Guest Post: Marcus Alexander - Keeper of the Realms/ Who Is Charlie Keeper? Graffiti a Road to Publishing.

Thank you so much Marcus for taking the time to put this guest post together.  It's definitely one the best that I've read to date - it really had me gripped.  I hope it has piqued your imagination to read this great magical fantasy series.   

Over to Marcus.......   

I knew I didn’t want an agent and I knew the chances of me going the traditional route weren’t good so I decided to self-publish my first book with the intent of proving its commercial viability. It worked and I eventually got signed to Puffin but it wasn’t an easy ride. The two biggest hurdles I found with self-publishing were distribution and marketing. Both were painful obstacles and to be honest, if I had any hair left on my big bald head, I would have pulled it out. But as word got out and the reputation of the book started to grow Charlie Keeper themed graffiti began to appear around London and that unusual occurrence, perhaps more than anything, changed everything.

                                       

Tags, throw ups, poster boards and pieces began to appear in Shepherd’s Bush, Notting Hill, Camden and Vauxhall. The graffiti came in a mix of styles some great, some good and some that were er…discordantly messy and poorly thought out. But it was a huge boon, more people began to take notice, sales grew and reviews followed.

And I think that of all the factors that helped me get signed I think the graffiti was one of the larger elements that saw the self-published book ‘Who is Charlie Keeper?’ get converted into Puffin’s Keeper of the Realms fantasy series.

                                

I’m a huge fan of graffiti. I was struck by the imagery of its slick graphics and twisted calligraphy from a young age. As much as I love London and all the funk and flavour that comes with it, it would be a struggle to call it a beautiful city; the sky is often overcast and for some bizarre reason city architects have a fetish for building with materials every bit as grey as the sky so for me, a splash of graffiti has always come as a welcome delight – eye candy amidst a sea of urban blandness.

However I can appreciate how many people hate graffiti, there is after all a lot to dislike about it. You get thoughtless graff artists who piece up private homes, places of worship and blemish the few genuinely beautiful buildings there are in London. And then there’s the endless sea of scribbled tags that you find in every borough. You’d have to be wearing the most warped glasses to find these attractive. I find all of these examples only add to the dreariness of the city and do little to promote the potential of the artists involved. But on the flip side you get amazing works of art that are well thought out and delivered with such style and grandeur that you can’t help but fall in love with them. Pieces of art that not only scream with flavour but adds not detracts to the neighbourhood and it is graffiti like this, something that gives not takes, that I’d be thrilled to see more of.

                                                           

As much as graffiti is frowned upon I think it should be encouraged. It is a powerful tool and an amazing form of self-expression. It’s a multi-million dollar industry too. The artists at the top see their pieces sold for big money, there’s the spin-offs too; the clothing, the options for marketing, advertising, backdrops for MTV videos, fashion – the list goes on. And for those with sharp minds it’s a great lifestyle that offers a chance to be independent, be creative and potentially financially stable too. (I appreciate that the mention of money is a shallow argument and that art should be done for passion and not pocket but the backing of money to the industry validates its potential).

I’d love it if more councils offered legal walls and welcomed new talent. If young artists were given the opportunity to produce beautiful and responsible pieces of art it would be a win-win situation. Unused, concrete eye-sores could be given a make-over and artists would get a chance to practice their skills. There’s also an opportunity for education with legal walls too. Young artists could be taught the value of a great piece versus the destructive elements of thoughtless tags and Londoners averse to outsider art could be encouraged to see graffiti less as an act of vandalism and something that is to be valued and admired.

Graffiti. Love it.

Check out London Vandal for a list of legal walls here:http://www.thelondonvandal.com/2013/05/legal-graffiti-walls-london/

                                   

New Children's Books Published In June 2013 - UK Post Three

                                    

Amy McCulloch - The Oathbreakers's Shadow - Published by Doubleday Children's (6 Jun 2013)

Fifteen-year-old Raim lives in a world where you tie a knot for every promise that you make. Break that promise and you are scarred for life, and cast out into the desert.

