AFTER turning to writing as a way to express her emotions, a woman from Weaverham has now published her debut novel.

Jodie Griffiths’ book, Out of Hibernation: The Creatures, is now available to buy on Amazon, years after the idea came to her in a dream.

The story is a crime thriller and follows a detective’s journey as they try to uncover the mystery surrounding the body of a girl discovered in the Peak District.

It was a project Jodie started during lockdown.

“I never intended to be a writer, it was just something that came out of nowhere and a way I felt I could write down my feelings and emotions, but developed it into a story,” she explained.

“It took a good year to two years of constant writing; I then dropped it for a year because other things in life took over and I didn’t find the time to pick it back up.

“Once I was on maternity leave, I found the time again and was determined to finally get it out there and finished.”

And Jodie has published the book under a pen name.

She said: “I used the name Robyn J Hunter because I never initially thought I'd put my face to it, fearing it would be a failure.

“When I would experience panic attacks or anxiety attacks if I had to go somewhere or interact with people, I'd take on a new persona who was a very confident girl who could talk to anyone and everyone.

“I named her Robyn, so Robyn was a part of my personality I used to help me overcome difficult social interactions.

“J is for my initial and I researched that many pen names coincide with the type of book you’re writing.

“So, because this book genre is a crime thriller, some aspects of the book made Hunter a realistic pen name. 

“I do plan to write more; this book is just first of what I hope to be a series.

“It’s a mysterious, ‘whodunit’ murder, where I have left the ending completely open for interpretation and enough foundation to continue and elevate the story and characters more.”

You can find out more about the book by visiting robynjhunter.com and searching for the book on Amazon.