A Liverpool author held her first book signing after drawing on her own tragic experiences with cancer.
Amanda Brooke, who previously worked as an office manager, met her readers and signed copies of her latest novel ‘Another Way to Fall’ at the Cancer Research UK Shop on Bold Street
Amanda admitted that she was nervous about her first signing. She told JMU Journalism: “It’s hoping people will turn up. It’s strange because you get a bit separated from when you’re writing because you’re very isolated so it’s a bit daunting. I love the writing bit but I’m terrified of getting it published and getting it out there.”
The novel tells the story of a young girl who discovers that she has a brain tumour and there is no cure. A dream of hers is to write a book so she starts writing about the life she would have led if she was not diagnosed with cancer.
Amanda lost her son, Nathan, at three-years-old to leukaemia and has drawn on her own experience to write this book. “The idea came from my fears with Nathan. I had little snippets of what Nathan would have been like – his personality, what he could have done with his life,” she said.
It was because of Nathan that Amanda first started writing. “I never had any aspirations to become a writer and then after he died writing was therapeutic for me because it just filled that space. There was a lot in his life and I wanted to grab every memory and make sure that I never lost it. I got into the habit of writing and went to a creative writing course to learn the techniques.”
Amanda’s first novel, ‘Yesterday’s Sun’, was selected for the Richard and Judy book club. She hopes ‘Another Way to Fall’ will also be a success but admits she’s greatful for it just to be published. She told JMU Journalism: “You’re competing with so many amazing authors that are already established. When you say you have got a publishing deal everyone’s like ‘oh you’re going to be the next JK Rowling’. You just can’t believe it!”
Amanda’s third book will be out next year.