A Burnham-On-Sea author has published her first book, sharing a deeply personal story that she hopes will help others feel less alone.
Amber Long, who owns BOS Hair Colour Specialists in Burnham, has released her first book, His Silence Was A Lie, a memoir inspired by events that unfolded during the early days of the internet in the late 1990s.
The book tells the story of an online connection that began through Yahoo chat rooms at a time when online dating was still in its infancy and terms such as “catfishing” were largely unheard of.
What started as a seemingly genuine relationship gradually developed into a situation involving deception, manipulation and emotional confusion, with lasting consequences for both Amber and her son.
Speaking about her motivation for writing the book, Amber said she had carried the story with her for many years but struggled to explain what had happened.
“I wrote His Silence Was A Lie because for years I carried a story that completely changed my life, but I didn’t really know how to explain it to people,” she said. “Writing the book became a way of finally making sense of everything that happened and taking my voice back.”
Amber adds revisiting the events was often emotional and difficult, but ultimately a positive experience. “It was painful at times to look back, but also incredibly freeing,” she explained.
“I wanted people to see how vulnerable and trusting we all were in those early internet days, and how easy it was to become caught up in something that felt completely real.”
The memoir also explores the wider lessons that can be learned from a period when many people were experiencing online communication for the first time, without fully understanding the risks that could come with it.
Above all, Amber says she wanted the book to be honest and relatable. “Most of all, I wanted the book to be honest. If even one person reads it and feels understood, more aware, or less alone, then sharing my story was worth it.”
His Silence Was A Lie is Amber Long’s first published book and offers a candid account of trust, resilience and finding the courage to tell a story that remained untold for many years.
Copies of her book His Silence Was A Lie can be purchased from Amazon here.Â
