All across the USA, people are showing up dead. The deaths don't appear to be connected in any way until one particular death occurs and gets the Secretary of Defense's attention. He arranges for a task force to investigate.

Initially dated March 1, 2018; Brightstorm, by Englishwoman Vashti Hardy, is her first book in the Brightstorm series. Brightstorm is named after the shared surname of its protagonists, namely Arthur Brighstorm and Maudie Brightstorm; the aforementioned orphaned twins prove their mettle during the death investigation of their posthumously disgraced father Ernest Brightstorm who perished during an ill-fated polar exploration amid alleged conflict of interest. Q: There is also a lot of exploration around ideas of identity, especially among the Victorian orphans in this book, and Lily's investigations about her mother's past. Why does this theme play such a big part in this story?

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Searching for clues, Robert and Lily are plunged into deep water… But can they reveal the deadly truth before the secrets submerge them? Tumble down the rabbit hole again to find out what happens in Wonderland without Alice there. Is the Queen of Hearts still ruling with an iron fist? Does the Mad Hatter still have to go to tea? And will Tweedledum and Tweedledee ever resolve their argument? The year is 1826, and the four Belle siblings arrive at their new home in Tambling Village. Acton, the youngest member of the Belle family, immediately befriends a bright, red robin, leading him to discover a hidden key. So my advice is, never throw anything away. (In terms of writing I mean. Obviously in real life throw some things away - you don't want to be drowning in stuff!) A: I am not doing animation at the moment as authoring is keeping me busy! The thing I enjoy most about the job is creating stories and characters and bringing them to life. Most of all I want people to be drawn into the adventures and, as the series progresses, gradually feel like the characters are old friends.

When 13 year old Lily's inventor father is presumed dead in an air crash, she is sent to live with her authoritarian governess. But her father had a secret, kept in small box, that others will do anything to get hold of. When Lily and her friend Robert discover the box, they are forced into hiding and, helped by their mechanical fox Malkin, must run for their lives. A: The idea that came first was the automatons or little machines. I was reading a history of automatons in the eighteenth century and how eighteenth century inventors were trying to bring these machines to life. There were lots of discussions at the time about these new machines, for example whether they would have a soul or not. So the whole idea of bringing machinery to life attracted me.The first in an enchanting new historical-fantasy adventure series from the bestselling author of The Cogheart Adventures. Lily has been fitted with it, but what her father has done is highly illegal, and Lily’s secret must never be revealed. But there’s something sinister about the hybrid children who appear as part of the act. And before Lily and Robert can do anything, they’re captured by shadowy figures and whisked off in the mysterious flying circus to somewhere far, far away…

Author Luke Palmer introduces his new book, Play (Firefly Press) about four boys growing up together, the challenges, the friendships, and what hap...

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I think everyone needs to question how we treat others. To be aware of how people discriminates against those who are perceived as 'different' or a 'minority'. The truth is, fundamentally, we are the same and the 'us vs them' rhetoric is only about dividing everyone and creating discord. Q: There are some great characters in the story who are actually machines, or mechanicals. Which of the mechanicals in the book would you like to have at home with you?