Books with author Paul Magrs

With the scale and scope of a great sci-fi epic, this is the story of Lora and her family, third generation settlers on the red planed, who are struggling to survive o a smallholding in the desert landscape, surviving storms and sinister rumours of unexplained disappearances - until one night Lora sees the Dancers. When her father and grandmother disappear, Lora and her family are driven out to seek a new life across the plains. But none of them are ready for what they find - the beautiful and dangerous City Inside.

The Mars trilogy tells the story of Lora and her family, settlers struggling to survive on the red planet. Apparently safe in the City Inside, Lora becomes suspicious of its human/Martian authorities. But then she gets the chance to join their expedition to the Martian plains to find Grandma’s friend Ruby, survivor of the old Earth starships. When their flying saucer crash-lands Lora must lead on through deadly adventures.

After trekking the Martian deserts and battling against many dangers, Lora and Peter bravely set off to find the Ancient Heart of Mars and rescue Ma and Hannah. But warned by Sook, Lora discovers that the Ancients, who seem friendly, are actually the group mind of the burning heart of Mars itself. They have been disturbed by the human settlers ... and they want the ten Earth starships for themselves. Can their allies reach them in time? Or does Toaster, Lora’s faithful walking talking sunbed have the answers that may yet save them all...?

As the lurid excesses of the swirling 1970s give way to the neutral pastal shades of the early 1980s, David is ten years old but growing-up fast in a broken home in the north-east of England. Life for him and his brother is a constant whirl of interrogating parents, would-be step-families and over-bearing relatives. David lives with his mam, except at weekends when he sees his dad and his gran, who's always off impersonating Shirley Bassey down the working-men's clubs. The big women in his family talk to him like a grown-up, like he's one of the girls. They tell him he's bright, that he's sensitive, special. But such a strange boy...Afraid to trust his instincts and with his loyalties torn in two, David must face up to his childhood's end, his feuding family and his own burgeoning sexuality. And when everything around you is just take, take, take something's got to give...no matter who gets hurt in the process. Warm and funny, evocative and true, Paul Magrs' characters come so alive on the page you'll find yourself drawn into David's world with all defences down. It's a wild playground of messed-up lives and torn-up families and the strength of a secret, special love.

Frank Lurcher and Tolstoy the Long-Eared Bat! Twenty years ago they were the biggest names in ventriloquism, stars of stage and screen. But now, Frank Lurcher's a washed-out, grumpy has-been and his scraggy puppet Tolstoy is stuffed away in the loft. When Frank suddenly declares that his teenage son Jason must follow in the family tradition and get a puppet of his own, someone's got a shrewd idea who that puppet should be. Someone with green eyes, moth-eaten velvety wings, a snarling snout and two extra-large ears... Tolstoy tha Long-Eared Bat is out for another shot at TV superstardom, and a gruesome revenge on his showbiz enemies. Can Jason fight his evil controlling power? Will the lovely Lisa Turmoil, hair-stylist to the stars, help him in his battle - or just go off and give someone a perm? And if you cook a puppet ostrich in a microwave oven, does it count as MURDER?

Frank Lurcher and Tolstoy the Long-Eared Bat! Twenty years ago they were the biggest names in ventriloquism with their TV show. But all good things come to an end. Now, Frank Lurcher's a washed-out, grumpy has-been and his scraggy puppet Tolstoy is stuffed away in a trunk in the loft. But trouble is brewing. Frank suddenly declares that his teenage son, Jason, must follow in the family tradition and get a puppet of his own! But someone's got a shrewd idea who that puppet should be. Someone with green eyes, moth-eaten velvety wings, a snarling snout and two extra-large pointy ears. . . Tolstoy is making a comeback - with Jason as his new chosen puppeteer. He's out for another shot at TV superstardom, and a gruesome revenge on the showbiz puppets and people that wronged him in the past. Can Jason fight his evil controlling power? Will the lovely Lisa Turmoil, hair-stylist to the stars, help him in his battle - or just go off and give someone a perm? And if you cook a puppet ostrich in a microwave oven, does it count as murder?