AN author who came to live in Skipton after falling in love with the area has just published his second novel.

Thirty-five-year-old John Ashton was born and bred in Wakefield but decided to move to the ‘Gateway to the Dales’ on a day visit with his girlfriend two years ago.

His new novel ‘Hunter,’ which he describes as: “ultimately a dark thriller, with supernatural elements laced throughout,” is available in both book form and on Kindle.

John, who is a support worker, said: “ I always wanted to be a writer since my early teens when reading works by Dean Koontz and Stephen King.

“But it wasn’t until 2006 that I started do something about it. I began a fantasy story, ‘Crystal Castle,’ but shelved it after penning only ten pages.

“Ten years later, while travelling in the UK and Europe with my girlfriend, I dusted the story off and completed it, getting it published at the end of 2016. That novel, like ‘Hunter’, has elements that are only hinted at, which leaves readers to use their own imaginations a little, as I think too many things these days, whether it be books or films, are spoon-fed to people. I moved to Skipton after me and my girlfriend had visited for the day a couple of years ago and loved the place and area, relocating after she moved up north.”

John added that he spends a lot of his time coming up with ideas for his stories and that ‘Hunter ‘ is “ the very bes”t work he can come up with currently. He has also just completed work on the first draft of his third novel, which he describes as “a full-on horror story,” currently going under the working title of ‘Highden Manor.’

John said: “The villain of ‘Hunter’, Jack Hunter, is one of those suave, charismatic bad guys who, despite being pure evil, is actually a breath of fresh air to write. Creating a good villain gives you complete freedom as a writer, and it becomes a joy to actually mould their personality and dialogue.

“Writers who claim that their views and opinions never seep into their writing are lying to themselves because it does, and to be honest, it’s a great way to exorcise some demons. But it’s also a fantastic, almost therapeutic way to run wild if you want to get something off your chest! The tiniest observation in daily life often ignites a spark inside my head. I guess I just absorb a lot and then process things through my own slightly warped imagination. I’m currently writing short stories at the moment and got one published this month, The Deer, which was a big thrill.”

l 'Hunter' is available in paperback and Kindle formats at amazon.co.uk/John-D.-Ashton/e/B01M6BPIPV