Welcome! I'm the author of the best-selling The 13 Treasures, which won the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize and has been sold in 16 countries. It was followed by The 13 Curses and The 13 Secrets. I'm now working on my first novel for young adults, Unrest, which is due out in 2012.
Use the charms on the left to find your way around. Most information is on the Books page, including details of my books, events, competitions and more.
5th January
Happy 2012!
2011 was a great year for Elvesden Manor, which ended with the sale of the 13 TREASURES trilogy to China - the 18th country to buy the books! 2012 is set to be exciting: 13 SECRETS publishes in the USA on June 12th.
This is also the year that I'm moving away from Tanya and co. to write for an older audience, though I think many of you have grown with my books and so will be ready for this! My new teen ghost story, UNREST, is released in the UK on 26th April. The cover is still in progress and there are plans for a spine-tingling book trailer which I'll share as soon as I can.
Now for something VERY exciting, which some of you may have spotted on the Comments page: this year sees the launch of a brand new website selling official merchandise from my books! You'll soon be able to visit www.tickeyend.com and buy charm bracelets just like Tanya's, top trumps playing cards, and more. Further info coming soon . . .
There's still time to enter my art competition to draw a character from one of my books and win a whole range of goodies. All details can be found on the Books page. Good luck!
17 November
COMPETITION: Draw a Character from the 13 TREASURES Trilogy!
Check out Competitions on the Books page for details.
31 October
The clocks have gone back and it's time to carve your pumpkins, but October 31st is trick or treat for the fairies, too. Yes, it's the night of the Unseelie, when the courts change hands for the darker months ahead. So make sure you're wearing your socks inside out under your Halloween costume! As you can see, this is Pepper's favourite time of year, and she doesn't even have to dress up:
Speaking of spooky, I've just finished writing UNREST, my ghost novel for young adults! I'm now waiting to hear from my editor about areas that may need working on. This is always a scary time for any writer, and it doesn't change even after being published. You can read more about UNREST by scrolling down.
Stay up to date with all my news, as well as exclusive extras and giveaways, by signing up to my free email newsletter. View the latest one here.
'MISSING' RESULTS NOW UP!
Check out the winning entries now displayed on the Books page - see Competitions.
GIVEAWAY WINNERS!
The winners of Elfenseele: Hinter Dem Augenblick (13 Treasures in German) are:
Marie Goodwin, UK
Simone Heck, Germany
Lisa Pflanzl, Austria
Mara Wedler, Germany
Your signed books are on the way to you!
NEWS:
The 13 Secrets is shortlisted for the Independent Booksellers Week Award. The winner is voted for by booksellers and their customers and will be announced in September. If you have an independent bookseller (i.e. one that isn't part of a chain, like Waterstone's or WHSmith) in your town, why not pay a visit and cast your vote?
07 June
13 Curses is released today in the USA!
23 May
The title of my next book is now confirmed as UNREST:
Following an accident that almost killed him, 17-year-old Elliott is afraid to sleep. Sometimes he wakes to find himself paralysed, unable to move a muscle, while shadowy figures move around him. Other times he is the one moving around, while his body lies asleep on the bed. According to doctors, sleep paralysis and out of body experiences are harmless - but to Elliott they’re terrifying.
Convinced that his brush with death has attracted the spirit world, Elliott secures a live-in job at one of England’s most haunted locations, determined to find out the truth. There, he meets the enigmatic Ophelia. She and Elliott grow closer, but Elliott's sleep disorder has drawn new attention from the dead. One night, during an out of body experience, Elliott returns to bed to find his body gone. Something is occupying it, something dead that wants to live again . . . and it wants Ophelia, too. Elliott must lay it to rest, or risk being possessed for ever.
UNREST is my first novel for young adults, and is due out in the UK in May 2012.
01 April
Lots has happened since the release of the final book in the '13 Treasures' trilogy, The 13 Secrets. I'm getting brilliant feedback from those of you who have read it, as well as requests to continue the series! It's possible that I might write more about Tanya, Fabian and Rowan one day, but for now, as most of you know, I'm writing a ghost story for young adults. Early chapters have had a great response from my agent and editor. As soon as I have a title I'll announce it here.
