For a book so directly inspired by musicals, the playlist that soundtracked my writing of Exit Stage Death felt like a key part of the process. The book follows Livi Campbell in her final summer at Camp Chance, as she fights for her last shot at getting the lead in the showcase, and proving to her parents that performing is a legitimate career choice. Everything seems to be going to plan until another camper shows up dead, and it’s up to Livi and her friends to work out who

I was about six when I was taken to the circus. I remember reaching up to hold my Daddy’s hand and seeing everything on the approach to the huge tent through a sea of adult legs. It was dark outside, and we walked in to find our seat on the curved benches that circled the ring in tiers. There was a cow shed smell inside, a stink sharper than the rounded smell of cow or sheep, that made my skin prickle. I remember the ringmaster, in a red coat and a top hat and a big mousta

Have you ever spotted the main strategy that many young people use when choosing fiction? It doesn’t matter where they are- libraries, bookshops or even supermarkets- trust me, once you’ve seen it happening you’ll notice it all the time. Let’s start with the good news- young readers still love vibrant covers. Art appreciation is alive and well: something bright, action-packed and colourful is bound to succeed and, if well-planned, the cover makes a helpful and practical por