Who wrote it?

Caroline Green was a journalist for many years before starting to write children’s fiction, mainly covering stories about science and health. Now she finds making things up is much, much more enjoyable than writing about real things. Her first book, Dark Ride, was published in May 2011 by Piccadilly Press. Cracks came out in May 2012 and a third title for young adults is due to be published in 2013. Caroline lives in North London and when not writing likes to read and read... and read, hang out with her husband and two sporty sons, and walk her chocolate labrador, Monty.

What's it about?

I’m shaking all over. My brain feels like a computer whose hard drive is full. I can’t take any more weirdness - I haven’t got room in my head. I look around the kitchen and I know something is different but I can’t put my finger on it. Cal’s discovering that his life is not as ordinary as he thought. That’s scary, particularly when it seems he’s the very last to know. He needs to find out the truth - but, with lies, danger and deceit on all sides, is there anyone he can trust?

Fact File

Caroline vividly remembers a family walk when she was ten years old when she was so preoccupied with thoughts of her new ‘series’ that she almost walked into a tree. For more information about Caroline visit her website www.carolinegreen.net

Who wrote it?

Mark Lowery is a primary school teacher of Year 6. He started writing as an adult when he produced some short stories and pantomimes for the children in his class. Following a few years of teaching in Leeds, he studied for an MA in Writing for Children at the University of Winchester. After graduating he taught at schools in Ipswich and Italy, whilst writing in his spare time. He currently works part-time at a school in Cambridge.

What's it about?

Mike Swarbrick's life couldn't get any worse. His pervy best friend gets him embroiled in a scandal involving the girls' changing rooms, his idiot of an older brother is snogging the girl of his dreams and he's just come home early from school to discover his parents are secret nudists... but they're ready to go public! A chain of events beyond his control are set to RUIN HIS LIFE. But instead, his teachers think that he's having trouble "dealing with his feelings". The result is that Mike's forced to meet with the school counsellor who thinks that a cool university professor can fix his problems. And so begins Mike's chats with Chas which really are as humiliating and cringe-worthy as they sound.

Fact File

At school Mark was always the class clown. Although he loved making people laugh, he used to get a real kick out of the actual process of thinking up funny or ludicrous things to say. At the moment Mark is trying to finish off the sequel to Socks Are Not Enough. It’s called Pants Are Everything and it picks up exactly where Socks Are Not Enough finishes off. Fingers crossed it’ll be out around June 2013! For more information about Mark visit his website: www.marklowery.co.uk

Who wrote it?

Simon Packham became a writer after spending 20 years as an actor. He has published some fiction for adults but also writes novels for young adults. Comin 2 gt U and The Bex Factor are the first in a series set at the fictional St Thomas's Community College.

What's it about?

Chris needs to talk, but he can’t. He lost the power of speech completely when his best friend, Declan, died in a car crash. As months pass, school friends give up on him and only eco-freak Ariel and a suspiciously friendly new boy, Will, are left. While Will encourages increasingly dangerous ways for Chris to forget Declan, Ariel realises her silent friend is hiding something. But what is Chris’s terrifying secret? And will he find his voice before it’s too late?

Fact File

Simon thinks that the low point of his acting career was probably taking his then 6 month old daughter to a commercial casting for the roles of 'dad and baby' only to be told that she'd got the job, but he wasn't quite right as her father! You can find out more about Simon by going to his website www.simonpackham.com . There is an interview with Simon on the Piccadilly Press website.

Who wrote it?

Laura Powell was born in London but grew up in the Brecon Beacons. She had a very old-fashioned country childhood and spent most of it with her nose in a book. She studied Classics at Bristol and Oxford, then spent 5 years working in the editorial departments of both adult and children’s publishers. She now lives in West London.

What's it about?

Burn Mark is set in an alternate modern Britain, where witches are a real and persecuted underclass. Licensed ones put their powers to work for the State; others form gangster covens, and are hunted by the Inquisition. Glory is from a family of witches and lives beyond the law. She is desperate to develop her powers and become a witch herself. Lucas is the son of the Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition - the witches' mortal enemy - and his privileged life is very different to the forbidden world that he lives alongside. And then on the same day, it hits them both. Glory and Lucas develop the Fae - the mark of the witch. In one fell stroke, their lives are inextricably bound together, whether they like it or not...

Fact File

Laura went to a girls’ boarding school but hated it and spent a lot of the time dreaming of ways to escape. For more information about Laura visit her website: www.laurapowellauthor.com

Who wrote it?

Mark Walden studied for a BA in English Literature and an MA in Twentieth Century Literature, Film and Television at Newcastle University. He spent ten years as a video games designer and producer before leaving the games industry to write. H.I.V.E., published in September 2006, was Mark's debut novel. It was selected as a winner in Richard and Judy’s ‘Best Kids’ Books Ever' competition and Paramount Pictures has optioned the film rights.

What's it about?

Sam wakes to see strange vessels gathered in the skies around London. As he stares up, people stream past, walking silently towards the enormous ships which emit a persistent noise. Only Sam seems immune to the signal. Six months later, Sam is absolutely alone. In his underground bunker he has food and water for a couple of days. He has no choice but to venture above. Spotted by a flying drone, Sam escapes, but not before the drone slashes him with a barbed tendril. That night, drenched in sweat, Sam realises without medical supplies the wound will kill him. This time above ground he is less lucky. Cornered again, Sam thinks he has reached the end - then the drone is shot down in a hail of machine gun fire. In five minutes Sam learns two things: he is not alone; the drone injury should have killed him instantly - yet he is still alive. The battle for earth is about to begin.

Fact File

Mark loves Star Wars and if he couldn’t be an author he would want to be an astronaut. He describes himself as “the world’s laziest man”. For more information on Mark and his books visit the website: www.earthfallbattle.com/uk