BLACK & WHITE PUBLISHING Introducing
RIGHTS CATALOGUE 2017
Janne Moller Rights Manager janne@blackandwhitepublishing.com
Black & White Publishing 29 Ocean Drive Edinburgh EH6 6JL UNITED KINGDOM Tel: +44 (0) 131 625 4500 Fax: +44 (0) 131 625 4501 blackandwhitepublishing.com For the latest version of this rights catalogue and our latest news visit: blackandwhitepublishing.com/rights
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Contents 2017 FICTION The Cardinal’s Man M.G. Sinclair
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Titian’s Boatman Victoria Blake
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Not the Only Sky Alyssa Warren
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The Uncommon Life of Alfred Warner in Six Days Juliet Conlin
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The Ludlow Ladies Society Ann O’Loughlin
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The Judge’s Wife Ann O’Loughlin
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The Ballroom Café Ann O’Loughlin
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The Gingerbread House Kate Beaufoy
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The Secret Life of Lucy Lovecake Pippa James
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Finding Alison Deirdre Eustace
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The Importance of Being Me Caroline Grace-Cassidy
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The Week I Ruined My Life Caroline Grace-Cassidy
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INK ROAD The Jungle Pooja Puri
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Street Song Sheena Wilkinson
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Dare to Fall Estelle Maskame
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The DIMILY Trilogy Estelle Maskame
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T is for Tree Greg Fowler
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FICTION Casting Off P.I. Paris
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On Starlit Seas Sara Sheridan
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Ursula’s Secret Mairi Wilson
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The Last Day I Saw Her Lucy Lawrie
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Chasing Charlie Linda McLaughlan
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The Glen Avich Series Daniela Sacerdoti
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The Secret Life and Curious Death of Miss Jean Milne Andrew Nicoll
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The Dolocher Caroline Barry
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Lullaby Girl Aly Sidgwick
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GIFT/HUMOUR Rabbit War And Peace Leo Tolstoy
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Library Cat Alex Howard
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The Cardinal’s Man
M.G. Sinclair
Set in 17th century France, this is a story about how great figures of history can pass by unnoticed. It’s more than 100 years before the Revolution and France is beset with enemies. The Thirty Years War has spread across Europe. Alliances are strained and enemies are everywhere. It is a fragile kingdom ruled by Louis XIII but the real power behind the throne, the feared and loathed Cardinal Richelieu, is ailing and in declining health. Despite Richelieu’s famed network of spies, maintaining power is becoming a daily struggle. In these turbulent times, help can arrive in the most unlikely ways. Sebastian de Morra, born into poverty and with terrible deformities, is a dwarf on a mission. His razor sharp mind and boundless courage have taken him far from family and his village to Paris and the Royal Court where his time as court jester is both eventful and dangerous. He makes enemies easily, but when he is drawn into the twilight world of Cardinal Richelieu, he finds that only he has the talents that might just save France from her deadliest foes. The Cardinal’s Man is a spellbinding story of France in the time of Richelieu and provides us with a very different kind of hero, a dwarf with the wit of Tyrion Lannister and the courage of several lions. “I was inspired to write this book by Velázquez’s painting of the court dwarf Don Sebastian de Morra. Rather than a comic figure, I saw a genius, and it occurred to me how many individuals must have been forgotten or passed unrecognised over the centuries. Indeed, that it is still the case today – that the potential of millions of people is frustrated by no more than their sex, colour, appearance or indeed being three foot four inches tall.” M.G. SINCLAIR
UK Publication: July 2017 Rights Held: World
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M.G. Sinclair grew up in a world that revolved around literature. Breaking the family tradition, he rebelled and joined the corporate world, where he enjoyed stints as a copywriter at M&C Saatchi, then in marketing at American Express and Westminster Council. However, unable to escape the inevitable, he has now completed his debut, a historical novel inspired by a trip to the Prado in Madrid.
Titian’s Boatman Victoria Blake
Cloud Atlas meets The Goldfinch in this stunning story of resurrection, redemption and revenge. Imagine you can begin anywhere. You can begin in 1576 with a boatman rowing a man into a plague-infested Venice, or in New York in 2011 with a maid cleaning an apartment on the 25th floor of a block on 6th Avenue. Imagine you can begin with an actor in London rehearsing the role of Leontes in The Winter’s Tale, a man whose lover had just left him and who is numb with grief. Beginnings are easy, of course. All you have to do is imagine… It’s 1576. The famed artist Titian is dying in a plagueravaged Venice. The city is ransacked and Titian’s paintings have been stolen, including his celebrated work The Man With the Blue Sleeve… Titian’s Boatman follows the stolen artwork through the years as the paintings swap hands, intricately mapping the people that they connect. An epic work of fiction interweaving stories of Renaissance Venice with contemporary New York and London and the lives that are touched by coming into contact with a Titian painting. A masterfully told novel, rich in detail, epic in scope and beautifully written.
“From the squalid glamour of 16th century Venice to modern-day London and New York, Titian’s Boatman demonstrates the power of art to bridge the years and transform lives. With fine, elegant brush-strokes, Victoria Blake has created a rich and enchanting novel.” RORY CLEMENTS Author of Sunday Times Bestseller, Holy Spy
Victoria Blake’s love of Italy and history UK Publication: January 2017 was inspired by her father, the historian Robert Rights Held: UK & Commonwealth, Blake, famous for his pioneering biography including Canada of Benjamin Disraeli. She grew up in Queen’s College, Oxford where he was the Provost. After studying history at Lady Margaret Hall she subsequently worked in law, publishing and bookselling. She is the author of an Oxford based crime series featuring the PI Sam Falconer and has written two true crime books for the National Archives, one on Ruth Ellis, and one on Florence Maybrick. Her historical novel Far Away has been short-listed for the Historical Society Novel Indie Award 2016.
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Not the Only Sky
Anne Tyler meets Carson McCullers
Alyssa Warren
Fantastically written, Tiny Mite is a triumph: an utterly engaging, eccentric character you can’t help but root for. Big Bend, population 500. South Dakota, 1988. Eightyear-old Tiny Mite lives in a ramshackle farmhouse next to her grandfather’s crashed airplane and the pine tree where she trains as a spy. Goddamn is her favourite word. Taking pictures with a homemade camera is her new big thing. She lives with Bee, her apocalypse-obsessed grandmother and Luvie, her hard-drinking great-aunt. And then there’s her mother, Velvet – beautiful, heartbroken, desperate, impulsive. One night, Tiny Mite goes to the basement and hears a cry, but it’s not what she imagines and nothing will ever be the same. Six years later, Clea won’t let anyone call her Tiny Mite anymore. Luvie is sober and Bee’s health is failing. Velvet has been gone for years, and nobody except Bee will even mention her name. Alone, angry and dressed in her grandfather’s old hunting clothes, Clea mopes through ditches and fields taking photographs until she hatches a plan with another loner, a boy with an unspeakable past. This is a story of mothers and daughters. Of people tied by blood and home. Of moments captured and lifetimes lost. And of things never quite turning out as expected. “I once heard a true story of a young mother making a snap, tragic decision at a gas station and the questions it raised got under my skin. What would cause someone to make such a choice? What would the emotional price be for all involved? Would they survive? Could they forgive? And if so, what is forgiveness?” ALYSSA WARREN
Alyssa Warren spent a muddy, scruffy, happy childhood in the creeks and abandoned homesteads of South Dakota, before completing a BA in English Literature at the University of California, and an MA at the University of Sydney. She has taught creative writing and modern British literature at the Universidad San Francisco in Quito, Ecuador, and has served as a contributing editor for Surface magazine, covering art, design and fashion. She is a printmaker and photographer based in East London, where she lives with her husband and three sons. UK Publication: April 2017 Rights Held: World
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The Uncommon Life of Alfred Warner in Six Days Juliet Conlin A tour de force of evocative storytelling set against the backdrop of pre-Second World War Germany and post-war Britain. Approaching 80, frail and alone, a remarkable man makes the journey from his sheltered home in England to Berlin to meet his granddaughter. He has six days left to live and must relate his life story before he dies... His life has been rich and full. He has witnessed first-hand the rise of the Nazis, experienced heartrending family tragedy, fought in the German army, been interred in a POW camp in Scotland and faced violent persecution in peacetime Britain. But he has also touched many lives, fallen deeply in love, raised a family and survived triumphantly at the limits of human endurance. He carries within him an astonishing family secret that he must share before he dies...a story that will mean someone else’s salvation. Welcome to the moving, heart-warming and uncommon life of Alfred Warner.
