HAIRDRESSER Alex Dimmock has defied the stereotype and written a novel that is already getting five-star reviews in the USA and Japan.
Selsdon snipper Mrs Dimmock, 26, of Coombe Road, South Croydon, wanted to find a way to keep herself from falling asleep while her toddler Fin was napping in the evenings.
Mrs Dimmock, who works at Carly O'Connor's hairdressers in Selsdon, started writing a book that would eventually become the first novel in a trilogy, which she has described as a "fantasy adventure romance".
She said: "I've always dabbled in writing since I was a kid but I would always run out of ideas or only half finish it.
"Then about a year ago my husband started up his own business and I was spending a lot of time on my own while Fin was asleep.
"I'm not really one for watching TV or anything so I started writing.
"When I tell people at the hairdressers that I've written a book they usually look at me as if to say it must be awful.
"I suppose most people don't expect a hairdresser to have written a book. But now lots of my customers have downloaded it on their Kindles and have told me how much they have enjoyed it."
Mrs Dimmock's book, The Collective, was self-published on Kindle and has already been read by people around the world who have given it rave reviews, despite the book only being released a week ago.
She said: "When the hairdressers is quiet we all read it on the laptop. I am proud, it's very strange.
"I used to write when I was so tired I didn't think I'd written it when I read it the next day.
"I have the whole trilogy mapped out and I'm halfway through writing the second one.
"I've been getting five-star reviews on Amazon, which is brilliant but strange. My goal is to get into the top 100 books on Kindle. I want it to be as big as Twilight.
"I'm a local girl so I really hope local people help me make it successful and enjoy the book."