Raim has worn a simple knot around his wrist for as long as he can remember. No one knows where it came from, and which promise of his it symbolises, but he barely thinks about it at all - not since becoming the most promising young fighter ever to train for the elite Yun guard. But on the most important day of his life, when he binds his life to his best friend (and future king) Khareh, the string bursts into flames and sears a dark mark into his skin.

Scarred now as an oath-breaker, Raim has two options: run, or be killed.

                                   

Ali Sparkes - Out of This World - Published by OUP Oxford (6 Jun 2013)

Tyrone Lewis is messing about in the woods, trying to keep out of trouble, when he stumbles upon something weird ...a glowing lump of rock or metal or something. Whatever it is, it gives him an amazing power. Which is cool at first, until Ty's new powers start attracting attention, and soon he's being followed by two sinister agents who seem intent on 'collecting' him. But Ty has no intention of letting that happen. So now he's got to RUN ...
                                   

   

I. M. Strange  - Welcome to Weirdsville: Happyland - Published by Atom (20 Jun 2013)

On Toby's eleventh birthday, he and his friends get a mysterious invitation to Happyland, the abandoned funfair in town. It's too good an opportunity to miss, even though the place gives them the creeps.

What they find there is more terrifying than any of them could have imagined. Getting in was the easy part. Surviving long enough to escape will be much harder.

Once upon a time Happyland was filled with laughter. Now it's filled with fear.

                                     

Eleanor Hawken - The Blue Lady - Published by Hot Key Books (6 Jun 2013)

Fourteen-year-old Frankie Ward is used to being the new girl at school, but even she is unprepared for life at St Mark's College. Finding herself isolated from the rest of the girls, Frankie is drawn to flamboyant and dramatic Suzy, who captivates her with stories of 'The Blue Lady' - the ghost of an ex-St Mark's pupil who died in mysterious and tragic circumstances. One night Suzy persuades Frankie to help her contact The Blue Lady via an Ouija Board - and the girls unleash a terrifying spirit who seems set on destroying not only their friendship but Suzy's sanity. Determined to rescue her friend, Frankie enlists the help of Seth, a mysterious and alluring boy from sister-school St Hilda's. Seth is as interested in St Mark's past as Frankie - but does he have as many dark secrets as the school?

                                   

Thomas Taylor - Dan and the Caverns of Bone - Published by  A&C Black Childrens & Educational (6 Jun 2013)

Dan can see ghosts. See then, speak to them, and sometimes help them...for a price. In his second adventure, Dan is on a school trip to France when he gets mixed up in skulduggery down in the Paris catacombs. Can Dan save the living, help the unquiet dead, avoid getting himself killed - and do it all under the eye of an enraged French teacher? Brilliantly dark humour.

Publisher News: Strange Chemistry Signs Danielle Jensen

Strange Chemistry, the YA imprint of Angry Robot Books, is delighted to announce the signing of Danielle Jensen, in a three-book World English Rights deal concluded by Strange Chemistry’s editor Amanda Rutter and Tamar Rydzinski of the Laura Dail Literary Agency. The first of the three books is called Stolen Songbird and will be published by Strange Chemistry in early 2014. About Danielle Jensen Danielle was born and raised in Calgary, Canada. At the insistence of the left side of her brain, she graduated in 2003 from the University of Calgary with a bachelor’s degree in finance. But the right side of her brain has ever been mutinous; and in 2010, it sent her back to school to complete an entirely impractical English literature degree at Mount Royal University and to pursue publication. Much to her satisfaction, the right side shows no sign of relinquishing its domination. Danielle can be found on her website danielleljensen.com as well as on Twitter @dljensen_ About Stolen Songbird For those who have loved Seraphina and Graceling comes another truly fabulous fantasy... Trolls are said to love gold. They are said to live underground and hate humans. They are said to be evil.  When Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and sold to the trolls, she finds out that there is truth in the rumours, but there is also so much more to trolls than she could have imagined. Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus, the city she hadn’t even known existed under Forsaken Mountain: escape. But the trolls are inhumanly strong. And fast. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity. But something strange happens while she’s waiting - she begins to fall in love with the handsome, thoughtful troll prince that she has been bonded and married to. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods - part troll/part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader. As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter from Goshawk’s Hollow. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch.

