Debut novel explores the power of bullying and its long-term effects

In the book, teacher Amy Ashcroft escapes her violent boyfriend by taking a job at the school where she was bullied as a young girl. Determined to eclipse her loser past, Amy poses as a newcomer, but she soon discovers that her own once-cherished teacher Joel Craven is now her colleague.

When Joel doesn’t seem to recognise Amy, she seizes the opportunity, pretending that they have never met in the hope that she can avoid him.

But their bond from 20 years ago still burns bright, and as passion blooms irresistibly between them, Amy is terrified of bursting the bubble if Joel ever remembers his hopeless ex-pupil.

Emma, age 43, said: “As I still live in my hometown, I knew that my two children would be going to the same primary school I attended myself. At the time I started writing, 20 years had passed since I had been a pupil there, and I envisaged that time frame as being long enough not to be recognised by any long-standing staff members, but still recent enough for them to twig and remember me.

“I personally had quite a tough time at school and I knew that despite the years that had gone by, I would still be reluctant to remind any staff members of the young, shy, awkward me of the past if I ever met them again. I thought it would be an intriguing concept for a story – the tension of revisiting a childhood place without declaring it and the possibility of being recognised at any second. And then, how far could you take that illusive encounter with a person without telling them you’ve met them before? This is where the romance idea came in, to make things even more interesting and suspenseful.

“Although the love story is pivotal to the book, bullying is also a strong theme and I wanted to raise awareness of this very serious issue. Amy’s insecurity is small to other people, but to her, it is huge and has stayed with her for life. That is the power of bullying and how little things can chip away at a person and dent their self-esteem not only long-term but until it is very deeply engrained within them.

“At the moment, it is a stand-alone book but a sequel could definitely work. I am currently writing my second novel, which is a totally different story. I am a first-time author and very proud to have my debut novel published. I have always written poetry and short stories, and I love working with words and vocabulary. I have a BA (Hons) in English literature and creative studies and I was a magazine journalist on various craft and hobby publications. Now that my children are older, it is great to have more time to pursue my novel writing. There are book signings in the pipeline and exciting things planned online."