It’s once again time to tell tales and make the offering…

Well of course I made it sound ominous. Don’t worry, this is a good thing. Really. Hopefully for you, specifically.

As a lot of you know, my writing career began in Los Angeles. I’d left the film industry to write full time. I was bringing in rent money doing movie reviews and screenwriter/ director interviews. Sold a few short stories. Sold my first novel for a very small advance. My beloved had won a major screenwriting fellowship and was also reading scripts for various contests. Between the two of us… things were usually tight, but we were happy. We were doing what we wanted to do, even if we were living that near-poverty artist’s life some folks likes to glamorize.

But some of you probably know it doesn’t take much for “near-poverty” to become “poverty.” Just a nudge. A late payment from your job. One “whoops” from a clerk that results in a double-charge on the credit card. Sickness. An accident.

Boom.

Poverty.

Not tight on cash. Not, oh we’ll need to cut back for a month or two. Poverty. As federally defined. We were below-the-poverty-line poor for three solid years in Los Angeles, one of those cities famous for its low cost of living. We did our grocery shopping at the 99 Cent Store. Our phone was shut off. We stole toilet paper from the library when we went there to use the internet. We couldn’t afford to turn the heat on. At least twice, off the top of my head, I had to borrow gas money from friends so I could go to work. Yeah, I literally didn’t have enough money to go to work.

That level of poverty means you have an ongoing dread, a sense of being trapped and powerless that almost never shuts off. It means stressing over every interaction with anyone and anything in your life. It’s being painfully aware of what you don’t have and what you can’t do.

Weird as a it may sound, these feelings can get even worse during the holiday season. Because so much of the holidays is about giving, and when you’re poor you just… you’ve got nothing to give. It doesn’t matter how much you care about someone, it doesn’t matter how much you want to do for them. And the reason it doesn’t matter because you’ve got nothing.

And for the past few decades, some folks have made it very clear they’ll judge you because of all this. They’ll see you as less of a person because of your poverty. Because of what you’re unable to do. At every office party or gathering of friends or family dinner. There are some folks judging you for being trapped and powerless.

Believe me, I know how bad it sucks. I’m in a much better place now—thanks mostly to all of you reading this—and I wish I could tell you it all goes away once you’re back on your feet. But it doesn’t. I still feel that sudden sinking in my gut when my card has a glitch at the register. Hell, it just happened a few weeks ago while I was doing the book tour.

So look– if I can help some of you avoid that sinking, powerless feeling this season—the low I felt for those Christmases—I’d like to do it.

Here’s the deal. If you’re in a bad place and can’t afford gifts for your family or friends, shoot me note at my old business email– PeterClines101 @ yahoo.com (it’s also the newsletter’s default email, so if you’re subscribed you can just reply to a newsletter). I’ve got maybe a dozen random copies of my books, and a few audiobook CD sets, too (if that works better for you). I’ll autograph one for whoever you like and mail it out so you have something to give this season. Or I can send it directly to someone else, if you need it shipped. I’ll even gift wrap it if you need that. I’ll do this for as long as the books last, or until maybe a week before Christmas? Want to have time for things to get where they’re going.

Oh, every year a few folks offer read this and offer to chip in and help out. It’s appreciated, but you don’t need to do that. This is all covered. But you could go be fantastic people in your own community. I guarantee, there’s a Toys for Tots dropoff or a food bank within ten or twenty miles of you right now that could really use your offer of help, especially this year.

Just to be clear, sorry to hammer it home—this is for those of you who need some help getting gifts for others. The people who are pulling unemployment, cutting back on everything, and feeling trapped because they can’t afford gifts for family or friends. Also, we’re using the honor system here, folks, so if you’re only trying to save yourself some money or score an autographed book… well, I won’t be able to stop you. But never forget you’re an awful person and you’re taking a potential bright moment away from someone who really needs it this season. And you’ll deserve whatever karma sends back your way. Sorry.

Anyway… please let me know if I can help you out.

Happy Holidays.