An up and coming author who suffered at the hands of her father is drawing on her early experiences for her latest novel.

Michelle Diana Lowe, 31, from Plaistow, could be set for an exciting deal with Waterstones and Amazon, after being picked up by online publishers Britain’s Next Bestseller.

Web users can read a free chapter and preorder The Glass Heart Girl in full – and if enough preorders are made, the text will start to appear in print.

The narrative centres around a young university student trying to escape from the shadow of her distressing and traumatic childhood – themes that have played a big part in Michelle’s life.

Through her literature, she hopes to raise awareness of gender-based violence and prevent others suffering the same distress.

“I was aware of gender violence from a young age, so some of the fears and anxieties in the book are directly taken from my own experiences,” she said.

“My father was quite a violent man and would regularly hurt my mum psychologically.

“He threatened her regularly and even tried to kidnap me from school – I had to change school three times.”

Currently working at a Hackney children’s nursery, Michelle often comes into contact with families destroyed by gendered violence, referring others to counselling and other appropriate services.

“I was elated when I found out I’d been shortlisted, because I’d been turned down by a couple of publishers already,” she added.

“It’s really nice that someone believes in me and my vision of raising awareness of gendered violence.”

To read a free chapter visit: britainsnextbestseller.co.uk/book/index/TheGlassHeartGirl

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