the glass heart girl

The Glass Heart Girl, Britain’s Next Bestseller

Introduction by Proof Positive Editor Morgan Marsicano

Readers, look out! The up-and-coming author Michelle Diana Lowe is back with a new novel and is set to publish it with Britain’s Next Bestseller! However, in order to do so, she needs your help and support. For those of you who don’t know Michelle, she is a bright, spirited and caring individual whose writing speaks volumes for who she is. Through her craft, she allows us to feel for the characters in her novels and to provide hope for those who struggle with the same issues as her characters. The Glass Heart Girl is such a creation, as it tells the story of a girl who endured gender-based violence and is learning to love herself and to know what it means to be truly loved by someone else instead of enduring abuse and misuse at the hands of a man. Michelle gives a voice to the hurting woman, a voice that needs to be heard in a world increasingly riddled with pain. I think it would be fantastic for such a book to be read by those out there who are unfamiliar with how an abused individual suffers internally and how her struggle affects her ability to move forward with her life, and it’s also a great story about empowerment and love.

To help Michelle get her book into the hands of readers, however, she needs at least 250 readers to pre-order a copy of her book. So read on to hear more from Michelle about herself, why her book is great, and how you can go about getting yourself a copy!

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TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF

My name is Michelle Diana Lowe. I was born in East London and I’ve lived there most of my life. It’s amazing to live in a vibrant part of the city that is so alive and never sleeps. Writing has always been my passion, and I’ve had a strong desire to write since the age of six. Words excite me and move me, and writing makes me feel complete.

After graduating from Roehampton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature with Philosophy, my literary voice developed, and I finally started seeing a unique style in my writing. My literary career took a real turn for the better in January 2014, when my novel, Heaven Calls For An Angel, was discovered and published by a digital publisher. Writing this book proved to be an emotional task, since I wrote it as a tribute to a dear friend who sadly passed away the previous year.

Since January, I have met so many wonderful people online, including writers, readers, editors, bloggers, artists, music artists, and more with whom I have shared experiences, and many of them have helped me greatly. I have also grown so much as a writer this year, and I am so blessed that I’ve had the opportunity to share my work with others.

I currently raise money for good causes and support a number of charities, one of which is The Women and Girls Network, an organisation that provides life-changing services and support for female victims of domestic and gender-based violence.

WHAT IS THE GLASS HEART GIRL ABOUT?

The book tells the riveting story of Alena Pavlis, a beautiful 20-year-old woman, who is trying to rebuild her life and heal old wounds after being abused as a child. She goes to the University of Leicester and during Freshers’ Week meets the love of her life, the gorgeous Phillip Gregson. Although Phillip and Alena share a wonderful kind of love, a love she’s never felt before, she is at risk of losing herself as well as this special relationship, because THE GLASS HEART GIRL EBOOK COVERshe cannot let go of her past and is haunted by the dark memories of the abuse she suffered. Psychologically trapped by her childhood abuser and plagued by the demons that almost claimed her life, Alena must find a way to move on and embrace Phillip’s love, before it is too late. Can she banish the ghosts of yesterday and enjoy a future with the man she loves? Or will the spirits of the past devour her?

This is a powerful story of a woman’s courage, bravery and determination to overcome a distressing childhood and welcome a new life with the man she loves.

HOW IS THE GLASS HEART GIRL DIFFERENT FROM OTHER BOOKS, AND WHY IS IT SO SPECIAL?

The Glass Heart Girl gives a voice to underrepresented groups in society, but most of all, it gives a voice to women who have experienced gender-based violence. With its message of hope, this moving novel aims to help these women find their way onto the road of recovery. Working as an administrator in a children’s centre has really helped me to understand what these women are going through. Coping with the mental and physical scars of such violence can be an uphill struggle for these women. Quite often I come into contact with vulnerable females, just like my protagonist Alena, who have suffered trauma as a result of gender-based violence. I support these women by referring them to counselling and other appropriate services and by helping them to deal with their issues and raw emotions. In time, many of these women can heal and move forward with their lives.

I feel honoured and privileged to have the BNBS platform to raise awareness of these sensitive women’s issues and I am happy that I can show people how special and brave these women truly are with the power of words.

