Monday, December 8, 2008

A wonderful gift.....

Last May, on the day I was due to get my PET scan results back(which is when I would definatively know if the cancer was back and I needed chemotherapy), a dear friend of mine, Jeff Abbott came to Chicago. Jeff's an accomplished mystery/thriller writer whom I have known for 12 or 15 years. He's written several National and International best sellers and has won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for mystery writing.

Since I moved to Chicago in 2000, I hadn't seen Jeff and we wrote/spoke infrequently. Then last spring, I got a note from him that he was going to be in Chicago scouting neighborhoods for his next novel and could we get together. I said that would be terrific and we arranged to go see the city on that day in May. We saddled Hope up in the truck with us, and toured all over Chicago. It was terrific to get to catch up with him and to see him at work in his craft.

Having never been around a writer, I had no idea how they worked or what went into writing a book. It was really cool to hear about how he could make the neighborhoods work in the book, when in reality they might be miles apart. It was also really interesting to hear what he thought of his characters and who he liked and disliked, it was almost as if they were real people. We had a terrific day.

After I left, I found out that the cancer had returned and I would be in chemotherapy and stem cell transplant land. I told him, and we have stayed in touch ever since, he's been a terrific support and, as always, has a good line to make me laugh. He's also been keeping track of my progress by reading the blog, and sharing it with his readers on his blog, www.jeffabbott.com/blog

He called me this morning to tell me he has dedicated his next book to me. Trust Me is due out in the US in July, and in a quirk of the publishing world that I cannot explain, in airports in Great Britain in February. Who knew....

Anyway, I am honored and priviledged to have Jeff as a friend and grateful for his generosity in dedicating the book to me. Thank you Jeff.

More later, gotta run. Life now feels like there's just not enough time in it.

Love to you all, Happy Holidays,

Travis

1 comment:

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

Wandered over here from Jeff Abbott's blog, Travis. What a fantastic way to help others by sharing your own journey! Miracles DO happen and I'm so glad that you and your lovely family can have the wonderful gift called Life to share this Christmas! Have a great Christmas and all good things in 2009.
Hamba Kahle
from Johannesburg South Africa.