Book Review - Ian Johnstone - The Bell Between Worlds (The Mirror Chronicles) - HarperCollins

                                            

This book is definitely the bell of the ball - it's taking fantasy literature literally by storm this year. It is a book that, in my opinion, should certainly see Ian's name in the fantasy hall of fame. 

After flying through the first chapter I had a tingling feeling that this book was going to be really special and I was not wrong. The more that I read, the more I became totally immersed in an amazing world of painted words - it is a story that's breathtaking and an absolute joy to read. I feel that it will be a book that you will reflect on for the rest of your life. Just like when you first read the Hobbit or Sabriel or took your first stroll along the story path of Terry Pratchett. It's a reading journey that will take you to another world and one that you will remember for a very long time. Fantastically exciting to read, but you may feel a great sense of loss when it has ended, as I did. 

Sylas Tate leads a lonely existence since the death of his mother - it is not a happy life. However, an figment of his own imagination draws him to a strange shop called The Shop of Things. There he has an encounter with an even stranger owner, Mr Zhi, who from that point onwards whips the story up into a thrilling, action-packed ride. The tolling of the giant bell draws both him and the reader into another world known as the' Other'. Here he discovers that, not only does he have an inborn talent for the nature-influenced magic, but that his mother might also have come from this strange parallel place.

Meanwhile, evil forces are stirring and an even more astounding revelation awaits Sylas regarding the true nature of the Other. As violence looms and the stakes get ever higher, Sylas must seek out a girl called Naeo who might just be the other half of his soul – otherwise the entire universe may fall…

This story is beautifully written and captured through fantastic imagination. Ambitious in its telling, it is has a whole host of characters that you will fall in love with. Humour and humanity, compassion and despair, dark and light - all are classic attributes found within this story. It will leave your senses and emotions running on autopilot whilst the timely action sequences will leave you in awe. 

One particularly fantastic part of the story can be found in the chapter entitled 'Nature's Song'. It is told like a classical symphony with the conductor controlling the elements to the tune of Antonín Dvořák's "New World" Symphony. This is the best chapter that I have read in a very long time - magical, vivid and exhilarating. It was so good that I actually read it twice and enjoyed it equally as much the second time. 

Half of your soul is missing. The lost part is in the mirror. And unless Sylas Tate can save you, you will never be whole again.

This is a debut epic masterpiece which is due to be published in June.  Quite simply, it is possibly the best book that I have or will read this year. I really can't wait to see what comes next....

New Books: Published in June 2013 - US Post

                                  

Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson - Starbounders - Published by HarperCollins (June 4, 2013) 
Zachary Night can’t wait to start his top-secret Starbounders training at Indigo 8. But he’s barely started learning the skills he’ll need to protect the galaxy when a space mission goes wrong. Zachary and his friends are accidentally sent to the front lines of an intergalactic skirmish, and they quickly discover a plot to destroy Indigo 8. Piloting a space ship under attack, they must get back to earth before the training center—and the planet—is annihilated.
                                   

Maile Meloy - The Apprentices - Published Putnam Juvenile (June 4, 2013)
Two years have passed since Janie Scott last saw Benjamin Burrows, the mysterious apothecary’s defiant son who stole her heart. On the other side of the world, Benjamin and his father are treating the sick and wounded in the war-torn jungles of Vietnam.

