Goodreads Giveaway for "Closing the Store"

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Closing the Store

by Maren Bradley Anderson

Giveaway ends November 19, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

I'm giving away three signed copies of Closing the Store!

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6 ways (besides a #sexstrike) to react to the election by Liz Stratton from #ClosingtheStore

Liz A. Stratton is the host of Spare Me!, a daytime talk show, and the Presidential Candidate for the Women’s Action Party. (She’s also fictional, but don’t tell her that.)

Follow Liz’s adventures in the novel Closing the Store, in which she calls a sex strike to end a war, and keep watching this blog for more of Liz’s posts.

Dear Reader—

My esteemed biographer, Maren Bradley Anderson, has asked me to write a series of blog posts in order to promote our book Closing the Store.

It has been only days since the historic election of 2016, and I have to say that I am disappointed that my real-life avatar Hillary Clinton was not elected President. It’s especially painful because she lost despite winning the popular vote. I’m also a little bitter because her opponent reminds me of a cartoon character.

Politics and name-calling aside, I know there are people passionate about causes they feel will be neglected or outright attacked by the new administration. They should be worried. However, histrionics and hand-wringing (especially online) are useless. Action is what is needed.

In Closing the Store, we document my campaign’s attempt to win an election and end a war by holding a sex strike. Now, that might seem a little extreme for some of you, but know that sex strikes have worked in the recent past. All you need is a group of very concerned women (and men, too).

But maybe a sex strike isn’t for you. In that case, try the following:

1.     Give to a charity. Here are some of my favorites:

·      Southern Poverty Law Center

·      Planned Parenthood

·      ACLU

·      Audubon Society (birds, environment, etc.)

2.     Volunteer

a.     PTA

b.     Food bank

c.      Local Library

d.     Service Organization like the Masons or Elks

e.     A Women’s Shelter (Like Abby’s House in Oregon)

3.     Run for office

a.     Yes, you.

b.     Want the world to change? Then be in a position to change it.

c.      Start local. School board. Water council. Whatever.

4.     Educate someone     

a.     Like yourself. Go read a book on the cause you care about.

b.     Like a kid.

c.      Give money to a scholarship at your alma mater (college or high school).

5.     Make a friend with someone outside your social circle. Maybe WAY outside.

6.     Write a letter to your congressperson. Seriously, they only respond to paper letters and actual phone calls. Find him or her here.

That should give us a place to channel our frustrated energy. If we can keep it up, we will make the changes we were hoping our candidate would make for us. If we aren’t at least this self-reliant, we aren’t very good Americans, are we? 

Do you have another idea of something constructive to do? Write it in the comments below.

Go change the world.

Liz A. Stratton