{"id":1755,"date":"2013-04-10T08:26:31","date_gmt":"2013-04-10T08:26:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/?p=1755"},"modified":"2013-04-23T01:43:00","modified_gmt":"2013-04-23T01:43:00","slug":"why-i-am-orange","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/why-i-am-orange\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I Am Orange<\/span>"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"orange_facebook_cover\"
\nThose of you who regularly read my blog (not that I’m posting regularly at the moment, though that’s a story for another time) know that I’m passionate about helping promote other writers and authors. I’m also a firm believer in the power of community, and the power of prayer. And the existence of miracles.<\/p>\n

A little over a year ago, my writer friend K.D. McCrite<\/a> invited me to join an online writers’ group. Members are in various stages of their writing career, from having a number of books published, to those just plugging away on their first novel, to even people who had always wanted to write but thought they couldn’t. Or shouldn’t. Or whatever. People who write horror. People who write sci-fi. Or literary fiction. Or essays.<\/p>\n

One of those writers is Karen DeLabar<\/a>. (She’s the red-haired gal in the banner above.) I’d hardly gotten to know her – just read a few of her tweets and posts – when word came that she was sick. Then that she was in the hospital, fighting for her life. Then that she had been diagnosed with Toxic Shock Syndrome.<\/p>\n

\"DSG_badge-Orange\"<\/a>Immediately, everyone in the group began to send out prayer requests. They began to sport #TeamOrange badges – the story went that on a call, a couple Karens were mentioned, and to differentiate between them, Karen DeLabar got called “the Orange one” because of her red hair.<\/p>\n

I joined the team – changing my profile picture to a <—- #TeamOrange badge {and no, I still can’t figure out why the badgemaker turned my photo sideways}, tweeting and posting updates, sending out prayer requests, etc. People sent food. A bunch of us sent get-well cards to the hospital, so many that the staff said they’d never seen anything like it. Lorca Damon, who claims to be a bitch but is really quite kind {and chances are I’ll get a stout beating for ruining her rep}, sent Karen a limo when she needed a ride to a doctor’s appointment. A limo. I had to dig and dig to find her post<\/a> about it, so you best go read it.<\/p>\n

Karen fought, and\u00a0miraculously survived the illness. She survived to raise her two beautiful daughters. She survived to continue loving her husband and inspiring people and, best of all, she survived to write another day (as soon as her fingers start working again).<\/p>\n

But her ordeal is not over. She endured – and is\u00a0still<\/em> enduring – severe pain. Months of surgeries and treatments. She still has a long road ahead of her – and, as you can imagine, a mountain of medical bills to pay.<\/p>\n

Now, most of you probably think that all writers are like Richard Castle<\/a> and live in a fabulous New York apartment and go to parties and have tons of money. Alas and alack, this is not the case. Many of us have day jobs to support our living – and writing – habit. If we are “lucky” enough to write full time, even with a number of books published, we still struggle to make ends meet. Or they’re like me, and write part-time and edit part-time and do marketing consulting part-time, and write reviews part-time, and make art part-time, and puppy-sit part-time, and somewhere in there get some sleep. (Which I should be doing now. It’s 4:26am. Sheesh.)<\/p>\n

But what we do have is words. And passion. And commitment. At some point, someone, and I can’t remember who {forgive me, whoever it was, pretty please!}, floated the idea of an anthology. Writers creating stories with the common theme of “orange”. Guidelines were developed. A website<\/a> set up. A call for writers went out. And writers responded, all with stories with their own take on “orange”.<\/p>\n

A team of editors and proofreaders, led by the indomitable Christina Esdon<\/a>, worked tirelessly – and for free! – to review the stories and put the anthology, called\u00a0Orange Karen: Tribute to a Warrior<\/em><\/strong>, together. Illustrator Kip Ayers<\/a> donated his time and expertise to create a fabulous cover.<\/p>\n

\"dg_309-orange-crop\"<\/a>And I wrote a story, one I called “There is Such a Thing as Too Much Orange.” I specially wrote it for the anthology, but from the point of view of Jessie Cooper, the main character in my work in progress<\/a>. And it was accepted, along with 39 stories by 40 talented authors. And I turned myself Orange in support. Well, my photo anyway. Which was taken by Joe Boris<\/a>, and photoshopped by me. For the record, he’s appalled that I am now missing my nose.<\/p>\n

I’m humbled and amazed at the talent in this group, at their desire to help Karen and her family. To be part of something that’s bigger than them, bigger than Karen, bigger than each of us. To be part of a something that reminds us that although a lot of bad stuff is going on in the world, good stuff is too. That there ARE good people in the world, doing good things.<\/p>\n

Now, hop on over to the #TeamOrange website<\/a> and learn more about Karen and some of the amazing contributing writers. And tomorrow? (Or is that later today? I’m sooo confused…) You’ll hear from Christina Esdon herself, and learn how to get your paws on a paperback or ebook of this amazing anthology.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, hug your loved ones. And GOOOOOOO #TeamOrange!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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