“I recommend this book with my heart and soul. If you want to be taken on a journey then order it today. It’s life changing!” LOVE BOOKS GROUP
“The book really drives home how one single moment – one chance meeting, can have such a profound effect ... It’s unique, gripping and beautifully written – I can’t recommend it highly enough.”
“Full of hope, heartbreak and celebrating the importance of being different, The Uncommon Life of Alfred Warner in Six Days is inspiring, unusual and an absolute must-read.”
BIBLIOPHILE CHRONICLES
BOOKAHOLIC CONFESSIONS
Juliet Conlin was born in London and grew up UK Publication: February 2017 in England and Germany. She holds an MA in Rights Held: World Creative Writing from Lancaster University and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Durham. She works as a writer and translator and lives with her husband and four children in Berlin. She writes in both English and German. Her debut novel The Fractured Man was published by Cargo in 2013. She is currently working on her third novel, Exile Shanghai, set in a Jewish ghetto in 1940’s China.
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The Ludlow Ladies Society Ann O’Loughlin From the bestselling author of The Ballroom Café and The Judge’s Wife American Connie Carter has lost everybody and everything dear to her. She moves to Ludlow Hall, Wicklow, Ireland to nurse her grieving heart and find answers. There, she meets Eve and Hetty and is introduced to The Ludlow Ladies Society. Can her hurt be healed? Can she ever understand or forgive? As the women stitch patchwork memory quilts to remember those they have lost, the secrets of the past emerge. With the Ludlow Ladies Society behind her, Connie has to face those secrets and the memories, both bitter and sweet, but can she let go of the past? A story of friendship, resilience and compassion, and of how women hold each other up through the most difficult times, this is a tale which will have you crying one minute and laughing the next.
UK Publication: July 2017 Rights Held: World
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Ann O’Loughlin is a leading journalist in Ireland. Ann spent most of her career with independent newspapers where she was Security Correspondent at the height of The Troubles. She is currently a senior journalist with the Irish Examiner. Originally from the west of Ireland she now lives on the east coast in Co. Wicklow with her husband and two children. Her debut novel The Ballroom Café was a bestseller, with over 250,000 copies sold in eBook. Her second novel The Judge’s Wife was an Irish bestseller for 5 weeks and was shortlisted for a Romantic Novel Award (RoNA).
The Judge’s Wife
Irish Top 10 Bestseller for 5 weeks
Ann O’Loughlin
A captivating, emotional and uplifting tale of unspeakable secrets and enduring love. Can a love last forever? When Emma returns to Dublin to put her estranged father’s affairs in order, she begins to piece together the story of his life and that of Grace, the mother she never knew. She knows her father as the judge – as stern and distant at home as he was in the courtroom. But as she goes through his personal effects, Emma begins to find clues about her mother that shock her profoundly. A tale of enduring love and scandal that begins in 1950s Dublin and unravels across decades and continents, digging up long-buried family secrets along the way, The Judge’s Wife asks whether love really can last forever.
“I absolutely, completely and utterly adored this book from the first page... a stunning book that broke my heart, on more than one occasion.” KIM THE BOOKWORM “A very moving story with enough interesting twists to keep the reader’s interest piqued at all times.” SWIRL & THREAD
“This is a richly woven tale of passion, conspiracy, hypocrisy and a chilling secret beyond the grave.” IRISH SUNDAY INDEPENDENT “An uplifting read, the kind of book you want to gobble up in one sitting.” THE SUNDAY TIMES
“Powerful with its emotion and captivating with its storytelling, The Judge’s Wife is a book that breaks your heart from the start and has you scrambling to put the pieces back together before the end.” REVIEWED THE BOOK
UK Publication: July 2016 Rights Held: World Rights Sold: North America (Skyhorse Publishing); Norway (Cappelen Damm); The Netherlands (A.W. Bruna); Germany (Goldmann Verlag); Italy (HarperCollins Italia) Other Rights: Audio (Oakhill Publishing); Large Print (Magna Books)
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Over 260 days in Kindle UK Top 100, reaching No. 3 Overall
The Ballroom Café
Ann O’Loughlin
Kindle UK 9th bestselling book of 2015. Over 230,000 copies sold in eBook. Sisters Ella and Roberta O’Callaghan live in separate wings of their crumbling Irish mansion. They haven’t spoken for decades, torn apart by a dark family secret from their past, and only communicate through the terse and bitter notes they leave for each other in the hallway. Debbie, an American woman, is searching for her birth mother. She has little time left, but as she sets out to discover who she really is and what happened to her mother, she is met by silence and lies at the local convent. With the bank threatening, Ella tries to save the family home by opening a café in the ballroom – much to Roberta’s disgust. And when Debbie offers to help out in the café, the war between the sisters intensifies. But as Debbie finally begins to unravel the truth, she uncovers an adoption scandal that will rock both the community and the warring sisters. Powerful and poignant, The Ballroom Café is a moving story of love lost and found.
“A moving tale of loss, love and redemption.” BELLA MAGAZINE “Deftly written, moving and courageous.” THE SUNDAY TIMES “A lovely first novel.” CATHY KELLY
“Secrets emerge, there’s a whopper of a twist and this unabashed tear-jerker ends with a well-earthed, well-calculated emotional finale.” THE IRISH TIMES “Highly engaging debut you will want to dive into.” SUNDAY INDEPENDENT (Ireland)
UK Publication: June 2015 Rights Held: World Rights Sold: Germany (Goldmann Verlag); North America (Skyhorse Publishing); Norway (Cappelen Damm); Italy (HarperCollins Italia); Hungary (Alexandra Publishing); Estonia (Varrak); Bulgaria (Hermes) Other Rights: Audio (Oakhill Publishing); Large Print (Magna Books)
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“Slow-marching, romantic prose draws us into an old world that is rustic, genteel, quaint... [but] scandals lie in wait.” IRISH INDEPENDENT “A warm and engaging story in a unique and original setting ... a beautifully drawn, skilfully written, well-researched novel.” KATE KERRIGAN
The Gingerbread House Kate Beaufoy
A beautiful, sensitive portrait of a family dealing with dementia. Nestled among cherry trees in a picturesque country garden, the Gingerbread House resembles an illustration from an old-world storybook. But beware! For in the fairytale, that’s where the witch lives... Away from the city, with no distractions, the Gingerbread House seems like the perfect place to start work on a novel. That’s what former advertising copywriter Tess thinks when she goes there to live with Eleanor, her aged mother-in-law. But Eleanor is suffering from dementia, and caring for her proves tougher than Tess could ever have imagined: feeling increasingly isolated, her only comfort is wine o’clock and weekend visits from her husband. Meanwhile her teenage daughter Katia is helpless to intercede; in the end she can only watch as things fall apart and a tragedy even closer to home surfaces. The Gingerbread House is a deeply moving novel: a compassionate and occasionally wickedly funny tale of a family’s agonising struggle with dementia.
