A BARNSTAPLE children's author has been nominated for a prestigious national award.

Laura Summers, 49, is one of nine finalists being considered for the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize for her debut novel Desperate Measures.

The book tells the tale of teenage siblings trying to stay together after their foster parents break-up, with narration alternating between brain-damaged Rhianna and her twin sister Vicky.

National book store Waterstone's, who organise the competition, described the book as "affecting, honest, and totally gripping".

The winner of the prize will scoop £5,000 at an awards evening held at Waterstone's Piccadilly in London on Wednesday, February 10.

Laura, a former teacher who moved to Barnstaple in 2001, is also a BAFTA-nominated writer of children's television series including The Story of Tracy Beaker and The New Worst Witch.

She explained that she drew on her own experiences of raising a disabled child to write the book.

She said: "I was aware that not many children's books had protagonists with disabilities.

"As this was something I had direct experience of, I felt I would be able to construct a fictional character who had an authentic voice.

"However, I didn't want to just write about disability.

" I wanted to create an exciting adventure story with plenty of humour and drama to appeal to as many readers as possible but at the same time create a story that would allow the reader to step into my characters' shoes and experience life from their viewpoint."

Laura said she was excited at being nominated for the Waterstone's award and also had some advice for budding writers in North Devon.

She said: "It feels absolutely fantastic to have been nominated for the award.

"I would say to anyone who has a love of creating stories to keep writing — you never know where it might lead."

For more information visit www.waterstones.com/wcbp.

● This is the blurb from Desperate Measures by Laura Summers:

Vicky and Rhianna are twins but they couldn't be more different. For their 14th birthday, Vicky wants a card from the hottest boy in school. Rhianna, brain-damaged at birth, wants a Furby. Instead they get a shock – their foster parents can't cope and it looks as if Vicky and Rhianna and younger brother Jamie will be split up. How can they stay together? Desperate times call for desperate measures.