BEST-SELLING Black Country author Miranda Dickinson's new novel hits the book stores today (Thursday).

I'll Take New York is the popular romantic writer's last novel for Avon (part of HarperCollins) - and it reunites readers with characters from her 2009 debut novel Fairytale of New York.

Tipped as another Sunday Times bestseller, the story follows Brooklyn bookstore owner Bea James and broken-hearted psychiatrist Jake Steinmann, who meet at an engagement party for leading Fairytale characters Rosie and Ed where they bond over their dislike of relationships.

Miranda said: "The reaction has been really positive because there's a lot of people that loved the first book.

"It's rewarding readers who have stuck with me for six years. It's a feel good love story that's perfect to curl up with on a cold winter's evening. Bea and Jake make a pact to never get involved with anyone ever again but their love of New York brings them together. They go to a lot of places like the Empire State Building and Grand Central Station.

"It feels like a significant book as it's the end of an era.

"The next one will be different."

Miranda, who has sold around 750,000 copies of her novels over the last six years and seen them translated into six different languages, said: "Avon have been brilliant - they've given me my start. I wouldn't be writing today if they hadn't discovered me - it's been a really exciting six years."

But the 41-year-old author, who grew up in Kingswinford, has now signed a new three-book six-figure deal with publishing giant Pan Macmillan after a three-way publishing auction just before her daughter Florence was born in March - and she's already written the first draft for her next novel which will be another romantic tale but with a touch of suspense.

She's also involved in a host of other online writing projects for fun including the National Novel Writing Month which challenges authors across the world to pen a novel in a month; and she also runs a writers' group from her home in Lower Gornal.

I'll Take New York is available from all major High Street and online book sellers including Waterstones at Merry Hill where Miranda recently deposited a number of signed copies.