Canelo acquires two new romances from Caroline Khoury

Canelo has signed two standalone contemporary romances by Caroline Khoury. Editorial director Emily Bedford bought world English language rights from Kate Burke in a two-book deal. The first title, STILL UNWRITTEN, is out in paperback and ebook in February 2024, followed by the second book in 2025.

STILL UNWRITTEN stars K-pop star JC, lead singer of soon-to-be global sensation JYNKS. To Francesca, he's Choi Jae-Seung, the new barista at her London coffee shop. When her agent tells her that she has 48 hours to find the passion missing from her auditions to land the acting role of her dreams, Jae-Seung offers to help. Together they embark on 'a journey that will not only test the limits of their dreams, but also stoke the embers of the forbidden attraction between them.'

Caroline Khoury said: ‘I am thrilled to be continuing my writing journey with Canelo and know that STILL UNWRITTEN - my K-pop inspired romance - is in excellent hands with my new editor Emily Bedford. I was completely blown away by Emily's passion for the novel and believe she has the vision to take my writing to the next level. This book is very close to my heart and takes you on a journey from the suburban London town I grew up in to South Korea, Sicily and North Carolina. I am beyond excited to partner with the excellent team at Canelo to bring Francesca and Jae-Seung's love story to readers.’

Emily Bedford said: ‘I couldn't be more excited to work with Caroline; the moment I picked up STILL UNWRITTEN I knew I had something special on my Kindle. From her warm and deeply human characters, her ability to bring any setting - be it New Malden or Seoul - to crackling life on the page, to the sizzling chemistry between Francesca and Jae-Seung, there is so much to love about Caroline's writing that I cannot wait to share with readers. As a big K-pop fan myself, this is an absolutely dreamy romance for me to have the opportunity to publish!’

Kate Burke said: ‘I'm so excited about this deal. Caroline and I were blown away by Emily and Canelo's brilliant pitch, and I can't wait for readers to get their hands on STILL UNWRITTEN!’

Caroline Khoury is also author of romances IT MUST BE LOVE (Century, 2022) and ALWAYS YOU, which Century will publish in print and Bolinda in audio in April 2023.

CHRISTMAS WITH YOU by Sheila O’Flanagan published today by Headline

Sunday Times and Irish Times bestselling author Sheila O'Flanagan's festive short story collection CHRISTMAS WITH YOU is published in ebook and paperback in the UK and Ireland today by Headline, and on 1 November in Australia and New Zealand.

Sheila O'Flanagan's romantic and heart-warming CHRISTMAS WITH YOU is the perfect festive read for fans of Veronica Henry, Carole Matthews and Marian Keyes. These enchanting closely-linked short stories from the No. 1 bestselling author bring to life one unforgettable Christmas full of surprise twists, life-changing moments ... and love. CHRISTMAS WITH YOU was previously published as A SEASON TO REMEMBER, but is now released with two poignant new stories and a Q&A with Sheila added.

In her newsletter, Sheila said: “This makes it ideal for some Christmas self-gifting, or as a stocking filler for the reader in your life! There are two new stories included, as well as a Q&A with me. This is my personal favourite of all my short-story collections and I hope it will put you in a suitably festive mood!” You can subscribe to Sheila’s newsletter here on her website.

Tucked away in the Irish countryside, the Sugar Loaf Lodge is opening its door for the festive season. With snow falling on the mountains outside and warm fires roaring inside, it's the perfect place for guests to celebrate the happiest time of the year. But what if you've just had your heart broken? Or discovered that the man you're married to has lied to you? What if a secret from your past has finally come back to haunt you?

For some of the guests arriving at the Sugar Loaf Lodge, Christmas is looking far from tranquil. But can they find the magic and romance of the season within the walls of this beautiful hotel?

Sheila’s novel WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT was published in hardback and ebook in June, hitting #2 in the Irish bestseller charts, and the paperback will be published in February 2018. Her previous novel THE MISSING WIFE, was a huge success, snatching the No. 1 bestseller spot in Ireland and No. 4 in the Sunday Times Paperback Fiction list in its first week of sales, as well as being a #1 Kindle Bestseller.

For a chance to win one of two copies of THE MISSING WIFE all you have to do is answer the following question: What is the name of the hotel in Sheila’s new collection CHRISTMAS WITH YOU?

