Not many people would have the courage to leave a steady, well paid profession like dentistry to become a children’s author.

But that’s exactly what Dr Emma Spiers did, and for a very good reason.

“I was given a less than 2% chance of conception,” she explained. “Then last year I had a baby girl.

“Dentistry is a wonderful job, but it requires pretty much 100% of your time and effort, and I wanted that attention to go to my child.”

Baby Evangeline is now not far off 18 months old, and Emma has her hands full not only looking after her, but also writing the next instalments in her new series of children’s books about her dog, Maisie.

Emma continued: “I didn’t have a specific lightbulb moment, I was just racking my brain thinking what I could do.

“I’ve had Maisie for about 13 and a half years and thought it would be nice to tell the true stories of all the things she’s done. So around this time last year I sat down with a pen and paper and wrote it the old-fashioned way.”

Emma grew up in Cheltenham and now lives near Stow-on-the-Wold with her husband Antony, who is helping her with the marketing side of things.

Step-son Alexander, who is a graphic designer, has produced the illustrations for the books, the first of which is called ‘Maisie – The Adventures of a Terrier’.

“It’s completely new territory for me,” Emma admitted. “We’re still in the early stages and I’ve been taking the books around local villages and shops, which is nice because the kids can then meet the real Maisie.

“I wanted to write a book that children could really enjoy, a good book for bedtimes or learning to read.”

Emma’s second book, ‘Maisie at the Village Fete’ is in the storyboard phase and due for release next year. With a further four Maisie stories in the works, Emma is excited for what the future holds.

She said: “The break from dentistry isn’t necessarily permanent – it was hard to leave my patients behind.

“But given the choice between that and spending time at home with Evangeline it was an easy decision. Having this small person in your life is unbelievable and I’m enjoying every moment!”