Because charity doesn't end when the headlines do

The news of earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010 dominated the news for days. But it wasn't long before the headlines turned to other things. Now, almost eleven weeks later, we hear little about what is happening in the devastated country.

Haiti's problems are just beginning. A "Preliminary Damage and Needs Assessment" (PDNA) report issued by Haiti's government and several major donors gave these statistics:

• More than 220,000 people killed and more than 300,000 others injured.
• Homes: 105,000 completely destroyed, more than 208,000 damaged.
• Educational institutions: more than 1,300 collapsed or unusable.
• Hospitals and health centres: more than 50 collapsed or unusable.
• Debris: 40 million cubic metres
• Total value of damage and losses: US$7.9 billion, equivalent to 120 per cent of Haiti's 2009 GDP (by that measure, the Jan. 12 quake was the worst disaster in the 35 years that methodology has been applied)
• Recovery cost: $11.5 billion over the next three years

These numbers are overwhelming. You may wonder what you can do to help.

You can read!

That's right. Inspired by one author, 100 writers got together and contributed short stories of hope, love, joy, and life that would help raise money for the victims of the earthquake.

100 Stories for Haiti is available in ebook form from Smashwords 

or in paperback from British publisher Bridge House Publishing.

Since it is a British publisher, the cost is in pounds and the shipping is expensive. If the shipping cost is a problem but you would still like to order a copy, please let me know in the comments. I will be going to the UK in June and would be happy to add your order to mine and hand carry them back to the US. (If I order 5 copies at once, it will ship direct from the printer and save money).

If you would like more information, go to the 100 Stories for Haiti website or click the image on the right hand side of this blog.

Imagine...you get to read great stories (including my story "The Last Bus to Montreal") AND you will be contributing to the British Red Cross to aid Haiti.

If you want to get involved, please link to this blog or directly to 100 Stories for Haiti and help us get the word out.
Thank you! 

You can't handle the truth

So in a forest of lies, I will now reveal the truth...

1.   When I was in college, one of my good friends was a vampire. This is FALSE, because vampires don’t exist. OK, this is almost true because one of my good friends swore blind he was a vampire. To this day, I don’t know if he was (cuz who am I to say they don’t exist), or if he honestly believed he was (which may mean he needed serious help), or if he was pulling an elaborate hoax on us (to which I say, DUDE!?)

2.   When I lived in Toronto, I decided to get a tattoo. As I was sitting in the tattoo parlor leafing through the book of options, the Chinese restaurant next door caught fire and we had to evacuate. I took it as a sign from the Universe that I shouldn’t get inked. I still don’t have a tattoo. This is TRUE. I should point out that I have made a deal with the Universe that if I get a book deal, I am going to get that tattoo.

3.   When we got married, my husband and I both wore dresses. This is FALSE. My husband wore a kilt, which is nowhere near a dress. He (and any other Scotsman) gets seriously ticked if you refer to it as a dress. Here's a picture...

OK, this one's not our wedding photo but that was a long time ago, before digital cameras. My husband (and any other Scotsman) wears his kilt at every opportunity.

4.   My favorite thing to do is go camping. I love hiking to a place where no one has been and just chilling out by the campfire. This is FALSE. I am a room service kind of girl. I love nature, but I prefer to have a hot bath after enjoying it.

5.   Shortly after I graduated, I was approached by a recruiter from the Department of Defense to work for them on an artificial intelligence computer project I started while in college. This is FALSE. But this happened to a very good friend of mine. I may write a book about this one day because it is such a good story.

6.   I don’t believe in love at first sight. This is so completely FALSE. I honestly believe in love at first sight and have been lucky enough to experience it. Once. I married him. (see #3 above).

As I was completing this little exercise, it occurred to me that a lot of my fabrications had a nugget of truth to them. I realized that this is very similar to my writing style as well. Many of my stories have some basis in reality, whether it is characters or setting or plot elements. I am a very visual writer, meaning that whole scenes, conversations, actions playing out in my head like a movie before I write them, so it helps if I can picture it. Using reality as my jumping off point works for me. I am in awe of writers who build worlds from scratch.

How about you? How much of your fabrications have a basis in truth?

Lies lies lies!

It's no secret I've had a bad couple of weeks. I've been vocal enough about it and I'm really tired of my whining (I'm sure you are too).

So to turn the beat around, I'm going to thank Laurel of Laurel's Leaves for giving me the "Creative Writer" award, which celebrates our ability to pass off the made-up as reality.

The requirement of the award is that I tell five lies and one truth. So here goes: 

1. When I was in college, one of my good friends was a vampire. 
2. When I lived in Toronto, I decided to get a tattoo. As I was sitting in the tattoo parlor leafing through the book of options, the Chinese restaurant next door caught fire and we had to evacuate. I took it as a sign from the universe that I shouldn’t get inked. I still don’t have a tattoo.
3. When we got married, my husband and I both wore dresses.
4. My favorite thing to do is go camping. I love hiking to a place where no one has been and just chilling out by the campfire.
5. Shortly after I graduated, I was approached by a recruiter from the Department of Defense to work for them on an artificial intelligence computer project I started while in college.
6. I don’t believe in love at first sight.

So I ask you, which one do you think is true? Go on... guess!

Please leave your pick in the comments section. I'll post the answers in a day or so.