“Gripping, heartbreaking, funny, surprising – The Gingerbread House is all of these, and a lot more.” RODDY DOYLE
“Moving, honest, and darkly comic, The Gingerbread House confronts an issue that has been taboo for too long.” MARIAN KEYES
“Beautiful, heartbreaking, original and honest.” CECELIA AHERN
Kate Beaufoy has an MA in French and UK Publication: March 2017 English literature from Trinity College Dublin. Rights Held: World As Kate Thompson she has had a dozen novels published, including the Number One bestseller The Blue Hour, which was shortlisted for the RNA award. Kate has contributed to numerous publications and broadcast media in both Ireland and the UK. A former actress, she was the recipient of a Dublin Theatre Festival Best Actress Award. She lives some of the year in Dublin and some on the West coast of Ireland, and is happily married with one daughter. Kate is an advanced-level scuba diver, a wild swimmer, and the keeper of a bewitching Burmese cat.
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Debut adult fiction novel from the author of the Princess Poppy children’s series
The Secret Life of Lucy Lovecake Pippa James “Like a perfect glass of Buck’s Fizz: bubbly, effervescent with a cool sharp tang. I loved it.” – SHAZ’S BOOK BLOG Daisy Delaney’s life is pancake-flat. A talented baker and passionate lingerie specialist, she has wound up with no one to bake for and a career that hasn’t proved successful. But when she starts a delicious relationship with famous French author-chef, Michel Amiel, everything begins to look a bit more exciting. That is until Michel’s bestselling cookbook is knocked off the top spot by newcomer ‘Lucy Lovecake’. His outdated recipes slide down the charts, while the popularity of Lucy Lovecake’s new dating cookbook is rising like the perfect sponge. As Daisy teeters on the brink of love, how can she ever tell Michel that she is the mysterious Lucy Lovecake? Could he ever forgive her for finishing off his career? And more importantly, does Daisy even want to be with a difficult, egotistical, down-on-his-luck Frenchman just as her career is beginning to take off? Especially when she has some other very interesting offers...
“Fresh and radiant, brimming with a wonderful optimism inviting you to devour Daisy’s story in one sitting ... Embracing opportunities, sharing your good fortune and taking charge of your own destiny are all part of the Lucy Lovecake experience.”
“This is a perfect ‘girls read’. It has glamour, romance and is as sweet as the ‘French Fancies’ Lucy concocts.”
“I have NEVER had a book as quirky, funny, mischievous and darn right fabulous as Pippa James’s novel is.”
TRACY SHEPHARD
THE WRITING GARNET
LITTLE BOOKNESS LANE
UK Publication: January 2017 Rights Held: World Rights Sold: Germany (Droemer Knaur)
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Pippa James is a full-time writer with a love for food, fashion and all things French. She is best known as Janey Louise Jones, author of the fantastically successful Princess Poppy series, with sales of over 4 million copies to date. Before Princess Poppy took over her life, Pippa James had always intended to write contemporary fiction, and this debut novel is the start of a brand-new series. Pippa James is mother to three sons.
Finding Alison Deirdre Eustace
Grief and guilt, love and resentment: a small, Irish fishing community, divided. Lost at sea three years ago, no one in Carniskey has ever truly understood what led seasoned, local fisherman, Sean Delaney to risk his life in a high storm in the dead of night. Struggling with her unresolved grief and financial insecurity, his wife, Alison, has grown distant from her daughter and estranged from her fellow villagers. Sean’s mother has not spoken a word in the months since her house was burgled while Alison’s only friend, Kathleen, harbours a deeply guarded secret of her own. Isolated by their stunning yet often cruel surroundings, the community is forced to look inwards upon itself. But the arrival of artist and lifelong nomad, William, offers Alison a new perspective on life – and love – that threatens to unearth the mysteries of the past. In this story of courage and enduring humanity, we follow a community through their struggles with love, loss and betrayal, each coming to understand that only in truth can we find the peace and liberation essential to true happiness.
“I wanted this book to show that none of us is ever as bad as we believe others might judge us to be; we’re all struggling, all doing our best.” DEIRDRE EUSTACE
Deirdre Eustace is a native of Bonmahon, Co UK Publication: May 2017 Waterford. Her poetry and short stories have Rights Held: World appeared in a variety of publications and her work has been broadcast on both local and national radio. Deirdre’s first novel, If I Trust in You, described by the Irish Independent as ‘tense and gripping... a riveting debut’ was published in July, 2009. It remained in the bestsellers list for several months and won a Publishing Ireland ‘Book of the Month’ award. Deirdre has over twenty years experience as a writer, editor and proofreader. Finding Alison is her second novel.
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The Importance of Being Me Caroline Grace-Cassidy OVER
TC DRAF
A captivating and heartbreaking tale of relationships new and old. When Lisa’s husband leaves her for Gemma – a local beautician years younger – she’s upset but nowhere near as devastated as she thought she’d be. Her marriage to David hasn’t been great for a long time, never helped by his constantly roving eye. David might be gone from Lisa’s life, but to their fifteenyear-old daughter Susan, he is still the greatest father on earth. Lisa has no intention of ruining that illusion, even if it means putting on a brave face as Susan disappears to her dad’s each weekend to spend time with her new best friend – Gemma. But when Susan announces she wants to spend the whole summer with her dad and Gemma, Lisa is devastated. She needs a change of scene, so when she spots a run down Cornish cottage for sale, it seems like the perfect solution. A summer renovating the cottage promises to keep Lisa busy – she has a new project to get stuck into, a new location to explore and there’s even the possibility of a new romance. But something is missing. As summer stretches on, Lisa wonders if she’ll ever be able to have a new relationship with the most important person in her life – her daughter.
UK Publication: June 2017 Rights Held: World
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Caroline Grace-Cassidy is an Irish writer and actress. Her first acting role was as Mary Mull on the children’s programme Custers Last Stand Up. Turning to full-time writing in 2011, Cassidy has published five novels. In 2012 Cassidy was a founding member of an all female Film & TV Production Company, for which she has written, produced and directed five short films. Her first feature film script is completed and in development. Cassidy is a contributor for Woman’s Way, U Magazine, Irish Country Magazine and has been a regular panellist for The Midday Show on TV3 since 2012.
The Week I Ruined My Life
Kindle Top 100 Bestseller
Caroline Grace-Cassidy A powerful and thought-provoking story about being true to yourself. Ali Devlin isn’t the type of woman to have an affair… But as her marriage to her childhood sweetheart Colin turns bitter, she begins to rediscover the woman she once was. She seeks solace from her toxic relationship by throwing herself into a new job that she loves, by confiding in her best friend Corina and, most dangerously of all, by spending more and more time with her workmate Owen – who just so happens to be passionate, charming and everything her husband used to be. Then one heat-of-the-moment decision on a business trip to Amsterdam sets off a series of events that will change the course of all their lives forever.
“You will fall into The Week I Ruined My Life as you would a soft settee.” IRISH INDEPENDENT “I was engrossed in this book and really wanted Ali to have her happy ending. Overall, this is a very engaging and relatable novel.” CHICK LIT CLUB
“An incredibly raw investigation of what can happen when apathy becomes contempt, when communication breaks down and when no amount of wellintentioned sit-downs can fix what is broken.” DAILY MAIL
“I adored this book – it’s going to be huge. I urge you to read it now!” CLAUDIA CARROLL
UK Publication: June 2016 Rights Held: World
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Black & White Publishing are delighted to introduce to our new YOUNG ADULT fiction imprint, INK ROAD. Launched in February 2017, INK ROAD looks forward to publishing all genres of commercial fiction for teenage and newadult readers, from both debut and experienced authors. Publishing books with a contemporary and forward-thinking focus, the imprint is committed to creating books for every reader’s tastes. The journey starts here...
ink-road.com @inkroadbooks
The Jungle Pooja Puri
Featured on Buzzfeed “Just some really excellent YA books you need to know about.”
