Katherine Budd, from Chandler Road, Loughton is hoping that her first foray into publishing will have a happy ending.

Her novel "Faith, Hope and Love" follows Elspeth Peebles in her quest for romantic bliss in Malta and Devon.

Its been a five-year project for Katherine,49, who wrote it in her spare time, fitting it around work and while training to become a life-coach.

She said: "There's a book in everybody, this was just a story that I had to tell and I thought, I can do this."

"I would say to anyone who is thinking about writing to just do it - its so fulfilling, a really wonderful experience."

She came up with the idea for the novel while relaxing in a jacuzzi in Greece with her daughter Harriet, who helped her develop the plot, and to whom the novel is dedicated.

She said: "I'd describe it as somewhere between an Upmarket Barbara Cartland with a little bit of Jilly Cooper thrown in."

Faith, Hope and Love, priced £11.99 can be purchased from www.authorhouse.co.uk, www.amazon.co.uk, www.whsmith.co.uk or www.waterstones.com