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Photo Caption reads: "SUCCESS: Leanne Shawler has released her first novel in the USA"

Leanne Shawler from Beresfield has realised her lifetime dream with the release of her first ever novel.

After years of continued effort in an extremely competitive market the former Francis Greenway High School student was offered a two-book deal, with the first of two romantic novels 'Dangerous To Know' already on the bookshelves in America.

Her mother Mrs. Lynn Richard is understandably delighted for her daughter and although she would prefer to celebrate with Leanne in person she is thrilled. "I am so pleased for her after all these years of trying, it's wonderful."

"She's always wanted to write and when she was a little girl she was always scribbling stories and writing poems, not for anyone in particular but just for her own pleasure."

Leanne 35, swapped Beresfield for California in June 1996 after a romantic meeting with her husband Dan on the internet that saw them married a year later -- a romantic scenario that wouldn't be out of place in her book.

Before Leanne was swept off her feet and moved to America she attended Francis Greenway High School and then studied at Newcastle University where she gained an honours degree in computer science. This led to a job at the university in the computer department and a career in computers beckoned, but while her career was taking off she hung onto her passion for writing.

"I went through phases of writing various things -- poetry and short stories mainly. I kept a diary, off and on, and had intense letter writing with a long distance pen pal, so I think I almost always had a pen in my hand for one reason or another," she said.

"I was always a big reader. Every two weeks, I'd go to Beresfield library and max out the number of books to borrow and lug them home. I couldn't afford to buy many books, so it was to the library I went. That's where I discovered Dorothy Dunnett, Pamela Belle and Katherine Neville, oh, and so many others."

Leanne is a great example of persistence in a demanding industry and credits her schooling as a good starting point.

"Francis Greenway was a pretty good breeding ground for writing, I worked on the school paper, the Greenway Groove and wrote stories with my friends. I had great teachers there too and I remember dressing up in bed sheets as togas for a Roman party when we studied Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar"."

Leanne finds inspiration everywhere but her love of Bath in England has certainly been a driving force. "I've been to England at least four times now and saved up for my first trip there as soon as I graduated from university. I went because I'd fallen in love with it through movies and mini-series and because my grandmother was Welsh. It has kept so much of its history while still being incredibly vibrant. My book that's due out in July, "Touched By Time" is set there."

Thanks to the Weekend Star for letting me "reprint" this article!