Entries by FCBG blog

Anticipation by Neil Taylor

AI is certainly no longer a hype but something that both intrigues and concerns the world. Author, Neil Taylor offers some insight into AI as it features in his novel, Anticipation.   Myth Busting AI My name is Neil Taylor, and I recently wrote a fictional novel called Anticipation in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays […]

Calm by SJ Baker

This is a brilliant guest blog from author S.J. Baker about dystopian fiction for teens. There is certainly a large appetite for this type of book! The power and popularity of dystopian fiction among young adult readers. “You write well,” said the literary agent in response to my submission, “but YA dystopias are a crowded […]

The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow

Matt Goodfellow’s verse novel The Final Year (Otter-Barry Books) is one of the books of the year, winning its category in the Children’s Book Award as well as this year’s CLiPPA, CLPE Children’s Poetry Award. The Final Year draws on Matt’s experience as a primary school teacher but in this special article, he explains that […]

Pernickety-Boo by Sally Gardner

Sally Gardner has written a lovely and honest blog for us about Pernickety-Boo, her latest book. It comes from wanting a place to call home and to feel that sense of belonging. Thank you Sally for your words. The idea of Pernickety-Boo came to me when I was in the middle of writing another book. […]

Someone’s Been Messing with Reality by John Hearne

We are delighted to share a guest blog from John Hearne, author of Someone’s Been Messing with Reality. He writes about his main character and how to avoid the cliche’s around giving characters superpowers!   Characters with Special Abilities:  Make cliché-avoidance your super power The kid with superpowers is one of most popular tropes in […]

Poo Crew Adventures Q&A

We love a Q&A on the FCBG blog, especially when both author and illustrator get involved. James Turner and Steve May are the duo behind Poo Crew Adventures, a new graphic novel series and we are so pleased they found time to answer our questions. Why poo? Who came up with the initial idea to […]

The Love Dare by Abiola Bello

Author, Abiola Bello shares her inspirations for her books with us in today’s blog. She is surrounded by creativity and we look forward to reading more of her books! The question I get asked the most from readers is how do I seek inspiration for my YA books. A lot of it comes from my […]

The Wild Life of Dinosaurs by Mike Barfield

Mike Barfield has been wild about science and animals from an early age. He is the winner of the Blue Peter Children’s Book Award 2021 in the ‘Best Book with Facts’ category, and has also been shortlisted for the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize, the Association for Science Education Children’s Book Prize (twice) and […]

Britfield by C.R. Stewart

Britfield is originally published in the US but has now made its way to where it is actually set, England.  Please see below for further details from the publicist and a Q&A with author, C.R. Stewart. This fast-paced adventure novel transports the reader from the smoldering crags of Yorkshire, through the heart of England, and […]

Dungeon Runners by Kieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton

Kieran Larwood and Joe Todd Stanton chat all things Dungeon Runners as they launch this adventurous, fully illustrated new series for young readers with Nosy Crow. In celebration of the publication of Dungeon Runners; Hero Trial, we – Kieran Larwood, and Joe Todd Stanton, are here today to interview… each other! Joe: Let’s start with […]