Here’s a personal post from my friend, romance author Iris Blobel.

Thanks to Kayelle for the opportunity to write this special post outside the October Awareness month, but I suppose it’s something we should all think of occasionally during the whole year.
I was diagnosed with Breast cancer late 2016. I found a lump and had a mammogram that came up with nothing, ditto with the ultrasound and in the end it was a biopsy, which confirmed the uncomfortable truth. Just before Christmas! And an 8-month-journey of highs and lows began.
Cancer was always something “others had” – family, friends, colleagues, neighbours … the list is long, but I never thought that my otherwise sickly body would throw that illness at me as well. I was upset and angry, at the same time I had, and still have heaps to live for: my little family.
In hindsight, what is manifested in my mind about that time is a terrible three days after the first chemo treatment and the poor nurses trying to find a vein for each treatment. My arm was bruised and battered. However, what I remember most is the outpouring of love, help, and kindness. The old saying “you find out who your friends are when you need them” is completely true. I’ve been lucky, not in being diagnosed with it, but having to only “fight” for eight months. Of course, it’s a constant part of my life now, but I do my best to ignore it. It was eight month out of a whole lifetime – a whole wonderful lifetime which I can spend with my family, friends – near and far -, colleagues … when we put our mind to something, we can do anything!
But please … be cancer aware. Do self-checks and if you feel uncertain, go and see your GP.
The final chapter, in a way, of this journey was my travel to New Zealand in September – to close the door on everything. To move on. To rejuvenate. To have fun. It’s a beautiful country, which I love it … so much that I wrote a book, partly set in the south island. I wish for readers to be able to escape to NZ for a little while and know there’s beauty in the world and so much to live for.

Today’s featured book is Their Bond Through Jade, a contemporary romance by Iris Blobel.
Pikorua, the Maori name for the symbol, is a twist that is said to symbolise the strength of the bond between two people. Mat is certain there is something between Tiffany and him.
When Tiffany Cahill opens the door to the police, memories flood her mind of the previous year and a relationship gone bad. Frightened, she calls her friend, Steve, for help, but instead a stranger answers the phone. Little does Tiffany know how much this New Zealander is going to impact her life, especially after she is assaulted only a few hours later.
Mat Apanui, the owner of a helicopter tour company in New Zealand, can’t ignore the worry in Tiffany’s voice when he answers Steve’s phone. Before he knows it, he is spending most of his business trip to Melbourne with her. Desperate to keep her safe after an attack, he invites her to stay with him in Queenstown, NZ.
With her safety at risk, how will Tiffany overcome her reservations and trust the sexy stranger enough to fly across the Tasman Sea?
Genre: Romance
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077L3HRVQ/
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/their-bond-through-jade-iris-blobel/1127500110
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/their-bond-through-jade
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/759812

Iris Blobel Social Media

Website http://www.irisblobel.com/
Blog http://www.irisblobel.com/blog
Twitter https://twitter.com/_iris_b
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/IrisBlobel
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4067254.Iris_Blobel
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Iris-Blobel/e/B00FNFP3LI/
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bQ68rL