But Benjamin has also been experimenting with a magical new formula that allows him to communicate with Janie across the globe. When Benjamin discovers that she's in trouble, he calls on their friend Pip for help. The three friends are thrown into a desperate chase around the world to find one another, while unraveling the mystery of what threatens them all.  

Acclaimed author Maile Meloy seamlessly weaves together magic and adventure in this breathtaking sequel with stunning illustrations by Ian Schoenherr.

                             

Polly Shulman - The Wells Bequest A Companion to The Grimm Legacy - Published by Nancy Paulsen Books (June 13, 2013)
Leo never imagined that time travel might really be possible, or that the objects in H. G. Wells’ science fiction novels might actually exist. And when a miniature time machine appears in Leo’s bedroom, he has no idea who the tiny, beautiful girl is riding it. But in the few moments before it vanishes, returning to wherever—and whenever—it came from, he recognizes the other tiny rider: himself!

His search for the time machine, the girl, and his fate leads him to the New-York Circulating Material Repository, a magical library that lends out objects instead of books. Hidden away in the Repository basement is the Wells Bequest, a secret collection of powerful objects straight out of classic science fiction novels: robots, rockets, submarines, a shrink ray—and one very famous time machine. And when Leo’s adventure of a lifetime suddenly turns deadly, he must attempt a journey to 1895 to warn real-life scientist Nikola Tesla about a dangerous invention. A race for time is on!
                                

John Kitchen - A spectre in the Stones - Published by Thames River Press (June 1, 2013)
Lloyd Lewis is moving to yet another children's home, but this one is different. It seems to be cast in an unremitting, sunless winter. The staff and children are surly and aggressive, and he soon discovers why: Sarson Hall is gripped in a curse. There are poltergeists creating constant disruptions and, in the cellar, a terrifying ghost. Lloyd’s survival has always depended on his fighting spirit, and he sets about confronting the mayhem surrounding him. In his quest to remove the curse, he finds he possesses a rare power, which leads him to link what is happening to a nearby ravaged stone circle. But can he do anything to remove the curse from Sarson Hall, and can he bring peace once more to the old building and its occupants?

Stuart Webb - Time Traveller Jenny at Chatsworth - Book Review

After self publishing two great books on his own, Stuart has now finally been rewarded with the opportunity to write a book for the publishing company Seven Arches Publishing.

This is a long standing and well received series of books that has gained many avid readers along the way. This is the tenth book in the series, but this book is uniquely different to the rest. The publishers ran a writing competition to decide the setting and some of the ideas within the book. The overall winner was William Johnson who wrote about the fantastically grand Chatsworth House. However, Stuart also expertly wove other ideas and elements into the story making this a true collaboration in parts. 

I have to admit that I hadn't read any of the previous books in the series, but I had no problems picking up this book and engaging with it. Don't worry if you're in a similar position as it reads like a stand alone book. It provides a great slice of historical, time travelling fantasy that all readers will really engage in. At the heart of the story is the fantastic setting which is written with passion. The extensive knowledge and research that the author has enagaged with provides an accurate account of place, time and events. It really does enhance the story with a particularly realistic and believable presence. 

Jenny, whose brother Danny is an experienced time traveller, is recruited without Danny knowing by the rogue operators. Her life is in danger when she goes back in time to the beautiful mansion at Chatsworth. Jenny's secret missions set her on course of danger and mystery - on the way she meets a very famous person who is locked up in Chatsworth House. It is an amazingly fast paced and action packed adventure that all children from the age of 9+ will enjoy. However, it is also interestingly educational as the reader will learn many historical facts.

The characters are very memorable. There is a dark element to the story which is threaded throughout giving the story a hidden depth. I was engaged until the very end of the book and actually felt rather disappointed when I came to the end of the book.

In my opinion Stuart has written a really good book - I expect that the other books in the series are also written to the same high standard. If you would like to know more about the book or perhaps the route to becoming published, then check out Stuart's guest post that he has kindly written. Read Here.

