A former Ashby author has released a novel based on the conversations she heard while working in a hair salon.

Caroline Hood's Marriage, Friends and Lovers tells the story of Rak Banerjee, a respected businessman and Charlie Worthing, owner of the local hair salon in 'Upper Loughton', who have a chance encounter that threatens to destroy both their marriages and local images.

Now living in Woodville, Caroline admits she did not think the book would go any further than her laptop.

She said: "I owned and managed my own hair salon in Leicester, the city where I grew up, and we moved to North West Leicestershire in 2007, then to Woodville in 2009. 

"In the salon, I recall I used to enjoy the conversations with my clients and all the gossip.

"So, in September 2021, on a wet Friday afternoon, I decided to see if I could cobble together a story. 

"I had envisaged the characters for such a long time, this idea was more about therapy for myself than actually writing a book to sell. I never imagined it would leave my laptop.

"I've always enjoyed writing and being creative. I had an idea to write Marriage, Friends and Lovers quite a while ago, however I never really started the project, it was always just a fleeting thought."

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Caroline described the thought process of writing the story.

She added: "My first step was to draw the map of Upper Loughton, very freehand I might add, and also make brief notes of all the characters, the personalities of this fictional village. 

"This included their names, marital status, height, eye colour and so on. I did not want to find myself having to refer back to the story each time I wanted to recall a feature of someone. The map I have attached is a later version, given a more professional look by a friend of mine and graphic designer, Karen Hall. 

"Then the writing began… and why not start in the pub? After all, it was a Friday! I was amazed how the ideas sprang out of my head and translated onto the page. I found I was actually enjoying writing, and it was cheaper than therapy!

"I carried on writing and took every opportunity to create another chapter, another scene in Upper Loughton.

"The entire odyssey has been a mixture of enjoyment, excitement, terror, sleepless nights, however, most of all, smiles and laughter.

"As a writer, I find I inhabit two worlds; the world of Upper Loughton, which is a welcome solitude and the world of book promotion and decision making, which involves working with numerous people as well as trusting my gut instinct. I have been known to comment 'writing is the easy bit'.

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"I would love for people to enjoy the dramas and every day, shall we say, ups and downs, of Upper Loughton? I know I certainly enjoyed creating this fictional village and its residents."

If you want to buy a copy of Caroline's book, go to her website HERE.