Powerful and moving, this is one of the first YA novels to depict life for hundreds of children in the Calais refugee camp; alone and thousands of miles from home. Mico has left his family, his home, his future. Forced to set out in search of a better life, he instead finds himself navigating one of the world’s most inhospitable environments – the Jungle. A melting pot of characters, cultures and stories, the Calais refugee camp seems like its own strange world. It has a wildness, a brutality all of its own. Unable to buy his way out, Mico is alone, desperate, and running out of options. But when Leila arrives at the camp one day, everything starts to change. Outspoken and fearless, she shows Mico that hope and friendship can grow in the most unusual places, and maybe, just maybe, they’ll show you the way out as well.
“Every so often a book comes along which is timely, heartrending and really quite brilliant. The Jungle is one of those books..” SHIFT ZINE
“There was a story Jahir used to tell me. About how the first humans were born with wings. Can you imagine what that would be like? To fly anywhere in the world without worrying about having the right papers?”
Pooja Puri first tasted publishing success with UK Publication: March 2017 her short story, Chess, and later graduated from Rights Held: World King’s College London with a First Class degree in English Language and Literature. Whilst at university she read for a publishing house and has since worked in the education sector. In 2014, she was chosen as a winner of the Ideas Tap Writers’ Centre Norwich Inspires competition. She will soon be embarking on a MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University.
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WHEN LIFE GOES OFF KEY... CHANGE YOUR TUNE.
Street Song
Sheena Wilkinson
A contemporary novel about finding yourself in a world full of fame, family, drugs, alchohol and new relationships – gritty and romantic all at once. Ryan’s career is over. After winning a TV talent show and becoming a teen sensation, his fame has spiralled into addiction, embarrassing headlines and career suicide. Now his image-obsessed stepdad wants him at home, back in school and under his thumb. However, a chance meeting with the enigmatic Toni offers him a fresh start in a new city. Before long he has reinvented himself, made real friends and is playing real music in Toni’s band. Despite living in a hostel, busking for his wages and living under a false identity, Ryan is finally happy. But struggling to exist on the brink of homelessness, he is exposed to a more sinister world. Forced to truly decide what kind of person he wants to be, Ryan begins to realise that starting over comes at a price.
“This story rings with truth – a book to fall in love with.” KEREN DAVID
UK Publication: April 2017 Rights Held: World
“Street Song played on my heartstrings. Rich and moving – a must read.” L.A. WEATHERLY
“Sheena Wilkinson goes from strength to strength with this gritty, compelling novel about second chances and finding your place in the world. I couldn’t put it down.” CAT CLARKE
Sheena Wilkinson is one of Ireland’s most acclaimed writers of contemporary fiction for young people. She has won four Children’s Book Ireland awards for her work; a White Raven Award from the International Youth Library; an IBBY Honour Listing; and has been shortlisted for the Reading Association of Ireland Awards twice. Sheena tutors for Arvon, she set-up and runs the Belfast Inter-Schools Creative Writing Network, and is Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Queens University, Belfast.
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Dare to Fall
Estelle Maskame
New novel from the international bestselling author of the DIMILY trilogy
Death. She was afraid of it. He was used to it. There’s not much that MacKenzie Rivers is afraid of. In the small town of Windsor, Colorado, she is known for her easygoing, strong personality, some would even say she isn’t afraid of anything. But MacKenzie knows that’s not true. She’s afraid of losing those closest to her. Recovering from a family tragedy, MacKenzie is fully aware of just how big an impact death can have on those it leaves behind. Seeing its effects on other people is something she just can’t quite handle. From now on, MacKenzie is her own priority. There are not many things that Jaden Hunter can make sense of. He doesn’t understand why it was his parents who lost their lives last year. He doesn’t understand why his friends don’t crack jokes around him any more. He doesn’t understand why his teachers still insist on letting him skip assignments. He doesn’t understand why MacKenzie, the girl he was falling for last year, has suddenly distanced herself from him. Too afraid to get wrapped up in Jaden’s world as he deals with the tragic death of his parents, MacKenzie has stayed away from him as best she can, until one night when they unexpectedly come face-to-face for the first time in months. As old feelings resurface and new memories are made, both MacKenzie and Jaden show each other how to appreciate the little things in life, the moments that are taken for granted. But will MacKenzie dare to fall for the one person she’s so afraid of growing close to?
Estelle Maskame started writing at the age UK Publication: July 2017 of 13 and completed her DIMILY trilogy when Rights Held: World she was 16. She has already built an extensive 978 1 78530 108 7 and loyal fanbase for her writing around the £7.99 • Paperback world by sharing her work in instalments on the digital platform Wattpad. The DIMILY trilogy has now been published, with rights sold in 15 territories and becoming an international bestseller. Estelle won the Young Scot Arts Award in 2016, and has been shortlisted for the Young Adult award at the Romantic Novel of the Year Awards.
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The DIMILY Trilogy
International bestseller – sold in 14 territories
Estelle Maskame
An addictive, illicit love story, Maskame’s Did I Mention I Love You? trilogy is a sensational YA debut. Nineteen-year-old author Estelle Maskame has gained more than 4 million fans around the world with her stories of a teenage romance set in America. Her trilogy tells the story of stepsiblings Eden and Tyler, a Portland girl and a Santa Monica boy, who fall in love. Estelle began writing at 13, and had completed her DIMILY trilogy by the time she was 16. Uploading chapter by chapter on the digital platform Wattpad, the books received over 4 million hits and Estelle gained an extensive and loyal readership of over 167,000 Twitter followers. Her DIMILY series has been published across the world in 14 countries so far. “Maskame’s followers are voracious readers and the Scot has had to grow accustomed to every plot twist being feverishly discussed.” THE HERALD
“Like Zoella, [Estelle] knows a thing or two about self promotion... [the books have] received pretty much universal acclaim from her followers.” THE TIMES
Book
CluB WITH
Estelle Maskame!
DID I MentIon I MIss You Is ouT noW!
Did I Mention I Need You is out now!
We joined Estelle Maskame at the private launch party for her new book Did I Mention I Miss You – the final one in the DIMILY series! It’s been a year since DIMILY was published! What have you been up to? So much has happened since then! I wrote the first book not knowing that it would turn into a series. In the space of a year all three books have come out, so a lot of time was spent writing the second and third books. I’ve been doing a lot of travelling too — the days are flying in! I’m enjoying every second of it.
ed You? n I NeME : Did I MBYenESTtio ELL E MA SKA
Kulttuuri.
B20 //
Aamulehti // Sunnuntaina 7. helmikuuta 2016
The second d! trilogy has arrive Did I Mention…? r here! Read the first chapte
OUALL GOOD
AT ! STORES BOOK
You love keeping fans updated on Twitter! Especially with the trilogy, because it started online, I was so used to having feedback from readers. I kind of missed that so I like tweeting my writing process and sharing my experience with them. Writing can be quite lonely sometimes! I’ve also started vlogging to let readers see what I do day-to-day.
days. Three hundred and fifty-nine waiting for this. That’s how long I’ve been counted down. That’s how many days I’ve fifty-nine days since It’s been three hundred and I last saw him. fizzing with I lean against my suitcase, Gucci paws at my leg as It’s almost out the living room window. nervous excitement as I stare filter through has just risen. I watched it 6AM, and outside the sun admiring how beautiful the ago, minutes the darkness twenty the cars the sunlight bounced from avenue looked and the way be pulling up any second. lining the sidewalk. Dean should feet. German Shepherd by my I drop my eyes to the huge pads her her ears until she turns and Leaning down, I rub behind out the window again, gaze is do can I All way into the kitchen. but it only a list of everything I packed, mentally running through zipping up sliding off my suitcase and stresses me out and I end the pairs of through the pile of shorts, it open instead. I rummage bracelets. Converse, the collection of everything you need.” “Eden, trust me, you’ve got
How do you decide what to name your characters? It might change now that I’m older, but I named the DIMILY characters when I was 13, so there was no thought process at all!