The setting of The Glass Heart Girl is also very significant. It is set in the University of Leicester—Alena, Phillip and Becca live in the Botanic Gardens at the University, a location that represents a sanctuary with the power to restore Alena’s faith in life and love.

The Glass Heart Girl is one of the most significant women’s fiction books written in today’s society, as it gives a voice to women, especially young women, who have experienced gender violence. The book aims to empower these women and help them move on with their lives. The main characters are in their early twenties—the story is set at the University of Leicester and is told with a fresh honest voice, in a way that is relatable to readers.

PUBLISHING CONTRACT – BNBS

I have signed a Pre-Publishing Agreement with Britain’s Next Bestseller (BNBS) for my ground-breaking women’s fiction book, The Glass Heart Girl.

BNBS is a new and exciting imprint which launched in March 2014 and was founded by UK Publisher Live It Publishing. They select a handful of authors (less than 30) out of thousands every two to four months. The authors they select have written a novel which they believe has the potential to be a bestseller. BNBS gives their signed authors a great online platform to promote their books between eight and twelve weeks (timescale chosen by the author), and the author is encouraged to gain reader support within that set period to secure the publishing deal. If the target is not received with the allocated time, the author will not secure the deal.

My pre-order target is 250. This means once 250 or more readers order a copy of The Glass Heart Girl within a ten-week period, I win the publishing deal. My pre-order page will be live between September 19 and November 28 on my publisher’s website, www.britainsnextbestseller.co.uk. So, I would really appreciate your help and support to make my dream a reality and to get a very important book in print and made available in bookstores and in the wider community.

To pre-order The Glass Heart Girl is £8.99 plus £2.99 postage and packaging. Postage and packaging costs for orders from outside the UK are slightly higher. Please note that if I reach my target, I will get the publishing deal and you will get your paperback copy of my book two weeks before it hits the bookstores. Sounds great, doesn’t it? If you pre-order and I don’t reach my target by the 28th of November, you will not get charged a penny, but unfortunately you will also not receive my book. So please pre-order my book and help The Glass Heart Girl make it to print and into the bookshops! Those who pre-order also will receive their copy with their name written inside every copy ordered as a thank you for purchasing the book as well as receive access to lots of competitions, prizes and author goodies. So what are you waiting for?

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**To pre-order the book beginning on Friday, September 19, or to find out more information about BNBS, please visit their website – www.britainsnextbestseller.co.uk **

Meet Author Michelle Diana Lowe

“Fearless” is the best word to describe Michelle Diana Lowe’s just-published book, The Glass Heart Girl. Lowe’s incredible book breaks barriers rarely crossed in such detail with grace and honesty you won’t readily find elsewhere. The Glass Heart Girl was just published yesterday, and Lowe took the time to write a guest post about herself as a writer, her book, and why she wrote on such a sensitive topic.

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About Me

I am Michelle Diana Lowe, the author of the new adult romance novel The Glass Heart Girl. I was born in East London and continue to live in this area. I wrote my very first children’s book of 20,000 words at the tender age of nine and since then, I have loved writing. I adore creative writing and seeing a character grow and develop before my very eyes. I now write professionally and have two published books, Heaven Calls For An Angel and Dangerous CalculationsThe Glass Heart Girl is my third book, but my first full-length fiction novel. This book is the standalone sequel of Dangerous Calculations.

What Is The Glass Heart Girl About?

A unique but powerful book, The Glass Heart Girl set to take the new adult romance genre to a whole new level. It is a deep and riveting story about one young woman’s momentous journey as she strives to overcome her traumatic past, learns about the true meaning of love and tries to embrace a new life with the man she loves.

Twenty year old Alena Pavlis is a beautiful college student who meets the gorgeous Phillip Gregson during the Freshers’ Fair at The University of Leicester. She is immediately drawn to Phillip and falls head over heels in love with him. But her past is seeping into her consciousness and threatens to destroy their special relationship. Phillip and Becca, her floormate and best friend, support her as best they can, but when a face from five years ago comes back into Alena’s life, her world spins into chaos and she finds herself at a dangerous crossroads. It is at this crucial moment that Alena must decide to vanquish the demons of the past and fight for the beautiful life that she deserves – or let the past devour her.

