Karen Inglis is a bestselling children’s author based in London, UK, writing for ages 3–12.

She is best known for her time travel mystery The Secret Lake, which has sold over 600,000 print copies worldwide and is in translation in 12 languages. Set in London, it follows siblings Stella (11) and Tom (8), who discover a time tunnel while searching for a neighbour’s missing dog. The tunnel leads them to their own home and the children living there 100 years in the past. First published in 2011, the book hit bestseller lists in 2018–19 (and continues to rank highly on Amazon), proving that children still love a good old-fashioned adventure!

Two long-awaited sequels followed: Return to the Secret Lake (2022) and Beyond the Secret Lake (2024). The latter won the UK Selfies Children’s Book Award, announced at London Book Fair in 2025.

Karen explains:

“There was a long gap after book one as I was busy with other projects — but the best things come to those who wait! Reconnecting with Stella, Tom and friends was such a joy, and the response to the sequels has been wonderful. The Secret Lake was always going to be a hard act to follow!”

Karen’s other books include:

Eeek! The Runaway Alien (ages 7–10): a soccer-mad alien runs away to Earth for the World Cup. Illustrated, fast-paced and funny — a hit with reluctant readers!

Walter Brown and the Magician’s Hat (ages 7–10): magical mayhem ensues when Walter inherits his great-grandpa’s enchanted hat — and discovers his cat Sixpence isn’t quite what he seems...

Henry Haynes and the Great Escape (ages 6–8): Henry falls inside his library book after complaining it’s boring — and meets a smelly gorilla and a bossy boa with a zoo escape plan!

For younger readers:

The Tell-Me Tree (ages 4–8): a gentle, rhyming picture book that helps children talk about feelings through drawing, writing or conversation. Praised by parents, teachers, and charities, it's widely used in UK homes and classrooms. Includes links to free activity sheets.

Ferdinand Fox rhyming stories (ages 3–5):

Ferdinand Fox’s Big Sleep – inspired by a real fox who slept in Karen’s garden!

Ferdinand Fox and the Hedgehog – introduces Hatty and her son Ed, plus facts about how to help hedgehogs.

Ferdinand Fox and the Lost Boy – Ferdinand comes to the rescue in his bravest story yet.

A collected edition of all six rhyming stories is currently in the works for readers aged 6–7, or for parents who enjoy reading rhyme to younger children.

How it all began…

Karen’s writing journey began in 2010 when she took a sabbatical from her career in business writing to revisit story ideas drafted a decade earlier, when her sons George and Nick were small. One was The Secret Lake, which had been tucked away in a drawer after early rejections. This time, she self-published — and never looked back. In fact, she has turned down three traditional publishing deals in the last few years, preferring (for now at least) to retain creative control of her IP.

She eventually left business writing to focus fully on children’s books. Today, she regularly visits schools in person and via Zoom, and has signed books in Waterstones branches across London.

Visit her author website to find out more or to enquire about a school visit.