DESPITE battling with Multiple Sclerosis for the last four decades an Evesham grandmother has found a way to escape the everyday pain through her writing.

Dorothy Mitchell, of Leicester Grove in Evesham, has been writing for around 20 years and has so far had 14 books ranging from historical romances to children's fantasy published.

Writing is important to the 75-year-old for many reasons including the escapism it provides her with from her illness and the chance to get away from the mundane.

And she is still going strong having recently published her latest novel, Secret of the Tree.

She said: "I have had MS since I was in my late 30s. I started writing about 20 years ago, poetry at first, and I began to self publish some material. Now I have a literary agent, Darin Jewell.

"I have always had this feeling in me that I could tell things and say things."

While always knowing she wanted to spend her time writing Mrs Mitchell left school at a young age and went on to have a family leaving her too busy to put pen to paper.

"I left school at 14, as you did then," she said. "I was rubbish at arithmetic but I used to be able to do a little bit writing. But life goes on and I had my two sons and now I have seven grandchildren."

Mrs Mitchell then lost her husband aged 58 but found solace in the church.

"I was devastated. A friend said to come to church and there I met an old work colleague who had lost his wife. Now we are married."

Today the pensioner spends her time writing.

"I have MS days but I rule it, it doesn't rule me. Some days I feel rotten but I come up to my computer and get on with it, it's an escapism for me. I love my time up here and I can get away from the mundane. Stories just come to me and I love it."

Mrs Mitchell's latest book, Secret of the Tree, published by Austin Macauley, explores the lives of fairies and elves which live underneath a magnolia tree in her garden, which the author says were spotted by her granddaughter.

To buy the book visit http://bit.ly/1ga5Hpq.