A BESTSELLING author from Bolton has gone back to her roots for her new series of books.

Emma Hornby has released her fifth book, Her Wartime Secret, based it on the history of her hometown.

The writer who lives in Breightmet said she wanted to dedicate this series to Bolton’s past because she has grown up listening to her family’s experiences at war.

The mum-of-three said: “I am very pleased to be sharing with readers my debut World War II saga.

"This is the first of what I hope will be many in a brand-new series: Worktown Girls at War.

"As local folk will know, the name ‘Worktown’ was given to Bolton in the 1930s when it was selected for a ground-breaking social experiment, the mass-observation project, a fitting term indeed for such an industrious and illustrious town.

“It seemed only right to incorporate this into these books.”

To date, Emma has written six Victorian novels, with the sixth scheduled for publication next year, and they are all set in Bolton and Manchester.

Emma is really proud of how well her books have done so far.

She said: “They have done extremely well - I can’t thank readers enough for their support. To be now writing war books alongside my Victorian novels is wonderful.

“As with the Victorian era, I have a deep passion for the Second World War and it is a dream to be creating stories set during the two periods I love the most.”

The new series will carry Emma’s traditional writing style of being “gritty, twisty-turny stories of survival against the odds in what was an unbelievably difficult time.”

Emma spoke about her passion for the area she writes about in the book and Bolton, Breightmet in particular, will always have a strong place in her heart and stories.

“All will be based in the same down to earth and tight-knit community: Top o’th’ Brow estate in the heart of Breightmet,” Emma added.

“Built just before the war, the estate was back then, with its modern properties for the day and picturesque views, a much sought-after spot to live.

“Today, it must be said that it has a somewhat different reputation; however, I knew I couldn’t have set these books anywhere else. Top o’th’ Brow holds a special place in my heart.

“It is where I myself was born and raised, as were my own children and my mother before me. Despite its problems, its people are my people and the good far outweighs the bad - it is, and will always be, home.”

Emma has a strong interest in how war impacted the place she was brought up and she wanted fans of Bolton to be able to relate to what happened.

“Unlike the cities surrounding it, Bolton escaped the war years relatively unscathed. Nevertheless, its residents saw their fair share of loss, struggle and heartache, and it has been both poignant and fascinating to unearth such reports during the research process.

“My family spent the war years in Bolton and I grew up listening to their experiences. Her Wartime Secret is loosely based on these personal accounts.”

Her Wartime Secret is now out in paperback, hardback and e-book and Emma said she hopes readers enjoy her new series.