The book tells how "innocent wee Scottish girl" Alison, who lives in Cumbernauld, decides to go to Barcelona after a bout of ill health and despite warnings from her mum, friends, family and doctors.

Writer and aerobics teacher Laura, who lives in Glasgow, said: "I wanted Alison to have not had a city experience.

"I wanted her to come from somewhere that's very different from Barcelona," she adds with considerable understatement.

The novelist lived in the Spanish city for a while, writing and researching a previous book, so acknowledges that she knows it well and says it is a very metropolitan, historical place.

"Some parts are very old – the Gothic Quarter is quite literally Gothic.

"I used to spend most of my time there indoors writing and it was driving me bonkers – I felt very trapped.

"Cumbernauld is very Scottish – it's very green and almost rural, and it has no history. It's brand new. And very rainy," she adds, a statement that nobody could disagree with after the last few months' weather.

"I wanted that huge contrast and in no way did I want to portray Cumbernauld negatively.

"I come from a new town myself – East Kilbride – so I wanted that new town experience to come across which hasn't really been properly developed."

Writing is something she was always interested in, dating back to when she was at school – and when she was a member of a theatre group at university she didn't mind writing up the scripts when nobody else wanted to.

And when she started writing books she says she loved creating her own world and characters.

"It's just you – there's no collaboration.

"It's quite a lonely existence living inside your own head, but I love it. I could not have picked a better job.

"I just want to be a big international best-seller," she laughs. "But it's not about the money – it takes a long time to write a book and I don't want to be massively rich, I just want lots of people to read it."

She is now about to embark on a world tour – part holiday, part research for future books and part promotion – around the USA, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

She says she has already had a good response to "My Best Friend Has Issues" since it went on sale in this country on Monday, August 4.

"It's really fun and exciting to find out what people think of your books so I'm looking forward to reading the reviews on Amazon."

Cumbernauld locations featured include Abronhill – and she has created a fictitious nightclub called Clancy's.

She has also worked on a radio play called "Sex For Volunteers" ("I didn't come up with the title" she protests) which is being broadcast on Radio 4 tomorrow (August 21) from 2.15 to 3pm.

Anyone thinking of becoming a novelist is advised by Laura to read as much as you can of the kind of books you like ("as many as you can get your hands on") – and she warns against trying to come up with the next Harry Potter or romance novel if that's not the kind of thing you enjoy reading.

"Stick to what you like reading and are interested in," Laura advises. "Join a writers' group and you can usually find out about them in your local library.

"If ten people read what you've written and are saying the same thing about a character then chances are they're right.

"Enjoy your writing and find a good place to write.

"Enjoy it and see it as a treat rather than a chore."

And does she entertain the possibility of basing another book here? Absolutely, she explains.

"I'm quite happy to set more books in Cumbernauld.

"It's an ideal place as it's a contemporary Scottish town and I think it's a great place for people to grow up.

"It's a lovely place and I would never say a bad word against it."

"My Best Friend Has Issues" is published by Black Swan retailing at £7.99.