Hayley Long began writing teen fiction while working as an English teacher in Cardiff.
Her first teen novel, Lottie Biggs is Not Mad was awarded the White Raven label for outstanding children’s literature by the International Youth Library. Since then, her fingers haven’t stopped typing. Hayley has been a winner of the Essex Book Award, shortlisted for a Costa Book Award and enjoyed the razzle-dazzle of being a Queen of Teen nominee.
She’s not going to stop writing. Ever. It’s like a weird addiction.
Hayley’s first non-fiction title, BEING A GIRL, will be published by Hot Key Press in June 2015. This will be followed by a new novel SOPHIE SOMEONE, also published by Hot Key Press.
WHAT'S UP WITH JODY BARTON?
It’s hard enough being one half of the world’s least identical twins, without both of you falling for the same guy. Jolene’s turned flirting into a fine art, but Jody? Not so much. And as if a twinny love triangle wasn’t messy enough . . . there’s something nobody knows about Jody Barton. Something BIG. Told with the trademark warmth and laugh-out-loud humour of the much-loved LOTTIE BIGGS books, this is a book that will make you think, with a gobsmacking twist you won’t believe.
Shortlisted for the Costa Prize.
LOTTIE BIGGS IS (NOT) MAD
My name is Lottie Biggs and in three weeks time, I will be fifteen years old. At school, most people call me Lottie Not-Very-Biggs. I’ve never found this particularly funny . . . My current hair colour is Melody Deep Plum which is not as nice as Melody Forest Flame but definitely better than the dodgy custard colour I tried last week . . .
And this is my book – it’s about important things like boys and shoes and polo-neck knickers and rescuing giraffes and NOT fancying Gareth Stingecombe (even though he has manly thighs) and hanging-out with your best friend having A BLATANTLY FUNNY TIME. It is definitely not about sitting in wardrobes or having a mental disturbance of any kind!
LOTTIE BIGGS IS (NOT) DESPERATE
Lottie Biggs is recovering from her mental disorder of a reasonably significant nature with the help of her counsellor, who rather helpfully looks like Johnny Depp. Things are looking up – her hair is an excellent shade of black, she has a Saturday job in a hairdresser and Gareth Stingecombe and his manly thighs are still the love of her life. When Gareth undoes his trousers to show Lottie a fetching bruise on one of the aforementioned thighs, she comes to the realisation that, unlike everyone else she knows, she is A TOTAL UTTER VIRGIN. But how can she get any sort of experience when her boyfriend is doggedly, stubbornly and infuriatingly determined to preserve his energies for the rugby field?
LOTTIE BIGGS IS (NOT) TRAGIC
Just when things were starting to look up for Lottie her life’s gone a bit pear-shaped, wonk-ways and downside up again. Her mum’s all soppy over a bloke with a horrible shemo* daughter, her best pal Goose has disappeared in a cloud of nerd-gas and Lottie’s in the midst of an existential crisis. There’s only one thing to do – get the hell out of Cardiff and go on the road with the gorgeous Gareth Stingecombe (and his manly thighs). But things don’t go to plan, and Lottie starts to realise she might have been a bit me me me lately. . .
*a female emo, obviously
DOWNSIDE UP
Ronnie is totally bored. She lives in a crap, boring town with her crap, boring family, and all she wants is to escape and have the kind of life she reads about in magazines.
Sometimes Ronnie makes stuff up, just to keep things interesting. Not lies, exactly, more like massive, outrageous, whopping great fibs. The thing is, people have stopped believing anything she says – she’s turning into The Girl Who Cried ‘Beyonce is Totally My Cousin’s Best Friend’.
Then one day Ronnie gets knocked out in a head to head dodgem collision. When she wakes up, her life has been turned u?op ?p!sdn and nothing will ever be the same again . . .
A really engaging and enjoyable course. Positive and good for building confidence.