New Releases by Joan Aiken

''Eccentric and poignant with inevitable echoes of Austen as she goes for heightened emotion and rarefied beauty . . . suspend disbelief and you’ll fly through this world of sense and sensibility'' Time Out Aspiring young artist sixteen-year-old Pandora Crumbe, lonely and bored in her rural village, has been unwillingly taken for lunch with her eccentric neighbours The Morningquest family . . . when her mother dies suddenly at the table. The Morninquests take Pandora under their wing – Sir Gilbert is a world famous conductor with an elegant wife and seven eccentric children, all highly talented in their own way. Pandora flourishes in their rambling country home and relishes the cultured and bohemian company. As her life moves with theirs to 60’s London, a Northern University, and finally to communist Prague, she uncovers scandals, tragedy, her own mother’s secrets, and finally the way to realise her own dreams. From award winning author Joan Aiken, romantic suspense novel Morningquest is an intense and kaleidoscopic read, an epic rite of passage with a vast cast of exuberant characters who sweep you into their world.

''A winner. The narrative is crisp, the characterisation revealing, the ending quite modern in its ambiguity.'' The Lady Two very different, but physically identical, young ladies meet at a boarding school once attended by Jane Austen. Joan Aiken''s engrossing regency novel is perfect for fans of the major Netflix romantic drama series, Bridgerton. Self-righteous Louisa wants to escape her grand family life in Northumberland and become a missionary in India. Imaginative and quiet Alvey has no family and only longs for peaceful independence to complete her novel. So when Louisa suggests swapping identities it seems like the perfect plan: Alvey will have a peaceful country manor in which to write her book and Louisa will be free to voyage across the globe. But when Alvey becomes a beloved and indispensible member of her extraordinary new family, how will they view the return of the horrible Louisa? Joan Aiken weaves a complicated plot of deception and identity, peopled with strong female characters, in this unique historical romance.

To save her family, she will need to go back to the place she once longed to escape...her home Ellen Paget''s desire to break convention and spread her wings led her to a position as a governess in Paris—and family tragedy and scandal led her back to London. Benedict Masham has long carried a torch for Ellen and her return has reignited his passion. Now he vows to express his love for her through unwavering help and support during this difficult time. To keep her family safe, Ellen must uses all her ingenuity and daring to solve the mysteries of the past and present, and in the meantime she finds romance in a place she least expects it—in Benedict''s awaiting arms. The Paget Family Saga: The Smile of the Stranger (Book 1) The Weeping Ash (Book 2) The Girl from Paris (Book 3)

Can Jon find a ghostly horse that''s been extinct for centuries? Jon is a lonely orphan who lives on a farm with his adopted parents. When they ask what he''d like for his birthday, Jon knows immediately: to see the Moropus, a prehistoric horse that''s big and furry, with claws on its feet instead of hooves. According to legend, it haunts the lonely moors at a waterfall that is known as Horse Force because its gushing cascade sound just like a mare''s whinny. But there''s 1 problem: If Jon wants to see the ghost of the legendary creature, he has to visit Horse Force at the stroke of midnight—alone. Can he get up the courage to go there all by himself in the dead of night? Luckily there is 1 friend who can help Jon—his faithful pony Whiskers! This ebook features illustrations by Gavin Rowe and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author''s estate.

When Davey and his sister are orphaned, their grandmother comes from a remote island to look after them—bringing macabre powers and dark secrets When Davey and his family moved to the city from the island of Muckle Burra off the coast of Scotland, they left his grandmother behind. But now his parents are dead—after a car accident that left Davey confined to a wheelchair—and Gran has moved in to take care of him and his sister, Lu-Lyn. A strange girl with a bizarre personality, Lu-Lyn is obsessed with 2 things: ballet and returning to Muckle Burra, where she was born. She believes that both she and Gran are "Ridders" who have strange, dark powers: With just 1 cast of their Evil Eye, bad things will start to happen. . . . When Lu-Lyn puts a terrible curse on the neighborhood boys who''ve been terrorizing her, it seems as if Gran''s dark arts have followed her from Muckle Burra. Then tragedy rocks their family again, and Davey embarks on a journey that will reveal the true secret of his grandmother''s rare gift—and the limitless power of his own potential. This ebook features illustrations by Ian Andrew and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author''s estate.

Dido Twite, with the help of some sacred shaman healers, must foil a sinister plot to overthrow the king of a remote South Sea island healers Sailing the high seas in pursuit of Lord Herodsfoot, roving ambassador to the ageing King James III, Dido Twite''s search has led her to the remote South Sea island of Aratu. She arrives with a new friend she made en route, the enigmatic Dr. Talisman, who is returning to the isle after many years. Soon they discover that there''s something even more dangerous in the ancient rain forest than its poisonous pearl snakes, sting monkeys, and 30-foot-long crocodiles. Dido and Talisman are confronted by the Angrian invaders, who drove the Dilendi natives from their home 400 years earlier. Luckily, Dido befriends the gentle Forest People, who can heal with their magical touch. When she learns about a plot to overthrow the island''s suffering king, Dido enlists the Forest People to help her thwart the scheme, save the monarch, and reunite him with his long-lost daughter. Dangerous Games is the 5th book in the award-winning Wolves Chronicles, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order. This ebook features an illustrated personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author''s estate.

