Ever wondered what you do if you won the lottery? Local woman explores the dilemma of winning in her debut novel, 'Time to Fly'

A Bedfordshire author has published her debut novel.

Helen Pond's ordinary life changes overnight when she wins an unexpected fortune. She must decide how to use her new-found wealth, while keeping her identity a secret. She turns to her best friend Ana, battling cancer, who urges her to embrace the new reality. With support from lottery advisors Ben and George, Helen starts to shape a plan - but when romance blossoms between her and Ben, things become far more complicated.

After another shock, Helen's world begins to unravel and she soon realises that secrecy comes at a price. A ruthless journalist is determined to expose her and, as the pressure mounts, she is forced to confront what real wealth means.

By navigating love, loss and the results of her decisions, will Helen discover what truly matters in life?

Lyn explains; "I always dreamed of being an author and now retired, I am able to fulfil that ambition.

'Time to Fly' covers love, loss and what really matters in life. It is inspired by my own thoughts of what I would do if I won the National Lottery. The idea came as I pondered whether to buy a midweek ticket for a National Lottery rollover. I imagined what I would buy and how I would want to help family, friends, and others less fortunate, but then I considered the pitfalls and drawbacks of winning big. I would want to keep my anonymity, like the character in my book, but if you want to help people, even family, that can be difficult. I hope the book will make people think about whether having money equates to happiness and spark an interesting debate. Many people have asked if the book is based on anyone I know or had I actually won. Well, like Helen, I would want to maintain my anonymity and secretly help others, so I obviously wouldn't confess, would I?"