If you would like to check out the publisher's website for this book, the other books in the series or other books that they have published for children, then click on the following link. http://www.sevenarchespublishing.co.uk/ 

Guest Post: Stuart Webb - Time Traveller Jenny at Chatsworth (Getting Published)

It’s a funny old world - just when I’d given up chasing publishers for a book deal, I found that one was hard on my heels, contract in hand…

For six long years I knocked on every publisher’s door I could find, searching for someone to love and nurture my first children’s novel, Aurora’s Tears, and then my second, Lyme Hall. Although I had a number of near misses (and gained an agent) along the way, eventually I ran out of people to pester. 

Then I found myself faced with a difficult choice: should I self-publish or concentrate on my next novel? It wasn’t a decision I took lightly, as there’s not only the obvious cost implications of self-publishing, but there’s also the impact on your life in general. When you already have a full time job (in the aerospace industry, in my case) it’s hard to take on another role as editor/proof reader/cover designer/sales and marketing manager for your latest book, whilst making sure you still have an hour or two left for your family. 

Backed by a supportive and understanding wife and daughter, who stood behind me all the way, I elected to self-publish both Auroras Tears and Lyme Hall. Fortunately, the books sold well, with positive feedback from all who read them, encouraging me to start on my next novel.

It was whilst I was working on my third book that there came a knock on my own door. It was a publisher, which bizarrely is based in my home town of Stockport, saying that they’d read a copy of Lyme Hall, liked it, and wondered if I’d consider writing a book in their Time Traveller series. The rest, as they say, is (quite literally) history. My book, Time Traveller Jenny at Chatsworth, is the 10th book in the series, the previous books having been written by an assortment of other authors. 

Although it’s part of an existing series, the book can be read as a standalone novel. In fact, the plan is that I’ll continue with my character, Jenny, and develop a sort of ‘series within a series’.

The setting for the book, and part of the historical action, was actually the result of a competition Seven Arches ran, asking children to suggest the location of the next Time Traveller book. The winner, William Johnson, suggested Chatsworth House, in the time when Mary, Queen of Scots, was being kept a prisoner there. So, I used the winning suggestion and wove a little fiction around the real historical events at Chatsworth.

The series is aimed at 8-12 year olds, but I’m sure, from my own personal experience as an avid reader of children’s books, it will also appeal to ‘more mature’ readers. 

Time Traveller Jenny at Chatsworth was published in March, and we've already secured a number of signing events, including one in the departure lounge at Manchester Airport – as I said, it’s a funny old world!

Thank you Stuart for the very interesting guest post. I hope that you will all support his book. If you're not already convinced then my book review will follow at the end of the week, so keep an eye out for that......

Four New Children's Book Picks - June 2013 - UK Post Two

                                          

Nigel McDowell - Tall Tales From Pitch End - Published by Hot Key Books, 6 June 2013
Ruled by the Elders, policed by an unforgiving battalion of Enforcers and watched by hundreds of clockwork Sentries, Pitch End is a town where everybody knows their place. Soon-to-be fifteen-year-old Bruno Atlas still mourns the death of his Rebel father ten years ago, and treasures the book of stories he secretly uncovered: the Tall Tales from Pitch End. After discovering a chilling plot planned by the Elders, Bruno flees, escaping to the mountains where a bunch of disparate young Rebels are planning a final attack on Pitch End. With secrets and betrayal lying around every corner, Bruno will find himself fighting not only for his life, but the life of the town.

