Southern Fried Chicas

RIPPLE EFFECT

Hello, Southern Fried Chicas! Or should I say, Hola! Como esta? Bien. Yo soy Rachel Caine, y ….

Wait, I guess I’d better do this in English.

Hello, my name is Rachel Caine, and I’m a writer of many, many things, including the Weather Warden series and the Morganville Vampires series. (Now for the obligatory advertisement: the new Morganville Vampires book, FEAST OF FOOLS, is available now in bookstores, and the new Weather Warden novel, GALE FORCE, will be out on August 5!)

I’m also a big-time FAN of many, many things, and one of them is Harry Potter. In fact, I’m a big enough fan that back in 2005, I got myself invited to attend a great Potter-themed conference held in Salem, Massachusetts, and I had such an amazing time that I attended another one in New Orleans, called PHOENIX RISING, in 2007. I’d been to New Orleans in 2000, and the drive in was sobering. Two years out from Hurricane Katrina, the town was still devastated — condemned buildings, entire blocks of businesses shut down and boarded up. Our conference was in the French Quarter, which still showed scars of the devastating economic downturn, if not the actual flood waters.

Prior to the conference, I was named a Head of House. Now, this is largely a ceremonial duty, but important, in that you get to roam around in really fancy wizard robes and grant (or take) points away from the houses to which attendees have been assigned. I decided to focus on a worthwhile cause for my particular house, and contacted the New Orleans Public Library. What I found really moved me — frequently to tears. The before and after shots of the devastation to the libraries were merciless, and like all other institutions in the city, the libraries were struggling to recover.

I gave a presentation at Portus on the NOPL challenges, and declared fund-raising efforts for them. The attendees responded brilliantly, and we were able to hand over a sizable check to the library representatives before the end of the weekend.

I continued to promote the cause, but I didn’t realize that others were going to take it up, too. Two of the Phoenix Rising attendees, N. Apythia Morges and Tamela J. Ritter, were just as moved as I was by the plight of the NOPL, and they had an amazing amount of energy and vision. Next thing I knew, Apythia sent me a link to a new website they’d created. They were putting together a non-profit anthology of poetry, short fiction, and art to benefit NOPL’s Rebuild program.

Even cooler, they involved the librarians of New Orleans … they asked the librarians for story ideas and prompts, and got over 50 back in response.

About a year later, I’m looking at the book, and it’s amazing. The outpouring of creative effort was overwhelming, and the book itself is beautiful. What it represents is even more beautiful, because all of the proceeds from the sales are going to the NOPL Rebuild program.

The book is called RIPPLE EFFECT, and I think you’ll agree, there couldn’t be a better title — it perfectly describes what happened to bring this project about. I dropped a pebble in the pond at Phoenix Rising, and now it’s involved dozens of people, and soon, thousands of buyers and readers.

That’s pretty damn cool, and I had very little to do with it. I can’t praise Tamela and Apythia enough for all the work they’ve put into this — and they’re not stopping here. They’re taking on other charitable anthologies for the future.

I’ll be contributing and buying as often as I possibly can.

I hope you’ll join me.

The book:

RIPPLE EFFECT
edited by N. Apythia Morges and Tamela J. Ritter
Available from the anthology website: http://www.tearsofthephoenixink.org
and Amazon

Official press release:
More than 40 writers and artists worldwide have contributed works to Tears of the Phoenix Anthologies’ “Ripple Effect: A Collection of Fiction and Art” (July 1008) to benefit Rebuild New Orleans Public Library (RNOPL).
Edited by N. Apythia Morges and Tamela J. Ritter, “Ripple Effect” features nearly 400 pages of poems, flash fiction, short stories and illustrations based on inspiration supplied by New Orleans librarians, including a new short story by bestselling author Rachel Caine, author of the Weather Warden and Morganville Vampires series.

All proceeds from the book will be donated to Rebuild New Orleans Public Library.

“I was amazed and touched when I heard from the editors what they’d put together. Every single person involved in this effort did so from a true desire to help, and that’s absolute magic,” said Caine, who also wrote the foreword for the anthology.

Tears of the Phoenix — a non-profit literary organization dedicated to promoting writers and artists while supporting book-related charities — strives to prove the power of the written word and that a book can change a life.

After witnessing first-hand the destruction Hurricane Katrina had caused in New Orleans, co-founders N. Apythia Morges and Tamela J. Ritter wanted to use their literary experience to help.

“I was horrified at the sight of the destroyed libraries and irreparable books,” Morges said. “There was such a need for aid in general in New Orleans, that the libraries were unable to get the funds needed to rebuild. As someone who believes in the power of books and the importance of a local library, I knew we needed to do something to help.” Tamela J. Ritter

The editors approached RNOPL and New Orleans librarians in the summer of 2007 and asked them if they could have a story written for them, what would they want?

“We found that what they wanted were what everyone wants, stories of adventure, romance, good triumphing evil, humor and hope,” said Ritter.

Next, a call was put out to writers and artists around the world who were interested in bringing these stories to life. The response was overwhelming. “Ripple Effect” features 45 works of fiction and 31 pieces of art in several genres and styles.

“Ripple Effect: A Collection of Fiction and Art” (trade paperback edition, July 2008, Tears of the Phoenix Anthologies. $16.99) is available at bookstores and online at Amazon.com, Borders.com.

A limited-edition hardcover version ($27.99) is available exclusively through www.tearsofthephoenixink.org.

N. Apythia Morges is a newspaper editor, freelance editor/designer, and writer. Her articles and weekly literary column have appeared in newspapers in the United States and England, and her fiction has been published in several anthologies and literary journals. She is co-founder of Tears of the Phoenix literary charity and coeditor of Tears of the Phoenix Anthologies and Tears of the Phoenix Ink. She received a bachleor’s degree in journalism from Penn State and is pursuing a master’s degree in publishing at Pace University. She lives in New York.

Tamela J. Ritter is an award-winning writer, journalist, and editor. Her work has appeared in many literary journals and anthologies across the country. She is the editor of Whatever Literary Journal and cofounder of Tears of the Phoenix and coeditor of Tears of the Phoenix Anthologies and Tears of the Phoenix Ink. She lives in Connecticut.

Rachel Caine is the author of more than 20 novels, including the popular Weather Warden series and the Morganville Vampires young adult series, for which she has sold the film and television
option rights. In 2009, Rachel will launch a new four-book series, Outcast Season, from Roc. She has also written paranormal romantic action/adventure for Silhouette Bombshell. Her most recent paranormal romance novel, Athena Force: Line of Sight, is a 2008 RT Reviewer’s Choice award winner. She also published an original novel for the television show Stargate SG-1 (Sacrifice Moon) under the pseudonym Julie Fortune. She is a contributor to a number of BenBella Books’ SmartPop anthologies of nonfiction essays and had short fiction in three best-selling anthologies in 2007, including My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon (St. Martins), and Many Bloody Returns, which became a New York Times best seller. She and her husband, award-winning artist R. Cat Conrad, live in Texas.
Visit her online at www.rachelcaine.com; www.myspace.com/rachelcaine and http://rachelcaine.livejournal.com.

About Tears of the Phoenix

Tears of the Phoenix, a nonprofit corporation, is dedicated to spreading the love of the written word by supporting literary charities and promoting new authors and artists. Each Tears of the Phoenix anthology benefits a different book-based and/or literary charity. To learn visit: www.tearsofthephoenixink.org or e-mail info@tearsofthephoenixink.org