INSPIRED by the courage of the students she met while working at a secondary school, Frocester-based author Jane Ryan wrote a thriller aimed at the young adult market – little did she know that her book would end up being part of a literacy drive in the USA.

But her self-published debut novel, Missing Dad – Wanted, is making waves in the US and the 64-year-old author is now hoping to secure a mainstream book deal for the three sequels to the spy story.

After 22 years in the motor advertising industry driving Bond-style luxury cars before penning thrilling copy, it was actually the day-to-day life of the teenagers she met at St Peter’s High School in Gloucester that inspired her to write a spy series.

The mum-of-three, who joined St Peter’s as a teaching assistant in the ICT department in 2005, said: “As I got to know the teenagers I worked with, I was blown away by their courage in very difficult situations. There were some who were in foster care, some who were caring for their own single parent and others who had lost siblings.

“Yet even though these young people had been dealt such a bad hand, they got on with their lives, and their mates really looked out for them.

“It was these twin themes of courage when something is deeply wrong with your life, and looking out for your mates, that inspired the Missing Dad series.”

Jane, who goes by the pen name J Ryan to avoid “any kind of gender bias” from potential readers, began writing the Missing Dad series nine years ago and went the self-publishing route with Matador.

Missing Dad – Wanted, about 16-year-old Joe St Aubin’s search for his secret agent father, was released in November and the book launch was held at St Peter’s, with the author donating 300 copies to the school where she is now a governor and member of the choir, after stepping down as a teaching assistant to focus on writing two years ago.

Unsurprisingly, the novel received rave reviews from the students, and their passion for the book has been shared by a radio station based in California which spotted Missing Dad’s potential to get young people interested in reading.

Storytellers Campfire Radio, which aims to improve literacy levels in the US, interviewed Jane for a 90-minute special which aired on December 1.

Such was the show's success, she is now embarking on a six-week tour to speak about the novel on air, which will take in California, Ohio, Florida, Washington State and New York, and also see her visiting schools to donate copies of her book and work with pupils.

“The response to the book has been fantastic so far,” said Jane, who lives in Frocester with her husband of 43-years Tony. “It’s definitely aimed at young adults but one critic said that anyone who enjoys a great crime thriller will like it. It’s an honour to know it’s helping young people.”

She added: “It’s almost impossible to get a book published as a new author these days, so I decided to go the self-publishing route. I’ve already written the three sequels and hope to secure a three-book deal with a mainstream publisher.”

Buy Missing Dad – Wanted at troubador.co.uk or amazon.co.uk