                                        

Philip Ardagh & Axel Scheffler - The Grunts All At Sea - Published by Nosy Crow, 6 June 2013
Mr Grunt's a man with a mission. He has to get a Person of Great Importance (or POGI) to someone called Mrs Bayliss by the twenty-fifth. Alive and well. And he can't tell anyone more than that, not even his lovely wife, Mrs Grunt, because there will be people trying to snatch the POGI and so the POGI must be transported in secret. It's an exciting adventure, but what interests Mr Grunt most are the silver coins he's been promised at the end of it. The Grunts' stolen son, Sunny, has a few questions. Who is the big-earringed cyclist? Why does the POGI have to wear a barrel all the time? Is Rodders Lasenby a lovely person or simply the rudest man on the planet? And how long will it be before they find themselves All At Sea?
                                         

Victoria Barry - The Curse Of Crow: Darkmoor - Published by Matador, 1 June 2013
Unbeknown to Matthew, from high upon the chimney stack, someone was watching. He was waiting for the right moment to reveal himself, to once again restart Matthew's living nightmare. Teasingly and with a great deal of intimidation, he let out a gentle but familiar caw...In the second book of the five-part series 'Darkmoor', Clever Crow is back and he's more revengeful than ever before! His curse is destroying Matthew's life, keeping Catherine captive and causing Camp Forgotten to fall apart. One year has passed since Matthew was rescued by the dove and returned to Filius. He's determined to move on and forget about Darkmoor, but the school bully, aka Cameron Thomas, has other ideas. Elsewhere, Darkmoor is plotting his revenge with the help of his son, Logan. No one is safe, no one is freed, and this time, someone will pay. Join Clever Crow has he takes flight. Find out what happened next and meet the new characters whose lives will change forever. The only question is...Can you escape the curse of the crow? Darkmoor: The Curse of Crow is the second book in the five part series, aimed for children aged 8 years upwards. It is exciting, captivating and pure fantasy. With characters old and new, the second instalment of Darkmoor will have readers guessing right to the end. Readers will be desperate to read more.

Andy Mulligan -  The Boy With 2 Heads - Published by David Fickling Books, 6 June 2013 

How would YOU feel if you woke up and found another head growing out of YOUR neck? What's more it's a living, breathing, TALKING head, with a rude, sharp tongue and an evil sense of humour. It knows all your darkest thoughts and it's not afraid to say what it thinks. To ANYBODY.

That's exactly what happens to eleven-year-old Richard Westlake. Prepare to be stunned.

Part thriller, part horror, part comedy - this is one of the most riveting novels about fear and friendship that you will ever read, straight out of the storytelling HEAD of Andy Mulligan(author of the amazing Trash) directly to your very own BRAIN.

Book Review - Michelle Lovric - The Fate in the Box

                                               

This is the fourth book that has been written by Michelle Lovric. Every single story is a little time capsule of Venice which has been written in a place and time (1780's) that you could easily lose yourself in. Each story is a painted picture cleverly written in words. The Fate in the Box slowly winds through the streets of Venice in a colourful and vibrant way that makes it a very pleasurable read.

The venetian cries easily wash over you with charm and panache; the story ouses character from every page. There is a great sense of place and time that is quickly established and sets you on a journey of cleverly woven intrigue and mystery. The best way that I can describe this book is that of a Venetian snow globe which is gently shaken from time to time. The observer is then able to watch the wonders (through the snow) slowly begin to reveal themselves. It is enchanting!

The historical and factual partnership make a brilliant platform in which to weave a fantasy path. Both elements will have you hooked in a unique and special way. The author's knowledge and passion shines through every page like the skilled glassblowers of Murano, who are featured within the story. 

Fogfinger rules Venice - his Fog Squad and spies can be found everywhere. The Venetians fear him and obey him. He rules over with menace, ugliness and horror, so don't be surprised to read about an army of dead animals that are reanimated as automata! The inhabitants are all ruled with fear, but they remain intensely proud of their city. Every year one of their children is lost in a grisly Lambing Ceremony - the child must climb the bell tower and let the Fate in the Box (a grinning skull inside a jack-in-the-box) decide their destiny. Most end their days in the jaws of the primeval crocodile that lurks in the lagoon or at least that is what Fogfinger tells them. . . . . 

