A Serious Case of Chicken-itis

by Barbara Spencer

Beautifully illustrated by Charley Belles, A Serious Case of Chicken-itis tells what happens to Mary Frances Brown when she forgets to use the magic words, please and thank you. One morning when she gets up, Mary feels quite miserable and is horrid to her baby brother, Daniel. But when she steps on an old lady’s toe at the park and refuses to say sorry, something quite extraordinary happens – she suddenly finds she can’t talk and can only cluck. Not knowing what to do, Mummy sends for Daddy, then the window cleaner, the postman, Mrs Smith from next door and finally, the doctor who diagnoses chicken-itis. Helter-skelter, they run to the park to find the old lady, the only one who can cure Mary.

Author news

'Sunset on Golden Wings' which will be published at the end of April, although it can be read as a stand alone, is actually the sequel to 'The Year the Swans Came' and also brings the five book sereies to a close.

The idea for the series happened in 2010 when I was visiting Holland to celebrate the publication of Running but it was three years before I completed the first draft of 'The Year the Swans Came'. Based on the legend, Leda and the Swan, following a suggestion made by the agent, Felicity Bryan, I also began writing The Click of a Pebble, Book 1 of the trilogy, Children of Zeus, which is about many of the same characters but at a differerent point in their lives. And whereas 'The Year the Swans Came' and 'Sunset on Golden Wings' are narrated by Maidy Bader, the trilogy is written in the 3rd person and details the lives of Yost, Zande and Tatania as they struggle to survive in a world that wants them dead.

http://www.barbaraspencer.co.uk/

Book Reviews

A simple, useful guide. J an a writer and have more than the basic level of understanding but this book still had helpful and insightful tips that I have picked up and used. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an entry level text on the subject.

by NetGalley review

About the Author

Barbara Spencer

In 1967, considering herself to be destined for a life of mediocrity, Barbara Spencer hi-tailed it to the West Indies to watch cricket, the precursor to a highly colourful career spanning three continents in which she was caught up in riots, wars, and choosing Miss World. An award-winning children's author, over the past decade Barbara has been lucky enough to be invited to Booksignings at Waterstones throughout the Midlands and the south and west, and has visited dozens of primary and secondary schools. In 2017 Barbara decided to change horses in mid-stream and is now writing magical realism for adults and top teens.