TWO Barry women are hoping to knock the best selling Fifty Shades of Grey’s sales into submission with their own erotic trilogy.

Jan Harvey and Sian Jones, have teamed up under the pen name Harvey Jones, to write Hook Up – which is billed as “a groundbreaking novel which challenges stereotypical ideas about love and relationships, gender identity and sexuality.”

The novel celebrates life in all its diversity, promoting the idea that everyone should be allowed to be free to express their own desires — as long as they are not hurting others – and carer Jan and retired teacher Sian have, like ‘Shades’ author E L James had, a trilogy of books in mind.

The friends met when Jan became Sian’s carer when she was ill and the pair regularly meet and discuss ideas at Coffee Cove, Barry Island, which also features in the book.

Mum-of-two Jan, 63, of Barry, said: “I’m just going to write a book and you are going to help me and that’s where it started and it just progressed. I would describe it as an erotic romance.

“50 Shades was a kick up the arse. We could write better than that. This is well written I think.”

Hook Up took around six months to write – mainly on a mobile phone with waking up at 3am with ideas being a writing process feature.

“I have just got a vivid memory. It’s life, it’s talking to people. “

The book follows Macy as she unlocks a whole new world of daring sexual exploits, adventures and acceptance.

She meets Tobias, a young architect who, like her, is on a journey of self-discovery.

Together with friends, they discover a new way of life where everyone is accepted and are free to be who they are instead of conforming to societal norms.

Mum-of-one Sian, 57, of Barry, said: Macy encourages him and enables him to grow. The book is encouraging people to be more open.”

The sequel, Legacies, is due to be published in the autumn and the duo are currently working on the third novel in the series.

Hook Up was launched at Coffee Cove with £50 collected for the Barry Dock RNLI lifeboat.

Hook Up costs £5.99 and is available from www.rowanvalebooks.com and amazon.