Some exciting rights deals and awards news: The 13 Secrets has sold into Israel and Germany. The 13 Treasures was shortlisted for the Enfield Book Award with a ceremony held on March 24th. Although it didn't win it was still a great day and I met and signed books for lots of Enfield students. Thanks to all for making me so welcome.
I recently compiled my top ten bad faeries in the Guardian here. You can also find two new interviews with me: the first is on Reading Zone where I talk about finishing the '13 Treasures' trilogy. The second is about how I got published and may interest the writers among you.
Subscribe my email newsletter and keep up to date with all my news, as well as exclusive extras and giveaways. View the first one here.
05 March
There's a brand new WRITING COMPETITION now up - all the details are on the Books page in the 'Competitions' section. Some of you were also keen to know if the charm bracelet featured in the last comp is available to buy. The bracelets are individually handmade but they can be bought from the seller by emailing her through her website. You can find the address on the Books page - see 'Links'.
20 February COMPETITION RESULTS
The winner and runners up of the SECRETS competition are now displayed on the Books page - select 'Competitions' from the bookshelf to view. Keep an eye on the website, or sign up to the newsletter to find out about upcoming competitions.
05 February
The 13 Secrets has now been officially released! I've had a fantastic week touring the UK and have met lots of new readers as well as those already following the series. A big thank you to each and every one of you - I had a great time. The writing competition is now closed, thanks to all who took part. There were just over 300 entries, so it will take some time for me to read through them all. The winning entries will be posted to the website sometime this month.
29 January NEWSLETTER
Stay up to date with all the latest news on my books, competitions, signings and more! Click on the Newsletter charm to sign up.
25 January FREE WALLPAPERS
Download a 13 TREASURES wallpaper for your desktop - visit the Books page and select 'Extra'.
12 January WIN A 13 TREASURES BRACELET!
See 'Competitions' on the Books page. Open to writers aged 8-16. Closes 3rd Feb.
THE 13 SECRETS TRAILER
03 January NEW YEAR, NEW BOOK, NEW CAT
Happy New Year! I had a lovely Christmas with my family, and hosted a successful dinner for eight including home-baking and Christmas pudding (of which I'm very proud). We've a new addition to the household: a six month old black female kitten. She's a little scamp and Pepper isn't happy about having to share her humans! We've named her Marmite, and here she is on the left, winking behind an unamused Pepper:
2011 is going to be a big year. It's exactly a month to the day that The 13 Secrets is released in the UK, which I'm VERY excited about, while 13 Curses is due for release in the USA in June. Yesterday marked another beginning - I wrote the first words of my new novel! As some of you will know, this book is a move away from the 13 Treasures series. I'll post more information as it develops, but for now I can tell you there are no fairies in this story. Instead, there are ghosts, and it'll be slightly older and darker than my previous books. There is also still time to enter my writing competition (see Books page) and win a custom made 13 Treasures bracelet, plus the signed trilogy. If you're a writer aged 8-16, why not enter?
24 December MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my readers! I hope you all have a brilliant time whatever your celebrations are and that your Christmas wishes come true. My family are on their way to me as I sit typing this, and I still have Christmas pudding to make, and brownies to bake! So I'd better get on with it. Stay safe . . . and warm!
19 December COMMENTS PAGE
As many of you will know, the comments page has been offline after breaking down a couple of weeks ago. It's now been fixed and is back with a brand new look, so you can now start posting again. All your old messages are there, with the exception of the last page or so (which unfortunately vanished into cyberspace when the error happened), but if you'd like to re-post your message, please do so.
10 December COMPETITION
To celebrate the launch of The 13 Secrets there is a new writing competition for budding authors aged 8-16. The theme of the competition is SECRETS. First prize: a fantastic 13 TREASURES charm bracelet plus the entire signed trilogy. Five runners up will each receive a copy of The 13 Secrets. For information on how to enter, check out 'Competitions' on the Books page. I look forward to reading your secrets . . .
28 November COMP WINNER
Here is the fairy portrait of Shireen Zul Parquear, the over all winner of the recent writing competition. Shireen's portrait and signed books will be posted to her this week.
24 November CONTACT
There have recently been some problems with the PO box address that was previously on the Contact page - if you wrote to me between August and the middle of November, your letter was unfortunately not received. You can now write to me via my publisher, or by email on the Contact page.
