This week I attended a K.I.S.S. and Teal party. I hope by now you’ve all heard of K.I.S.S. and Teal. Avon Books and the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance have joined forces to educate more than 100,000 women about the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer. September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and Avon Books has selected seven books to carry the K.I.S.S. and Teal message: Know the Important Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer–Bloating, Pelvic and Abdominal Pain, Difficulty Eating or Feeling Full Quickly, Urinary Symptoms (urgency or frequency).
In addition to an initial donation of $25,000, Avon is donating $.25 from the sale of each of the seven K.I.S.S. and Teal books (see more about the books here), up to an additional $25,000.
The idea was born out of a conversation between Eloisa James and an editor at Avon about the loved ones they’d lost to Ovarian Cancer. At the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance party that I attended, Avon author Cathy Maxwell spoke about the friend she lost to the disease. She also told us that all seven authors in the Avon promotion had a personal connection to ovarian cancer.
I had two friends die of ovarian cancer within a short time of each other. Dawn was the mother of one of my son’s little league teammates and it was heartbreaking to know that child lost his mother. Dawn was an athletic, high energy, creative woman in the prime of her life. She created a huge stuffed tiger to be the elementary school’s mascot. She also had a craft business creating decorative sweatshirts that were all the rage around my neighborhood. After she died I still saw her sweatshirts here and there.
Anna was a co-worker and close friend who was very excited about my writing. Back then I had one book (unpublished) under my belt and writing was still very new to me. I didn’t share my dream of being an author with everyone, but I did with Anna. I remember her coming in late to work one day, because she’d been in her car finishing my book. Anna was larger than life and warm and giving and had the most wonderful laugh. She was another of the mental health therapists in our geriatric mental health program and her clients adored her. I have reminders of her around my house, things she gave me. The clipboard I use to read manuscripts on. A coffee mug. Two handblown beverage glasses. A social worker and mental health therapist to the end, Anna did a lot of processing of her impending death with friends and co-workers, and got us all organized into ways of helping her and her family. I received the phone call telling of her death when I was on my way to a Washington Romance Writers meeting.
In honor of Dawn and Anna I’m giving away one a signed copy of Cathy Maxwell’s The Seduction of Scandal, her K.I.S.S. and Teal book. All you have to do is comment for a chance to win. I’ll also give $.25 to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance for the first 100 commenters to my blog, from midnight to midnight, Sept 1 . Want to make a donation of your own? Click here.
Has your life been touched by Ovarian Cancer?
By the way, Valiant Soldier, Beautiful Enemy is available now, both in book and ebook versions. See my Risky Regencies interview about the book on Monday.
I’ll be announcing my Aug 31 website winner here on Monday! But the contest is still ongoing. Enter now.
Thank you for your generous response to Kiss & Teal! My close friend died last year after battling for 10 years with ovarian cancer.
Wow. Ten years. I can’t imagine it. What a fighter she must have been.
Diane, it was lovely to meet you on Tuesday night. Thank you so much for spreading the word about ovarian cancer. We all need to K.I.S.S. and Teal.
We had such a good time. Good cupcakes, too. I’m so glad I could be a part of your campaign and I’m delighted to offer my support here at the blog!
What a worthy cause. Tessa Dare gave me one of the teal bracelets to wear in support of the Kiss and Teal event. I’ve been wearing it since Nationals in New York and when people ask me about it I use the opportunity to talk about the event, the books and about the importance of paying attention to one’s body!
Good for you, Louisa!
Thanks for supporting this wondeful cause and for bringing us wonderful stories to help keep our lives in balance. That’s an important part of taking care of ourselves!
Hugs and happy reading,
Nancy Naigle
Drewryville, VA
So nice of you to stop by and comment, Nancy!
A very dear friend of mine was taken by ovarian cancer, within months of being diagnosed. She was one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known. I wish she’d been my mom.
It is heartbreaking, isn’t it, Judy?
I was so pleased to be at the KISS & Teal launch in Washington with you and Cathy Maxwell and our other WRW friends. I brought one of the wrist bands back for a co-worker who told me when I gave it to her that her aunt had died of Ovarian Cancer. Another friend had lost her mother to a combination of ovarian and breast cancer, and had had her own ovaries removed as a preventative.