The book is full of courage, daring deeds and humour. The main characters Amneris, Tockle and Biiri aim to uncover the mysteries and seek answers..... but they may not stay alive long enough to reveal Venice's secrets and be able to defeat Fogfinger and his fate in the box. 

The book is superbly plotted with some very enchanting ideas e.g. walls that have tiny ears to listen in on anyone who criticises the evil ruler. The lazy inhabitants rely on various automata inventions which are described in particularly vivid detail and will easily capture your imagination e.g. magical talking statues, winged cats and the infamous mermaids (from the previous books) that are known as the protectors of Venice. 

There is so much going on in this story that you are never quite sure what's coming around the corner. It could be amazingly written dialogue one minute quickly followed by humour and laughs the next. With a combination of suspense, mystery, horror and mayhem this story really does have the lot. It is a truly creative and, in my opinion, a one of a kind reading experience. I'm really looking forward to the next book.......

For more on the books or the author, check out the books web site.

http://www.michellelovric.com/children/thefateinthebox.html

News: Michael Grant, meets the winner of GONE Online on the EDF Energy London Eye

                                      

Author of the bestselling GONE series, Michael Grant, meets the winner of GONE Online on the EDF Energy London Eye

www.gone-online.com

On Saturday 4 May, the bestselling author of the GONE series, Michael Grant, met the winner of GONE Online.  The game was created to celebrate the publication of LIGHT, the sixth and final book in the GONE series, which was published on 28 March and topped the children’s bestseller charts in both the UK and Ireland.

Lucy Woodcock, aged 18, whose gaming alias was Dionysus, won the game beating over 2,400 players to the prize.  She wins an Apple iPad and met Michael Grant during a trip around the EDF Energy London Eye. Lucy is from Wolverhampton and is a college student at Dudley Sixth in the West Midlands.

GONE Online (www.gone-online.com) was launched in March and ran over 6 weeks, seeing a series of mini games released on a weekly basis.  They were designed to challenge, infuriate and test the players’ skills.  Some games rewarded time and speed, others ability and knowledge of the books.  Using the latest in location-based marketing, players could pick up extra points by checking in with their smart phones at specific locations – bookshops or libraries.

By the close of play, over 53,000 games had been played with 57 million points scored in total.  Lucy Woodcock was a clear winner scoring over 226,000 points.  She comments, “I started playing the games because I really wanted to meet Michael Grant, and I wanted to see what the games were like especially the word search and the quiz. After playing them for a little while I got into the competitive element of the games and I was really enjoying playing them.” 

The game is hosted on a dedicated website and can also be played on smart phones.  Players of any age were able to play but only UK residents aged 21 years or under were eligible for the competition.  The game is still available to play, although no prizes are now available.

Michael Grant comments, “I am amazingly bad at games, so I’m particularly impressed by the fans who have done so well.  Thanks to them for their enthusiasm and support.  It’s very humbling.  Thanks to all who played and all who outscored me … which was probably everyone.”

GONE was the first instalment in the epic teen series which has become hugely popular with teenagers internationally and has been lauded by Stephen King as ‘exciting, high-tension … told in a driving, torrential narrative that never lets up.’  

Over 400,000 copies of the books have now been sold in the UK alone.

Lucy Woodcock continues, “I first started reading the series because the cover caught my attention while I was in a book shop, I read the blurb and I was interested in reading them so I bought GONE. When I'd finished reading it I was really impressed! I searched online to find out when the next one would be out because I couldn't wait to find out what would happen to everyone. I was really glad that it wasn't a book that censored the violence because that's what made the story more realistic (except the powers) knowing that anything could happen to them at any time and not everyone would be able to cope with being trapped, especially teenagers. I've loved following the books and trying to guess how the FAYZ happened, what the Gaiphage was or how little Pete was involved, although I wasn't impressed when Michael killed my favourite character! I was really happy with how the series ended overall, even though it was really emotional.” 

