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J P’s early life

I was born in the bustling city of Manchester back in the 1970s but when I was just a tiny baby, my ​mum couldn’t look after me, so I needed to find a new family. However, back then things were very ​different and the grown-ups had a hard time finding me a permanent home as I was a child of colour ​and they couldn’t find a family who wanted to take me. They even stamped "hard to place" in big red ​letters across my foster care file!

After bouncing between different foster families, something magical happened. A kind and loving ​family from Yorkshire opened their hearts and their home to me. Just like that, this "hard to place" ​baby found her forever family!

My parents were loving and kind but starting school in a small mining village wasn't easy. I looked ​different from the other children, and sometimes that made me feel like I didn't quite fit in. But then, ​two wonderful things happened, I started writing stories and creating worlds where I felt safe and ​happy, and I also met Wild Sun, a scruffy little pony who lived in a nearby farmer's field. Wild Sun ​became my four-legged best friend. The kind farmer who owned him let me ride whenever I wanted. ​It was like a dream come true! I loved Wild Sun so much that I decided to learn how to ride properly. ​That scraggly pony in a farmer's field sparked a lifelong passion of horses and animals for me.

When I sit down to write stories now, I often think back to that little girl who found her place in the ​world thanks to a loving family, writing and a shaggy pony named Wild Sun.

Being adopted and growing up in a family that looked different from me wasn't always easy, but it ​taught me so much about love, acceptance, and the true meaning of family. My experiences have ​shaped me into the person and writer I am today.

I'm proud of my background, my northern roots, and the journey that brought me here. Through my ​stories, I hope to share the magic of finding where you belong, no matter who you are or where you ​come from.

Falling in love with a world of imagination

Have you ever felt like you couldn't find yourself in the pages of a book? ​That's exactly how I felt when I was younger. But instead of giving up, I ​decided to create my own world, a world where I could be anything I wanted ​to be.

When I looked at the bookshelves in my school and local library, I realized ​something was missing. I couldn't find stories about children who looked like ​me or had experiences like mine. It was as if I was invisible in the world of ​books.

But then, I picked up a pencil, opened a notebook, and suddenly, I wasn't ​invisible anymore. In the pages of my notebook, a whole new universe ​unfolded. With every word I wrote, I could transform into anyone I wanted to ​be:

A brave princess ruling over a faraway kingdom

A superhero with incredible powers, saving the day

An explorer discovering new worlds

A scientist inventing marvellous machines

Or simply me.

In my stories, I wasn't limited by what others thought I should be. I was free to ​dream, to soar, to be anything I wanted to be. Writing became my own secret ​world of magic. Words became my greatest treasure

Now, as an author, I get to share this magical world.

Remember, your imagination is a superpower. Use it to write your own stories, ​paint your own pictures, and create worlds where you are free to be your ​amazing self.

So, grab a pencil, open a notebook, and let your imagination soar. Your own ​world of magic is waiting for you to bring it to life!

From Stage to page

Life is full of surprises, and my journey to becoming a children's author has ​been quite an adventure! Here's a peek behind the curtain of my grown-up ​life:

After finishing school, I studied acting, which I adored. I was a jobbing actor ​for many years, acting in everything from theatre to television but even as I ​acted, stories were always dancing in my head. I kept writing, scribbling away ​with ideas and soon those scribbles turned into full-fledged novels for adults. ​Under a pen name , I published over 18 books with HarperCollins and Pan ​Macmillan. Then came a plot twist in my own story. I realized that the tales I ​really wanted to tell were for younger readers.

My first book for young readers, "The Haunting of Tyrese Walker," was like ​opening a door to a whole new world. It won an award and was shortlisted for ​many others. Then I wrote "Birdie," a historical novel for middle-grade readers ​set in my beloved Yorkshire. It was a chance to share the magic of my home ​with young readers everywhere.

The Haunting Of Tyrese Walker

Winner of the Quiz Writers' Choice Award for Secondary Fiction

Nominated for the Carnegie Medal for Writing

Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award and Diverse Book Award

After a shocking event leaves Tyrese struggling with grief, he’s taken to ​visit family in Jamaica. From the first night, strange things start ​happening: impossible visions, blackouts, swarms of insects, and the ​discovery of a grave hidden deep in the forest… Tyrese can’t explain ​what’s going on and he’s scared that he’s losing his grip on reality.

Then Tyrese is warned he’s being hunted by the mysterious Shadow Man. ​Under threat, Tyrese and his friends set out on a terrifying journey ​across the island to try and uncover the Shadow Man’s sinister history. ​Who can Tyrese trust when his own mind is falling apart and there’s ​nowhere left to hide?

Reviews

"A creepy, atmospheric psychological horror for 12+ pitting grief’s ​destructive potential against the restorative power of love"

Imogen Russell Williams - Guardian

"It’s evocative, I can almost smell rural Jamaica, and it has the stand-​out terrifying moments that sent chills through my bones"

Alex Wheatle

"A dark horror which terrified me to my very core"

Yvette Fielding

"Properly chilling and deeply tender, Rose draws on family and ​folklore to craft a world you will not want to leave"

Deirdre Sullivan

"The heat of Jamaica infused with the chill of its darkest folklore"

Phil Hickes, author of The Haunting of Aveline Jones

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Haunting-Tyrese-Walker-J-Rose/dp/183913240X

Birdie