A LOCAL author has recently released her debut novel two decades after she started writing it in her back garden in Cornwall.

Hazel Dodge’s new novel, which is written under the pseudonym of Heather Ann Wallis, is the first book in a series of three entitled ‘The Sweetbriar Collection'.

The debut book, Accident Inheritance, is a feel-good fictional novel that is set in Cornwall and around the Greek island of Crete.

Hazel, who lives in Looe, started writing the novel in her garden over 20 years ago, when she penned fourteen thousand words without hesitation.

The manuscript was then put to one side as life took over, with Hazel going back to it every so often to develop the story. She finally knuckled down to finish the novel which was released in May.

“This is the first book I’ve ever written,” Hazel told the Cornish Times. I started writing it purely by chance in my back garden and wrote thousands of words without even stopping to think about it before life got in the way.

“A couple of years ago, I broke my ankle and had foot and knee replacement surgery which meant I haven’t been very mobile recently, so I decided it was really time to knuckle down and get the book finished.

“I got fed up of it just hanging around and not doing anything with it so I finished the book by writing it on my phone - I think people are quite impressed that I’ve written all on my phone!

“In it’s entirety, the actual writing time has probably been about six months to a year but spread over 20 years. It appears to be selling very well and I have just ordered my fourth print run.”

All proceeds from the sale of the books will be going towards Hazel’s fundraising campaign to bring a stray puppy to the UK from a Mauritius rescue shelter.

She is hoping to adopt the dog, Latte, in the belief that she’ll make a great companion for fellow rescue pooch Harvey, a male Maurichien that Hazel already has at home. If the full amount can’t be raised to bring Latte to the British Isles, the money will instead be donated towards her care in the African shelter.

After finishing the first novel, Hazel has already started writing the sequel and knows what’s going to happen in her third book too.

She added: “I’ve started writing my sequel and got all of the chapters planned out. When people ask me when the sequel is coming out, I clearly can’t take 20 years to write it!”

Accident Inheritance is available at West Looe Bookshop, Quirky Boutique Looe, Horizon Farm Shop, Tredinnick Farm Shop, Stuart House in Liskeard, Minions Shop and Tearoom, as well as Amazon as paperback or Kindle version. To view the book on Amazon, visit: amzn.eu/d/0bqGxpQu

To donate to Hazel’s fundraising campaign on GoFundMe, visit: www.gofundme.com/f/sponsor-latte-to-be-rescued-to-the-uk