28SHOUTMAG Estelle.indd 1
‘THAT’S THE THING ABOUT DISTANCE: ON IT EITHER GIVES YOU TIME TO MOVE YOU REALIZE FROM SOMEONE, OR IT MAKES JUST HOW MUCH YOU NEED THEM.’
my clothes and I look up. My hands stop shifting through counter in her robe, staring over the Mom’s standing in the kitchen same across her chest. She has the at me with her arms folded upset, for a week straight now. Half expression she’s been wearing
HOR TEEN AUT ING IS TAK ESTELLE K WORLD THE BOO RM! BY STO
half annoyed. as I close tightly into the suitcase again I sigh and shove everything just nervous.” wheels. I get to my feet.“I’m it back up and set it on its There are describe the way I’m feeling. I don’t quite know how to Three I have no idea what to expect. nerves, of course, because change. is a long time for things to that hundred and fifty-nine days So I am also terrified. I’m terrified Everything could be different. him, scared that the second I see things won’t be different. I’m distance: back. That’s the thing about rushing come will everything it makes you move on from someone, or It either gives you time to need them. or realize just how much you if I simply miss my stepbrother And right now, I have no idea difference. love with. It’s hard to tell the if I miss the person I was in person. They’re the same nothing to be nervous about.” “Don’t be,” Mom says.“There’s her, room, Gucci bouncing behind She walks over into the living arm of before sitting down on the and she squints out the window coming?” the couch.“When’s Dean “Now,” I say quietly.
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Facebook/blackandwhitepublishing
Who’d be the best character to… Tell your secrets to? Ella, because she’s a really strong character. She’d keep your secret and give great advice!
Go travelling with? Tyler! I’d love to go travelling with him — everyone would! Be the villian of a spin-off series? That’s so easy, it’d have to be Tiffany! Be your IRL best friend? Rachel — because she’s similar to my best friend IRl! Plus I see a lot of myself in her. Will her next book be the same style as the DIMILY trilogy? @after_dimily I can’t say much… it’ll be a stand-alone novel rather than a series. I start writing it next month!
Follow @EstelleMaskame for regular book updates! 02/09/2016 09:28
teinikirjailija
verkon valloittaja Nuori skottikirjailija Estelle Maskame julkaisi teoksensa aluksi verkkojulkaisuna, mainosti sitä Twitterissä ja nousi maailmanmaineeseen. Sosiaalinen media luo uudenlaista fanikulttuuria kirjallisuuden ympärille. Pirjo-LiiSa NiiNimäki teksti // kimmo PeNttiNeN kuva
S
uomalaisen kustantajani toimistossa – lähdössä just Akateemiseen kirjakauppaan (esiintymään). – Pari tuntia, ja tapaan Estelle Maskamen (sydän, sydän, hymiö). – 55 kirjaa signeerattu 8 minuutissa (ok-
peukku). Pääsin myös koululaisvierailulle. Oppilaat oli niin suloisia! – Oli hauska tavata, Estelle. Tuskin maltan odottaa, että pääsen lukemaan kirjaasi. Ja kiitos selfiestä. Tällaisia keskusTeluja ilmestyi skot-
lantilaisen teinikirjailijan Estelle Maska-
men Twitter-tilille ja kotisivuille hänen Suomen-vierailunsa aikana. Sosiaalisen median kautta maailmanmaineeseen pongahtanut 18-vuotias kirjailija pitää jatkuvasti yhteyttä lukijoihinsa. Hän kertoo kirjahankkeistaan, mutta tviittailee myös kuulumisiaan: mitä tein tänään, mitä söin, millaisen hatun ostin.
4 Million Hits on Wattpad 167,000 Followers on Twitter
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‘I’m enjoying every second!’
You’ve been all over Europe promoting the books — where has been your favourite place to visit? Madrid was amazing! It was the biggest event I’ve ever done — we did a signing for more than 100 readers. That’s definitely been a highlight so far. It’s so cool having fans from different corners of the world — my book is a bestseller in Finland!
TR ACT! SPECIAL EX book in the
T NOW
It’s the end of the trilogy — are you sad to leave Tyler and Eden behind? It’s kind of bitter-sweet! It took five years to write the whole series, so it’s satisfying to know that I’ve told their story and got closure on the series. But at the same time I’ve grown up with these characters, so it’s a bit scary to think I’ll never write about them again!
– Lukijat tykkäävät huomatessaan, että olen ihan tavallinen teini. Ja sitähän minä olen, Maskame sanoo. Epätavallista Estelle Maskamessa on vain se, että hän on kirjoittanut tosissaan 13-vuotiaasta lähtien. Aluksi hän julkaisi tekstejään netissä, mutta valtava suosio poiki myös kustannussopimuksen.
Winner of Young Scot Award 2016 (Arts) Shortlisted for Young Adult Romantic Novel Award
International Bestseller: Germany / Heyne Fliegt France / Pocket Jeunesse Spain / Destino, Planeta Finland / Gummerus USA / Sourcebooks Fire
Did I Mention I Love You?
Did I Mention I Miss You?
Did I Mention I Need You?
16-year-old Eden Munro travels from Portland to begrudgingly spend the summer with her father in Santa Monica, California. Eden’s parents are divorced and have gone their seperate ways, and now her father has a brand new family. For Eden, this means she’s about to meet three new step-brothers. The eldest of the three is Tyler Bruce, a troubled teenager with a short temper and a huge ego.
DIMINY re-joins stepsiblings Tyler Bruce and Eden Munro almost two years after they met for the first time in sunny Santa Monica. Having ignored their love for each other for the sake of their family, everything becomes complicated when Tyler invites Eden to spend the summer with him in New York.
It’s been a year since Eden last spoke to Tyler. She remains furious at him for leaving her and is trying to move on with her life in Chicago, where she is at University. As school breaks up for the summer, she heads back to Santa Monica, but she’s not the only one with that idea...
Complete polar opposites, Eden quickly finds herself thrust into a world full of new experiences as Tyler’s group of friends take her under their wing. But the one thing she just can’t understand is Tyler, and the more she presses to figure out the truth about him, the more she finds herself falling for the one person she shouldn’t – her step-brother.
As their fling turns into something much more serious, Tyler and Eden must face up to reality and make some life-changing decisions. But how will their family react when they confess their secret romance – and is their relationship strong enough to survive the devastating fallout?
Despite their break-up and Tyler’s abrupt departure last summer, are they both as over each other as they thought? Can Tyler and Eden finally work things out, against all odds? Did I Mention I Miss You? is the explosive finale to Estelle Maskame’s phenomenal DIMILY trilogy.
