AN author has scored a publishing deal with her hat-trick of romantic stories revolving around football.

Michelle Betham, from Crook, has signed a three-book deal with HarperImpulse, the romance branch of Harper Collins, for her Striker series.

The stories, which are being released to coincide with the World Cup, are based against a backdrop of professional football and involve a love triangle between a star centre forward, the manager and a TV news reporter.

Ms Betham, who published eight of her own novels before being signed up by Harper Collins, said the Striker idea came about when her husband was watching Euro 2012.

The 45-year-old writer said: “There is so much football everywhere during a major tournament you just can't avoid it.

“I started writing Striker and quickly recognised it was more than just one novel, and mapped out the trilogy pretty much straight away.

“I wasn't too sure about writing it as a football story, but when I started researching story lines, I realised it was a perfect fit, as nothing in professional football is too far-fetched”.

Although Striker is set at a top flight Tyneside-based club who challenge for major honours, it was Sunderland AFC who were instrumental in assisting Ms Betham during her writing.

She said: “I can't praise Sunderland enough for letting me see behind the scenes and day-to-day operations, they were brilliant.”

Striker was released on June 5, Extra-Time will be launched on July 3 and Final Score on August 7.