NORTHWEST FUSION is a collection of short stories, essays, two plays and a poem. Contents include: ANGELA. Winner of the 2006 Emerging Writer Award from Humanities Washington. A pregnant woman goes into labor, assisted by a doula and a stressed out husband. CONVALESCENCE. Honorable Mention in the Richard Hugo House Quarterly Genre Competition. Two wounded combat veterans - a man and a woman - recover from amputations in an Army hospital. In spite of physical challenges, they have a brief relationship that helps them prepare for return to civilian life. SHOPPING AT MAISON BLANCHE. Appeared in Southern Revival: Deep Magic For Hurricane Relief, 2005, edited by Tamara Sellman. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a New Orleans woman resists leaving what is left of the family home. “J” Appeared in Obliquity, a collection of short fiction from Northwest writers, 2006, Tuesday Night Publishing. A New Orleans family is blessed with a baby boy who possesses unusual gifts. SEEKING REFUGE AT THE PALM COURT. An essay about New Orleans a year after Hurricane Katrina. The author visits a famous jazz venue called the Palm Court on Decatur Street. HOW I'M HANDLING MY MIDLIFE CRISIS. Originally appeared in the Seattle Times. A man in denial about aging. GETTING AWAY. An essay about a family getaway to the Oregon coast. ONE DAY AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND HUSBANDS. In a future era, women rule the universe and employ robotic males to perform household chores. THE PRICE IS WRONG. Two men meet on a park bench and strike a deal. ANALOG MOMENT. In this stream-of-consciousness poem, a man meets an attractive woman on a commuter ferry and fate brings them together. Bill Branley is an author and musician who lives in Seattle, Washington. His other publications include the novel, Sea Changes.