AFTER a hard day's work, a night in front of the soaps was not enough to keep Wilf Voss entertained.

Instead, as darkness drew in, he would go to his office where his inspiration would flow.

And as the 34-year-old bashed away on his keyboard, rattling out more and more words, the first-time author knew he could be on to a winner.

His novel Stable Escape is hitting the shelves in bookshops across the country and he says he has well and truly caught the writing bug.

By day Mr Voss, who is married to 31-year-old Jane and has a 10-month-old son Sam, works as a marketing manager for the British Computer Society.

But it was his lifelong hobby of horseriding that sparked his creative side.

"I think I learned to ride and walk at the same time," he said.

"I have always enjoyed riding and have been to a number of different riding schools.

"And I spent some time working at a school so I know what they are about."

He added: "Generally there are three types of books about horses.

"You have the first, Jill and her pony type books, which always have a gymkhana in them somewhere.

"Then you have the Dick Francis books about racing and then of course there are the Jilly Cooper novels.

"But there wasn't anything out there that people at a riding school could relate to.

"So I decided to add a fourth genre myself."

Set at the Redbridge Riding Centre in the heart of the Devon countryside, not all is as it seems in the novel.

One of the staff is attacked and another suddenly disappears and a desperate search is launched to save her life.

The fast-paced thriller takes the reader from the heart of Dartmoor to London in a race against time.

"I hope to have captured the essence of life at a country riding school, as well as an exciting story line," said Mr Voss.

He added: "Lots of interesting things happen at riding schools and they are all about good honest hard work."

It has taken about three years for Mr Voss's ideas to be turned into print.

"It's the ideas that take the most time," he said.

"Once I knew what direction I was going in I was off. I would say from start to finish the book took about a year to write.

"I then had to wait until it was published, which also takes time."

But he is hoping he can now get his next book on the shelves as quickly as possible.

"From pilot sales so far, people have asked when the next book will be out and I hope it will be soon," he said.

"It will be set at the same riding school but this time the novel will take on a supernatural theme."

More information about the book is available from www.redbridgenovel.co.uk