Hyde author Doreen Marsden is celebrating the publication of her very first book - more than 17 years after setting out to pen her children's fantasy adventure.

Doreen - who now lives in Gee Cross and writes under the name Rena Knox - had actually finished the book in 2006 but couldn’t find a publisher back then.

However, after reworking the first three chapters and making the work more ‘child friendly’ in very recent years, the great-grandmother’s book is now in print - much to the pride of her loving family.

Doreen has dedicated the book to her husband Brian who sadly passed away with Alzheimer’s two years ago.

Doreen says Brian was ‘her rock’ and ‘soulmate’ and a lovely and talented man who encouraged her to write, and she is dedicating profits from the sale of the book to Alzheimer’s research.

She explained that she first started penning the novel during a spell in hospital in around 2004.

“My friend Yvonne came to visit me and she knows me very well and instead of buying me grapes she brought me an A4 pen and a pad and I thought ‘excellent’. Her kind act inspired me to write the book,” she said.

So the story began and Doreen also thanks her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren for helping her to discover her own ‘inner child’ and ultimately create the story behind her book ‘Katy and the Emerald Key’.

She says a number of her grandchildren certainly appear in the book, with a few sharing the same names as the characters. The creation of the book has certainly been a family affair with her ‘beautiful granddaughter’ Sarah even creating the striking front cover illustration.

In short the fantasy itself follows the tale of the unruly child Katy who, with guidance from her Great Aunt Agatha, ultimately finds the right path to follow before herself being propelled to another dimension and planet on a mission to rescue trapped souls from an evil leader.

The story is brimming with magic, fantasy and adventure and while appealing to children will also appeal to adults too.

The tale also lends itself to a whole series and Doreen, who was herself a young mum in Hattersley after moving there from Ardwick in the mid 1960s, reveals she is already penning her second book in the adventure series.

Her advice for all authors to be?

“There is nothing you cannot do in this life if you try and we all have a book in us,” she said.

The saying certainly rings true - and it’s likely Doreen already has two! 

You can order a copy of Katy and the Emerald Key, by Rena Knox, on Amazon priced £9.99, or it is available on Kindle too for a lower price.

It has already attracted five star reviews, including ‘it’s a story of life, adventure, energy and truths, a cross between Celestine Prophecy and Tracey Beaker... it would make an amazing CCTV series’ plus ‘fantastic for kids and adults alike... I hope there’s a follow-up.’

Read more from the Tameside Reporter

Click here for more of the latest news

Click here to read the latest edition of the paper online

Click here to find out where you can pick up a copy of the paper