A YORK author who won Richard and Judy’s Search For A Bestseller competition will have her novel published next month.

Tracy Rees is a member of York Writers and spoke at the York Literature Festival on Saturday, and won the competition last year for her novel Amy Snow.

The book is set in the 19th Century and is about an orphan searching for clues and a secret inheritance, and will be published on April 9 by Quercus.

Tracy, 43, is a Cambridge graduate with a degree in Modern and Medieval Languages, and has previously had poems shortlisted in the Ryedale Literary Festival.

She said: “I am absolutely over the moon. This is a dream-come-true for me. I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember.

“Focusing on writing the novel has been a joy and proved to me that this is my true vocation. I’ve absolutely loved every minute of it.”

Judy Finnegan said: “Our heartfelt congratulations go to Tracy. Her writing was exceptional, the story compelling and we couldn’t help but fall in love with Amy Snow.

“We are very proud to be helping Tracy launch what will be, I’m sure, a very successful career as a novelist. We wish her the very best of luck.”