A LAUNCESTON author is pleased to be launching her first book later this month, telling the humorous stories of encounters with different characters in her day-to-day life.

Although the book is based on real events that author Elaine Bennett has encountered on a daily basis, the characters mentioned are fictional, and are not based on anyone in particular — except her sister, who was surprised to receive a mention!

Elaine, 57, lived in Launceston for the last 20 years and is now a newly published local author. She only began writing in 2016 following her divorce and redundancy from Cornwall Council in 2014 after a career in housing spanning over 22 years.

Originally from Lancashire, Elaine was inspired after a friend and colleague at her current job as a general services assistant in Launceston Hospital, encouraged her to write all her funny goings-on down. She started up her Facebook blog page Battenberg and Banter, which now has just over 900 followers.

Elaine posts humorous stories on the page every Monday and then does a ‘meet the author’ interview each Wednesday.

Elaine is now very ‘excited and proud’ to have just published her first book at the end of September, called Battenberg and Banter ‘Let’s Go Blogging’ — a humorous collection of stories featuring odd characters, and those who may just seem a little familiar.

Elaine said: “I was inspired to write by a friend after they read a couple of pieces I had written in 2016. Shortly after this I set up my Facebook blog page so I could use this as a platform to deliver my stories, which I post every Monday at 10am.

“My inspiration comes from the need to create and write something funny, that people can read. It will cheer them up, make them smile or laugh, and allow them to escape from the stressful reality of every day life. Inspiration for my stories comes from every day life situations and the funny things that happen around us.”

Writing has helped Elaine to turn a negative time in her life — her redundancy and divorce — into something positive that she could learn from and use to bring happiness to others, whilst overcoming it herself. Since she started writing, the desire to write is so strong now that she takes a notebook and pen to bed with her every night in case she wakes up with an idea in her head.

Elaine hopes to publish book two in spring 2019, and other future ambitions including writing a funny sitcom, completing her ‘two works in progress’ — a biography for a friend and a children’s story called ‘Peppermint Lane’, and to develop a full-time career in writing.

Elaine added: “It’s given me so much confidence. I was a very confident person before in my old job at Cornwall Council, but everything that happened with my redundancy and divorce — it was a lot to deal with. I feel that writing has given me the confidence I once had again.”

Elaine admits that her ‘people-watching’ skills have been a great source of inspiration for her stories, and is hoping her book will bring a smile to people’s faces.

She said: “I’m really, really excited for the book launch now. Nobody really knows me around here, so it will be great to get to know people at the launch. I just want to make people laugh.”

A book launch and signing event will take place at Launceston Tourist Information Centre in the White Hart Arcade on November 22, from 11am until 1.30pm.

There will be free drinks, nibbles and a raffle, plus the chance to chat to Elaine about her new book.