The Power Of Love...

The Power of Love
The power of women helping women.

That's our theme for the new anthology due out any day now (might already be on shelves in your area) with a release date of June 3rd. I picked that date on purpose, so it'd coincide with my and Dianne Castell's annual READER AND AUTHOR GET TOGETHER. This year the event is June 6th -8th, and we hope we sell a LOT of copies of the book, because ALL agent and author proceeds are going to benefit the Hamilton Co. YWCA Battered Women's Shelter.

At the GET TOGETHER, we raise money for many causes, including the troops and my favorite no-kill animal shelter, the ANIMAL ADOPTION FOUNDATION.

In the past, all the money we made from our big raffle of donated gift baskets went to the Battered Women's Shelter. But we wanted to do more. Thanks to Berkley, who is publishing the book (and others for good causes) we now have THE POWER OF LOVE.

Twelve authors.
Twelve different stories.
All of them are romances, and all of them are about empowering women and the healing difference that love can make to a woman's life.

Domestic abuse is not the stuff of romance novels. Unfortunately, it isn’t fiction either. With this anthology, we hope to raise both awareness and money to help end the sad epidemic of domestic violence.

In 2001, more than half a million American women were victims of nonfatal violence committed by an intimate partner, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. And, in a national survey of more than 6,000 American families, 50 percent of men who frequently assaulted their wives also often abused their children.

Horrifying statistics, so... How can we NOT help? With the way book proceeds are paid, this anthology will be the gift that keeps on giving.

When I asked other authors to take part in this project, they all said YES without a moment's hesitation. I made it clear that they'd make no money off their work, and they were still happy to get involved.

The authors are:
Lori Foster, Dianne Castell
Toni Blake, Karen Kelley
Rosemary Laurey, Erin McCarthy
Janice Maynard, LuAnn McLane
Lucy Monroe, Patricia Sargeant,
Kay Stockham and J.C. Wilder.

They've each contributed a never-before-published romance novella.

Each story explores the resilient woman and her quest for self, for fulfillment, for empowerment, and for an enriching new appreciation for what love really means and why it matters.

One of the best things about THE POWER OF LOVE is the diversity. Some of the stories are sexy, some more serious, some fun. Each author was free to write in her own style, time period and subgenre.

Reviews have been pouring in, and we couldn't be happier with the results!

Coffee Time Romance Reviews said:
This is definitely one of the best anthologies I have ever read. The authors who came together on this project are some of my favorites, and each story showcases their skills wonderfully. I especially like Unpredictable for its humor, Dance the Fandango for its originality, and Sweet Dreams for its sultry hot characters. The stories are all about overcoming adversity, and taking life by the horns. I greatly encourage you to purchase this book, not only for yourself but for anyone in your life who needs a little encouragement. The Power of Love is a must buy for any romance lover.

Romance Reviews Today said:
The twelve tales in THE POWER OF LOVE are all winning examples of the power of women. Romance and overcoming problems tie the stories together nicely. Each tale is short enough that readers can have a fast full story experience and is perfect for vacationers and commuters. That the book's proceeds will go to a battered women’s shelter deserves a special hurrah to the authors.

From www.theromancereader.com:
Twelve original stories from some of today's acclaimed and beloved authors are introduced in this lovely anthology. In this compilation, there's something for everyone - beloved pets, daring rescues, sexy hot love scenes, sexy cops, sexy fireman, sexy CEOs, sexy preachers, angels, a little physic ability, young lovers, old lovers, daring trysts in the pool, on the desk, on the sofa, loads of kisses, women breaking free of abusive relationships and learning to trust and love again and romance abounds! To top it all off, the authors and their agents have agreed to donate all of their proceeds to the Hamilton County YWCA Battered Women's Shelter.

From Kwips and Kritiques:
THE POWER OF LOVE is a strong anthology as all of the stories are both powerful and well written. I will admit to having a soft spot for books that are written to benefit charities but THE POWER OF LOVE exceeds all expectations. Each one of the authors contributes a story exemplifying the feminine experience. The added touch of including the multitude of social issues addressing women today in the various stories is nothing short of genius. Kudos to all these phenomenal authors, both for their talent and for their willingness to donate to a worthy cause. THE POWER OF LOVE is highly recommended!

Romantic Times gave us 4 stars and said:
This fine collection of short stories truly exemplifies the power of love. Each story is short enough to finish in one sitting but long enough that reading it is worth your while.

Because we have the book this year, and a generous advance has already been paid to the Battered Women's shelter, we'll be donating our raffle proceeds to another worthy cause: THE CONDUCTIVE LEARNING CENTER OF GREATER CINCINNATI, a school for children with spina bifida and cerebal palsy.

I'll also do a very special raffle basket for the ANIMAL ADOPTION FOUNDATION, to continue raising money for animals in need. In additon to the basket, and tying in with THE POWER OF LOVE anthology, two wonderful readers, Ashley Elizabeth and Shana Schwer, are undertaking a special project. They'll both be at the READER AND AUTHOR GET TOGETHER, and they'll be getting 10 copies of THE POWER OF LOVE autographed by ALL the authors. Those autographed copies will be auctioned off on Ebay with proceeds to benefit THE ANIMAL ADOPTION FOUNDATION.

Here are the details:

One copy auctioned every week for 10 weeks.
The EBay ID is Daisysattic2006

The schedule is:

June 14th 2008
June 22nd 2008
June 30th 2008
July 8th 2008
July 16th 2008
July 24th 2008
August 1st 2008
August 9th 2008
August 17th 2008
August 25th 2008

If you have any questions about the Ebay auctions (Ebay is a mystery to me!) please feel free to email Ashley at Kountrymusikchik@yahoo.com. Just put EBay Power of Love in the Subject Line.

And if you're curious about the READER AND AUTHOR GET TOGETHER, you can find out more at my website, at: http://lorifoster.com/community/readergettogthr.htm
This year we have around 270 people registered, including authors, agents, editors, publishers, industry professionals, and of course, READERS!
We'll be having a lot of fun on June 6th, 7th and 8th.

And hopefully, we'll sell lots of copies of THE POWER OF LOVE.
But if you're not attending the event, you can still get your copy at any bookstore!

Together, we can make a difference.
Women helping women... it's what the romance community is all about.

If you have any questions for any of the authors involved, please feel free to ask! They'll be dropping in to visit.

Thanks everyone!

LORI