The grieving fiance of a Halesowen sailor who was killed in an explosion on board a nuclear submarine has put pen to paper to tell the couple's moving love story.

Julie Day and Paul McCann had known each other for 26 years before they declared their feelings for each other in January 2005.

In a whirlwind romance the lovestruck pair prepared to spend the rest of their lives together. They got engaged, Paul handed in his notice to leave the Royal Navy, put his house on the market, sold his car and prepared to move to the America to live with Julie.

But tragically their happy ever after was not to be - just two months later in March 2007 on his last trip out to sea 32-year-old Paul was killed on board HMS Tireless under the Arctic icecap when a faulty oxygen generator exploded.

Julie tells of the joy at finding the love of her life and the heartbreak at being forced to live without Paul in her book Keep Right On which aims to raise cash for the Paul McCann Fund for Needy Children.

Julie, who lives in Philadelphia, said: "I wrote Keep Right On because Paul asked me to write 'our' story - the story of how we came to be.

"Of course, it was supposed to have a much happier ending.

"After his death I began to write the story about Paul and me so people could learn more about us and hopefully understand why I love him so much and how special he was to me."

Paul and Julie's families began a friendship when they met by chance at Disney World in Florida in 1981. They would cross the Atlantic every few years on visits.

Julie and Birmingham City FC fan Paul had always been like brother and sister until things changed when Paul visited mum-of-two Julie in January 2007.

Julie, a 35-year-old pharmaceutical trial manager, summoned up the courage to tell Paul how she felt and was stunned when he told her he had loved her for as long as he could remember.

Ironically she was at Disney World when she heard the devastating news of the love of her life's untimely death.

Julie said: "I still struggle with accepting the new life path I am on.

"I'm just taking things day by day and waiting for the next chapter of my life to begin."

Keep Right On, which Julie self published through a company called Booksurge, is available for £10.36 on Amazon.