Personal and Positive Perspectives

The Glass Heart Girl carries a very positive and hopeful message about a woman’s courage and bravery to face her innermost fears and work towards a happier future. It also serves as a guide for young women who are facing similar issues. I sculpted Alena’s character in such a way that she would be relatable to women 17 and older, and so that people could understand and/or identify with her situation better. I am so thankful that I have created a novel covering real issues that can help women in Alena’s position move forward with their lives.

What to expect from The Glass Heart Girl

The Glass Heart Girl is full of life and zest – it deals with both the fun and challenges of university life. There are strong, honest friendships, deep romantic relationships, painful past experiences coming to the surface and the normal things you’d expect from 20-year-old college students – mucking about in the dorm corridors, petty arguments between friends, jealousy, breakups and make ups and more.

On a more serious note, wider issues in society are addressed in a sensible and appropriate fashion, and the book does tackle young people’s attitudes towards love and relationships.

Younger women between 17 and 30 will be able to relate to and understand the young, vibrant characters that I have created. Not only will they laugh out loud in certain chapters, but they will also be moved by the emotional and heartfelt aspects to the book. For the many women who are going through what Alena has experienced, this novel will not only help them on the road to recovery, but will also help them realize they are not alone. I think that more books like The Glass Heart Girl should be written to heal, bolster and empower women.

Why I Wrote This Book

I wanted to give a voice to young women who have gone through really difficult experiences. These people’s experiences are often overlooked or disregarded, in fiction and in real life too. I have always been someone who champions people who don’t have a real voice in society and am very passionate about bringing their experiences to the forefront. It is just in my nature to be this way. I also work with vulnerable clients as part of my job as an administrator. I listen to these people’s stories, sometimes sad and even heartbreaking, and I signpost or refer these clients to counselling services, therapy or Family Support Services, which will support their needs and that of their families while helping them work through difficult issues and emotions. So I can, to some degree, understand and can identify with Alena’s story.

In real life, women who have gone through the trauma of gender violence and abuse are often sidelined and marginalised. Their stories, usually told in nonfiction books, focus heavily on the negative and lasting effects these events have on their lives. Often the stories are very downbeat until the end, when the victim might possibly overcome the trauma. I did not want to depict Alena in this way. Firstly, it was important for me to make a victim of gender violence and abuse a heroine and give her a chance to be in the spotlight, and I really wanted to write a book that did not focus on her traumatic past so decidedly. From the very start, I inject hope and laughter into Alena’s world, giving her a zany but caring best friend in Becca, as well as a supportive boyfriend in Phillip.

As you can see, this all adds up to The Glass Heart Girl‘s publication date of July 4th being very significant. I published the novel on Independence Day to symbolise Alena’s bravery and determination to fight for her independence from the past and embrace her future.

Supporting the Cause

I am dedicated to raising awareness of issues relating to gender violence and abuse against women and girls to help society understand what such individuals go through. Raising awareness of these problems will also help others to be more supportive of those around them who might be suffering similar difficulties. I will be making a small donation per book sold to Women & Girls Network, a sensational London charity that supports women and children who have experienced gender violence, rape and domestic violence. They offer support and counselling services to help these individuals work through their problems and cope with the trauma of the past so they can hopefully move forward with their lives.

Commending the Editors

I really don’t think that Christie Stratos realises how amazing she is and how sensational her company Proof Positive is. From the moment I contacted her and she proofread the first five pages of The Glass Heart Girl, she totally embraced my characters and got exactly what the book is about. I cannot believe how Morgan and Christie who edited my book, understood my characters so deeply; namely Alena, my protagonist. They also recognised the positive and important messages the novel is sending to women suffering problems similar to Alena. I would like to thank them both from the bottom of my heart, for the extraordinary job they did on my manuscript. I was so tearful and blown away when I received it back, flawless and perfect, with my characters and story thoroughly polished. I can now see the true message of The Glass Heart Girl shining through the manuscript. I thank Morgan and Christie for their hard work, enthusiasm and sheer dedication. You guys are so great at what you do, and I will be recommending you to all of my writer friends.

The Glass Heart Girl will be released on July 4, 2014 and is available as an ebook and in paperback from Amazon, and in ebook format from Kobo.

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Connect with Michelle Diana Lowe:

Website
Twitter
Amazon
Goodreads

THE GLASS HEART GIRL EBOOK COVER

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