Mike Richards, Marketing Director at Egmont Press, comments, “This competition was part of a broader campaign for the publication of LIGHT and we’re delighted that it has been won by such a big fan of the series. We’re also celebrating the book having launched straight into the bestseller charts and I take a good deal of personal pride in outscoring Michael in the first trivia game.”

Great New Children's Book Picks - June 2013 - UK Post One

Mark Walden - H.I.V.E. 8: Deadlock - Published by  Bloomsbury Children's (6 Jun 2013)

Deadlock – the eighth book in the breathtaking H.I.V.E. series – continues the high-octane adventures of the supremely talented criminal team, with central characters forced to question everything that Nero has taught them and to confront the consequences of life as a villain, set against the backdrop of a daring high-tech prison break where nothing is quite as it seems.

Otto and Raven are desperate to rescue their friends from the clutches of Anastasia Furan, head of the evil Disciples organisation. First they must track down the location of the Glasshouse, the prison where Furan trains children to become ruthless assassins. But Otto is also being hunted. The three months that Otto has spent following his ‘expulsion’ from H.I.V.E. have given the Artemis Section – an elite division of the American intelligence services that specialises in capturing the toughest targets and reports only to the President – an opportunity to locate him.

Darren Shan - ZOM-B Angels - Published by  Simon & Schuster Children's Books (20 Jun 2013)

Where can you find shelter in a city of the damned? How can you build a new life if you're undead? Who can you trust in a world gone mad? B Smith has come to a crossroads...

                      

Cassandra R. Clarke - The Pirate's Wish - Published by Strange Chemistry (4 Jun 2013)

After setting out to break the curse that binds them together, the pirate Ananna and the assassin Naji find themselves stranded on an enchanted island in the north with nothing but a sword, their wits, and the secret to breaking the curse: complete three impossible tasks. With the help of their friend Marjani and a rather unusual ally, Ananna and Naji make their way south again, seeking what seems to be beyond their reach.

Unfortunately, Naji has enemies from the shadowy world known as the Mists, and Ananna must still face the repercussions of going up against the Pirate Confederation. Together, Naji and Ananna must break the curse, escape their enemies — and come to terms with their growing romantic attraction.

Joseph Delaney - Spook's: Alice: Book 12 (Wardstone Chronicles) - Published by Bodley Head (6 Jun 2013)

A lot of dark stuff happened when I was young that I've never even told to my dearest friend, Tom Ward. Dark and scary things I hoped I had left behind for ever . . .

Over the years, Alice has fought evil side by side with the Spook and his apprentice, Thomas Ward. But now Alice is alone - in the realm of the dark. And the creatures she has helped to banish there, now have the chance to take their revenge.

Alice must seek the final weapon needed to destroy the Fiend for good. If she fails, the world will fall into despair and darkness. If she succeeds, it means facing her own death at the hands of her dearest friend. But can she prevent the darkness from overtaking her over completely . . . ?

The penultimate instalment of the Wardstone Chronicles follows Alice, Thomas Ward's loyal companion, to the most terrifying place of all.

New Edition Book Cover Reveal - Darren Shan - Lord Loss and Demon Thief (Demonata Series)

Missed the demonata the first time round?

check out our new look editions of this classic horror series a hellsh nightmare for only the bravest of readers...

                           

LORD LOSS by Darren Shan - New edition. Release date: July 4th 2013.

When Grubbs Grady first encounters Lord Loss and his evil minions, he learns three things: • the world is vicious, • magic is possible,

• demons are real.

He thinks that he will never again witness such a terrible night of death and darkness.

...He is wrong.

                        

DEMON Thief by Darren Shan - New edition. Release date: July 4th 2013.

When Kernel Fleck's brother is stolen by demons, he must enter their universe in search of him. It is a place of magic, chaos and incredible danger. Kernel has three aims: • learn to use magic, • find his brother, • stay alive.

But a heartless demon awaits him, and death has been foretold...