Anne de Courcy at no. 4 on non-fiction charts!

Neilsen Bookscan charts, released 24 July 2012, show THE FISHING FLEET by Anne de Courcy at number 4 on hardback non-fiction.

Published in hardback just two weeks ago, THE FISHING FLEET is now in its third printing.

THE FISHING FLEET tells the story of the late nineteenth century in India where Britain's finest and brightest men settled to become businessmen, administrators and soldiers.  Young women flocked to the area for intense socializing and found themselves caught up in a whirlwind of dances, parties and marriages. After the honeymoon things often changed drastically for these husband hunting women.
De Courcy's narrative and first hand resources, in the form of unpublished letters and diaries, make for a delightful read.

We are thrilled with her well deserved success!

Praise for THE FISHING FLEET:

'An entertaining, richly detailed account of a world that vanished overnight in 1947 with independence' -- The Sunday Times

'Highly evocative... de Courcy takes the reader through an enchanted world: scarlet coats and white topis; the heat of a regimental dance with buildings picked out in tiny oil lamps and lanterns hung in the trees;… am-dram and tiger shoots; medicinal brandy and ginger ale; tiffin and sword exercises; the smell of wood fires in the hearth; a civet cat found drinking a bedtime glass of milk and a monkey snatching a silver spoon.' -- Jad Adams, The Guardian

'Through heat, dust, lust and wedlock, de Courcy's memsahibs step a lively dance' -- Saga Magazine 

'A seasoned social historian, Anne de Courcy brilliantly evokes the era, often by allowing her heroines to do the talking. We hear vivid contemporary descriptions of everything from tiger hunts and tea dances to the agonies of prickly heat... the women who married into the Raj were true adventurers. De Courcy's book restores their proper reputation: as brave, sometimes batty, irredeemably British heroines' -- Jemima Lews, Daily Mail

Adharanand Finn selected as one of The Guardian’s experts in Athletics for The Olympics

Adharanand Finn, journalist and author of RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS, is selected as one of The Guardian's experts in Athletics for The Olympics.  You can follow Adharanand on Twitter throughout the games that commence this Friday, 27 July. Please click here to view The Guardian's 'Olympics Experts' Network: the inside guide to London 2012' page, which will follow the tweets of several Olympic experts from Olympians, bloggers, coaches and up-and-coming athletes.

Adharanand went to Kenya with his family for six months at the beginning of 2011 to discover the soul of Kenyan long distance running. RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS, is his account of his time spent in Kenya, and is published by Faber and Faber in the UK and Ballantine in the USA.

Praise for RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS:

'...a heartfelt study of our urge to run…It's very lack of compulsion makes Finn a calm, humorous presence. In unobtrusively beautiful prose, he evokes the will to run at the heart of Kenyan life…In a year when the commercialism of sport will be an overwhelming, hectic presence, Finn quietly reminds us why running, 'this primal urge' that every child feels, is as mysteriously human as anything we do.' -- Rowland Manthorpe, The Sunday Telegraph

'Perfect background reading for the London 2012 Olympics, this inspiring book makes you feel for Finn's wife and family, even as you are filled with awe and incredulity by the author's steely determination.' -- Annabel Ford, Compass Magazine

Blake Friedmann authors headline at this weekend's Harrogate Crime Festival.

Several Blake Friedman authors including, Peter James, Deon Meyer, David Mark, Margie Orford and Mari Hannah, are participating in various events at the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate. The festival begins today, Thursday 19 July and finishes Sunday 22 July. Please click here for more information on the Harrogate festival.

TARZAN featured in the Guardian newspaper twice in one weekend!

From the first moment Tarzan swung through the pages of Edgar Rice Burroughs's TARZAN OF THE APES he ignited the public's imagination in a way achieved by no other literary character. After being 'rebooted' by Andy Briggs, setting a new adventure in modern day Africa, Briggs wrote a piece for the Guardian online this weekend explaining the appeal of the 100-year-old character and why he intends to keep the original eco-warrior inspiring people for another 100 years.

Also featuring on the front page of the website, Robert McCrum assesses  the secret of the Lord of the Jungle's survival throughout his many incarnations in print and on screen over the past 100 years.
TARZAN: THE JUNGLE WARRIOR, the second of Briggs' new titles, was published this month by Faber in the UK. Read an extract here!

Praise for TARZAN:

'I fell in love with Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan when I was 11 years old, and was jealous when he married that silly Jane. I would have been even more jealous of the Jane in TARZAN: THE GREYSTOKE LEGACY - she is not silly at all!  And what a stroke of brilliance to transform Tarzan into an eco-warrior. The Lord of the Jungle is with us still.' -- Dr Jane Goodall

'Tarzan is back with a bloodcurdling roar! An epic re-book of the classic series.' -- Eoin Colfer, author of ARTEMIS FOWL

'CRACKING jungle adventure with the one and only, all- time best eco-warrior, Tarzan.' -- MG Harris, author of THE JOSHUA FILES

'Wow! All the things I loved about the original Tarzan books rebooted for modern-day Africa, with a plot that will whisk you off your feet and swing you through the trees at breakneck speed.' -- Roderick Gordon, author of TUNNELS

'This is a lion-roaring read of an adventure that seized me from the first page and refused to let go.The action is breathless, the characters are enthralling and the environmental message is vital. Tarzan is not only stunningly reborn, he is more relevant today than he ever was.' -- Chris Bradford, author of YOUNG SAMURAI

'A hero that doesn't have special powers, can't do magic, and isn't an angel? Andy's Tarzan doesn't need them; he kicks ass from the moment he appears in the first chapter.' -- David Gatward, author of THE DEAD, THE DARK, THE DAMNED

'An awesome African adventure. The legend of Tarzan is in great hands.' -- Steve Feasey, author of CHANGELING

'A white-knuckle adventure worthy of Burroughs at his best. Andy Briggs' Tarzan is a stunning achievement.' -- William Hussey, author of WITCHFINDER

THE MURDER WALL is North Tyneside’s Summer Read 2012!

Each year, New Writing North, North Tyneside Council and Arts Council England choose one novel to promote throughout the summer, in order to engage the community through reading and discussion.  This year's selection is THE MURDER WALL by Mari Hannah and it will be available through libraries, council offices and throughout the North Tyneside area from July to September. 

The three month event will culminate on Thursday, 4th October at The Grand Hotel, Tynemouth for a 'Meet the Author' event with Mari Hannah, who will talk about her novel and meet with readers.

Click here for details and more information.

THE MURDER WALL is published by Macmillan, and the second in the series, SETTLED BLOOD will be published in November this year.

Praise for THE MURDER WALL:

 'Brutal and engaging.  Mari Hannah writes with a sharp eye and a dark heart.' -- Peter James

'THE MURDER WALL is a police procedural par excellence and one of the most assured debuts I've ever read. Mari Hannah is a skilled plotter with a great eye for character and a wealth of personal experience in the field to draw on. Make no mistake, she is going to be huge.' --The Underground Book Club