AN AUTHOR and mother-of-two from Lothersdale whose first book came out only last year is celebrating the publication of her second novel.

Jane Gibson's The Gessami Residence – a tale of four female friends in their 40s on a Spanish holiday – is the result of of a fairly swift writing spree following the publication of A Different Reflection last May.

Jane, who helps her husband, Russell, run the family engineering firm when she is not writing, said her new book was about "the nature of friendship – and that even those in their 40s can have a lot of fun!"

She added: "It's been bit of a whirlwind after the publication of the first book, but I had the new novel partly planned out and written when that happened.

"I have used my own friends as inspiration for The Gessami Residence. We still drink together, laugh, cry, take occasional trips and enjoy each other’s company immensely, and I cannot put a price on that friendship.

"This is very much a story about everyday people, and it was an idea that was already established in my mind well before I came to write it."

Jane’s book centres on the main character, Jenny, who has endured three fairly miserable years following the sudden death of her husband, Paul.

At the age of 43, and with her sons at university, the only thing keeping her sane are her three best friends – Amanda, Beth and Rose. After deciding what they really need is a girls' trip away, they escape their uneventful lives on a holiday to Ibiza.

Jane's literary career only started in earnest after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, and she found herself with time to write during her recovery, which is now complete.

Jane said: "I decided it was the right time to follow my dream. Even in school I always loved writing. As any parent knows, everything takes a back seat to raising children, but my sons – Thomas and Ryan – are in their late teens now, so everything fell into place. I have had a lot of support from friends and family."

The new novel – written under the name Jane L Gibson – is published by Troubadour through its Matador arm, and is already available through Amazon, Waterstones and Blackwell’s, as well as through the Troubadour website. It is also available as an e-book.