A BARRY school worker has penned that difficult second book and is set to launch it in a country park on Monday, May 3.

Higher learning teaching assistant, Michelle Briscombe hopes her latest children’s book - The House on March Lane – will top the success of her first tome - Silent Mountain - which was nominated for a Tir na nog award.

The mum-of-two teenagers received a £2000 Writers bursary from Literature Wales to write a children’s book in 2015.

She was one of 25 authors to benefit from the £70,000 bursary funding.

The award, sponsored by the Welsh Government and the Arts Council for Wales, enables Welsh writers to take time out of employment to write or carry out some small-scale travel and research.

Michelle was able to take a three month sabbatical from her job.

Mrs Briscombe said: “This is my second book - The House on March Lane - children's ghost story, set in both the Victorian era and 2015.

“It's a completely different story from Silent Mountain, which was nominated for a Tir na nog award. It's not a sequel and it’s for children aged nine plus.

“The launch will be held in Porthkerry lodge, Porthkerry Park, for invited guests, as a celebration of the new book.

"I wanted the launch to be held in Barry and Porthkerry Country Park is a place I visit in every season. It's beautiful and very special and I often find inspiration for my stories when I'm walking there."

Her previous published story Silent Mountain, the Adventures of Jack Jupiter, is a story for children aged nine to 12.

It was published by Candy Jar Books Ltd in 2013.

Silent Mountain was chosen for discussion and presentation in the 2014 Welsh Books Council - Children’s BookSlam Competition.

Her second story, published by Candy Jar on April 21 2016, The House at March Lane, is a ghost story for children aged nine to 12.

It is available from Candy Jar's website, Waterstones, and Amazon.