SOMETIMES truth is stranger than fiction.

And that was certainly the case for a former Lymm author whose debut novel turned into something semi-autobiographical.

Stephanie Lawless set her book, Chasing Squirrels in Retrospect, in Warrington and although the main character Georgia is fictional many of the incidents in the story occurred in Stephanie’s life.

Two of the main plot points involve a puzzling case of fraud and dealing with the death of an aunt after she is diagnosed with leukaemia – and both are true to life.

"As I started writing it, various things went on in my life so the book just continued to morph," said Stephanie.

"I discovered that someone had stolen my great aunt Dorothy’s life savings when she was in her early 90s.

"So in the book it goes through what happened, how the police and fraud teams were involved and how it eventually went to Warrington Crown Court at the end.

"I also had an auntie in London called Jennifer who is in the book. I was really close to her and she sadly developed leukaemia."

But Stephanie, who lived in Albany Road, Lymm, turned the experiences into something uplifting through her writing.

"The book is actually really positive," added the 35-year-old.

"It doesn’t sound like it is but the whole point of it is that although these things happen it’s how you can stagger out the other side and look for the positives in things that happen when they don’t really go your way."

The parallels with Stephanie's life do not end there because the main character Georgia works for a diabetes charity in Warrington just like she did.

Stephanie was a regional fundraiser for Diabetes UK's Winwick Street branch for four and a half years.

She said: "I wanted the charity angle because the work of a fundraiser is such a fantastic job and you really do meet lovely people and absolute lunatics as well.

"So in terms of material it’s great but I think it’s good to have a different element to a book where the main character's job is to help other people.

"So there is a bit of a moral tilt I suppose but it’s entirely written in a fun way and not in a preachy way because I’m not like that at all."

Chasing Squirrels also features a love story...of sorts.

After being single for many years, Georgia thinks she has met the man she has been waiting for but she calls it off when she realises he is attached.

"That part is mainly fictional but the thought of it came from something which happened," Stephanie added.

Stephanie told Weekend she hopes the way the 'love story' is handled and the serious issues in the book challenge readers' perceptions of women's lit.

She spent eight years working on the novel after learning her craft from Warrington horror writer Conrad Williams.

Stephanie, who currently works for Dogs for the Disabled in Northamptonshire, said: "I didn’t want it to be one of those novels with lipstick and high heeled shoes on the cover or like every other book where at the end you go ‘I knew they'd get together’.

"Most of my colleagues have bought the book. I think they felt obliged. But one of them said to me I think you’re very brave what you’ve done, exposing your soul.

"I hadn’t really thought about it before because I’d be writing it for so long so in a way when it got published it didn’t feel very real.

"It isn’t all true but a lot of it is and it is quite a scary thing as there’s stuff in there most people probably wouldn’t tell others but I’ve done it now!"

DAVID MORGAN