05 Mar Still Accepting Submissions for “Phoenix Rising: Stories of Remarkable Women Who Have Walked through Fire”

Denver, CO – Now accepting submissions for Phoenix Rising: Twenty Stories of Remarkable Women Who Have Walked through Fire. Two authors have teamed up with a New York Publisher to share stories of women in Colorado who have lost their homes to fire. Co-authors, Kristen Moeller and Leslie Wharton both lost their homes in two separate Colorado Wildfires. Their experiences inspired them to help other women share stories of surviving fire with the world.

Leslie Wharton lost the home that she and her husband designed and built in the High Park Fire near Fort Collins in June 2012. She is currently working on a book Edge of Next, which tells her story of the fire, moving through loss, finding home and the healing power of love and nature.

Kristen Moeller, a bestselling author, publisher and TEDx speaker lost her home in the Lower North Fork fire near Conifer, Colorado in March 2012. Her latest book, What Are You Waiting For? Learn How to Rise to the Occasion of Your Life (Viva Editions, October 2013), explores our cultural discomfort with grief and the pervasive ways we wait in life – as well as sharing her journey of “walking through fire”.

Finding each other through their shared stories, Kristen and Leslie have joined forces with Morgan James Publishing, New York so women in Colorado have a platform to share their stories.

Submission Guidelines:

Phoenix Rising: 20 Stories of Remarkable Women Who Have Walked Through Fire is seeking your STORIES AND POEMS describing your journey of living through wildfire.

Walking through Fire can be a lonely experience, now you have an opportunity to share your story with others

• Write up to 2000 words on the theme “Walking through Fire” (see the writing prompts below).
• In the subject line of your email please include “Phoenix Rising Submission” and your name
• In the body of the email please include your name, phone number and the date and name of the fire that inspired your writing.
• Submissions are limited to one entry per person.
• Entries will not be accepted unless submitted in an attached MS Word document.
• In the attachment, please include an opening paragraph with your name & why you want to share your story as well as any writing experience you have. (This opening paragraph does not count in the final word count)
• Send your entry via email to [email protected]

Submissions will be accepted through August 15th, 2014 at midnight.

Writing prompts:

Please note these are merely prompts to help you to create your story. Feel free to share anything above and beyond these prompts as well.

• Tell your story of “Walking through Fire” – what was it like for you? What do you want people to know about your experience? What have you learned about yourself? Remember, your story may offer a gentle encouragement for others living through tragedy.

• Your story may awaken others to the changing climate or need for insurance reform – what do you want to say in these areas?

• Living through the experience of fire can certainly challenge our perceptions as well as leave us with deeper thoughts about life. What knowledge do you want to share about this process with others?

• There are other people out there who have gone through similar experiences yet may feel alone in their process. What do you want them to know? What do you want to share with them?

• Often people who are the supporters & caregivers may not know what to say or do to help the fire victim. Your writing could help them to understand what people they love are dealing with. What do you want to offer these people?

Persona Publishing (a division of Morgan James Publishing, New York) will publish an anthology of the top entries received. Portions of an entry may be used rather than the whole. By submitting an entry, all writers grant permission to Morgan James Publishing to share their writing in Phoenix Rising: Twenty stories of Remarkable Women Who Have Walked Through Fire and sponsored publications.

Writers accepted into the anthology will be notified in June 2014 and will be invited to read their story at public events. Selected writers will receive a free copy of the anthology.