Frequently asked questions - please read before contacting Michelle.
What's the order of the '13 Treasures' series?
When will 13 Secrets be available in the USA?
Will there be another book in the '13 Treasures' trilogy?
What are you working on now?
Will you make a movie or TV series of the 13 Treasures ? Can I be in it?
I have a great idea for another 13 Treasures book. Can I send it to you?
Do you mind if I write stories using your characters/settings (fan fiction)?
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer and why?
Where did you get your ideas for The 13 Treasures from?
Do you believe in fairies?
Where do you go or what do you do when you're looking for inspiration?
What did you do before you were an author?
What were you like at school?
What was your favourite childhood book?
What's the best thing about being an author?
What's the worst thing about being an author?
Have you met any other authors?
Do you illustrate your books?
Do you visit schools?
Will you read my story/manuscript and give me your opinion?
Where can I get review copies of your books?
The 13 Treasures
The 13 Curses
The 13 Secrets
12 June 2012.
There are no plans for another book in the series but it's possible I might return to it one day if the right idea comes along. For now I have other stories, characters, and worlds I want to explore.
I'm writing Unrest, a supernatural thriller for young adults, due for release in the UK on 26 April 2012. It will soon have its own space on the books page, but you can currently read what it's about by scrolling down to the news on the homepage.
Making a movie is not something I can do personally because I am not a film producer. For there to be a movie of any of my books it would need a film studio to approach me and buy the rights to make it, and so far, this hasn't happened. If, or when it does, I'll have little or no control over who gets parts in it.
No, please do not send me ideas for continuations of my existing books, or ideas for future books you think I should write, or co-write with you. While I truly appreciate the thought, I do not co-write with other people and nor do I accept their ideas. Making up my own plots is the biggest enjoyment I get from writing, so using other people's ideas would defeat the whole purpose.
No, I don't mind as long as it's for your own entertainment and not for profit. Please note that I cannot read any fan fiction, however.
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer and why?
I've always loved stories, and I soon found that it was as much fun telling them as well as reading them. I started writing short stories when I was about fourteen, and by the time I left school I knew I wanted to be an author and illustrator.
Lots of places. I based the character of Tanya on my niece, who, according to a fortune-teller, would grow up to be psychic. I became interested in fairies after studying them in art at college, which gave me the idea of a girl who has the ability to see fairies.
Hangman's Wood and the 'catacombs' are real; a small area of woodland near to where I grew up.
The Thirteen Treasures is a legend I came across. The list of objects and their powers changes from one reference to the next. The legend sparked my imagination and led me to my own interpretation.
The rest of the story and characters are from my imagination, though I've woven in a fair few references to common fairy legend, such as the deterrents Tanya uses to keep fairies at bay.
I've never seen one, but I keep an open mind. People believe in many things they can't see: God, the Devil, ghosts. How 'real' something is to you often depends on how much belief you choose to put into it.
I don't really go looking for inspiration - I tend to be inspired by things that fall into my path. For instance, the charm bracelet in The 13 Treasures is inspired by one I found in a second-hand market. I immediately wondered who'd owned it, what their life was like, what their secrets were. What did each charm stand for? I get inspiration from most things: newspaper stories, pictures, old places and objects, or things people do and say.
I've worked as a barmaid, an art gallery attendant, and a children's bookseller for Waterstone's. My most recent job was in the editorial team of a children's publisher, where I worked for three and a half years. I now write full time.
I got on with most people, and worked hard in lessons I enjoyed such as English and Art. I always hated Maths, and was terrible at it. I never put much effort in until the final year. Instead I had fun making up rude songs about teachers. I'm also really bad at Geography, because I dropped it and opted to do an extra hour of art each week.
I loved Enid Blyton's Famous Five stories. They were the books that made me into a reader. But my favourite book was probably The Witches by Roald Dahl. I love the fact that it doesn't have an entirely happy ending.
I love most things about being an author: getting paid to daydream and make things up, inventing worlds and characters that exist in my head, and especially hearing from my readers.
Paperwork that takes you away from writing (boring but essential things like tax). Also, having a good idea, but having to change or abandon it because someone else got there first can be frustrating.
Yes, I've met Malorie Blackman, Cathy Cassidy, and Jacqueline Wilson to name just a few.
The chapter illustrations inside the books (with the exception of the American editions) is mine. You can see a few more examples of it on various pages of the website. My UK book covers are by an illustrator called Christopher Gibbs. You can visit his website here.
Yes, but I must be invited by a teacher or school librarian. See Events on the Books page for details.
I'm really sorry, but no. I get so many requests to read people's work that if I read them all I'd have no time to write my own books.
Where can I get review copies of your books?
To request proofs in the UK, email Kathryn.McKenna[at]simonandschuster.co.uk
To request ARCS in the USA, email publicity[at]lbchildrens.com
For review copies in any other language, email assistant[at]darleyanderson.com who will put you in touch with the relevant publisher.