A BOOK that took 20 years to research and an inspired four months to write was launched at Newport Memorial Hall last Friday.

Mike Lewis' novel If God Will Spare My Life…, (IGWSML) is based on the true story of a Dinas Cross farmer's son who fought at the Battle of the Little Bighorn

It was launched on Friday, June 25 – 145 years to the day of the biggest defeat inflicted on US federal troops by Native American peoples.

The novel is a re-imagining of real events based on five letters sent home by farmer's son, William James, who served as a sergeant in the US Seventh Cavalry.

The letters, Mike told his audience at the launch event, have very little significance in terms of military history, but give an insight into James himself and his state of mind as he joins the cavalry and follows Custer to his disastrous conclusion.

Tivyside reporter, Mike, extensively researched the events of the novel, including visiting the site of Little Bighorn and presenting the museum there with a copy of the letters.

However, the book might never have seen the light of day had it not been for a chance trip into WH Smith in Cardigan.

While browsing the books Mike came across a novel by Cardigan writer, Rhiannon Lewis, published by Victorina Press.

He sent off a sample chapter of IGWSML to the publishing house and received an enthusiastic response asking for more.

At that point that's all there was, and Mike quickly set to work on the rest of the novel which he wrote day and night for four months at his home in Aberporth.

"At times it did feel as if I had the ghost of a nineteenth century cavalryman speaking in my ear," said Mike.

"It sounds strange, but I wrote it in 2020, which was surely the strangest year we have ever experienced."

The result of Mike's manic four months has been hailed as a 'readable, energetic and well-researched story taking us from Victorian rural west Wales to the prairies of north America'.

If God Will Spare My Life…', is published today, Wednesday June 30 by Victorina Press, is available on pre-order at victorinapress.com/product/if-god-will-spare-my-life.