'Last Hero Standing' box set to help author with medical expenses

Nine authors have donated their work to a box set of novellas to raise money for the medical expenses of their colleague, USA Today bestseller Pamela Clare, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in April and has been unable to work since then. The Last Hero Standing box set, set to come out Oct. 28, features 11 novellas for only 99 cents, including a novella and a bonus short story from New York Times bestseller Dianna Love. All the proceeds from sales of the box set will go toward Pamela's medical expenses.

In addition to two stories from Dianna and a novella from Pamela, the set features the work of New York Times bestsellers Cynthia Eden, Elisabeth Naughton, Joan Swan and Bonnie Vanak; USA Today bestsellers Mary Buckham, Adrienne Giordano and Norah Wilson; and award-winners Stephanie Rowe and Tracey Devlyn. The stories include contemporary, suspense and paranormal.

Norah Wilson says, "When my friend and fellow author Pamela Clare received her breast cancer diagnosis, it quickly became obvious that she would need to take a hiatus from writing to devote herself to the battle. I wanted to help her, but was at a loss about how best to do that. The answer came in a conversation with Dianna Love, who volunteered to publish a benefit box set with a limited one-month run if I could wrangle willing authors. Let me tell you, that was the easiest job I've ever been given! The authors I approached were eager to lend their books to the cause. I am so proud of the lineup we were able to put together on very short notice."

Everyone involved in the project donated 100% of their time, including the photographer and cover designer. The authors asked Jenn LeBlanc of Studio Smexy, a personal friend of Pamela's, to donate the art. Brandy Walker of TEZ Graphics designed the cover.

"There was no hesitation when Norah messaged me about the cover for this very special anthology," Jenn says. "I told her they could have any image from my site as an exclusive for this cover. It means a great deal to me because Pamela is one of my dearest friends, and I was happy to be able to help however I was able."

Pamela wasn't made aware of the project until many of the pieces were already in place. "When they told me what they wanted to do, I burst into tears," she says. "It's easy to feel alone when you're going through chemo and miserable and bald. More than anything, this made me realize how many people in the romance community care."

Pamela has almost completed chemotherapy and will be starting radiation treatments in November.

Elisabeth Naughton knows from personal experience how devastating a major medical crisis can be to the life and livelihood of an author. "Five years ago, I wound up in ICU with septic shock after a routine medical procedure," she says. "Thankfully, I survived the ordeal, but for at least six months after, while my body was busy healing, I was unable to write a single word. When the body is working so hard to repair itself, creativity takes a serious hit. I know what it's like to be unable to write, so I'm happy to help Pamela in any way I can. This box set is just one way to show my support."

Pamela says, "The romance community is made up of some of the most generous and caring people on earth, both readers and writers. And the thing that choked me up the most about this box set? The fact that they made my name pink and put me in the middle of what they called a 'group hug.' I'll take all the hugs I can get."

To read more about Pamela's breast cancer story, visit her blog at pamelaclare.blogspot.com and don't miss her emotional post on HEA earlier this week about her ongoing ordeal.

The box set is available for pre-order on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, iTunes, and Kobo. It will be available only through Nov. 30.