As a ‘bloodthirsty’ child, what Fay really wanted to become was a pirate. At the age of 8 she received her first professional fee for her story about the birth of the Co-operative Movement, but becoming an author did not figure in her plans. Since changing her career strategy, she has had 23 children’s books published, 11 adult titles and 4 non-fiction history books. Fay loves living in her 16th-century cottage in her home county of Devon, where she pursues her hobbies of rambling, Celtic and Arthurian history and family research. She is married to Jack Priestley, and they have two grown-up children.

Among her backlist are THE SORCERER’S DAUGHTER (Lion YA); CHRIS AND THE DRAGON (Gollancz, 6+); PANGUR BAN (Lion 9+); the DAUGHTER OF TINTAGEL series (Headline) and THE LAND OF ANGELS (Robert Hale). For more details about this writer and her work, please see www.faysampson.co.uk

Some reviews of Fay’s work:

"A writer of great invention and power" Books for Keeps

"Truly inspiring"  Waterstones’ children’s book buyer

"A breathless, tumbling fantasy…should enchant" Guardian

"Great book, great read, great contribution!" Amazon

IN PREPARATION

SPIDER-SHE is a novel for the 10+ age group about a small community, ‘The Family’ who are eking out a living in a post-apocalyptic world. When three, highly intelligent giant spiders arrive from space to observe human society, their presence alters the balance of power between ‘The Family’ and their oppressors, ‘The Collectors’. The spiders soon discover that they cannot remain detached…

IN THE BLOOD is an adult psychological thriller, set within a very ‘normal’ family. However, when horrors from the past come to light during the mother’s research into the family tree, this coincides with frightening developments in the present day. The old certainties and trusts are gone…to be replaced by suspicion and fear – that old evil may remain in the blood. A MALIGNANT HOUSE (also in progress) is the sequel.