An aspiring author has achieved her life-long dream of publishing her very first book.

Annika Perry, 49, has launched a collection of 21 short stories and poems in her book, The Storyteller Speaks.

Mrs Perry, who formerly worked as an administrator in the timber trade, says writing has always been a lifelong ambition of hers and the publication of the book has fulfilled a lifelong dream.

She said: “I have always wanted to take up writing ever since I was ten years old life and its events have happened in between but I never gave up on writing. Now this dream has come true and my first book has been published. I am overjoyed.”

Mrs Perry’s writing career began back in 2014, when she came first in a competition run by Writing magazine.

Her winning story features in her first book, which she says has already received 11 five-star reviews on Amazon in both the UK and in America.

Mrs Perry, who lives with husband Michael and son Sammy along Greenways in Gosfield, is now close to completing her second book, a full-length novel, which she hopes will be published later this year.

She added: “I’m so excited about everything that lies ahead at the moment. I guess you could say I’ve been flying high these past three months.

“I want to set up a publishing company in the future. I have also written two children’s books which I need to find illustrators for.

“There’s a lot to do but I can’t wait to carry on writing and working on my books.”

The Storyteller Speaks is available to buy at Amazon for £2.79 for Kindle or £6.99 for the paperback. It is also available to borrow from the Little Book Cafe, Hedingham Road, Halstead.