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.
The Year the Swans Came marks a turning point in my career. After writing comedy and sending children on fantastical adventures, I am now writing fantasy for adults and top teens. The idea for Swans first came in 2010 when I was visiting Holland to celebrate the publication of Running. I completed the first draft in 2013 and followed this up with the series, 'Children of Zeus' following a suggestion by the agent, Felicity Bryan. The Year the Swans Came should be book 4, but everyone who has read it insists it has to be Book 1.
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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 fantasy for adults.
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