A MOTHER has realised her dream of writing and publishing a children’s book.

Author Rachel Redshaw took a break from a career as a human resources director to concentrate on her ambition of writing stories for little ones earlier this year.

Now the 40-year-old, who has two children of her own, has released her first book, The Gami Twins.

It is the story of five children who find themselves in a magical land made from paper where they meet two giant twins, Ora and Ori.

The rhyming text is aimed at children aged three to eight and the book is illustrated by artist Simon Goodway.

Mrs Redshaw, who is originally from Birtley, near Chester-le Street, said: “Seeing my work in print for the first time was one of the best experiences.

“You have it in draft form and then, when it is in colour with the pictures, it is like reading a new story for the first time.

“It is really exciting and my children love it.”

Mrs Redshaw, who is inspired by famous authors such as Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl and Julia Donaldson, now lives in Morpeth with her husband, Lee, 47, and her children Charlotte, seven and four-year-old Luke.

But until February this year she had spent almost two decades working in human resources for companies in the North-East and Liverpool.

She said: “I have always been creative and always enjoyed writing, even in an HR job I was seen as the creative one.

“I needed the chance to do the writing I had done when I was a lot younger and in college.

“Previously I had been doing it is as an outlet or a hobby because the job was quite intense technically.

“The only way I could see it moving from being on paper to fully published was to take time out and focus on it for a few months.”

Mrs Redshaw has more stories about The Gami Twins in mind and has another book, The Last Wishy Fluff, ready for release in spring next year.

She said: “This was the first one I wrote actually and was something I had in my brain for a few years, so was easier to get out.

“The Gami Twins was completely made up, so from storyboarding it, to writing chapters, to rhyming up the couplets and finding an illustrator has probably taken a good couple of years. It is much more complicated than you might think.”

Mrs Redshaw is hoping to visit schools and events to promote The Gami Twins in the near future.

She said: “I see it as something I can do a bit of a series with, but my overall aim is to have something that complements normal school work, something that triggers imagination and storytelling.

“It is about a land where everything is made from paper so I think the whole premise of the book allows it to be quite creative from a craft perspective.

“Making things linked to the book using origami could be part of some of the events I want to do and over time is what my website will include.

“Children learn through visuals, storytelling and crafts so if we combine the three together it will make a great learning experience for kids and keep them entertained.”

The Gami Twins is available on Amazon and costs £6.99.

To find out more visit rachelredshaw.com