I’m a Celebrity and Bear Grylls inspire Leighton Buzzard author's new reality TV novel

A Leighton Buzzard author has penned a new story featuring old flames, Alaskan ice, and a message to warm readers' hearts - love survives!

Helen Buckley, 35, who lives near Rushmere Park Academy, describes her new book as old-fashioned love story, set in the world of reality TV.

Celebrity SOS: Love Survives will be published on July 27, and is the second title in her Spotlight series with publisher, Choc Lit.

Helen told the LBO: "When Katerina Murphy agrees to take part in Celebrity SOS, a reality TV show where celebrities have to fend for themselves in the Alaskan wilderness, she’s up for the challenge. But then she locks eyes with fellow contestant Finn Drayson of 1Dream boy band fame and realises that the show is going to push her further from her comfort zone than she ever imagined.

"After all, Finn wasn’t just Katerina’s co-star in the school play adaptation of Breakfast at Tiffany’s where she discovered her acting confidence, he was also her first love – and the first boy to break her heart. Even years later, the secret kisses and shared packets of crisps on park benches are never far from her mind.

"Will award-winning actress Katerina Murphy’s talents stretch to staying composed in the face of Arctic winds and blasts from the past?"

Helen's story was inspired by the television shows 'I’m a Celebrity' and 'Bear Grylls The Island', with the author enjoying survival and physical challenge genres.

"But I know I wouldn’t last five minutes as a contestant. I prefer to watch them snuggled on my sofa, eating chocolate!" she laughed.

As a fan of the shows, Helen asked herself a question: what if two of the contestants knew each other, and shared a secret past that they didn’t want revealed to the cameras? This gave her the idea for Celebrity SOS.

Helen said: "I really enjoyed writing their past and present stories, which are weaved into the book.

"The book at its heart is an old-fashioned love story, set in the world of celebrity and reality TV, about a couple who are drawn together and overcome all odds, of a first love given a second chance. The ultimate message of the book is in the title: Love survives."

The novel took Helen three months to write, and she enjoyed creating the dramatic Alaskan scenery, which "echoed the drama" of the characters, as well as the "sweetness" of writing a teenage romance.

Meanwhile, readers may remember Helen because she featured in the LBO during March when her first story in the Spotlight series, Strictly on Ice, was published.

Talking about her second book, Helen concluded: "As with all of my novels, you can expect drama, shock reveals, and slow-burn romance. I hope that readers will find it uplifting and enthralling."

To buy Celebrity SOS: Love Survives, visit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09799DYNZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1To find out more about Helen, visit: www.buckleybooks.orgReaders who sign up to Helen's newsletter will be able to download her free novella duo - https://BookHip.com/SVAKBZZTo read about Strictly on Ice, visit: https://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/news/people/skate-into-thrilling-new-page-turner-with-leighton-buzzard-authors-strictly-on-ice-3177700