A “HAUNTINGLEY beautiful” novel set in 1970s Ireland has been launched by a Guiseley woman.

The Book of Moons is the debut novel of Kayla ‘K M ‘Herbert, who is originally from Canada.

The young adult novel was longlisted for an award in 2018 and earlier this year was picked up by Otley-based publishing house Fisher King Publishing.

The book, which has already made it onto multiple Amazon bestseller lists, was launched earlier this month.

Set in Ireland in the 1970s, it follows the story of sixteen-year-old Kathy who is on the run from a convent orphanage and finds herself in a camp of Irish Travellers. Reviewers have called it “hauntingly beautiful” and “an intriguing blend of worlds, revolving around the relationships, past, present and future, that bind us”.

Kayla said: “I’m delighted to see the positive feedback so far for The Book of Moons. It was a pleasure to research and write. It means a lot to share this with my local community. I hope this story brings some comfort and entertainment to my readers in these trying times.”

The Book of Moons was released on June 5 by Fisher King Publishing. It is available from Amazon in paperback and Kindle, or online from local bookshops.

Kayla’s book was longlisted in Adventures in Fiction’s 2018 New Voices competition.

By day, Kayla is a trained marketer turned tech entrepreneur. Her app, Branswer, which was shortlisted for multiple awards, helps other marketers and business owners write better content. In 2018 it went through to the regional shortlist for the NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards. Past winners include David Buttress of Just Eat and Julie Deane of The Cambridge Satchel Company.

Last year she launched her debut poetry collection, Between the spaces, with illustrator, Sussi Louise Smith.The postcard sized collection examines the spaces between who we are and the stories we tell ourselves. In 12 poems and paintings, Kayla and Sussi explore the loss of an adolescent past, the longing for a future, and the magic we find along the way.