About the Authors
Raised on a healthy diet of fantasy and fairy tales, Bex Hogan has spent much of her life lost in daydreams. Writing her stories down was a natural progression and now she enjoys sharing her time between living in the real world and escaping to her imagination. A Cornish girl at heart, Bex now lives in Cambridgeshire with her beautiful family. She is the author of the ISLES OF STORM AND SORROW trilogy (Hachette Children’s Group) which are YA fantasy adventures set on the high seas. VIPER, VENOM and VULTURE are all out now. Her first fantasy middle grade series, BRONTE TEMPESTRA, is out Feb 2024 with Piccadilly Press. Her next YA book, BLACK HEAT, is out 6th July 2023 with Hachette Children’s Group, and is a dark fantasy standalone.
Morgan Owen is a former Waterstones bookseller and the writer of THE GIRL WITH NO SOUL, published by Scholastic. She was first published at the age of 12, reviewing the Tom Cruise fan club website (it was okay) and has previously worked as a film PR executive. Morgan is amicably divorced, lives in Birmingham and has two black cats named Salem and Binx.
Marisa Noelle writes tense and pacy novels in dystopian, science-fiction, fantasy, and horror. The ocean and mental health are her two deepest passions, and quite a few ocean settings a have made it into her novels. Marisa is also a freelance editor and a mentor for aspiring MG & YA authors through the Write Mentor program. With dual citizenship, Marisa has lived on both sides of the Atlantic and uses both UK & USA settings as inspiration for her novels.
About Their Books:
Title: BLACK HEAT
Author: Bex Hogan
Pitch: Exile. Rebel. Healer. Three underestimated women, destined to be brought together by revenge in this dark and thrilling new YA fantasy.
Find on Goodreads.
Title: THE GIRL WITH NO SOUL
Author: Morgan Owen
Pitch: In a world where the soul can be illuminated, Iris has no memory until she steals a remnant of her forgotten past.
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Title: THE UNADJUSTEDS
Author: Marisa Noelle
Pitch: If you could change your DNA by swallowing one pill…would you?
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What do you love most about writing for the YA audience?
Bex Hogan: The YA audience these days covers such a wide spectrum, from teens right through (I mean, I love reading YA but I’m no young adult!) but no matter their age, they all share a common passion for engaging stories that make you FEEL. In my experience, there is little literary snobbery, just a genuine desire to lose themselves in a good book. They are pretty fearless, allowing me as a writer to venture into places I might not otherwise feel able. And I think writing through a young adult’s persepective keeps me feeling young too!
Morgan Owen: Teen readers are so passionate about the books they love and they’re always at the forefront of emerging trends. If you can write something that young people connect with, you’ve really captured a moment in time. As an adult reader of YA, I also know that its high concept ideas, angsty romances, pacy plotting and coming-of-age themes completely transcend age.
Marisa Noelle: I love creating characters who are discovering who they are, and that the YA audience are going through the same path of discovery too. I love to create characters the YA audience can identify with and help them on this path.
How has writing YA changed your perspective on the world?
Bex Hogan: This is such a good question, and I’ve taken genuine days to consider it. I think the honest answer is it has given me hope. The news can be pretty bleak these days, but writing characters that are willing to fight for what matters to them, and then seeing that reflected back in reality where good people are doing what they can, genuinely inspires me. It’s rare to walk away from a conversation with the younger generations and not leave feeling more hopeful than before. And with an ever stronger sense that they deserve more from us older generations.
Morgan Owen: I think it helps me stay in touch with what younger generations care about. What drives them, what inspires them, what they relate to, how they feel about the world. It makes me think about the future. I’m also really into YA dystopia which constantly has me questioning politics and society.
Marisa Noelle: It keeps me more in touch with the issues teens face today, especially concerning social media and climate and what they will have to deal with as they become adults.
What trends are you most excited about in UKYA at the moment and to come?
Bex Hogan: It’s been great to see a resurgence in YA horror recently, I’m super excited for ‘A TASTE OF DARKNESS’ which is full of spooky short stories. I’m also a big fan of any fantasy hybrid genre – so romantasy has been a good one. Would love to see some more unusual fantasy pairings going forward.
Morgan Owen: SCIENCE FICTION. I think UK YA sci fi is an underserved market. It doesn’t get the same level of support as fantasy but everyone I talk to wants more of it. I have lots of high concept sci fi WIPs but it’s generally harder to sell in, which is a shame. Give the people what they want, publishing!
Marisa Noelle: I’m really enjoying see the reappearance of horror. It’s my favourite genre and I loved reading it when I was a teen.
What do you think is special about UKYA? (Books and/or community)
Bex Hogan: Ahh, everything about UKYA is special! From the quality of the books across all genres to the amazing readers who are beyond supportive, it’s just a wonderful space to be working in. But I’m going to do an extra shoutout to my fellow authors this time, because all the ones I’ve been fortunate enough to meet, either in real life or online, are just so supportive of each other, and generous with their time. They’re amazing!
Morgan Owen: What’s not to love? There are so many bright stars in UKYA and a close community of dedicated book lovers who support them but the best part is how innovative it is. It’s a fertile field of big ideas and diverse voices. It’s fast-moving, aggressively creative and I feel so lucky to be a part of it.
Marisa Noelle: UKYA addresses such a wide variety of genres and issues and a lovely community of authors.
#UKYASpotlight 
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