AN award-winning author from Haworth has drawn on his experience of nearly dying twice to complete and publish his 66th book.

Prolific writer William Forde finished the work, a romance entitled Fourteen Days, during 2017.

He explained: "The theme came from a near-death experience of mine that same year.

"This novel is a love story 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."

Mr Forde, 75, who has had terminal blood cancer for the past four years, explained that he was admitted to Airedale Hospital on Boxing Day 2016 when one of his lungs collapsed.

His original cancer had transformed itself into a more aggressive Lymphoma.

He said: "During the two months I spent in hospital I almost died twice and had a Do Not Resuscitate instruction placed in my medical file.

"After my emergency hospital admission and 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 introduced myself, saying '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 14 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 decided to plot the theme and storyline of a new novel.

"After two months in hospital, I was discharged home and received a six month course of chemotherapy.

"I remained ill for the first seven months of 2017, but by August I was feeling well enough to make a start on the novel I'd planned.

"Fourteen Days has now been published in e-book and hard copy formats by lulu.com and amazon.com

"All profits from my book sales go to charitable causes.

"Over £200,000 worth of profits from my books have been given to charity since 1990."

Mr Forde, a father of five, is originally from Ireland. As well as his fiction for adults and young people he has written many books aimed at seven to 11-year-old readers.

He was awarded the MBE in the New Year's Honours List of 1995 for his services to West Yorkshire.