Thanks for using your blog to inform even more women of the S/S for ovarian cancer, and getting the word out about this wonderful organisation and the relationship with Avon Books.
Amazing how this disease has touched so many of us.
Diane, what a wonderful post! I’ve been aware of the KISS and Teal campaign through Eloisa’s efforts and her stories about it. Authors, in recent years, have been so engaged in philanthropic efforts–it’s marvelous to see that. Personally I think, romance authors are among the kindest citizens of this world.
I agree with you, Keira!!!
Lovely post, Diane! Ovarian cancer wasn’t on my radar at all until this campaign by Avon and their authors, so the whole thing has been eye-opening for me.
Oh, Evie, you are proof of how much it is needed to get the word out. Remember the symptoms!
What a wonderful thing to do!! I’ve not personally known anyone with this disease. With programs like these I’m hoping I never will. Best of luck on making those 100 comments.
You are helping me, catslady!
What a wonderful thing you and Avon are doing! I hope they sell a grand number of books and this program gets the support it needs!
me, too, Colleen.
What a wonderful post and blog, Diane. Thank you for sharing the stories about your friends with us and raising awareness about this disease.
And thanks for stopping by, Pintip!
Thanks for this touching post Diane and for your efforts to raise awareness. This is such an important campaign and a wonderful way for women to help and support each other.
Hi, Diana!!!
What a touching post diane. I had an aunt pass away several years ago with ovarian cancer. She really had a rough time of it.
It is a heartbreaking illness.
This is such an important topic, Diane–thanks for spreading the word. My mom’s breast cancer was discovered very early and she had great docs. Fifteen years later, she’s still doing fine.
How wonderful, Elise! I have a good friend who battled breast cancer about that long ago as well and she’s doing fine, too. Now if we could only have those results with ovarian cancer!
I’m “only” familiar with breastcancer in the family. Lost a very special woman and an aunt is after 9 years still with us. But I do understand the importance of making people aware of this type of cancer. Such a good cause, so thank you for telling me about it.
Breast cancer is a whole other blog posting! I have a good friend who is, thankfully, a survivor.
What a great idea, Diane!
One of my friends is fighting ovarian cancer right now. Like your friends she is young and healthy and vibrant–a total shocker. She has started a Shout Against the Whisper campaign because this is such a silent disease.
I am participating in a walk against ovarian cancer in a couple of weeks. Our local RWA chapter is also hosting a booth to sell books to raise money for the cause. Details here:
http://www.ovarianawareness.org/
Here’s hoping we can find a way to defeat this silent killer!
Amen, Deb!
A great cause, Diane. We have all lost friends and people we love to cancer. Hope for a cure along with positive action like this is necessary in the battle against it.
Hi, Sandy!!! Thanks for commenting
Sorry I missed your midnight to midnight posting times. I been busy cleaning and moving bookshelves.
My mother died of ovarian cancer when she was only 47. I was overseas for the 3 years prior, so I have no idea what her symptoms were. I just know they did exploratory surgery to find what was wrong and just closed her back up.. She died 4 weeks later. That was 40 years ago. She was such a nice person and mother. My youngest brother and sister were only in 6th and 7th grade.
Not much has really changed. We just lost my husband’s youngest cousin. She was full of life and always had a smile for everyone. I don’t think she was happy unless she was doing something for someone else. We didn’t even realize she was ill. We called just to say Hi and she was on bed rest. A few days later she was in the hospital. We get a call they were taking her off chemo and checking into hospice. 3 days later she was dead. She leaves a 9 year old son and a broken hearted husband. She was only 50.
Even after 40 years, it doesn’t seem there is much that can be done for early detection or treatment.
Omigosh, librarypat! How sad and how uncannily alike. I do think it shows how little progress has been made on treating this disease.
My heart goes out to you.
With cancer being the 2nd leading cause of death, I want to see it cured. I don’t know if this is completely possible, but we do have a place to start. We can learn and teach the signs and symptoms of cancer in order to achieve earlier diagnoses. Some cancers are curable if found soon enough. This is why I want to teach the signs of cancer! Thank you for this site and please continue to teach!
My wife has been seeking treatment for her ovarian cancer from a team of skilled doctors. We lost a few friends over the years to the illness, and we’re aggressively trying to beat it.