Marie Basting is the author of  Princess BMX, a true story which provides conclusive proof that magic is real and bikes are the new broomstick. OK, that is a big fat lie, but Marie mostly speaks the truth particularly on Tuesdays when she teaches synchronised swimming to mermaids and helps out at a shelter for homeless goblins.

On Wednesdays Marie hunts boggarts with her friend Zana the brave.

Princess BMX is Marie’s debut novel. But she plans to write lots more as soon as she has finished watching Adventure Time. Marie loves Adventure Time because, like Princess BMX, it is a kind of modern fairy tale, and Marie wants to show children that magic is everywhere even if it is sometimes hard to find. That sounds corny but trust me it is not as corny as Marie’s feet.

Marie posing with a BMX.

 Marie first had the idea for Princess BMX while watching BMXers at the famous Undercroft skate park on the South Bank. When Marie was a kid, BMX was for boys and she wasn’t brave enough to try extreme sports anyway. Not being brave or confident enough was a bit of a theme for Marie, but the good news is she eventually got over this and decided she wouldn’t let fear hold her back anymore. She gave up her job and decided to write books. The bad news is Marie is absolutely rubbish at BMX.  Hopefully, her books are better. You decide.

Marie at Undercroft Skate Park.

When Marie isn’t writing or watching the telly, you’ll probably find her mooching around Manchester with her husband, son and most unusual of pets, Polly Woo. As you can see, Polly is a very rare cross between a womble and a wookie.

Polly the Wookie Womble Woo.

Chewbacca is Polly’s favorite film star EVER but so far he has ignored her marriage proposals which Marie thinks is rather rude. Polly, however, won’t have a word said against Chewy and figures he’s too busy saving the galaxy to reply to her letters. Whatever you do, don’t get your relationship advice from Polly.

Like Chewy, Marie grew up in a galaxy far far away. Well, it was far away from Chewy at least. Born in Liverpool, to a fairy prince and a time travelling minstrel called Ethel, she moved to Runcorn when she was nine-years-old. Her brother has superhuman powers, but he is a bit shy so she can’t talk about them here. Her dog Snowie was the naughtiest dog ever and once interrupted a police dog display at her school. Marie, however, was always well behaved and denies ever locking her teacher in a cupboard.  The last thing you should know about Marie is that she has zillions of cousins and every single one of them has webbed feet.  If they eat after midnight nothing happens