‘19 Days’ marks Ivan’s venture into fiction

By Paddy Walsh

IT’S 11 days to Christmas but for Letterkenny man, Ivan Fuery, the focus is on ’19 Days’ – the title of his first venture into fiction and one that’s set to rocket up the best sellers chart.

Described as a techno thriller, the book relates the consequences of a NASA team that undertakes an 18-month voyage to the planet Mars.

But due to equipment malfunctions, the mission is aborted and the crew of three men and two women return to earth bearing with them a mysterious disease.

This disease has all the appearances of the Ebola family but there’s a crucial difference – the deadly disease replicates itself every 19 days.

The sub heading on the front cover, ‘One Virus is One too Many’, provides an indication of the menacing threat that exists following the Mars mission.

On the shelves occupied by the works of locally based authors in the Bookmark store at the Letterkenny Shopping Centre, a number of volumes of Ivan’s previous excursion into print, ‘The Donegal Experience’, a compilation of contributions from some of the best known competitors who have taken part in the Donegal International Car Rally since its inception in the early seventies, occupy pride of place.

Now his latest offering to the literary world will take its place in the thriller section.

For Ivan, it’s a concept that has been in the mix for the past decade and is now finally being realised with the final product – a story that spirals into a high stakes race against time, each day bringing a new crisis as the virus spreads relentlessly, threatening to reshape the world irrevocably.

One of the books and films that inspired the former Garda was ‘The Andromeda Strain’, a Sci-Fi thriller produced back in the early seventies.

Based on the book by Michael Crichton, it tells the story of a satellite that crashes into a town in Arizona killing all the inhabitants. A team of scientists believe that an extraterrestrial pathogen may be responsible and set out to investigate.

“I read the book twice and have watched the film countless times. It was scary and a brilliant piece of writing and it intrigued me,” says Ivan.

Other writers to inspire him included Richard Preston, James Patterson and Dan Brown.

“I’ve always been a very heavy reader and a movie buff. So all that got me thinking and the more information I absorbed the more I felt I would like to do something like that.

“Up to around 20 years ago I was still working and didn’t retire until 2004.”

The perfect opportunity for him to get down and start researching and writing. Or so he thought. “I did make a start of it then but then life took over and particularly my involvement with Rally Ireland and taking up golf.”

But he was still dipping into the ‘Discovery Channel’ and gathering more knowledge as the book itself lay on the back burner.

“I remember watching a programme about a man going to Mars and that would persuade me to get the head down and write another chapter.”

That and the extensive travel he has undertaken. And all those countries he has ventured to on holiday in the company of his spouse, Cynthia, provided further inspiration.

And all those locations, Australia, the Blue Mountains, the Jenolan Caves, the West Point Military Academy in the U.S., Rome and Tenerife – the Fuerys have just returned from a ten day vacation there – all feature in the book in one guise or another.

And then there was the research he did at his sitting room table and specifically as he delved into Google. “You could ask it anything and it would give you 40 answers that led to another question.

“It was pause and start again, but I never stopped thinking of finishing the book.”

Initially, after enquiring how a Garda colleague in Dublin had got his book published, Ivan approached the publishers, ShadowScript Publications about his own idea and got an encouraging response.

But as he continued to punch words and chapters into his computer he also got much needed and valued advice.

“I had sent an initial draft with a plan to include a quote at the start of each chapter. But the C.E.O., Niall MacGiolla Bhui didn’t like the idea and so it was scrapped.

“He was also quick to get me to fact check things and in addition I was told to get rid of the Irishness in it.” An encouragement in itself as Niall and Co. eyed up potential markets beyond these shores including the U.S.

“I had also designed my own cover with the catch phrase ‘All That Glitters Is Not Gold’ but in the end I had to go with the professionals and I believed the cover they settled on is very impressive and will without a doubt draw readers to the book.”

But Ivan himself came up with the sub-heading ‘One Virus Is One Too Many’ which adorns the cover.

Originally Ivan had opted to start the book differently but on advice he replaced it with an inside chapter which has the newly elected President, John Wilkins, arriving at the Oval Office and enquiring of his P.A. as to who had removed the piece of Mars rock and a flag from his desk.

An early reference to the part the Red Planet was going to play in the book.

The author was also encouraged – or rather told in the strictest terms! – not to end the book, as he had initially done, with a “soft landing” but instead to replace it with a shuddering jolt as opposed to a gentle culmination.

It has also left the way open for a possible sequel though the author is unsure if he’ll have the time to bring a follow-up to the book shelves.

“I had thought of a totally different book, one focusing on my time as a Garda operating on the border but Cyril Meehan beat me to it!”

But never say never and the fact that Ivan has managed to bring his book to the publishing stage – he recalls his good friend, Bryan Harkin, speaking of the discipline required when the pair were out on the golf course – would surely indicate some venture back into print again.

Asked what was the most important lesson or message readers would get from ’19 Days: One Virus Is One Too Many’, he responds: “That the research and exploration must go on, despite the risks. That there is always hope.

“Recent reports suggest that with all the research carried out into the Covid Virus, we were never closer to beating cancer.”

Ivan, a native of County Mayo but long time resident in Letterkenny, is scheduled to do a signing of his book at the Bookmark outlet at Letterkenny Shopping Centre before Christmas but it is already available on Amazon. “Indeed my sister Philomena, who is based in Houston, Texas, was able to get a copy of it as a result.”

As stated at the outset, it’s a book of fiction but the question to be asked is – could it become fact….?

’19 Days: One Virus Is One Too Many’ will be available initially in both Bookmark outlets in Letterkenny and on Amazon.

Thirteen days to Christmas and here’s a potential present waiting to take off….

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