"I kept a diary because writing helped me to come to terms with my own emotions. It helped to stop my head feeling so fizzy and was to some extent, medicinal. I hadn't planned on turning it into a "
Estelle Maher
The Killing of Tracey Titmass is the writer’s third novel and it will be officially launched during a virtual event on October 29 to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month which runs throughout October.
The book, which is written in diary format, re-tells Estelle’s own rollercoaster journey of living with cancer, through the eyes of fictional character Jo Kearns and it’s hoped it will help others suffering with the disease.
Both humorous and poignant, the inspiring tale covers the raw emotions and physical discomforts associated with diagnosis, surgery, treatment and life post-cancer.
In the story Jo’s cancer tumour is given a life of its own and is personified through the character Tracey Titmass - an unwanted housemate, who has long overstayed her welcome.
Estelle, who was diagnosed with cancer in March 2019, says she hadn’t planned on turning her own experiences into a book.
“I kept a diary because writing helped me to come to terms with my own emotions. It helped to stop my head feeling so fizzy and was to some extent, medicinal. I hadn’t planned on turning it into a book but then friends suggested that it might help others going through a similar experience.
“It took me several attempts. It sounds daft but at first I didn’t feel comfortable with inflicting cancer on a character. I know it’s all fictional but it just seemed too cruel and emotionally I found that very difficult.
“But, once I’d decided to write the book in diary format and attribute my own timeline of events to the character, it became a bit easier to write. It was more personal and all the interactions and hospital appointments are all based on true events and things that really happened to me.
“I want people to read it and not feel isolated. Many of the emotions you experience through something like this are normal and I want people to know they’re not on their own. Cancer never really goes away and learning to live with that and cope with life afterwards is an important part of the message within this book. Cancer doesn’t define you but it does become a part of your identity in so many ways.”
A virtual Q&A session with Estelle will be held online on Facebook October 29 as part of the official book launch and fans will be invited to ask questions.
The book, published by Southport-based publisher Beaten Track Publishing, will be available to purchase from Write Blend and also online at Amazon.
Estelle is a writer of contemporary fiction. Her debut novel Grace and the Ghost is an Amazon Bestseller and also won the award for Best Spiritual Fiction Book at the 2018 Soul and Spirit Awards. Sequel Angel’s Rebellion was published in 2018.
For more information about author Estelle Maher visit https://estellemaher.com/.
