Paula Hickford's first book, Lavender Girl is a bright and inspiring novel, following the new friendship between Elizabeth Bailey, 60, and Tamika Asiedu, 10, as they come to terms with losing family and find a way to cope with life after loss together. Ever since her husband died, Liz has been alone in an empty house. Her only son hardly bothers with her, she rarely sees her grandchildren, and her best friend has left the neighbourhood. Now retired, she has nothing but housework to keep her occupied and everything in the house is immaculate, save for the tangled and overgrown garden which was once her husband's pride and joy. Life begins to change when a removal van pulls up next door, and Monica and Tamika move in. Monica is stressed and over-worked and Tamika is a sad little girl. Liz initially hears nothing but fighting from next door, but reluctantly gets involved in their lives when one cold, wet evening in early January, she notices Tamika waiting outside in the rain for Monica to get home. Liz invites her in and as the two of them get to know one another, their friendship becomes the catalyst that changes all of their lives for the better.

Thoughtful, brave and sassy, Ugenia Lavender is one amazing kid. With loads of energy, tons of attitude and brainwaves like thunderbolts of lightning, Ugenia leaps into adventures that are as packed with personality as their creator, Geri Halliwell. Each book in the series contains three stories plus Ugenia's Big News, Top Tips and extra Brain Squeezer puzzle pages. Book 6 - Ugenia Lavender has discovered that the planet is fast running out of energy. But luckily she has a plan to save the day. How can she help an alien return to outer space? And what happens when she meets her hero, Hunk Roberts? Does it make up for the fact that she might no longer be THE ONE AND ONLY?

A 2015 William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist Magical realism, lyrical prose, and the pain and passion of human love haunt this hypnotic generational saga. Foolish love appears to be the Roux family birthright, an ominous forecast for its most recent progeny, Ava Lavender. Ava — in all other ways a normal girl — is born with the wings of a bird. In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to fit in with her peers, sixteen-year old Ava ventures into the wider world, ill-prepared for what she might discover and naive to the twisted motives of others. Others like the pious Nathaniel Sorrows, who mistakes Ava for an angel and whose obsession with her grows until the night of the summer solstice celebration. That night, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air, and Ava’s quest and her family’s saga build to a devastating crescendo. First-time author Leslye Walton has constructed a layered and unforgettable mythology of what it means to be born with hearts that are tragically, exquisitely human.

If a bisexual runs into a lesbian's U-Haul, is that the equivalent of a second date? Butch/femme, enemies-to-lovers, first time, HEA

Thoughtful, brave and sassy, Ugenia Lavender is one amazing kid. With bags of energy, heaps of attitude and brainwaves like thunderbolts of lightning, Ugenia leaps into adventures that are not only full of fun, but which also contain a great message: that every child is special and capable of great things! With three stories, plus Ugenia’s Big News, Top Tips and extra puzzle pages in each book, UGENIA LAVENDER will delight children and adults alike. In Book 3, Ugenia discovers the true meaning of ‘liar, liar, pants on fire’ and celebrates her tenth birthday in style. She also saves the day when her school stages its very own Olympic Games!

Nell Gunn, Snowball and Esther will be back, along with more characters from Britain's biggest beauty factory, as they battle the twists and turns of war in Stratford. Will Nell find lasting love? Will Snowball reveal what forced him onto the streets? And will Esther be able to tame the wild child she takes under her wing as part of her new bursary? As flowers and vegetables blossom in the Shoot's new Dig for Victory allotment, can the inhabitants really bury their pasts?