19 November 13 Treasures on SLJ list!
13 Treasures is on the School Librarian Journal's list for best fiction 2010 in the United States. The full list can be viewed here.
09 November WEBSITE UPDATES
More questions and answers have been added to the Q&A on the Books page, including US release dates for 13 Curses and 13 Secrets, the correct reading order for the series, and the answer to whether there are plans for a movie! There's also a brand new '13 facts about me' on the About Me page. This website is for YOU, the readers, so if you have suggestions or if there's something you'd like to see on it, get in touch.
07 November COMPETITION RESULTS!
The results of the writing competition are now up and you can read the winning entries on the Books page in the Competitions section. A big thank you to everyone who took part, there were some brilliant and very creative entries. Look out for more competitions coming soon!
26 September COMPETITION
Write a short story, poem, or letter about a charm bracelet and WIN a fairy portrait drawn by Michelle, and signed copies of both books! See the new Competitions section on the Books page for details of how to enter.
18 September A MILESTONE!
This week I received some amazing news from my publisher. The '13 TREASURES' series has now sold over 100,000 copies in the UK alone! I'm still pinching myself. To celebrate, I'm going to be announcing a competition very soon. Watch this space!
08 September
THE 13 SECRETS is now finished, after eight months of work! I'm really excited about this book. There are many new characters, as well as all the old ones, and a brand new adventure for Tanya, Fabian, and Red. The length of the book falls somewhere between 13 TREASURES and 13 CURSES, and there is a LOT of action in this one. In some ways, it's been the most challenging to write, mainly due to the upheaval of buying my first house. But now we're settled in, and having my own room to write in is a dream come true. For now this marks the end of the trilogy (although that's not to say I won't return to Elvesden Manor sometime in the future) and the beginning of something completely new that I can't wait to get started on . . .
THE 13 SECRETS!
I can now reveal the gorgeous new cover and blurb for my third book, due out on February 3rd next year. The cover is going to be foiled, so will be extra special. Let me know what you think!
Red is now living at Elvesden Manor under her real name, Rowan, and trying to put the past behind her. But staying on the straight and narrow isn't as easy as she had hoped ... Hounded by those who would like her to participate once more in the changeling trade, Rowan is also haunted by dreams of the Hedgewitch's cottage and the chained-up Eldritch, who swore his revenge when she left him there. Her past is about to catch up with her - but can she, Tanya and Fabian prevent it consuming her altogether?
13 July HELLO!
FINALLY I'm back online! It's been a very long two months, but we are now settled into our lovely new house. Pepper is loving the garden (she hasn't started bringing me dead creatures . . . yet.) Now for some good news: The 13 Treasures is shortlisted for the Dorset School Libraries New Horizon Book Award! The winner will be announced at a ceremony on October 20th.
24 May MOVING
I've recently moved house and will not have access to the internet at home for a couple of weeks. If you've sent me a message and I haven't replied, please be patient and I'll get back to you asap!
16 May SIGNING, THURROCK LAKESIDE
See Events on Books page for details.
27 April AWARD NEWS
The 13 Treasures has been shortlisted for the North East Book Award!
15 April NEW TITLE CONFIRMED
The third title in The 13 Treasures sequence is now confirmed as The 13 Secrets! Thanks to everyone who sent in suggestions for titles.
14 April AUTHOR VIDEO
See me talking about The 13 Treasures here. The video features my niece, Tanya, who was the inspiration behind the character, and my cat, Pepper, who is on her best behaviour!
31 March COMPETITION WINNER
The winner of the US arc (advance reading copy) of 13 Treasures is Michelle Walker. Thanks to all who entered - look out for more competitions and giveaways throughout the year.
10 March New 13 Treasures website!
The fantastic website from my US publisher is now live: www.13treasurestrilogy.com.
20 February For Writers
A brand new section of tips and advice for aspiring writers can now be found on the Books page.
GIVEAWAY!
To celebrate my recent trip to the United States, I'm giving away an advance reading copy of the American edition of 13 Treasures. To enter, email me through the contact page with your name and address, and with '13 Treasures Giveaway' in the subject line. A winner will be selected at random. Closing date 20th March 2010.