Kimballs Green Junior School''s newest student is more than a little strange—in fact, she might be the feared daughter of the Erl King! Kevin loves sharing the stories his grandmother used to tell him about trolls and witches with his school friends. His favorite tale is about a scary spook named the Erl King who rides on a black horse at night. But when a new student, Nora Scull, arrives at Kimballs Green elementary school, Kevin begins to wonder if maybe the stories are true. Skinny as a broom and with dark, stringy hair, Nora never laughs, but she''s always watching and listening. She also steals and makes Kevin do all sorts of bad things. Who is Nora, and what will Kevin have to do to save himself—and his school? This ebook features illustrations by Paul Warren and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author''s estate.

A secret village of elves living in the cupboard must fend off vacuum witches and deep-freeze trolls in the battles of the kitchen wars The people who live in the house have no idea that an entire village of elves resides in their china cupboard, behind the soup bowls and bread-and-butter plates. And when the humans start their spring-cleaning by taking everything out of the cabinets, the king elf''s crown disappears. Now the elven community is in a terrible state, and the only way to save the realm is to find what their ruler has lost. Luckily Prince Coriander has returned, after years of training at the elf school, to hunt down the crown. But the kitchen holds hidden dangers—Fendire, the infrared dragon who lurks behind the gas burners; deep-freeze trolls who can swallow an elf in a single mouthful; very scary kelpies in the dishwasher; and the great cat Mistigris. The prince soon finds himself battling a furnace dragon, retrieving his mother''s ring from the bottom of the dishwasher, and rescuing a nixie girl who lives in the kitchen sink—all while racing to discover who will become the new king of the elves! This ebook features illustrations by Jo Worth and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author''s estate.

An English orphan unwittingly holds the key to a powerful source of magic The graduation ceremony of the Grand and Ancient College of Siberian Witches takes place in the winter darkness of the Far North. But despite the celebration, the night is full of warnings and worry. The Wanderer is abroad in search of the coveted Jewel Seed that has been lost for centuries. Whoever finds it can unlock all knowledge and will have unlimited power. . . . Meanwhile, orphan Nonnie Smith is leaving the home she shares with her grandmother and grown siblings in Sesame Green to go live in London with her cousins and eldest sister, Una. Nonnie''s problems begin when her old neighbor Mrs. Wednesday returns from the Siberian witch conference and discovers that someone has taken a mysterious shirt off her clothesline. Nonnie is sure the linen blouse was Una''s, but why is Mrs. Wednesday so desperate to get her hands on it? Then Una is kidnapped—along with famous historical characters Julius Caesar, Mozart, and Jane Austen—and it''s up to Nonnie and her cousin John to outsmart both the Winter People and Mrs. Wednesday in order to save her.. The Jewel Seed is Joan Aiken''s retelling of a story her father, the poet Conrad Aiken, used to tell her and her siblings when they were young. This ebook features illustrations by Peter Bailey and a personal history of Joan Aiken including rare images from the author''s estate.

''The Under People. They live in a huge Cave. They are thought to be boring upwards. Giant worms and flying ants. Underground magic.'' Mickle, the palace cat, knows something is wrong. He can feel it in his whiskers. Then he finds scribbled notes revealing that the kingdom in danger. (Yes, of course he can read. And speak - when he chooses to!) Mickle can''t trust the King and Queen with his mission, so he approaches Prince Michael and together, with the wise old mare Minerva, they set out on a perilous search to find the sinister Under People before they can invade Astalon.

A beautiful Cornish coastal village is the setting for a highly sinister conspiracy involving a kidnapped baby, mysterious monks and an almost irresistible new perfume... ''Joan Aiken''s triumph with this genre is that she does it so much better than others'' New York Times Book Review Martha works for an advertising agency, filming a TV commercial on location on the stunning Cornish coast. The client is the eccentric owner of a chemicals company that has invented a new, almost irresistible perfume, and Martha is in charge of shooting the romantic ads - unfortunately starring his beautiful but highly manipulative daughter-in-law. Before long, Martha finds herself embroiled in the conspiracy over the perfume''s true origin - to say nothing of a kidnapped baby, sinister monks, her own long-since vanished ex-husband and a series of exploding soup cans. And what of her own floundering love life...? ''Witty and acute ... a nice romantic thriller'' Punch

As Jem, the Shoemaker''s boy, works at night in his father''s shop he has three strange visitors asking for some silver keys. Jem must keep the silver keys safe, but how...?

Here are eight gloriously imaginative stories for eight satisfying sessions of bedtime reading. There’s a flying apple pie, a cat that’s bigger than an elephant, a house that lays an egg, storybook animals that leap out of their books at night, and a wealth of other wonderful characters and ideas, all with the colorful, dreamlike quality of the very best fairy tales. Joan Aiken’s delicious prose is a joy to read aloud to very young listeners yet simple enough for the independent reader to savor on his or her own. Kevin Hawkes’s illustrations–nearly 60 of them–capture with great flair and fun the magical adventures and the triumph of the good over the bad.

Dido and Simon are in danger in this new addition to the Wolves Chronicles. Dido, back in England from America, is almost instantly kidnapped and taken to a derelict mansion surrounded by a deadly moat. The evil baron residing there, who is also a werewolf, wants desperately to know where King Dick is hidden. For the king is dying, and the evil baron wants to put his own demented son on the throne. Meanwhile Simon is with the ailing king. Not only does King Dick want Simon to paint a portrait of him and his family, but Simon is also next in line for the throne. However, they do need to find the coronet for the ceremony that will crown Simon. Though the coronet is rumored to be in the derelict mansion where Dido is imprisoned, no one can find it. It’s one cliffhanging, hair-raising chapter after another in this tongue-in-cheek, devilishly delicious adventure.

In Aiken''s sequel to Jane Austen''s complex and fascinating novel, after heroine Fanny Price marries Edmund Bertram, they depart for the Caribbean, and Fanny''s younger sister Susan moves to Mansfield Park as Lady Bertram''s new companion. Surrounded by the familiar cast of characters from Jane Austen''s original, and joined by a few charming new characters introduced by the author, Susan finds herself entangled in romance, surprise, scandal, and redemption. Aiken''s diverting tale gives the reader interesting speculation on how the Crawfords, whose winning personalities were marred by an amoral upbringing, might have turned out, and Jane Austen''s morality tale takes new directions with an unexpected and somewhat controversial ending.

Jane Austen wrote the untitled fragment that was later called The Watsons in 1803-5, and it was published posthumously in 1871. Joan Aiken, well known for her Jane Austen sequels and children''s books, finishes the fragment, introducing a new hero and seamlessly continuing where Jane Austen left off to a satisfying ending for all Austen fans. Emma Watson returns home after 14 years spent with a beloved aunt, whose re-marriage has caused a significant change in Emma''s circumstances. Used to a life of ease, warmth and intelligence, Emma is thrust back into a home where, with one exception, her sisters are petty and jealous, if not vulgar, her father is ill and weak, and her brothers are not men of fine minds. This is a poignant exploration of a young lady''s endurance in the face of reduced circumstances, and in true Jane Austen fashion, there is an admirable hero to make all right in the end.

Young Arabel''s life is changed forever when her father, a taxi driver, brings home an injured bird he finds in the street. This wacky raven eats everything in sight, answers the telephone by squawking "Nevermore!" and causes chaos wherever he goes--but Arabel loves her new feathered friend, whom she names Mortimer. This is the first volume of Arabel and Mortimer''s adventures, brightened with hilarious illustrations by Quentin Blake.

A young man must prevent a magic harp from falling into the clutches of a sinister and diabolical Lord.

After monsters invade Britain with the aim of destroying civilization, an expedition is mounted to defeat them. Two children with extrasensory perception, a boy and a girl, join the expedition and it is thanks to them that the monsters are routed. With illustrations.

Taking up where Jane Austen''s "Pride and Prejudice" left off, Aiken''s newest novel focuses on Lady Catherine de Bourgh, her daughter Anne, and the misadventures one spring brings to Rosings Park, their family estate.

Revised and updated, this essential and practical guide by an award-winning children''s author explains how to write books for children, from where to look to inspiration to practical advice on how to create characters and structure a plot.

The outsider who threatens to outshine her new friend Emma in Jane Austen''s classic novel of manners and romance takes on a deeper life, with her own feelings and desires.

In a novel that is based on The Watsons, an unfinished Jane Austen novel, Emma Watson, who tends her father''s household along with her sister Elizabeth, finds herself caught up in an adventure as two men compete for her attention.

Bound to keep a promise to her dead uncle, Is travels to the mysterious north country to find two missing boys, one of them a prince, and to discover why so many children in London are disappearing.

As readers and listeners enter the pages of these nine adventures, they will discover a universe where the everyday and enchanted worlds of very real humans and kelpies, elves, and fairies comingle in perfectly logical, funny and magical ways.

Seppy forces the moon to give him his wish, to be the maker of enchanted fiddle music, but almost pays a horrible price for it.

When Dido Twite sets foot back on English soil, more mischief awaits. As her friend Captain Hughes recovers from a carriage accident, Dido stays at the Dogkennel Cottages and meets the odd inhabitants of Tegleaze Manor: strange old Lady Tegleaze, her nephew, Tobit, and his wizened, witchy nurse, Sannie. Soon suspicious things happen. A priceless miniature is stolen. Tobit is framed and then kidnapped. A twin sister is found. And when Dido catches a glimpse of her rascally father in Petworth, she is sure she''s in the midst of another Hanoverian plot. Can she get to London to warn the king and save St. Paul''s Cathedral from sliding into the Thames?

Lob''s girl -- Miss Spitfire -- Finders keepers -- The windowbox waltz -- The swan child -- Merminster -- Mrs. Chatterbox -- Two races -- Old Fillikin -- Snow horse -- The hunchback of Brook Green -- Homer''s whistle --The last specimen.