“The human spirit is stronger than anything
that can happen to it.” – C.C. Scott
Thanks to
Pippa for allowing me some space on her blog!
I wanted
to take some time to talk about something important to me, and I’m sure to a
lot of you, too. Cancer. The Big C. That word.
Ugh. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been affected by it in some way.
According to the Cancer Institute, an
estimated 1,658,370 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States
and 589,430 people will die from the disease, just this year. That’s over a third of the population. Cases
in the UK are a bit more manageable—331k this year, but if you ask me, that’s
still 331k too many.
This year, anyone in my family could be
among the 1.6 million new cases of cancer.
Including me.
It’s terrifying to think about,
especially considering healthcare in the US. My family history includes, but is
not limited to: renal, lung, bone, pancreatic, ovarian, and breast. I’m at risk
for cervical cancer as well. So needless to say, I really want cancer to bite it, bad.
In light of my family history and the
number of people and pets I’ve lost to cancer, I wanted needed to do
something. Two years ago, an idea hit me like a bolt of lightning (okay, maybe
not that dramatic, but still). Halloween is my favorite holiday. I write erotic
romance. Both of those can involve a fair amount of screaming, if you do it
right. So Scream! For the Cure was
born.
Over the years, I’ve been incredibly
lucky and blessed to make a lot of friends and connections within the writing
community. YA authors, romance authors, paranormal and horror and suspense, and
the wonderful thing about authors is that they are generous. It’s one of the strongest communities a person can be
part of, so when I put out the call last year for the first Scream! auction, 32 fantastic authors
answered the call, some of whom I’d known for years, some for months, and some
I met through the auction itself. And don’t get me started on the readers.
Without readers, this wouldn’t even be a thing. We ended up raising almost $400
for Stand Up 2 Cancer, and that was with me having absolutely no idea what I
was doing, and those authors and readers being incredibly patient.
So, what is Scream! For the Cure, you ask?
Every year, a group of amazing authors join me for a month-long auction event every October. We have different virtual baskets, though some contain physical swag or books as well. This year, there’ll be a lot of guest posts from the participating authors and some giveaways as well, so you’ll want to stay up with the auction hashtag #scream4thecure and the official site: screamforthecure.wordpress.com
Every year, a group of amazing authors join me for a month-long auction event every October. We have different virtual baskets, though some contain physical swag or books as well. This year, there’ll be a lot of guest posts from the participating authors and some giveaways as well, so you’ll want to stay up with the auction hashtag #scream4thecure and the official site: screamforthecure.wordpress.com
This year’s auction will benefit Dyin’ 2
Live, a non-profit wish-granting program run by the wonderful people at Fxck
Cancer. I had a chance to meet someone from the organization last year, and the
more information I learned about them, the more I wanted to help out. The funds
won’t go to cancer research this year, but it’ll go to a cause just as
important: providing hope to those waging war against this horrific disease. To
learn more about this year’s charity, visit: makingdreamshappen.org
For those
of you who don’t know, Pippa and I have been friends for a while now. She’s by
far one of the most generous people I’ve ever met, and she and I have some
similar goals, including supporting cancer research and charities. She’s always
a big contributor to the auction and this year, she’s donating almost
everything she’s written. Thanks again, Pippa!