14 February For my German readers
My second book, Elfenseele: Zwischen den Nebeln (The 13 Curses) is released tomorrow!
27 January US Tour
To promote the US release of 13 Treasures, I'll be flying out to the United States on January 31st and touring for a week. There I'll be meeting with librarians and booksellers in L.A., Minneapolis, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York to talk about the book. It'll be my first time to America - and I can't wait!
16 January New links
You can now find me on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads - check out 'Links' on the Books page.
08 January COMPETITION RESULTS
Who says number thirteen is unlucky? Thirteen winners each receive a signed copy of my first book, The 13 Treasures. To win, entrants were asked to submit one question that they would ask a fairy, if ever they saw one. There was a fantastic response, and I was impressed by each and every entry. Thanks to everyone who entered. Some questions were fun, some sad, some wise, and others totally absurd! So here are the winners and their questions:
'Are you from the Seelie court or the Unseelie court?'
Charlene Fernandes, 13 (overall winner, receiving an additional prize of a silver charm)
'How do you know when children have lost their teeth and to collect them that night?'
Amber Hobbs, 8
'Hello fairy, you know that humans love to write about you and your friends in novels. I'd like to know if you write stories of fantasy and magic about us humans?'
Charlie Jones, 12
'If you cause damage to your wings do they re-grow, or do you shed them yearly?'
Ruby-Leigh Taylor, 8
'How are you different from me?'
Nassima Ali, 11
'Can I come and live with you in the forest? I promise to take care!'
Andrea Alejandra Pacheco Arias, 12
'If you could have one wish, what would you wish for?'
Colin Hindley, 12
'Where do fairies come from, and how do they keep themselves hidden from us?'
Jasmine Caizley, 13
'Is it hard to get shoes that go with your wings?'
Rhianna Darling, 14
'My Dad is in heaven. Could you fix it for me to see him for one more day?'
Julie Pannell, 10
'Hi, um . . . can you please sign my book, so I know you were here?'
Louise Cheung, 12
'Do you want to have a sleepover at my house?'
Rachael Kelly, 10
'Even protohumans have left traces in the fossil records that show their evolutionary path. How come fairies have no traces in the fossil records?'
Heather Lloyd, 15
The following people receive runner-up prizes of a signed bookplate and a silver charm:
Fiona Kwartemaah, 13
Daniel Southurst, 11
Maddy Walsh, 9
Iffath Ahmed, 13
Anna Nuttall, 11
01 January 2010 Happy New Year to all my readers! The competition to Win 13 Treasures is now closed. Winners will be contacted and results will be announced soon!
My second book, The 13 Curses is out now!
07 November 2009 Rights sold in Romania for The 13 Treasures
26 October 2009 Manchester Book Award
The 13 Treasures has been longlisted for the Manchester Book Award 2010!
17 October 2009 US edition of 13 Treasures
Here is the new cover for the American edition of my first book. It publishes in the States on April 1st, 2010.
05 October 2009 Award News
The 13 Treasures has been shortlisted for the Heart of Hawick Children's Book Award 2010. The winner will be announced in May.
03 October 2009 Faery Fayre
I had a brilliant time at the Glastonbury Faery Fayre, where I signed copies of The 13 Treasures and met one of my illustration heroes, Brian Froud, pictured above.
And here I am selling and signing books at the Faery Fayre:
02 September 2009 New Event
Faery Fayre
Glastonbury Town Hall, Glastonbury
30 August 2009 The 13 Curses
New page added - click 'Books' on the menu to view.
24 March 2009 Rights sold in Poland and Israel for The 13 Treasures
10 March 2009 New interview with Achuka
23rd February 2009 The 13 Treasures wins the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize!
On Wednesday evening in Piccadilly, Waterstone's announced The Thirteen Treasures as the winner of their annual Children's Book Prize. The award is judged by booksellers and reading groups. Previous winners include Julia Golding, Stuart Hill and Sally Nicholls.
'The 13 Treasures boils with the kind of fairy that is far worse than Puck . . . what could be more cheering to curl up with?'
Amanda Craig, THE TIMES
'A magical adventure, perfect for lifting your spirits'
MIZZ magazine
