A De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) graduate is making the headlines after having her second novel published.
Carol Burns' latest work, Little White Lies, is a fast-paced comedy about a newspaper journalist trying to pull off the story of the century - without ending up dead!
The story is set in Leicester, the author's home town, in the days before Twitter when newspaper journalists broke the news and would go out on a limb for the front-page splash.
Like her protagonist Caitlin McCall, Carol began her career in regional newspapers and has drawn on her experiences as a journalist along with her time at DMU - where she studied for a Fine Art BA and Fine Art MA - for aspects of the book.
She said: "The novel is also set within a fictional university's research department, so my time at DMU was useful research, although the characters and storyline are a work of fiction."
Carol studied English at university in the West Midlands before training as a journalist, becoming health correspondent for the Leicester Mercury. However, her passion for fine art led to her studying for a second degree at DMU, while working freelance for a number of magazines.
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She said: "The university offered excellent facilities for fine artists, including staffed workshops and generous studio space. I was also impressed by the staff body who were all practising artists."
Carol particularly enjoyed the end-of-year shows and the university even bought a piece of her artwork for its collection, but there is no doubt about her DMU highlight.
She said: "I would have to say having my son during the second year! I managed to continue my studies, thanks to the supportive staff."
Now living in Cornwall, Carol continues to combine journalism with the arts. She is editor of Cornwall Life magazine, arts and interiors editor for a group of magazines in the South West and exhibits her artworks in both group and individual shows in addition to writing novels.
Of her second book, Carol said: "Little White Lies is a homage not only to the regional journalists who pulled out all the stops to get exclusive stories ahead of the competition, but also the fast-paced screwball comedies of the 1930s and 1940s.
"Newspapers are a great foil for stories - not only filled with great characters who would go after the best stories, but also offer a real insight into the different worlds that exist within our society from royalty to refugees. I can't honestly think of another job that gives you that level of access.
"I chose to set the novel in Leicester because it is a really dynamic - and too often ignored - city."
Little White Lies is published by Heddon Publishing and, along with Carol's debut novel Cover Story, is available in paperback and digital format at amazon.co.uk and good bookshops.
Posted on Friday 11 March 2016