The Power of Love

Initially, I was reluctant to talk about my latest release, The Power of Love, on the Crime Sistahs blog. The Power of Love, which is scheduled for release June 3, 2008 - tomorrow - is a benefits romance anthology and will be shelved under contemporary romance. However, the issue the anthology addresses is a crime.

The Power of Love (Berkley Publishing) is an anthology comprised of original short stories from Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, Toni Blake, Dianne Castell, Karen Kelley, Rosemary Laurey, Janice Maynard, LuAnn McLane, Lucy Monroe, Kay Stockham, J.C. Wilder and me. The theme is female empowerment and the healing power of love. All of the authors and our agents have donated all of our proceeds to the Hamilton County (Ohio) YWCA Battered Women's Shelter.

You see, the crime this benefits anthology addresses is domestic abuse.

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

In addition to raising money for the shelter, this anthology is helping to raise awareness of domestic abuse. It's physical. It's emotional. It claims victims now and, if the cycle isn't broken, will continue to claim victims for generations.

If you're interested, there are links to excerpts from each of the short stories as well as reviews for the anthology on my Web site, www.PatriciaSargeant.com. And, if the excerpts and reviews persuade you, I've also posted order links on my site. In addition to supporting a worthy cause, I hope the anthology provides readers with hours of enjoyment.

Patricia