TIMPERLEY author Graham J Wood was inspired to write his first novel after his teenage daughter had surgery for a serious heart condition.

The 46-year-old said 50 per cent of the proceeds from Zein, will go towards helping two very good causes.

He said any money raised will be divided between Ronald McDonald House and Alder Hey Hospital Trust - as a way of saying thank you for the care and support his daughter Becky received there.

The charities will receive half the royalties for the first three years after publication and the rest will go towards Becky’s education.

Graham said the novel which is aimed at “people who like science fiction” is the first in a series of three trilogies .

He said: “My book is about an alien race who are fleeing from their own planet - they are being pursued by an indigenous race on their own planet. They don’t want to conquer earth but we’re quite aggressive.”

Writers who are launching their careers are always advised to write about what they know and Graham has certainly followed that piece of advice when writing Zein.

He said: “A lot of it on earth is based in Altrincham and Old Trafford football ground. There a massive battle at Old Trafford, with 76,000 people being attacked. There’s a lot of epic battles, involving this group of 18 and 20 year olds who are fighting back against these baddies.”

Ronald McDonald House is a facility that enables families to be close to children being treated at Alder Hey.

Becky, now 15, attends Altrincham Grammar School for Girls and said her dad’s decision to take up writing was “amazing.”

* The provisional launch date for the book is February 3 and it will be available from amazon.co.uk. The paperback is £7.99 and the ebook is priced at £4.99.