Ten years ago, I thought I had it going on—in just a short amount of time I became a college graduate, a grandmother, and a published author. Then at the end of the year I also became a cancer patient. Late-stage. Bad odds. It was ugly and I won’t get into the details. But during the worst of the treatment, I escaped by writing a book I’d been daydreaming about. It wasn’t in my genre (women’s inspirational fiction) but it was fun.  

After a year or so, when I thought I was through the worst of it, I had a hankering to publish that book. To be honest, it never would have happened without the support of some wonderful people who rallied to help me get it out. And it was amazing. The book shot to the top of the charts and sold, literally, thousands of copies. 

That should have spurred me on. But instead, I felt like a marathoner who just needed to collapse and rest. At first, I gave it a month. Then two. Eventually, I came to a very difficult decision. Writing is a pretty lethargic occupation, and if I was going to keep this cancer away, I needed to move. So, I put it behind me and moved on to self-care.  I can’t say I regret that decision. I am still here after all.  But the next two books in the series kept haunting me. 

Eventually, as I approached my ten–year, TEN YEAR, cancerversary, I realized it was time to get back to ExtraNormal and the rest of the series. It seemed fitting to celebrate by coming full circle.  

Now, one problem I have is that I’ve never been one to make a big deal about my cancer. Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than grateful to be alive. But a soldier doesn’t celebrate battle when they’ve lost multiple comrades. And I’ve lost more than I can count on two hands. Maybe even four.  Or six come to think of it. Which leads to my other problem – I’m not a fan of pink ribbons, which unfortunately have turned into a giant marketing machine as opposed to a way to drive more research, which is what we desperately need. We don’t need more awareness. We need solutions that will save lives. 

Which is why I’ve decided to donate all author proceeds during launch (pre-orders and the week of launch) to cancer research. Not the fluffy pink stuff, but to an actual center that does actual research, where 100% of the proceeds go where they can do the most good.  If you’d like to pre-order the ebook, you can do that any time. A word though, if you’re thinking you’d like a print copy, wait until the launch party coming soon, because the ebook will be free when you buy a print book, and your contribution will be even larger. If you’re not on my VIP list, make sure you jump on so you’ll be notified of the party (and giveaway) details.