Jacqueline Sorenson of Westbrook is running out of time to fulfill one last dream before she dies: holding a hardcover copy of her book, “Sammy Skunk and His Midnight Adventure,” in her hands.

Doctors have given Sorenson, 84, months to live. She said she has too much left to accomplish before she dies, including seeing her book bound.

“It’s hard for me, when I was first told I was crying for weeks. But, I might as well know the truth. I’m 84 years old, that’s old enough to die, but I don’t want to, I have things left to do,” Sorenson said,

Sorenson, first diagnosed in 2008 with neuroendrocrine carcinoid tumors, is recuperating from her latest surgery that removed part of her diseased liver.

Sorenson began writing the book more than a decade ago, before she got sick. Based on memories from her childhood, “Sammy Skunk” is told through the eyes of her father’s real-life pet skunk, Sammy.

In the book, Sammy goes off into the deep woods to find food. Instead, a mountain lion hunts Sammy. Luckily, the skunk is able to get away and learns the lesson to stay on the straight and narrow path instead of venturing into the big woods and getting into trouble, according to Sorenson.

She said “Sammy Skunk” was supposed to be published by Publish America, which offered her a deal that included printing her book in both hardcover and soft cover, and to make it available for purchase on its website and at Amazon.com.

Unfortunately, Sorenson is having a difficult time getting hold of the publishing company. She said Publish America won’t return her phone calls or emails and she has been unable to learn the status of the project.

Publish America responded to an email inquiry by the American Journal saying a representative would be in touch, but in the last week no one had called.

“I’m afraid it won’t get published before I die. No one cares if it gets done or not, but I do,” Sorenson said.

Sorenson illustrated the book around 2005, when she first became sick.

“It’s not up to what I was doing in college. I could paint beautifully back then, but it’s the best I could do at the time. I was sick,” she said.

The cover of Jacqueline Sorenson’s book, “Sammy Skunk and His Midnight Adventure.