Gifts from Fellow Writers Lift Author’s Spirit During the Holidays

Women Writers, Women’s Books post by Kim Cano:

Last Christmas, my plans consisted of one thing: getting a mastectomy. I’d been diagnosed with the most aggressive form of breast cancer earlier in the year and had recently completed sixteen rounds of chemotherapy. The surgery had to be done four to six weeks after chemo ended, which happened to be during the holiday. 

Unbeknownst to me, a fellow women’s fiction author had organized a campaign to cheer me up. One day, my husband, who works from home, found a small package on the front porch. He asked me if I’d ordered something, and I said no. I opened the bubble bag and found a book from an out-of-state women’s fiction author. She had included a handwritten note wishing me well. I was Facebook friends with this woman, but we weren’t close. Her kindness touched me, though, and I got a little teary-eyed as I told my husband who it was from and set the book on my nightstand.

The next day, my husband gave me a second bubble bag. “You got another one,” he said. 

I took it from him, wondering how these fellow authors knew where I lived. It was another book with a handwritten note. Once again, it was from someone I knew online. We’d liked and commented on a few of each other’s posts, but that was the extent of our connection. As I read her uplifting message to me, my heart warmed. Life was terrible right now, but there were good people out there who cared, and somehow, they managed to come out of nowhere for me when I needed them most.

On day three, my husband said, “You got two more!”

I took the bubble bags from him, stunned. I had no idea how this was happening, but it was the most fun I’d had all year. My collection of great women’s fiction books was growing, along with their author’s get-well prayers.

This continued for a week, with more and more bags filled with books showing up on my porch. I thanked all the people who’d sent them, letting them know they made my day. And eventually, I found out who coordinated all of it. Turns out, it was a long-time author friend. I expect kindness from her because we chat all the time. I didn’t expect it from people I barely knew.

A reader friend sent me some vegetarian cookbooks after learning I wanted to eat more vegetables. A local author invited me to a Chicago Author’s Night Out party at her house, which I couldn’t attend because I was too ill. All this love and support from readers or writers I had met in person made me feel good, but these books from people I had considered strangers took me by surprise.

I think authors send friend requests to other authors in their genre, thinking they should network with each other because it’s good for their careers. There is some truth to that, of course. But it’s also true that these writers are real friends. They may live in another state, or another country, even. But they are not just out there virtually. Sometimes, they are right by your side, cheering you along.

I stayed at my husband’s cousin’s house after the mastectomy. She’s a nurse who took a week off to care for me. Not only did she empty the surgical drains, but she also cooked all my meals, helped me take a shower, and made sure I took my pain medication at the right time. 

Although I received a stack of wonderful books, I knew I’d be sleeping a lot, so I only brought one to her house. I chose Wish Upon a Christmas Star by Karen McQuestion since it was Christmastime. And that week, whenever I wasn’t eating or sleeping, I was transported to snowy Wisconsin with a recently divorced middle-aged woman starting over in a new town and getting a second chance at love. Sure, I was grieving the loss of my breast, but I was caught up in the story of holiday magic, making it easier to bear.

Since then, a year has passed. In that time, I’ve had breast cancer immunotherapy treatments, physical therapy to regain range of motion in my arm, battled COVID twice, and had my chemotherapy port removed on the day Hurricane Ian hit my mother’s beautiful Florida home. I have three inches of hair now, and I take a lot of naps. My oncologist says it takes time to feel good again.

When I’m not napping or cleaning my house, I write. I’m almost done with the first draft of my seventh novel, about a woman battling breast cancer. I figured I might as well turn lemons into lemonade. 

On the shelf above my desk is the stack of books I received from friends. I’ve read a few more in the last twelve months, but some remain on my TBR. I can’t wait to read the rest when I have time.

This Christmas, I want to thank the people who cheered me up during my darkest hour. I wish you health, happiness, and a lifetime of steady book sales, with happy readers who recommend your novels to everyone they know.

—

If you would like to learn more about Kim’s books, visit https://kimcano.com

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Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing