Roman Mysteries author Caroline Lawrence has launched an exciting new detective series set in the American West. The first title in The Western Mysteries is The Case of the Deadly Desperados, published in the UK by Orion, and in the US by Putnam. Find out more at www.westernmysteries.com

The Hollywood Reporter announced last year that 'BBC Films is getting into the big-screen franchise business for the first time in its history, commissioning a script based on the first of a series of teenage spy books written by Robert Muchamore.' For an update, see this Deadline story.

A sequel to the New York Times bestseller and Notable Book How To Be A Baby, By Me, The Big Sister (aka Sally Lloyd-Jones and Sue Heap) is now out from Schwartz & Wade at Random House. How To Get Married, By Me, The Bride is soon to be followed by How To Get A Job, By Me, The Boss. The UK publisher is Walker Books.

Look out for Valerie Bloom on Poetry Pie, CBeebies’ innovative poetry programme. For older fans, her extraordinary novel The Tribe is now out in paperback.