An author and her writing partner sister celebrate the launch of their first novel this Saturday.

Pam Burks, from Reigate, and her sister Lorraine Campbell will be signing copies of their debut novel, How to Survive Your Sisters, at Waterstones in The Belfry shopping centre, Redhill.

They have written the 400-page contemporary women's fiction offering together under the joint pseudonym of Ellie Campbell.

But the team-up on a story over sisterly rivalry is not just a twist on art imitating life.

Pam and Lorraine wrote the novel while being thousands of miles apart.

Pam, who is married with three children, divides her time between writing, family life, an allotment and part-time work at East Surrey College in Redhill.

Lorraine lives in Colorado with her husband, three horses and a dog.

Despite the miles, Pam said: "We are very close and always have been very close, but have not always lived in the same area.

"We probably decided about two years ago to write a novel together."

Between them they have had more than 140 short stories published internationally in magazines but would often turn to each other for help in their writing when they had such problems as writer's block.

Pam said their transatlantic team-up had all been accomplished online by email, Skype and on the phone.

She said: "We are much better doing it online. Sometimes you need a bit of space to think about an idea."

With the time difference too, one of them will often finish writing for the day as the other starts and picks up where her sister has left off.

Pam said they were far less likely to have disagreements too.

She said: "We talk on the phone a lot but I think email has been the best thing.

"I think we'd kill each other if she lived round the corner."

Pam and Lorraine, the youngest of four daughters, will be signing copies of the novel at Waterstones from 11am to 1pm and at Bookworms of Reigate at The Pavilion, Priory Park, Reigate, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. Website: www.elliecampbellbooks.com