"I wrote my 66th novel during 2017. The theme came from a genuine near-death experience of mine that same year. The latest novel was to be Book Twelve in my 'Tales from Portlaw' romantic stories. The book is entitled 'Fourteen Days.'
This novel is a love story is about a dying man and his personal assistant in his haulage firm. During the last 14 days of his life, the dying man’s lover strikes up a new relationship in the hospital ward with a patient in an adjacent bed who also has a terminal illness. After her lover’s death, she disappears and returns to her native land of Ireland and Portlaw, the village of her birth. The new patient who is infatuated with her, pursues his dream across the Irish Sea, only to discover that love is never smooth.
I have had terminal blood cancer for the past four years. On Boxing Day of 2017, I was admitted as an emergency patient into Airedale Hospital when one of my lungs collapsed. My original cancer had transformed itself into a more aggressive Lymphoma. During the two months I spent in the hospital, I almost died twice and had a 'Do Not Resuscitate' instruction placed in my medical file. I eventually recovered, was sent home, and was given another six-month course of aggressive chemotherapy as an outpatient.
After my emergency hospital admission of Boxing Day and after two weeks of battling to save my life, I was placed in an 'end of life' ward. Three other patients occupied it; all of whom had a short time to live. One of the three was awake so I politely introduced myself. 'Hello. I'm Bill and I'm pleased to meet you.' The reply was,'Well, it won't be for long, The doctor has just told me I've only fourteen days to live!'
During my worse period in hospital, I took my mind off my terminal illness and all thought of dying by putting it on something else. I, therefore, decided to plot the theme and storyline of a new novel, to write 'at a future date'. After two months in the hospital, I was discharged home and received another six-month course of chemotherapy. I remained ill for the first seven months of 2017 and had to miss a part of my chemo course, as my body wasn't strong enough to receive the full course as planned. By August 2017 I was feeling well enough to make a start on the novel I had planned to do when I left the hospital. Two days ago it was published in e-book format and hard copy by www.lulu.com and www.amazon.com All profits from book sales go to charitable causes in perpetuity (over £200,000) profits given to charity from the sales of my books since 1990.
Should anyone be prepared to read the book from their laptop, this story and the other eleven 'Tales from Portlaw' stories can be read for free by accessing my website. To read 'Fourteen Days' for free, please access:
http://www.fordefables.co.uk/fourteen-days.html
Enjoy and happy reading." William Forde: January 4th, 2018.