Bedford author's first fiction novel to raise cash for cancer charity

A Bedford author has put pen to paper to help those who transport cancer patients to and from appointments.

Frank Malley joined the Bedford charity which takes patients to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge after a career in journalism, working at the Daily Express and Press Association.

The courage and optimism he has witnessed inspired him to write When the Mist Clears.

The book tells the tale of a war correspondent, Dan Armitage, who suffers from PTSD. After suffering a panic attack while receiving his Journalist of the Year Award, he takes a break and enrols as a charity ambulance driver where he befriends four extraordinary people who quickly realise they share a quirky wit, a zest for life and a desire to make light of their predicament.

Frank said: "The one thing that struck me most when I began driving the ambulance car was the positive energy of the patients and how they bonded with each other in double-quick time.

"In some ways they are all part of the same club fighting a common foe and invariably they do so with humour and courage and a defiance which is humbling to behold.

"I first came across that camaraderie when I accompanied my mum to cancer treatment at Christie’s hospital in Manchester. But we all know someone who has been affected by cancer and that’s why I think the book will resonate.

"It is essentially a feelgood read, full of hope, humour and optimism, although there is also an undercurrent of crime and a dash of romance."

Frank, from Willington, is donating all royalties from the book to the Bedford charity providing transport for cancer patients.

It is his third book to have benefited charity since quitting journalism, following two non-fiction books in aid of multiple sclerosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

"This one is fiction, though, and that is a whole new ball game," he said. ‘I was used to reporting and commenting on events I had seen and I’d never experienced the terrors of the blank page. Conjuring up something from nowhere is hugely enjoyable but scary at the same time."

When the Mist Clears (Whisper Publishing) is available in paperback, £7.99, and e-book, £1.99, from Amazon here