By Monté Hill
108 years later, the unthinkable happened… again.
When Monté published Catbird Winter in May of 2024, never in a million years would she have expected that her story that is – at least partially – about the Great Flood of 1916, it would be followed by an even more devastating flood just a few months later.
But then Hurricane Helene came.
Being a native and long-time resident of Fairview, North Carolina, the number of impacted friends, family, businesses and organizations near and dear to Monté and her partner, Kevin, are many. Perhaps most tragically, the town of Chimney Rock, the very heart of Catbird’s setting, has been all but completely swept away by the raging waters. Just as it was in 1916. Chimney Rock Brewing Company was completely destroyed. Additionally, Hi-Wire Brewing’s RAD facility and beer garden in Asheville were severely damaged. Both breweries were gracious enough to brew a special beer called ‘Catbird in the Rye’ to coincide with the release of ‘Catbird Winter’, and the owners and staff are much in our hearts.
Monté and Kevin have already made numerous personal donations to many organizations working to help with flood relief and rebuilding efforts, but we want to do more. With that in mind, we have decided that for the foreseeable future… six months at least… 100% of the book royalties earned through our Amazon and Ingram Spark channels will be donated to those same charities and organizations.
Your purchase, whether on Amazon or through a local or national online bookseller, will help those in need. As an independently published author, and at only roughly $3 earned per book, this may only be a trickle at first. We’re hoping to turn this into a literal floodgate of purchases, and we need your help. Here’s how:
- Purchase a copy of ‘Catbird Winter’ using the ‘Shop’ or ‘Buy Now’ links on our website at montehillauthor.com.
- Follow Monté Hill, Author on Facebook and Instagram. Like, comment and share her posts to help spread the word.
- Share this information and our page on your own social media accounts, including relevant groups, to let your friends know they can help as well.
- If you have connections to news and media organizations, please reach out through the email link on our site to put us in contact with them.
- Skip ‘Catbird Winter’ altogether and make donations directly to organizations like Manna Food Bank, BeLoved Asheville or any charity you are comfortable with. Honestly, we’re mostly interested in helping others. Book sales are secondary.