by writing two books

BEING diagnosed with breast cancer has not stopped one Middlewich woman from fighting back from the illness and publishing two books.

Bernice Walmsley, 51, lives in Paddock View with her husband Bill and at Easter they will be joined by family and friends to celebrate the publication of her books on numerical reasoning and the end of her treatment for breast cancer.

Bernice, a former sales advisor, was commissioned to write her Practice Tests for Numerical Reasoning book by Hodder and Stoughton in February last year, with a deadline in September.

And while she was working on that she was asked to write the advanced version of the book by October.

Bernice energetically planned and researched her books and although she was diagnosed with cancer in September, she still completed her work.

She said: "I went into hospital on September 24 and finished the second book on September 23.

"I worked frantically but having something like that to take my mind off everything was brilliant."

Bernice has endured all the treatment, chemotherapy and radiotherapy with her husband Bill, 50, by her side and though she said it was very traumatic at the time, her spirits are still high.

Speaking about the books, she said: "Bill is thrilled for me.

"He has been very supportive over the past few months when I have needed it.

"He is very impressed as well."

Bernice's books, which will be published at the beginning of April, are aimed at people who want to improve their chances of success at job interviews by practising mock questions and tests.

They also contain answers and clear explanations for each question and a self-assessment section for readers to analyse.

Bernice, who is now planning to write a third book, added: "I will feel so excited. I have already seen my books on Amazon and I was leaping around the room.

"It doesn't really hit home until you actually see them. I never thought in a million years that I would be writing books.

"It is something that I wanted to do but never thought anyone would pay to read what I wanted to write about."

jdriscoll@guardiangrp.co.uk