Clayhall granny goes to university and gets a book deal
Tina Smith, 67 publised her book 'Dorcas and the rainbow corridor' as a ebook on Amazon. - Credit: Archant
A grandmother of three who says she never liked horror books has just published her debut novel about a vampire who is scared of blood.
Tina Smith, 67, of Clayhall decided to fulfil her ambition of going to university when she was 49 and spent 15 years perfecting her novel.
She studied writing, publishing and philosophy at Middlesex University and last Thursday published Dorcas and the Rainbow Corridor.
Tina said: “It’s a magical, mystical adventure which will make good reading through the summer holidays for teens.
“I had to do a horror module at university and I started off making it comic but then it got more serious. It’s good a good cliff hanger at the end of each chapter.”
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The book is about a girl studying at an occult college who befriends a garlic loving vampire who is scared of blood and cannot fly.
She then has to go on a 24 hour adventure to save his ghost from disappearing after he is killed.
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Tina said that she had always wanted to go to university but ended up doing a secretarial course which she found dull.
Her dreams of going to university were postponed once again after she had children and other commitments.
She said: “University was absolutely great. It was time for me. Sometimes I think older people give up and think I’m too old and don’t have it in me to do that. I think that’s a great shame.”
Tina said one of her friends went to university as a mature student and she thought if they could do it, she could too.
Tina said: “You have to have something to look forward to, it keeps you going and having something to achieve.”
She said that if the book is well received she has ended it on a cliff hanger so hopes to write a sequel.
Dorcas and the Rainbow Corridor is available for Kindle and costs £3.07 from Amazon.
