Like it or not, cancer has been the drumbeat of the last twenty-five years of my life, propelling me to challenge myself and forge forward. I have pushed the insipid disease to the sideline of my mind, letting my doctors do the worrying, soldiering through the successive treatments, not allowing it to define me. But, like an obstinate child, it refuses to be ignored.
The cancer has put me back in the infusion chair to test another untried weapon from the arsenal of poisons in the quest to once again, intimidate the disease. This approach has worked miracles for the last 15 years, and I’m hopeful it will again.
But the inconvenience has come at a crazy busy time in my author life. After hours of head scratching and networking, finding ways to bring my work to readers, I now have many speaking events and book club dates peppering my calendar. I have also completed Over There, the third book in the Gilded City trilogy, and am thrilled to share it with my readers in June 2025. There's so much amazing history to share.
Fortunately, this old battleaxe is weathering the treatment pretty well. I am timing the infusions, so I travel during weeks when my defenses are strong and, yes, mask when in crowds and on the plane.
November takes me to South Florida for four Threadbare events. It is the first time I’ve tested my endurance with traveling, preparing, and speaking at events scheduled close together. The first was last night. Close to thirty-five intelligent, beautiful women, all eager to discuss Tillie’s story and the period in which she lived, came together at Mirasol, a gorgeous golf community in Palm Beach Gardens. My heart soared with their enthusiasm, intimidating those pesky cancer cells back to their rightful corner in the nether land of my body. Instead of fatigue, I felt energized, had a delightful dinner afterward with my BFF, Laurie, and slept like a baby.
My heart is in my books and characters’ stories. I spend close to a third of my waking hours every day creating them, their predicaments. Later sharing them with my readers brings me unmeasurable joy. You, out there, are my lifeline.
So, a big, glorious thank you to my readers and audience who fill my bucket with positive thoughts. You keep me going!
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So, what else is going on?
I made a sizeable contribution to The Mathilda Fund last month with my book royalties. As you know, this fund channels contributions to the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, an international fund supporting research and innovation in cancer treatment. In addition, book clubs where I speak have been making lovely, generous donations. Their work may lead to the next breakthrough and a book four!
Next week I have a Threadbare event at Frenchman's Reserve in Palm Beach Gardens (November 18th in the am), We have a few extra seats. If you’d like to attend, please contact me at jane@janeloebrubin.com before Saturday, and I will squeeze you in.
And let me finally share a couple of books I've enjoyed lately!
I listened to Ina record her memoir on Audible last week and loved her recounting of the ups and downs in her life leading to her amazing success and self-actualization. As a baby boomer myself, many of the same themes resonated.
Elizabeth Strout gathers all her beloved characters together in a small town in Crosby, Maine, to share their relationships and dreams against the backdrop of a murder. In her meticulous writing, she delves into many of life’s darkest secrets and the inevitable and irresitable nature for those dark secrets to surface for all to see.
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