100 Stories for Haiti

What can I say. Six weeks after Greg McQueen woke up and decided to do something, it’s here. The book. It’s REAL. I’ve been dipping in and out and there is a fantastic variety of stories in there – all sorts and styles.

But six weeks! I still can’t believe it. From conception to birth in one and a half months.

I’d been watching the news when Greg’s call came – horrified, upset, wanting to DO something other than just sit and watch and feel guilty about moaning about a bit of snow that had caused – well no more than minor disruption. I suspect that’s how most people felt.

The images stay with us don’t they? Most of us will never see tragedy first hand on such a huge scale. And it’s easy to push those images to the backs of our minds as other news takes over. But in Haiti the tragedy goes on.

Estimates of how many people died vary, but the figure seems to be somewhere between 220,000 and 300,000.

Over 300,000 people were injured.

And over a million people are homeless and of those less than half have a tent or tarpaulin for shelter. And it is coming up to the rainy season. In about three months the hurricane season will begin.

You don’t need much of an imagination to think of people who have lost everything, not just homes, but whole families. And now they are living in crowded, unsanitary conditions. Just makes you stop and think doesn't it - after everything they've been through so many people still don't have the luxury of a scrap of material over their heads to keep the rain off.


It rather puts things in perspective doesn't it.

Okay, buying a book isn’t going to make it better, but as they say, Every Little Helps.

The book is available direct from Bridge House, in bookshops, online stores and as an e-book from smashwords.


http://bridgehousepublishing.co.uk/default.aspx

New Anthology

It's out on the 13th May, published by Bridge House Publishing, called In The Shadow of the Red Queen and I've got two stories in it.

Okay, now I've got the plug out of the way on to the more serious matter of future books. Bridge House are planning to publish more anthologies and are looking for stories to fill them, so take a look at their website http://bridgehousepublishing.co.uk/default.aspx where you'll find all the details. There's also news of a short story competition on there for anyone interested.

They also have a blog where you can read a bit about the authors and stories in the book.

You can find that here http://redqueenadultsuitcase.blogspot.com/