UK Publication: July 2016 Rights Held: World Rights Sold: North America (Sourcebooks); World Spanish & Catalan (Destino/Planeta, Spain); France (Pocket Jeunesse); Italy (Salani); Germany (Heyne Fliegt); Hungary (Gabo); Lithuania (Alma Littera); Poland (Wydawnicto JK); Finland (Gummerus); India (HarperCollins); The Netherlands (Uitgeverij Moon); Portugal (Editorial Presença); Russia (Eksmo); Czech Republic (Albatross Media). Other Rights: Audio, UK (Audible)
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T is for Tree
Greg Fowler
An intimate story about the power of individuals and the importance of finding value in the small things in life. Eddy knows he’s not like other teenagers. He doesn’t look like them. He doesn’t think like them. He doesn’t go to school or have friends like they do. Eddy’s not even allowed to leave his bedroom – except on shower day of course. He doesn’t know why; all Eddy knows is that he’s different. Abandoned by his mother and kept locked away by his grandmother, Eddy must spend his life watching the world go by from his bedroom window. Until Reagan Crowe moves in next door and everything starts to change. She’s kind, funny, beautiful, and most importantly, she’s Eddy’s first friend. Over time, Reagan introduces Eddy to the strange and wonderful world outside his bedroom: maths, jam, love. But growing up isn’t that simple for either of them. And Eddy has a secret. The tree that’s slowly creeping in through his window from the garden is no ordinary tree. But then again, Eddy’s no ordinary boy. He’s special… Set over the course of five years, T is for Tree is moving, lifeaffirming, and shows that we can all find greatness in the small things.
UK Publication: August 2017 Rights Held: World
Greg Fowler was born in Nelson and raised in Wellington, New Zealand. He took up a career in risk consultancy while developing a hobby of writing short stories in his spare time. Taking a hiatus from his profession, he played sport overseas and returned to New Zealand to run his own business for six years as a personal trainer and therapeutic masseur. Returning to the risk consulting industry, Greg held further roles in the US, Australia and Fiji. Married with three children, Greg and his family have now settled back in New Zealand to raise his family. Managing risk for the government during the day, Greg makes sure he finds time to tap away on his computer at night.
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Casting Off P.I. Paris
An uplifting and inspiring story of knitting, friendship, sacrifice... and saucy chatlines! When the residents of a Highland care home discover that the new owners are about to substantially put up the fees, they know that dramatic action is called for. But what can a group of senior citizens possibly do against a big organisation? For Dorothy, the situation is serious. If she can’t raise money she’ll have to leave all her friends, like dear Miss Ross. In protest, the residents barricade themselves into the lounge. However, their rebellion fails, so worldly-wise Joan suggests a most unusual way to cover the rise: a very naughty chat line for men who want to talk to older women in a particular way! As their lives take a series of unexpected turns, things get increasingly out of control ... Casting Off is a hilarious, poignant tale of friendship, loyalty and sacrifice and how it’s never too late to try something new.
“This uplifting, mischievous, and brilliantly written tale is one that has left a huge impression on me, for ALL the right reasons. ” LITTLE BOOKNESS LANE
“Each character in this is wonderful in their own way ... the humour was superbly written.” THE QUIET KNITTERER
“Paris is an author who knows how to fascinate his readers” DUSTY PAGES IN WONDERLAND
Author, playwright and journalist P I Paris lives UK Publication: September 2016 in the Highlands of Scotland and is best known Rights Held: World for the historical fiction and non-fiction books he Rights Sold: Norway (Cappelen wrote about the Italian chapel, built during WW2 Damm); Germany (Piper Verlag) by Italian POWs in Orkney. His contemporary Other Rights: Audio (Oakhill); novel, Men Cry Alone, broke new ground in Large Print (F.A. Thorpe) raising the profile of domestic abuse against men. His stage play, Casting Off, played to sell-out audiences in the autumn of 2015. The hilarious storyline is taken to new heights in this latest novel by the same name.
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INTRIGUE. PASSION. CHOCOLATE.
On Starlit Seas Sara Sheridan
A gripping tale of unexpected passion, secrets and escape. Brazil and London 1824. Charged with a mission by the Empress of Brazil, celebrated writer and the toast of Georgian London, Maria Graham sets off for England with the Brazilian civil war at its height. Newly widowed and a woman travelling alone, the stakes are high and when she accepts roguish smuggler Captain James Henderson’s offer of passage on his ship, she gets more than she bargains for. Henderson is on a journey of his own, back to his childhood home in Covent Garden. On board, Maria discovers both a dangerous secret concealed in a chocolate bar and an irresistible attraction to the mysterious captain. But falling in love with a smuggler is almost unthinkable for a woman of Maria’s social standing. Though Henderson tries his utmost to abandon his life of crime and forge a new identity as a London gentleman, he is caught in a dangerous tangle with a deadly aristocratic smuggling ring. The only chance he has to save himself and prove worthy of Maria is to unmask the gang and break free from their clutches, but will it be enough?
“A story as rich and velvety as the chocolate at its heart. A joy to read.” MARY CHAMBERLAIN (author of The Dressmaker of Dachau) “On Starlit Seas is a magnificent and captivating read, blended to perfection.” LITTLE BOOKNESS LANE
UK Publication: July 2016 Rights Held: World Rights Sold: Poland (Illumination Lukasz Kierus); Croatia (Znanje) Other Rights: Audio (Oakhill), Large Print (Magna Print)
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“Sheridan binds together social comment, romance on the high seas, pursuit by excisemen, knife-wielding toerags in the stench of 19th-century London and the consumption of so much hot chocolate that the pages seem impregnated with its heady aroma. ... A pleasure to consume, and not even a guilty one.” THE HERALD
“This is a novel to take one seamlessly from exotic places to shadowy underworlds and polite drawing rooms, in order to revel in an emotionally charged and socially challenged Victorian romance, coupled with the cliff-hanging jeopardy of Brazilian and London low-life... Five stars with extra phosphorescence!” JOANNA HICKSON (author of The Tudor Bride)
Sara Sheridan writes the popular Mirabelle Bevan Murder Mysteries set in 1950s as well as historical novels set in the 19th century featuring the real-life adventures of historical figures. Fascinated particularly by female history she is a cultural commentator who appears regularly on television and radio. In 2014 she was named one of the Saltire Society’s 365 Most Influential Scottish Women, past and present.
Ursula’s Secret Mairi Wilson
Over 42,000 copies sold in eBook Kindle Top 100 Bestseller for 70+ Days
Winner of the Sunday Mail Fiction Prize 2015 In just a few heartbreaking days, Lexy Shaw’s world has fallen apart. After her mother is killed in a tragic hit-andrun, her mother’s childhood guardian, Ursula, also dies suddenly, leaving everything to Lexy. But as Lexy reads through Ursula’s hidden papers, what she discovers raises doubts about her own identity and if she really is now all alone in the world. Desperate to find out if she has any surviving family, Lexy travels to Africa hoping she can unravel the mystery she’s now tormented by, only to find that she’s stumbled into a past full of lies and deceit and that her life is in grave danger.
“An absorbing story of complex lives and a secret that spans decades and continents.” ISLA DEWAR “This book is filled with twist after twist, secret after secret which will keep you guessing right to the end.” PORTOBELLO BOOK BLOG
“Part detective thriller, part emotional journey. A highly enjoyable and intelligent adventure that will appeal to fans of Kate Atkinson and Maggie O’Farrell.” SOPHIE COOKE “Packed full of tension, questions, problems, secrecy and intrigue right until the concluding chapter.” SHAZ’S BOOK BLOG
Mairi Wilson was born in Scotland but brought up in England, Turkey, Denmark and Spain. She now divides her time between Edinburgh and Ullapool, and continues to travel further afield when she can. She has worked in marketing and education but now works part-time in a card and gift shop to stay in touch with the real world – while she writes about imaginary ones.
