Eastbourne-born Amy offers the magic of the House

It has been published by Walker Books at £6.99.

Amy, aged 44, said: “For years I had a recurring dream about a peculiar house with lots of strange doors everywhere, of all shapes and sizes.

"In my dream I would open a door, go along random passageways or up ladders and come out where I least expected it.

"Finally, I realised this was a story that was waiting to be told, and this dream became the main landing of The House At The Edge Of Magic – an unpredictable, magical house full of secrets and surprises.

“The series is aimed at readers ages eight-12 years old although it is very popular with adults too. It combines my favourite things in storytelling: comedy; fantasy and adventure. My writing style has been compared to Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones, which is a huge compliment. The books follow the adventure of Nine, a down-on-her-luck orphan pickpocket in a Victorian town who pickpockets a tiny house ornament and gets more than she bargained for when the house expands to a wonky eleven-storeyed magical house full of magical residents.

“The second book in the series, The Tower At the End Of Time was released in 2022 and continued Nine’s adventure: The Tower At The End Of The Time holds the greatest prize of all – the answer to any question. And Nine has a lot of questions about her unknown past. To get there, Nine and her friends must triumph at the Wizarding Hopscotch Championship. But when their magical house gets the hiccups and starts bouncing uncontrollably from world to world, it looks their chances are scuppered before they’ve even begun.

“The magical adventures continue in book three, The Bookshop At The Back Of Beyond. The land of Beyond is a place of extraordinary magic, with shops selling everything from powerful potions to books full of adventure, enchantment – and remarkable secrets. But Nine and the gang don’t have time for shopping. They are here to find a missing friend, the alchemist Professor Dish, who has been taken captive by a very powerful, unpredictable witch.

“The final as yet untitled book is coming out in 2024. All the covers are beautifully illustrated by Ben Mantle. Five per cent of my royalties from the series go to baby charity ICP Support. I had many difficult pregnancies suffering with ICP (a rare liver disease in pregnancy) and they helped me hugely. It’s a pleasure to be able to give back and support their vital research to help save babies’ lives and support others experiencing ICP. I have so much fun writing the stories in this series.

"I am often giggling as I write funny scenes or find I am holding my breath during the dramatic ones. I have always had a very vivid imagination so I really enjoy the chaotic unpredictability of the House.”