her fans to bring attention to a new charity every month. Readers have the option to submit a one-paragraph essay on their favorite charity. Day reviews each submission and picks one to personally contribute to. Each selection is featured in the monthly installment of Day It Forward. Thus far, charities have included Alexandra’s House, the National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, and Gentle Barn.

2. The Dean and Gerda Koontz Foundation

Suspense-thriller author Dean Koontz and his wife Gerda have generously donated in the past to Canine Companions for Independence — an organization that trains and provides assistance dogs — as well as Saint Michael’s Abbey in California. The Koontzes frequently focus their donations on people with disabilities and severely ill children.

3. J.K. Rowling

Aside from her ridiculously popular series, J.K. Rowling is also known for her generosity. In fact, she wrote Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them as part of a two-book pair of Harry Potter schoolbooks. Proceeds have gone to Comic Relief, a charity that uses entertainment to help eliminate poverty.

4. Romance Novelist Nora Roberts

This bestselling author’s foundation, created in 1991, supports not only literacy but also the arts, children’s programs, and humanitarian efforts. The foundation donated time, money, and energy to working with libraries, museums, and theaters.

5. The Jonathan and Faye Kellerman Foundation

Jonathan Kellerman is not just a gifted suspense novelist; together, he and his wife have also formed a foundation that’s given grants to the Children’s Hospital of LA, the Boston Institute of Music, and the University of Southern California.

6. Dave Eggers

Known for his best-selling memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Eggers wrote What Is The What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng, with proceeds going to the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation. This foundation works to build schools, libraries, and community centers to create educational opportunities in South Sudan.

7. Isabel Allende

Allende seeks to empower women and created her foundation in honor of her daughter, who passed on at a young age. In remembrance of her daughter, who volunteered in Venezuela and Spain, Allende donates to organizations like the Global Fund for Women, in addition to Oritel, which offers human services to low income families.

Does an author you’re a fan of give back to charity? We’d love to hear about it! And don’t forget to contact us if you have a charity you’d like to be considered for Day It Forward. You can reach us at editorial@beyondwords.life with “Day it Forward” as the subject line.

6 Beautiful Quotes About Female Friendship

Female friendship is a beautifully delicate thing that can all too often be undervalued by those who possess it. As a woman, navigating life’s many obstacles alone is a tough feat. Sure, your life partner may be there to hold your hand when times get tough, but a true friend will be holding the compass and telling you which way to turn. She will be there, by your side, at all the most important points throughout your existence. Having a woman this close to you is only akin to having a sister. Of course, none put this feeling better than authors. So, with that in mind, here are six quotes about female friendship that aptly sum up what it means to have this unforgettable bond.

female friends

1. “We could fight and wrangle and name-call, but it didn’t change anything underneath. She was still my oldest friend. Is.” (The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood)

If a friendship is so weak that it will break after the first insignificant fight, it was never one that would stand the test of time. True relationships can sustain any amount of hardship. They are like diamonds: Rather than cracking under the great many pressures of life, they become stronger at every opportunity. Having a disagreement with a friend is never a pleasant experience; it’s not one you’d wish upon yourself or anyone else. Still, it doesn’t change the way you feel about them and, in that moment, you know that it never will.

2. “True friendship resists time, distance and silence.” (Portrait in Sepia, Isabel Allende)

Whether you tell yourself that you don’t have the time, that they’re too far away, or that it’s been too long since you last spoke, you’re lying. When someone is a real friend, when they are an intrinsic part of your life, none of those things matter a single iota. You can call them up from the other side of the planet having not once contacted them for the last six months, and yet you’ll still feel as close to them as ever — if not closer. It’s these friendships that are so intricately woven into our lives that we can never untangle them, no matter how we try. The likelihood is that you’ll get but a few of these in your life, but they are the bonds that keep you grounded and, much of the time, sane too.

3. “There’s nothing like puking with somebody to make you into old friends.” (The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath)

As comically vulgar as this one sounds, there’s great truth in it. Bonding with another human being is not merely about spending wine-fueled nights together, though that helps too. Instead, it’s about facing every battle together. Once someone’s held back your hair while you vomited up your regrets, it’s hard not to find them a little endearing. What women look for in any friendship is something lasting. We don’t just want friends who will take pouty selfies with us in clubs; we want those who will be there when we’re no longer posing.

4. “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J. K. Rowling)

It’s not about simply being a Yes Woman when called upon for help. Sure, that may be a fast-track way to trick people into liking you, but it’s a disingenuous way to gain people’s trust. Our closest friends will come to us for advice and guidance. How we respond to that depends on our strength of character. Telling someone exactly what you think they want to hear is not only spineless, but it can actually turn out to be a hindrance.

5. “I have your back. I didn’t mean only when it’s easy. All the time.” (Divergent, Veronica Roth)

At the core of any relationship, there’s just one thing: loyalty. This trait is so hard to come by, nigh impossible, which is why it should be valued in a person once you’re lucky enough to find it. You can have everything in common — the same sense of humor, the same interests, a similar outlook on life — and yet if this one key thing is misplaced, it will never work. When someone is only out for themselves, for their own personal gain, the friendship will wear thin quicker than you could ever imagine.

6. “No friendship is an accident.” (Heart of the West, O. Henry)

The final thing to remember about any legitimate friendship is that it’s not something you simply fall into. Friends of convenience rarely last, and just because something’s easy doesn’t mean it will work. Friendship is by no means an accident; it’s something you have to work at every single day of your life. When you decide to align your life with that of another person, it changes you; it means that you suddenly have to consider them in your plans. The moment you stop doing so, you could lose them — that in itself should worry you enough to never make the mistake. That’s not to say that friendship should be hard work, but you definitely should work hard at it regardless.