Shaken: Stories for Japan

By Jeri Westerson


Early in June, Amazon will feature a new Kindle book that may be the first major e-book charitable fundraiser.

Prompted by the disaster in northern Japan, Shaken: Stories for Japan, is a collection of original, exclusive, Japan-themed short stories by some remarkable writers: Gar Anthony Haywood, Naomi Hirahara, Ken Kuhlken, Cara Black, Dianne Emley, Dale Furutani, Jeri Westerson, Gary Phillips, Kelli Stanley, Brett Battles, Robert Gregory Brown, Jeffrey Siger, IJ Parker, Wendy Hornsby, Vicki Doudera, Adrian McKinty, Debbi Mack, Meredith Cole, Rosemary Harris, CJ West, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Hong Kong film historian Stefan Hammond and Edgar-nominated author Tim Hallinan, who is editing the collection.

One hundred percent of all writer royalties for this book will be paid directly into the bank account of Japan America Society of Southern California, which has already raised more than $1 million for the relief effort.

I think this is the first time anyone has taken advantage of the rapid turnaround time possible on the Kindle and the monthly direct-deposit of royalty payments to raise money for a major charitable enterprise. This actually probably wouldn't have been possible before the advent of the ebook. (We're exclusive to Amazon only because of their payment policies, which are prompt and automatic, freeing up money as it's needed, not at the end of various bookkeeping quarters.)

When Tim Hallinan approached me about this project in late April, it was really a no-brainer. First off, I live in southern California and am intimately acquainted with earthquakes to the point where I can guess the Richter scale size of it just by the feel. That’s too intimate!

Most of the quakes that roll in from time to time are minor or come from far away (a big rolling feeling means it comes from afar, and you can hear those coming, too. A hard, building jolt means that the epicenter is quite close, a few miles or so.). But it’s like living on a precipice: Get too complacent and bad things can happen.

We don’t know when an earthquake of devastating proportion will strike and we don’t know what will happen to us and our community when it does. I live pretty far inland, so a chance at a tsunami is zero, but you don’t need a wall of water to destroy life as you knew it. The earth moving can take care of that.

I would have to say that empathy was the biggest factor that encouraged my participation in this project. But getting a chance to have a story alongside this talented array of authors was certainly another big factor. I haven’t read any of the other stories and am just as excited to get the book as anyone else. It’s a great chance to do some good and get a great collection at the same time. That seems like an easy decision for mystery readers.


Jeri Westerson, the president of the Orange County chapter of Sisters in Crime, is the author of the Crispin Guest medieval mysteries. The newest title in the series, The Demon's Parchment, was nominated for the Reviewer's Choice Award for Historical Mystery from Romantic Times magazine and the Bruce Alexander Award for Best Historical Mystery. For more information, see www.JeriWesterson.com.

Join Mystery Writers in Sending Books to the Troops

By Mary Kennedy


[Published previously at huffingtonpost.com]

I'd never met Lt. Colonel Lisa Schieferstein, yet I found myself intrigued by her story. I knew Lisa was half a world away, doing a tough job in a gritty, remote location. As the garrison commander of the 389th "Renegades" division in Iraq, she was stationed at a desert outpost and had 90 soldiers under her command. The heat was appalling (115 degrees Fahrenheit), the conditions were rugged and the danger was ever-present.

Even though my life is incredibly cushy by comparison (a nice psychology practice in Delaware, a second career as a mystery novelist), I knew right away that Lisa and I had something in common: a love of books. I saw a photo of Lisa--in full body armor--visiting a one-room Iraqi schoolhouse to bring books to the children.

We began to e-mail each other, and I had a little window into her daily life. When I learned that the 389th was a sustainment division, offering food and snacks to American convoys passing through, I decided to send boxes of books and homemade goodies every two weeks.

When Carolyn Hart (America's Agatha Christie) heard about the project, she made an interesting offer. "Let me send twenty pounds of coffee, snacks and books to celebrate the publication of Laughed 'Til He Died. It's the 20th release in my Death on Demand series, and this would be a nice way to commemorate the event."

Nice? It was fabulous! A very generous offer, indeed. I was thrilled. Carolyn was as good as her word, immediately sending more than 20 pounds of goodies and books to the troops.

But it didn't stop there. We received such a positive response from the 389th Renegades that we kept on going. We had to! The soldiers said they loved these boxes from home.

Carolyn confirmed, "When I packed the boxes for the remote garrison in Iraq, I pictured young Americans--and some not so young--far from home, beset by horrendous heat and dirt, lonely, tired and always in danger. The boxes held so little, but they were sent with love to say, 'Thank you for all that you are and for all that you do. God Bless.' I sent candy, tuna fish, instant coffee, and books. I wished I could send safety and peace."

Other writers heard about the project and joined us. Kate Collins, J. B. Stanley, Julie Hyzy, Beth Ciotta, and Robin Burcell are just a few writers who donated autographed books and goodies. Jill Cesa-TenEyck, Lisa's best friend, insisted on sending a dozen copies of my own Penguin mystery, Dead Air, to the Renegades.

The numbers kept soaring. To date, we've sent more than 200 pounds of homemade goodies and books to Iraq. Yes, 200 pounds!

The generosity of my fellow writers is truly an inspiration to me. New York Times best-selling author Caridad Pineiro said, "As an immigrant to this country, I value the liberties in America every day. I try to regularly help our soldiers as they protect our nation. Whether it's sending books, candy or basic necessities, I know those small things mean the world to them."

What does the military think about the project? Kim Adams, SOS Military Liaison and an Air Force spouse in Honolulu, said, "As a veteran of the first Gulf War, I know first-hand what difference mail makes to deployed personnel--actual snail mail since email and Skype were nonexistent. But the war was short term and our troops came home. Today, our military personnel are facing longer and repeated deployments. While email and Skye are available, nothing can replace the warmth of a personal letter, the excitement of a care package and the thrill of receiving books hand-selected by readers who support our deployed personnel."

I wish everyone reading this piece could adopt a soldier and send books, candy, snacks, and, of course, homemade goodies. It's easy to do and it really means the world to our brave men and women in the military forces.

As Janet Evanovich said, "If Stephanie Plum could meet the Renegades, she'd give them a high-five and say, 'Well done!'"

If you'd like to donate books, please contact http://www.operationpaperback.org/, http://www.booksforheroes2010.com/ or http://www.booksforsoldiers.com/.


Mary Kennedy is a clinical psychologist in private practice on the East Coast and the author of The Talk Radio mysteries. The most recent title in the series is Stay Tuned for Murder.