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We're very excited to announce our longlist for the 2015 Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition! We had a huge amount of entries which were all read by our team of experienced readers, who with Barry Cunningham and the Chicken House team chose the very best submissions for our longlist.

So, without further ado - here they are!

ADAM'S AMAZING APOTHECARY by Wai Lan Mo

ALL MY SINS REMEMBERED by Anna Fransizka

DOGS OF LEGACY by M.P. Sturrock

DUNCAN VS. THE GOOGLEYS by Kate Milner

HIDDEN IN THE TRUNK OF STARS by Susie Dinneen

HOLLOW BONES by Anneka Freeman

KEEPER OF THE CROWN by Mary Hopewell

KING OF THE MOUNTAINS by Steve Lee

MOMO AND THE STAR PLAYER by Rebecca Purton

ONE MORE WAVE by L.L. Stewart

REIVERS by Claire Watts

RISE & SHINE by Emma Lee-Potter

SANITATUM by Cassie Powney

SAVING SAXON by Martha Lane

THE DOLL'S HOUSE by Eve Lyte

THE GALLOWS DANCE by Anna Day

THE SECRET COOKING CLUB FOR GIRLS by Laurel Remington

THE START OF HOPE by Debbie Nuttall

Congratulations to all on the longlist, and thank you to all the fantastic authors who entered this year's competition. As always, the standard was incredibly high!

Keep an eye on our Twitter page for info on the shortlist, announcing early February.

A very happy 2015 to all! We're already really excited about what the year holds, not least because January is already off to a flying start. This month sees the release of both Catherine Doyle's dark YA romance VENDETTA and Dan Smith's thrilling action adventure BIG GAME, soon to be a major movie.

VENDETTA tells the story of Sophie, who is thrown into an unknown world of danger, love and revenge when the Priestly brothers move into town. Gritty, romantic and totally compelling, VENDETTA is set in present-day Chicago against the murky morality of the criminal underworld ...

For Sophie, it's a long dull summer in the Chicago suburbs until five mysterious brothers move into her neighbourhood. A chance encounter with one of them leaves her breathless. But all is not what it seems.

As the secrets of Nic's Sicilian heritage emerge and Sophie falls deeper into his world, her own family skeletons come to life. Caught up in a twisted game of revenge between two warring dynasties, the choice between love and family suddenly comes at a deadly price.

For slightly younger readers, BIG GAME is the perfect new year read. A thrilling survival story set in the Finnish wilderness, page will become screen in May - keep an eye out for the blockbuster movie starring Samuel L. Jackson!

13-year-old Oskari is sent into the cold wilderness on an ancient test of manhood. He must survive armed only with a bow and arrow. But instead, he stumbles upon an escape pod from a burning airliner: Air Force One. Terrorists have shot down the President of the United States.

The boy hunter and the world's most powerful man are suddenly the hunted, and so begins an extraordinary survival race against a powerful and deadly enemy ...

You can find both of these amazing new releases in stores now - what are you waiting for?

Follow Catherine Doyle on Twitter: @doyle_cat

Follow Dan Smith on Twitter: @dansmithauthor

Follow Chicken House on Twitter: @chickenhsebooks