The Heat of the Moment Benefits San Diego Fire Survivors

Laurel, MD—FIRE! You see it on the news, the Internet, in the papers, but if it doesn't strike close to home it's easy to ignore. When a small fire in Karen Syed's Maryland apartment complex brought neighbors out, Karen got proactive. One e-mail to 21 authors, "The Heat of the Moment" was developed. Each of the authors, the youngest being sixteen years old, involved in this collection of short stories has made a pledge. All contributors have committed their royalties to benefit the survivors of the San Diego fires of 2007.

After speaking with Marty Leavitt, President of the FSCSDC, Echelon Press pledged to send all proceeds from the sale of "the Heat of the Moment" to the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County. "It is important to us that these people who have lost everything know they don't have to do this alone. We may be strangers, but we care," states Ms. Syed. The goal of "The Heat of the Moment" is to put money directly into the community of San Diego, and those who lost so much. With no direct link to San Diego, Ms. Syed had to make a difficult decision as to who would benefit from the publication." With thousands of homes destroyed in the 2007 San Diego fires, and dozens of injuries, the loss is impossible to measure. This fact alone spurred Karen Syed, president of Echelon Press, LLC, to take a step to do something. "This organization represents everything we would like to accomplish with this project."

"The Heat of the Moment" is a compilation of twenty short stories with one common theme—fire. From fantasies to tributes remembering historical catastrophes, chilling and moving, the stories will tap human emotions with their overwhelming credit to survival.

The Fire Safe Council of San Diego County was formed in 1997 and is comprised of a 15-member Board of Directors (voting members). The FSCSDC, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is incorporated under the California Franchise Tax Board.

Echelon Press is an independent publisher based in Laurel, MD. With ninety authors in their three divisions, Echelon Press has spent seven years cultivating a stable of authors ranging from beginners to national award winners.