Instructions for Heartbreak: Debut author from Chatton will release her first novel in January

Instructions for Heartbreak will be released in all major booksellers on January 30, coming into fruition after the Chatton-born author was long-listed for the Curtis Brown First Novel Award, for unpublished female writers.

Instructions for Heartbreak follows the lives of four female friends, who are supporting one character after she goes through an abrupt break-up from a lengthy relationship. The women decide to write a ‘heartbreak handbook’ before realising that it is useful for them all.

Sarah explained her journey to becoming a published author: "I grew up in Chatton, and went to school in Alnwick and Belford.

“I was a complete classic bookworm kid who made up stories from really on, I think my teachers would remember that about me – I always really enjoyed writing and that kind of creative outlet and its always been a part of my life.

On the inspiration behind the idea of the story, she said: "I started writing the book as a typical first novel, something happened to me in my personal life and that inspired it. “I'd been in a relationship for a big chunk of my 20's, and when that ended I was just reflecting quite a lot on heartbreak and what it is that gets you through it.

"So I had this moment where I thought, 'what if you wrote a novel that was stretched around this idea?’"

Sarah combines self-help with fiction, hoping that readers take away some real tips as well as enjoyment: “When you're going through something challenging, its comforting to know you're not alone and I think obviously reading fiction can do that because it is a reflection of how other people see the world.

“I hope it would have been very comforting for me to read this when I was going through these things, and it is essentially the book I would have wanted to read then and I would want to give someone now if they were heartbroken.”

Formerly a communications consultant, Sarah currently works as a government policy advisor. On why this was the right time to publish her work after years of writing as a hobby, she says: "If you have a creative hobby, its hard with work to try and work out what role its going to play in your life.

“Unless you're incredibly rich, it can be difficult to leave school or leave university and be like ‘right I’m going to sit down and be a novelist now’.

“I think for this, it was a feeling like this is a good commercial idea – I felt right from the beginning that, if I could do it justice and if I could write it well, then someone would be interested in publishing this.

Sarah describes what’s next: “This was a two-book deal, so I need to write a second novel for Pan-Macmillan which I am very grateful for and is very exciting - I’m working on that at the moment.”