Shebat Legion

Life has given Shebat Legion a tempestuous ride over the past five years. She walked away from an abusive relationship in October 2014 and set out on the road to healing and a new life. Since then, she has found love, been married, moved to Campbellford, bought and renovated a house, published numerous writings and, for the past year, waged an all-out war on cancer.

Although born in Canada, she moved to Florida with her family when she was four years old and spent her childhood living by the sea.

“I grew up beside the ocean,” she says. “It was only later, as a Canadian citizen, that I chose to spend my life in the north. I miss the sound of the waves, the salt in the air, the feel of the water against my skin. I am a water person, and have, since childhood, spent as much of my time as possible, in the water or beside it."

Shebat and mom, artist Klarissa Kocsis, 2016

Shebat is the daughter of local artist, Klarissa Kocsis and has been the subject of many paintings. One, called Blue Shebat, graces the cover of her newest book, Hubris, A Collection of Short Stories.

She began working as a freelance writer in 2001, turning her talents to creative fantasy fiction in 2012. “The first story that I wrote was when I was learning to read via the Dick and Jane books. I began to rearrange the words that were recognizable into different sentences to affect a different outcome. It was fascinating to me. I was fortunate to have an understanding teacher who encouraged me," she recalls.

Shebat's first published fiction was a short story called, Dree, On Wednesday for the anthology Hoblin Goblin. Her body of work is extensive, including Chronicles of The Cat’s Ass Boutique, a series of short stories which led to the creation of the Vampire Therapy universe and sparked her first full-length novel, Jackson and Eva, published in 2013.

“As some of the chemo fog lifts, my zonky universe will be revisited,” she says. “My characters have been keeping busy and have a lot to say for themselves.”

Her work has been published in numerous anthologies including the collections of Michael Hanson. “Samuel Meant-well Versus The Little Black Cloud of The Apocalypse was such a fun story to co-write,” she says. “Cheers to [co-writer] Joe Bonadonna, on this odd little tale set in the Sha'Daa universe created by Michael Hanson”.

Shebat also uses her craft to support causes she believes in. She produced an art book entitled Klarissa Dreams in 2014, featuring her mom’s paintings accompanied by short stories, prose and poetry contributed by an assembled group of well-known writers. Proceeds were donated to cancer and lupus research.

Shebat plans to revisit Klarissa Dreams in an expanded version to be called, Klarissa Dreams Redux. “I am always pleased and humbled when I am able to use my voice for a good cause,” she says.

'Adam' from Klarissa Dreams

“I was stunned by the beauty and emotions evoked by this collection of art, poetry, and prose assembled from an incredibly talented group of artists. It is almost impossible to describe the experience of falling into this book; the closest I can come is to say I felt like Alice discovering Wonderland. Highly recommended,” reads one of the many glowing reviews on Amazon.

Shebat also used her background in dance for a good cause. The Firelights, a local belly dance troupe, perform at numerous fund-raising projects and regularly visit retirement homes. While her decline in health no longer permits her to dance, she plans to return to it as soon as she is able to do so.

Her life was turned upside down with her breast cancer diagnosis in December 2016. She and her partner had become engaged to be married shortly before.
“Recap: Early December, I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. With lightning speed, I was in surgery for the removal of both breasts, seventeen lymph nodes and a section of my chest wall. After the shortest possible amount of time slated for recovery, I began aggressive chemotherapy. I am currently doing hormone therapy, and have just started a series of twenty-five radiation treatments, five days a week, until completed,” she posted on social media in July 2017.

Shebat not only launched a spirited all-out war on the interloper but became an outspoken advocate for breast cancer screening, a role which she passionately maintains to this day.

Celebrating the festive season, 2018

Holiday preparations this year have been undertaken with great enthusiasm.
“I'm getting my head around the fact that we are hosting Christmas dinner,” she says. “I was too sick from chemo to do very much last year, in what was our first Christmas in the new house. I am already buying treat type things and hiding them, you know the sort, the chocolate thins, the caramel yum yums, the cookie things. Pretending they aren’t hidden in one of the hutches is about as useless as putting roller skates on a marshmallow and expecting it to swim.”

In her own words......

June 2018
I am off to start my chemo push to kill possible remaining cancer cells in my bones. This is my fightin' face. This is my, "going in with a fucking flamethrower," expression.

July 2018
Attitude goes a long way, and I remain hopeful. In the end, I think that hope remains one of the strongest weapons one can wield. It staves off the darkness and is a shining beacon that stands before us, warding off despair.

Cancer is insidious. I always picture cancer as an oil-coated, black plume of seeking tendrils, whose sole purpose is to destroy. It is the personification of evil, it is anti-matter, it is the demon under the bed.
Cancer works its reach into all avenues. While its teeth rip portions of body and soul, the cancer spreads further, destroying friendships, and even marriages. There is no part of the intended victim that is spared, the devastation is meant to be complete. That is why it is called a war. You against It.

August 2018
From the day of my diagnosis, I have used my story to advocate breast screening. I have used myself as a podium from which to speak. I share this NOW to tell you, Cancer is not an after school special, it is real and it can happen to anyone. Get a fucking mammogram. GET A FUCKING MAMMOGRAM! That is what YOU can do. And if my battle made public convinces even one person to go for a screening, and that simple test reveals a cancer in its earliest stages, and that person's life is saved, then what I have been doing means something. In the end, that is what any of us want, to have done something that is meaningful.

September 2018
Today marks the first day on my countdown of living cancer free. September 5, 2018. I want to say something profound here, but the morphine has me just as likely to mumble on about finding Pandas in an alternative universe, sporting opposable thumbs and wearing fedora hats.

I will say this. I know this day hasn't sunk in. For now, and hopefully for the rest of my natural life, the cancer is gone, having been attacked with surgery, toxins, hormones and radiation. What can be done, has been done.

No more daily appointments or horrible procedures, just recovery and health-conscious decisions, and most importantly, growing hair!
Let the festivities begin. And by festivities I mean resting in bed wrapped in saline -drenched cloths while watching Netflix but hey, I'll take It!

October 2018
The truth is, I am tired. I am resting. I am doing self-care. The road back from the battle with Cancer is a long one. My body is weary and my spirit is ... the word escapes me, and I am a writer.
Life offers many challenges and sometimes, in order to rise above, a deep breath must be taken, to cleanse, to revive. Take a deep breath with me and, keep on keeping on. We are all in this together.

November 2018
I want to thank everyone for their continued good wishes, and in order to paint a picture with a broad brush, here goes.
I have not BEATEN Cancer, I am LIVING with Cancer. I haven’t had my first milestone of clean health yet. I am still healing from the chemo/radiation battle, and possibly always will be.
Cancer is a monster, and the tools used to fight it are treacherous. I have been left with deficits. This is partial payment of the price of the battle. These deficits include neuropathy, unrelenting pain in my hands and legs - my husband and I have it down, three trips up and down into the truck, anymore than that and I am walking on knives.
I tire easily. I seem to be stuck with taste sensitivities - I cannot use metal utensils, some foods taste foul while others taste like nothing at all. My concentration is far from what it was. It wasn't that long ago that I literally could not read a book, or follow television shows of any complexity.
I have fallen into a pattern of behavior, one day up, two down. Resting is paramount. I do myself little favour by pushing as I do and yet, and yet ...
Make no mistake. Fear of the monster sits on my ravaged chest, gnashing it's teeth and snarling. It is there when I wake from a sleep that is regularly interrupted by nightmares. It is there when I fall asleep knowing that I will wake up, shrieking in terror.
The fight continues, as it does for so many. I continue to believe in hope, in love, in positivity. I believe in the resolve that it takes to be a better human.

Sporting an early Christmas gift from her daughter, Raven, 2018

Another selfie as I am off, about to go somewhere and do stuff, November 2018

As she endured her treatments, month after gruelling month, life has carried on. She and Jim were married in February 2018 in an intimate ceremony in which her maids of honour wore face masks to protect her weakened immunity.

Her two canines, Apollo and Brutus, happily welcomed a new family member last September when the couple adopted a malnutritioned rescue cat in need of dental surgery from the Cat Care Initiative in Campbellford. Surgery completed, Seymour has thrived in his new home. As have her dogs, the feline has given her comfort and support through some dark days. “He’s so soft,” she says, “and he purrs like a tribble.”

Her books continue to sell, and she continues to write. Her latest book, Hubris, a collection of short stories, is slated for a Christmas release. One of its stories, This Island, Barney Templeton, was written while she was undergoing cancer treatment.

Hubris, The cover is a painting by Klarissa Kocsis entitled Blue Shebat

“I have been asked many times, is Hubris, my soon to be released collection of short stories, about Cancer? The short answer is no, although, one of the new stories in it was written while I was undergoing chemotherapy. The long answer is that yes, my collating Hubris IS about Cancer. Hubris is a legacy and my scream out to the gods that admitting defeat is not an option. In the face of evil there can be no surrender, no quarter given.” she posted on social media.

The horror genre seems a somewhat incongruous choice for this self-confessed girly-girl with a penchant for artisanal jewelery and anything that sparkles. "I am only a horror writer by default, because most of my stories share an element that is disturbing," she explains. "But, I could just as easily be known as a comedic author, as my stories often share that particular trait. My tagline is 'From The Quirky Mind of Shebat Legion' for a reason."

Rocky Horror Picture Show night at The Aron Theatre, October 2018

The Goodreads Choice Awards website defines her style in glowing terms. "Shebat Legion displays a gift for spinning tales, mixing genres, and spoofing sacred cows with poetic flashes of wicked wit, laughingly risque yet always balanced with moral sensitivity and innovative resolutions."

Shebat is looking forward to the New Year with optimism. She continues to write and produce and has plans to complete the second novel in The Vampire Therapy series in 2019. She will continue to advocate for breast cancer screening with the powerful voice of one who has met the monster. She will continue to enjoy everything that life has to offer with her husband and family. She will "continue to believe in hope, love and positivity" and inspire us all in doing so.

Find her at:

Shebat on facebook, www.facebook.com/Author.Shebat.Legion

Shebat Legion on Amazon

Shebat Legion at Barnes & Noble