“The complex story accelerates to a dramatic denouement that leaves Lexy enlightened and chastened, on the verge of a new phase in her life, and leaves the reader wholly satisfied with Wilson’s adept, sympathetic and colourful storytelling.” MORAG JOSS
UK Publication: November 2015 Rights Held: World ex US/CAN Rights Sold: Poland (Illumination Lukasz Kierus) Other Rights: Audio (Oakhill Publishing); Large Print (Magna Print)
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The Last Day I Saw Her Lucy Lawrie
An emotional story of secrets, hope and long lost friendship. When lonely single mum Janey stumbles into an art workshop, she can’t believe her eyes when her left hand mysteriously scribbles a picture of two little girls and a strange message from someone called ‘Hattie’: Janey’s childhood best friend. But they lost touch after Hattie’s family suddenly moved away in mysterious circumstances. Janey’s instincts tell her that she must finally find out what happened to Hattie, but life is already complicated enough: she’s struggling with motherhood, a custody battle over her toddler son Pip is looming, and she finds herself falling for intense art tutor Steve. And when writing appears on the walls of her flat and Pip starts playing with an invisible friend, Janey fears she’s losing her mind. Is it really a good idea to go digging up the past? As dark secrets come to light, she can’t be sure what’s real any more – or who to trust… Moving and suspenseful, The Last Day I Saw Her is a richly emotive story of friendship lost and found, and how facing up to the past can help you find a better future.
“I was not prepared for such an indepth storyline and for the emotional rollercoaster this novel would take me on... I was utterly compelled and captivated right up until I turned the very last page.” COSMOCHICKLITAN
UK Publication: August 2016 Rights Held: World ex US/Can Other Rights: Audio (Oakhill Publishing)
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“I devoured this book in one day, everything about it is brilliant, from the pacing to the beautiful, rich writing... The Last Day I Saw Her is a beautiful, complex, suspenseful read perfect for fans of family drama/mystery.” THIS CHICK READS
“I am actually frustrated with myself because I cannot find the words to express how much I adored this book – it was intricate, engaging, consuming and life-affirming. I just have to simply urge you to read this book – simply stunning.” LOUISE WYKES, Shaz’s Book Blog
Lucy Lawrie is a lawyer and mum of two girls. She started writing when she was on maternity leave and unearthed a primary two homework book in which she’d stated, in very wobbly handwriting: ‘I want to be an AUTHOR when I grow up.’ So, to keep her six-year-old self happy, she wrote her first novel, Tiny Acts of Love which was published in 2014. The Last Day I Saw Her is Lucy’s second novel.
Chasing Charlie Linda McLaughlan
Perfect for fans of Marian Keyes and Sophie Kinsella
A hugely entertaining and uplifting debut about the challenges of navigating adult life and not losing yourself in the process. How far would you go to win back your ex? When unlucky-in-love Sam bumps into her first boyfriend, the charming but roguish Charlie, she falls head first for him all over again. Even though he broke her heart, she’s determined to win him back – even if she has to chase him all over London… Sam’s friends have their doubts about whether cheating Charlie is really the man for her, but they have their own problems to deal with. Uptight Mara is struggling to trust anyone after a bad break-up; sexy corporate go-getter Claudia has her self-confidence rocked after a health scare; and sensitive, intelligent Ed, has been secretly, hopelessly in love with Sam for years… As Sam chases her lost love like a woman possessed, getting into ever more outlandish situations and making a fool of herself in the process, she finds herself wondering just how far she’ll go to win Charlie back. Or will she finally see what’s right under her nose?
“Delicious fun!” HEAT MAGAZINE (Our Top 5 Reads)
“Totally reminded me of Bridget Jones oh so much! I loved it! ... This is a perfect, joy of a book – great for a holiday read.” REVIEWED THE BOOK
Linda McLaughlan has worked in film and TV in both her native New Zealand, and in the UK where she lives now. She spent some time backpacking through Asia where she met her illustrator husband and moved to England. She lives on very little sleep in a quiet lane in deepest Hampshire with her husband, two children, five chickens and string of foster dogs. Chasing Charlie is her debut novel.
“I enjoyed this book ... [the] emphasis on friendship was, for me, the real heart of the story.” PORTOBELLO BOOK BLOG
UK Publication: April 2016 Rights Held: World ex US/CAN
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DANIELA SACERDOTI The Bestselling Glen Avich Series
Four women, four novels, one village in the Scottish Highlands. A place Over 1 Million copies sold as eBooks where everyone knows everyone, where every house has seen countless Watch Over Me is the 8th Bestselling Book generations, where the loch, the pinewoods and the ever changing sky hold a on Kindle in the UK since it launched (2015), million stories. A place to call home. with over 600,000 copies sold. WATCH OVER ME Daniela Sacerdoti is the 11th Bestselling Eilidh’s life has fallen apart – when all is lost, and all she has left is hope, there author on Kindle in the UK since it launched is only one place to go: home, to the tiny village of Glen Avich in the Scottish 5 years ago (2015). Highlands. Here she reconnects with old friends, her roots and herself. TAKE ME HOME Inary feels there’s something missing. Her seemingly perfect life in London just doesn’t feel true to her soul. When she receives devastating news about her sister, she is called back to her home village of Glen Avich, where she faces old fears and new truths. SET ME FREE Margherita is taking a break from her unhappy marriage, while her adoptive daughter Lucy faces demons of her own. They decide to spend the summer in Glen Avich, where Margherita’s mum has opened a coffee shop, La Piazza. DON’T BE AFRAID In Glen Avich, Isabel is at her lowest point. At a loss, her husband Angus looks for a home companion for her, as he is often away. Enter warm, wise Clara who gains Isabel’s trust immediately. But there’s a mystery surrounding Clara...
UK Publication: 2011–2016 Rights Held: World Excl US/CAN Rights Sold: See above Other Rights: World English Audio (Audible); Large Print (Thorpe UK)
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RIGHTS SOLD WATCH OVER ME Germany (Piper Verlag); Italy (Newton Compton); Brazil (Lumen); Croatia (Mozaik); Bulgaria (ERA Media); Hungary (Gabo); World Spanish (Libros de Seda, Spain); Czech (Host); Lithuania (Jotema); Serbia (Evro Giunti); Turkey (Pegasus); World English Audio (Audible); Large Print (Thorpe UK). TAKE ME HOME Germany (Piper Verlag); Italy (Newton Compton); Brazil (Universo dos Livros); Bulgaria (ERA Media); World Spanish (Libros de Seda, Spain); World English Audio (Audible); Large Print (Thorpe UK) SET ME FREE World Spanish (Ediciones B, Mexico); Brazil (Universo dos Libros); World English Audio (Audible) DON’T BE AFRAID World Spanish (Ediciones B, Mexico); World English Audio (Audible); Large Print (Thorpe UK)
Daniela Sacerdoti is the bestselling author of the Glen Avich series of novels and the Young Adult Sarah Midnight Trilogy. She was born and raised in Italy, before moving to Scotland for more than ten years. Daniela holds a degree in Classics from the University of Turin and has taught Italian, Latin and Greek. Her great uncle was the renowned Italian writer Carlo Levi. She has recently moved to Northern Italy with her family.
The Secret Life and Curious Death of Miss Jean Milne Andrew Nicoll A bewitching tale of class division, money, sex, lies, betrayal and murder. When the door opened and he came out, there came with him the stench of a dead thing, the sweet, sulphurous, warm, rotten chicken smell that only comes from unburied flesh. A dead body is found in a locked house. It has been stabbed in a frenzy, the hands and feet bound, the skull smashed, false teeth knocked from its jaws. Blood pools around the corpse and drips from the staircase. Yet nothing is missing: money and valuables remain untouched. Who could have murdered an old woman in such a horrifying way? This is the mystery facing Sergeant John Fraser and Detective Lieutenant Trench when wealthy spinster Miss Jean Milne is murdered in the quiet seaside town of Broughty Ferry. Yet, despite an abundance of clues and apparent witnesses, the investigation proves troublesome: suspects are elusive and Miss Milne herself is found to be far from a model of propriety. And when sensational headlines put pressure on the police force to find a culprit, Fraser and Trench must work fast to prevent the wrong man from going to the gallows. But will they ever unravel the secret life and curious death of Miss Jean Milne?
