"Oil and Water... and Other Things That Don't Mix" Anthology to Benefit the Gulf Oil Crisis

The disaster facing the Gulf Coast has been on the minds of millions of people and the ladies of the She Writes™- Southern Writers group expressed many feelings of anger, sadness, and disgust. We are not helpless, but what can we do?

She Writes™ members Zetta Brown and Nicky Wheeler-Nicholson Brown decided that something needed to be done where people can put their talents together and help make a difference. What better way than to produce an anthology where the proceeds will go where it is needed most?

Oil and Water...and Other Things That Don’t Mix contains stories, poems, and recollections from 27 authors, women and men all dealing with the theme: “Conflict... Resolution Optional.” These selections will make you laugh, cry, think, and some may even get you angry.

I am extremely honored to have my story "A Litany of Bruises" included in this anthology. There are also stories from award-winning authors and journalists, newly published authors, as well as from talented new authors who make their debut in this volume:

Jenne’ R. Andrews - Shonell Bacon - Lissa Brown - Mollie Cox Bryan

Maureen E. Doallas - Mylène Dressler - Nicole Easterwood

Angela Elson - Melanie Eversley - Kimeko Farrar - L B Gschwandtner

John Klawitter - Mary Larkin - Linda Lou - Kelly Martineau

Patricia Anne McGoldrick - Ginger McKnight-Chavers - Carl Palmer

Karen Pickell - Dania Rajendra - Cherie Reich - Jarvis Slacks

Tynia Thomassie - Amy Wise - Zetta Brown - Nicky Wheeler-Nicholson Brown


All proceeds from Oil and Water... and Other Things That Don’t Mix will go to directly benefit Mobile Baykeeper and Bay Area Food Bank, two charities helping to combat the effects of the spill and help the communities affected.

Find out more information and order the book at http://www.ll-publications.com/oilandwater.html

Contest for Women Writers Announced at SheWrites.com

Today, on the one-year anniversary of She Writes (www.shewrites.com), founders Kamy Wicoff and Deborah Siegel announce The Passion Project, a contest open to an emerging author and member of She Writes with a nonfiction book project in the works.

The Passion Project enables a hand-picked A-team of writing and publishing experts to choose a book project by a first-time author and to donate their time to its advancement, giving it every possible chance to succeed.

“She Writes was founded on the premise that writing can be life- and world-changing for women, that no woman writer is an island, and that publishing expertise should be available to every writer, not only those who can afford to pay,” said Wicoff. The contest embodies the company’s mission.

The Passion Project borrows its name from a common term used inside publishing houses to refer to a book an editor loves with a passion, even if it’s not a lucrative project. Judges include literary agents Betsy Lerner and Erin Hosier; Brooke Warner, publisher of Seal Press; author and journalist Alissa Quart; and Wicoff and Siegel themselves. The Project’s co-directors, Lea Beresford and Amanda Johnson Moon, are editors who hail from inside of traditional publishing (Random House and Basic Books, most recently).

The winner will be selected on the basis of the merit of her entry, which consists of a cover letter and a 2,000 word excerpt. She will receive thorough and supportive consultations from a team of experts designed to help her prepare a complete proposal for submission to agents or publishers. Entries are due August 1st, 2010, and finalists will be announced and their excerpts posted on August 27th, at www.shewrites.com. A winner will be announced on August 24th.

To enter the contest, and/or to join this wonderful online community for women writers, visit www.shewrites.com.