When I began writing Lives & Times I tried contacting a few of the local politicians in Berkshire where I live. I was somewhat disappointed when I didn't get one single reply, and this included my then Reading East MP Rob Wilson, and my Mum's Maidenhead MP none other than Theresa May... I didn't have any joy with Labour Party MPs either, so I gave up on the idea of including MPs in the book. However this was to change when I came into contact with Nadine Dorries, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Mid Bedfordshire. Through an exchange of messages on Twitter I found out that she had bought my first book Beating Bowel Cancer. With nothing to lose I asked Nadine if she would be in the new book, and I was delighted when she agreed. Nadine had in fact lost a close friend to bowel cancer, so she was keen to support the book project.
The chapter in the book describes exactly what happened. It was an amazing experience that was very typical of many in the book. I thought that Nadine would meet me at her constituency office, but instead I was invited up to the Houses of Parliament and I met her on outside terrace that overlooks the River Thames. Over the course of an hour I went through tunnels under Parliament Square, had tea with Nadine, and ended up being given a grilling by an armed police officer. It's all in the book!
Nadine is of course also a very successful author in her own right. I look on in envy at her wonderfully high rankings on the Amazon best sellers list, and I can only dream for such success. It would be nice to borrow just a few of her avid readers for Lives & Times. Her support throughout has been brilliant, and it was fantastic meeting Nadine.
My mother was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2012, and in spite of successful surgery to remove the tumour she went on to suffer from secondary bowel cancer in her lungs and finally her brain. She went through a number of operations, and endured each treatment without complaint, and with courage and great dignity for 4 years, but sadly she finally passed away in August 2016. I am carrying on with my fundraising and raising bowel cancer awareness.
My mother was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2012, and in spite of successful surgery to remove the tumour she went on to suffer from secondary bowel cancer in her lungs and finally her brain. She went through a number of operations, and endured each treatment without complaint, and with courage and great dignity for 4 years, but sadly she finally passed away in August 2016. I am carrying on with my fundraising and raising bowel cancer awareness.
The book has so far raised over £4000 for Beating Bowel Cancer / Bowel Cancer UK. ALL proceeds raised from sales are donated to the charity. It is available on my www.bowelcancerfundraising.co.uk website. I am currently in the process of writing a new book, The Record, which will hopefully be published in 2019.
