A 'BRILLIANT' author from Weston is said to be 'smashing it' with the release of her third thriller.
Steph Hurne, writing under the name S.M. Thomas, is a 35-year-old mother of two who has been writing since she was a little girl.
On Thursday, September 1, she met with friends and family at Loves Cafe, in Grove Village, to launch her latest self-published novel, The Diseased.
"It's a thriller suspense that follows the struggle of a woman who can't find any trace of her husband when she wakes up in hospital," Steph said.
"I've been wanting to write a mystery for a while and the idea for this book came about through lockdown in 2020.
"I'm so overjoyed with how it's all turned out and being able to physically hold my work in my hands is terrifying - it feels even better when it's on the bookshelves.
"The novel is dedicated to my grandad Joe, who actually features as a character too."
The Diseased is centered around Paige Hanson, a brilliant scientific researcher, and three key women in her life. Her best friend and fellow researcher Violet, her uptight and controlling mother-in-law Regina, and her cult leader mother Di.
All of the women are flawed in their own individual ways, with differing personalities. Their backstories are then revealed when Paige tries to locate her missing husband and solve the mystery he left behind.
As Paige investigates the enigma, she discovers a conspiracy nobody can explain.
It's not the first book Steph has written, in 2018 she published The Light - and its sequel The Light 2- which are post-apocalyptic horrors that follow two siblings as they attempt to free the human race from 'the light'.
"It's been an extremely hard journey, with a lot of lessons learned along the way, but I couldn't have got to this point without the help from my dear friends," Steph added.
"They've proofread all my draft work, helped me set the story up and their encouragement has not gone unnoticed - thank you for joining me in this madness."
The 320-page book is available from all good retailers for £8.99, and as an e-book for £1.99.
The Diseased and Steph's other works can also be purchased directly from her website at www.smthomas.co.uk/diseased.
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