A 67-year-old woman from Dorchester is proving that it's never too late to follow your dreams as her debut novel is published. 

Tess Burnett's gothic thriller and historical mystery The Hanging of Hettie Gale will be published by Bloodhound Books on Monday, October 7. 

It is set in The Moor - a fictional setting primarily inspired by Dartmoor but also combining elements of rural Dorset. 

Tess said: "I have lived in Dorset on and off for years. Adding that rural element was very important to me. Rural Dorset is beautiful and it speaks to me a lot and it definitely inspired some of the setting."

In 1971, Tess moved to Weymouth, aged 15 at the time, and attended Weymouth Grammar School.

She later attended Bournemouth & Poole College of Art where she met her husband in 1976. The couple have been married for 43 years and have three daughters together.  

Tess currently works as a medical secretary at Dorset County Hospital, but has always dreamt of becoming an author.

She submitted The Hanging of Hettie Gale to the Dorchester Literary Festival where she won the local writers award. This gave her the confidence to pursue her passion and subsequently submitted the story to the publisher Bloodhound Books, who offered her a contract. 

Now Tess wants budding writers of any age to give it a go. 

She added: "You're never too old to do something you really want to do and follow your dreams. I really wanted to be a writer but I've not had the confidence or the time. 

"Winning the Dorchester Literary Festival gave me that self-belief I needed to give it a go and I really hope others will go for it as well."

Tess Burnett headshotTess Burnett headshot (Image: Tess Burnett)

The novel has a dual timeline - changing between the 1700s and the present day. It follows Hettie, a young girl living in the countryside who, after suffering a lifetime of abuse, finally finds happiness with her young son.

However, following an encounter with a group of soldiers she is judged to be guilty of the murder of her son.

​In the present day, a young woman called Alice travels to same place to search for her missing cousin, but becomes obsessed with Hettie's story and the feeling that Hettie was hanged for a crime she didn’t commit.

By setting the story in these two time periods, Tess hopes to convey a strong message of female empowerment.  

She said: "The theme is that women have always been strong and dealt with oppression in various forms over the centuries. 

"There are moments in the story that are quite shocking. Life was so hard for Hettie and she had to persevere and be strong. The other character Alice seeks justice to have her name cleared which I think is very empowering."

The Hanging of Hettie Gale is available to pre-order through Amazon as an ebook and paperback.