The first draft for my latest novel was called Lost and Found in LA. However by the time I'd sent it to my publisher many changes had taken place in my personal life.
Like
the main character in the novel I too have had to flee and rebuild my
life, which sounds a funny thing to say as I was only a teenager at the
time.
I know what it's
like to live in fear and the constant questions stirring at the back of
your mind. What if the police doesn't get here in time? Will my
persecutors find me again despite having changed my name and moved as
far as possible?
So, for
years, I've shun any publicity, until a couple of years when after a
tragic loss I first went a little mad and then found myself again. I
remembered who I was and how strong I could be. OK, I digress, that's
the inspiration for Lost in Your Time, which is coming out this Spring.
Anyway,
this prompted a renewal and a discovery, I started blogging on a site
called Women on the Verge and as I opened up on there, I realized that
by doing so I was not only helping myself but others too. Yes, talking
about your experiences and writing about it can heal you. That said, I
have refused on many occasions to write a memoir and will continue doing
so.
I
regained my confidence and when I threatened to leave my American
publisher (all smoothed out now) and was taken on by a new UK press I
thought I'd do things differently over here, start again but be more
open. I didn't want to fear being recognized anymore. Furthermore I
reckoned the "nasties" have grown older and it was time to let go of my
childhood ghosts.
My
editor kept nagging me to go on Facebook and joining this network was
the last barrier for me. I jokingly said now I was on all these sites,
there was nowhere left to hide. The moment I said, the little light went
on and I rang my editor to explain I wanted to change the title.
Nowhere Left to Hide is not a sad story, but a positive one. You will not find
graphic details in my book but you will meet a strong woman who is
determined to turn her life around. She is not a victim, she’s a fighter
and a go-getter. By going to California she's able to find herself and
be who she wants to be, shedding her fears and the labels she's been
saddled with.
Natasha’s story is not my story although there are similarities. I wanted
to show “victims” do not have to accept labels, that we can all break the
cycle. Sartre said that we always have a choice. Indeed how we react is up to
us, we can lay down as victims or pick ourselves up, live to see another day
and grow from it.
Please visit my website for more information Elle Amberley Author
“A heartfelt tale, told with a deft touch” novelist Rowan Coleman.
‘Lyrical from start to finish, Elle Amberley embraces the essence of women and friendship in Nowhere Left to Hide. ' Ana Lewis, Founder, WomenontheVerge.net
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