“A mystery that touches the heart, with characters caught in a world that’s harsh but trembles with tender emotions. A beautiful story. JAMES NAUGHTIE, BBC Radio 4
“Nicoll takes a true story and builds it into a twisting piece of prose with an unexpected shift towards the end.” DAILY EXPRESS
After a brief stint as a lumberjack, Andrew Nicoll has spent his working life as a newspaper journalist. His first novel, The Good Mayor, was an international bestseller. Andrew is married and has three children..
“The sense of setting and era are spot on, and the dusky streets of Scotland are suitably spooky.” HEAT MAGAZINE
UK Publication: June 2015 Rights Held: World excl US & Can Rights Sold: Italy (Sonzogno); Hungary (Gabo Publishing) Other Rights: Audio (Oakhill Publishing); Large Print (FA Thorpe)
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The Dolocher Caroline Barry
Victorian London had Jack the Ripper. Georgian Dublin had The Dolocher. When murderer Olocher commits suicide in the Black Dog Prison on the eve of his execution, terror is unleashed upon Dublin. A mysterious creature stalks the streets and women report attacks by a half-man, half-pig possessed by Olocher’s dark spirit. The Dolocher is on the loose… At least that’s the story down-at-heel writer Solomon Fish peddles in his broadsheets, and the people of Dublin can’t get enough of his gruesome tales. To Solomon, it’s only an ordinary man playing a tasteless trick, a sensational story that will soon blow over. But when the Dolocher starts killing and Solomon himself is set upon by the beast, he starts to have doubts. With the help of his swashbuckling landlady, ship’s surgeonturned-apothecary Merriment O’Grady, Solomon swears to unmask the Dolocher. Yet Solomon and Merriment soon find themselves torn between reason and superstition, their heads and their hearts as they strive to solve the mystery. But are they hunting the Dolocher or is it hunting them?
“This is a fabulous historical tale of crime and I loved it!” BOON’S BOOKCASE
UK Publication: March 2016 Rights Held: World ex US/CAN Rights Sold: Vietnam (Phuc Minh Investment Trading)
“From the very first scene in the jail, I could sense the dripping water, the grime, the poverty and had to check my face after finishing, as I was convinced I’d have dirt smeared across it.” THE BOOKTRAILER
“A beautifully written work of historical fiction with some truly wonderful characters.” THE WELSH LIBRARIAN
Caroline Barry believes studying Art History gave her an interest in storytelling. She has had two young adult novels published in Ireland. After starting her career in Arts Administration she moved into teaching creative writing, designing and delivering creative writing modules for several county councils around the country. She has been a writer-in-residence and is currently living in the midlands with her husband Neil Richardson (also a writer). Outside of writing she has studied and practiced yoga for fourteen years and is keenly interested in the esoteric.
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Lullaby Girl
Over 55,000 copies sold as an eBook
Aly Sidgwick
Taut, tense and mesmerising – a shining debut from a very talented new author. Found washed up on the banks of a remote loch, a mysterious girl is taken into the care of a psychiatric home in the Highlands of Scotland. Mute and covered in bruises, she has no memory of who she is or how she got there. The only clue to her identity is the Danish lullaby she sings... Inside the care home, she should be safe. But, harassed by the media and treated as a nuisance by under-pressure staff, she finds the home is far from a haven. And as her memories slowly surface, the Lullaby Girl does her best to submerge them again. Some things are too terrible to remember... but unless she confronts her fears, how can she find out who she really is? Set in the brooding Scottish Highlands and alternating with scenes from Norway, lending it a hint of dark Scandi Noir, this amazing debut novel is a taut psychological thriller that explores anxiety, identity and the elusive nature of memory. First-time author, tattoo artist and comic-strip illustrator, Aly Sidgwick, takes the reader on a tense and mesmerising journey through the tangled corridors of the human mind. “It’s a reflective piece of work which runs alongside a back story in the traditional style of a fast moving thriller ... a hybrid between literary skills and genre thrills.” THE SKINNY “A tense psychological thriller, one I found really hard to put down. Forget comparisons to Gone Girl – this deserves to be read just because it’s great!.” PORTOBELLO BOOK BLOG
“Remember Gone Girl anyone? ... This debut from Aly Sidgwick is set to do the same.” RED MAGAZINE (The Best New Authors You Need To Know About Now)
Aly Sidgwick spent many years in Oslo as a tattoo artist and comic-strip artist before turning to writing. She became obsessed and didn’t tell anyone she was writing for six months. She has lived in North Yorkshire, Norway, Sweden and Edinburgh. Her spare time is devoted to reading, painting, travelling and drinking lots of hot coffee.
“A psychologically harrowing study of mental illness, Lullaby Girl is a rather astonishing debut novel. Confident, daring, and constantly uncomfortable, it will keep you on your toes. Definitely worth keeping an eye on where Sidgwick goes from here.” POPVERSE
UK Publication: June 2015 Rights Held: World ex US/CAN Other Rights: Audio & Large Print (Magna Books)
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Rabbit War And Peace
Burrowed from the classic by Leo Tolstoy War And Peace Retold with Rabbits! It’s one of the greatest books ever written. Many intend to read this classic of modern literature but few succeed. At nearly 1,500 pages and well over half a million words, it’s no wonder that so many copies remain unfinished. Now, Tolstoy’s greatest work comes to you in a brand new package, retold with rabbits. A quirky and wonderful book which combines Tolstoy’s pithy words with original photos throughout of rabbits in costom-made outfits, and with beautiful details such as introductory dramatis personae. These bunnies have character in abundance – if ever there were a perfect rabbit match for Natasha, Pierre and Prince Andrei, here they are.
UK Publication: September 2016 Rights Held: World
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Library Cat Alex Howard
Finalist in the People’s Book Prize 2016. Over 17,000 Likes on Facebook. Library Cat – the resident cat of Edinburgh University Library – is not like other cats. He is a thinking cat. You can tell by the canny glint in his eye, his arched, disdainful whiskers and his unrelenting interest in books and piles of paper. This is Library Cat’s story. Join him on the adventures he takes when he leaves his favourite turquoise chair in the library and his favourite food (bacon-rind) behind to go out into the big, bad world. Meet his cousins Biblio Chat and Saaf Landan Tom. Hold your breath during his brief encounter with the elusive Puddle Cat and his run-in with the terrifying and mysterious Black Dog. This is principally the story of Library Cat’s search for meaning in a seemingly meaningless world. But it’s about us Humans, too. You see, with his black and white head bobbing a foot off the ground, Library Cat has seen us Humans from a very different angle. And he thinks we have it all wrong…
“It is fundamentally a story of self-discovery both for Library Cat and the reader. ” THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER
UK Publication: April 2016 Alex Howard is 27 and lives in Edinburgh. He Rights Held: World graduated from Edinburgh University with a 1st Rights Sold: Italy (Garzanti); Korea class English degree in 2010, and has since had (Woongjin) poetry published in journals such as The London Magazine, Cadaverine, and Gutter. He is the winner of the Red Cross International Writing Prize, a quarter-finalist in the Scottish Slam Championships 2012, and has performed his work at the Edinburgh Book Festival. He has had comedy writing shortlisted by the BBC and worked variously as a television researcher, ghost tour guide, and tutor. He is currently pursuing an PhD at Edinburgh University.
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