A former Gazette reporter who secured publishing deals around the world for her first novel is celebrating the launch of her paperback.

Chloë Mayer, who worked at this newspaper from 2011 until 2013, saw her book The Boy Made of Snow published as a hardback a year ago.

The novel, which is due out in America next month, won rave reviews from critics.

The tale ends in tragedy and murder and revolves around a mother and her young son who befriend a German Prisoner of War in 1944.

Chloë said: “I absolutely loved working for the Hackney Gazette and meeting all the locals I got to know over the years.

“But I also wanted to write a novel one day. So after work I’d go home and turn on my laptop to write my book into the wee hours. It took a few more years, and was pretty exhausting, but I finished it eventually.

“I didn’t really believe it would ever be published, so this past year has been a dream come true.

“I’ll never forget the first time I saw my books displayed on a table in Waterstones. I was close to tears.”