Sahara Foley Books and Book Reviews: Meet Candace Lafleur and her new release

Meet Candace Lafleur and her new release:

Tell us about your newest release:

Prescription for Disaster: The funny side of falling apart

What is the story about?

Have you ever had those moments in life where you are sure you’re on some sort of hidden camera show? Where you look around and are like “Wait… seriously?” My life had gone from vanilla (not even the nice French kind!) to medical havoc and mayhem within the span of an hour, and it was just way too funny not to share.

PfD is a collection of themed incidents that have happened to me over the last 3 years as a near professional patient; falling surgical elevators, runaway jeans, sobbing student nurses, bed pan disasters, delusional ward-mates and exploding chemo chairs… it just wouldn’t stop (hence the stories still filling my blog each week).

When I was first diagnosed with a serious chronic illness I looked for a book that was funny, uplifting, appreciative and, well, not depressing. I didn’t want to read anything about how illness made people stronger, led them to religion or how they were cured with dried platypus testicle elixir. I wanted a book that took me by the hand and laughed with me, positively howled with me, about all of the ridiculous, insane and completely bizarre things that we as patients so unflinchingly endure. I looked, hard, but I couldn’t find one.

So I wrote one.

Who is the main character?

Oh dear, that would be me. I’m a thirty-something mother of twins, an expat Canadian with really no intention of ever going home and an adventurer, willingly or not.

What inspired this tale?

My friends, friends of friends and friends of friends of friends- of friends... ah, you get the point. I started a blog about a year ago and it quickly became popular with stories of my disaster and mayhem through life. It got to the point where I was never lonely in hospital as friends were lining up to ‘witness’ the things that would happen to me. I’d get out of the hospital and I’d be getting not messages, calls and emails asking how I was doing or if they could help, but wanting to know what happened this time and when I was going to write it out for them to share. My stories became popular on forums, which became somewhat akin to an angry mob jabbing me with pitchforks and pushing me to write.

How have readers responded to your book?

The response from readers has been overwhelming and has sparked a passion in me that I didn’t before really know was there. Nothing swells my heart more than to hear that my book has brought laughter to someone in a moment that they really needed it. Readers and their families message me that throughout they nodded their heads and laughed out loud, some being kicked off of trains and one having the book forcibly taken off of him by a Head Nurse as he kept re-opening his stitches with every chapter.

In all seriousness, if my book can make you pee a little (or a lot), I’m happy.

Is there anything you specifically want readers to know about this piece of work?

Yes, that this book is simply to be enjoyed. We will always find that which we seek out, but this is not a deep book (it’s about learning to use a bedpan and sneaking into China with chemo needles). This is a book to simply enjoy, laugh and take a break from the constant ache and heaviness of living with and supporting those with illness and pain.

So sit back, take a hit off your oxygen tank and get ready to laugh at the funny side of falling apart.

At the very least you’ll never look at an IV pole or a bedpan the same way again.

When will the novel be available for purchase?

It’s already out! It’s on Amazon at: