AN OFFICIAL website to help promote a Dunfermline author's charity poetry book has been launched.

Claire Monaghan is working on a publication which will include the poetry and stories written by people affected by breast cancer.

As reported previously by the Press, she came up with the idea of the Steel Petals Charity book, 'Voices', because she wanted to give back after she was / diagnosed herself with the condition last year.

The book can now be pre-ordered through the dedicated website, www.steelpetalscharity.com, which aims to raise awareness of the illness as well as raise money for cancer charities.

Claire is still keen to get new submissions for the book – which is due to be released on October 1 – and is hopeful the new website created by publishers Hudson Indie Ink will make it easier for people to send in their work.

The poetry collection is a way of allowing Claire, and others, to tell their stories while helping others with the condition.

"My writing career was on hold for an entire 12 months and I just feel like I want to give back," she said. "We will try to publish as many poems and stories as possible, those not printed in ‘Voices’ may be printed in future editions and/or on our website."

The charities which mum-of-two Claire has chosen to donate the proceeds to, Maggie's Centre and the Eve Appeal, are both organisations which are close to her heart.

"I went to the Maggie's Centre during my treatment and they were an absolute Godsend," she said. "It was so hard during the pandemic. They had to stop people coming into the centre for normal groups but they provided lots of things on Zoom. They provided my entire family with professional counselling.

"The Eve Appeal do a lot of research into preventative measures and early detection. They are both amazing."

The deadline for submitting stories for the Steel Petals book is July 1. More details can be found on the website at www.steelpetalscharity.com.