At the age of 48, Sigourney Cheek woke one morning compelled to write a book. Never mind that she had never written anything beyond a memo or a letter. Or that in addition to being married, raising three children and co-managing a successful antiques business, she spent much of her free time volunteering and fundraising for countless non-profits throughout Nashville.

There were stories to tell. That night she began to write. For the next ten years she wrote everything she could, from short stories to personal essays. She couldn't stop writing.

Then she got cancer.

There was too much to tell, and too many friends and family to tell it to. She compiled a list of close friends and wrote them a letter, sending it to them via email. "It felt so good, putting cancer on paper," she says. "With each sentence, the mystery behind my dilemma unraveled. I loved getting into the trenches of my illness, outlining my anxieties, chronicling my breakdowns and laying down my fears. I made a pact to stay positive."

People wrote back. They offered support and encouragement. With each correspondence, that original list of names grew. Today, more than two hundred people continue to receive Sigourney's missives of hope, humor, and encouragement.

In addition to her own work, Sigourney conducts writing workshops for women in recovery at Magdalene House and sits on the boards of numerous charitable and non-profit organizations focused on the arts and women's issues. She is the former co-owner of Amici Antiques and a graduate of Manhattanville College. Her husband, James H. Cheek, III, is a lawyer, and together they have three sons and two grandchildren. Patient Siggy is her first book.