Send your answers to competitions@headline.co.uk to be in with a chance to win a copy and find all the Ts&Cs here

THE MISSING WIFE will be published in the US on 6 February 2018 by Grand Central, and rights have been sold in the Czech Republic, Russia, Estonia, Norway and Germany, with Italian and other offers pending.

Sheila O’Flanagan is the much-loved author of many hugely popular novels, including THE MISSING WIFE, MY MOTHER’S SECRET, IF YOU WERE ME, ALL FOR YOU (winner of the Irish Popular Fiction Book of the Year Award) and BAD BEHAVIOUR, as well as the bestselling short story collections DESTINATIONS, CONNECTIONS and A SEASON TO REMEMBER.

In 2016 Hodder Children’s Books published THE CRYSTAL RUN, her first book for younger readers. The sequel THE CRYSTAL RUN: SHIELD OF LIES is released in March 2018.

Sheila was awarded the prestigious Irish Tatler Woman of the Year Award in 2003, and currently lives in Dublin with her husband. Her books have sold over 6.5 million copies in English alone.

See more on Sheila’s website.

Follow Sheila on Twitter

Praise for WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT

‘A fabulous tale with refreshingly inspiring heroines ***** (5 stars)’ – Sarah Hughes, Heat

Praise for THE MISSING WIFE:

‘Another first class bestseller. I read the book in one sitting as it was so enjoyable, full of romance and kept you riveted until the last page. A must for all Sheila's fans.’ – Woman's Way

‘A lovely book that will keep you guessing right up until the end.’ – Bella

‘Insightful, witty and full of fun... This is touching, tense and clever writing.’ – Irish Independent

‘This GONE GIRL-esque novel will have you gripped until the very end ****.’ – Look

Sue Moorcroft’s gorgeous summer novel, JUST FOR THE HOLIDAYS, published today.

In JUST FOR THE HOLIDAYS, what should be a glorious, peaceful stint under the French sun turns into the holiday from hell. From teenagers and divorce to unexpected pregnancies and misplaced attachments, everything about Leah Beaumont’s holiday spells disaster. Leah is struggling to keep her sister’s family together, which is difficult under normal circumstances, but it’s even more difficult when there’s Ronan, the engaging helicopter pilot next door. He’s handsome. And he’s got all this baggage, and Leah’s scared of commitment. And yet, Leah can’t help but get involved...

From the No.1 best-selling author of THE CHRISTMAS PROMISE, Sue gives us a book full of humour, romance and good old-fashioned French sunshine. What better way to mark the summer?

Sue will be discussing JUST FOR THE HOLIDAYS on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire with Jeremy Sallis on Monday 22nd May at 2pm. Make sure you tune in!

There is also a two-week blog tour kicking off today; details here:

You can also follow Sue on Twitter @SueMoorcroft and track the hashtag #JustForTheHolidays for a free audio excerpt, postcards from Leah and more info!

Or find Sue on her website.

Praise for JUST FOR THE HOLIDAYS

 ‘Sue’s gift for description and characters and a well-paced, funny yet tender plot makes this the ideal holiday read.’ — My Weekly

‘Must read’ — Saturday Magazine

 ‘Sue’s writing is as effortless to read as ever, and this is a book you’ll race through as I did – lighter reading at its very best, but with an occasional sharp edge to throw you off-balance when her people behave badly, as real people sometimes do.’ — Anne Williams, Being Anne

 ‘JUST FOR THE HOLIDAYS is aptly titled in time for the summer season. It’s a fabulous summery read that I thoroughly enjoyed.’ — Rachel Gilbey, Goodreads

 ‘I just loved it, every single word and now… and now I can’t wait until Christmas for her next one.’ — Jenny O'Brien, Goodreads

THE DAY WILL COME by Beryl Matthews published tomorrow by Allison & Busby

A new novel from Beryl Matthews, THE DAY WILL COME, is published in hardback tomorrow by Allison & Busby, together with paperback re-issues of her earlier novels, BATTLES LOST AND WON and DIAMONDS IN THE DUST.  They are also available as ebooks. Beryl has previously published 12 novels in hardback with Severn House.

All three novels are heart-warming stories set in London between and during the first and second world wars.

Beryl Matthews is an accomplished novelist, writing in the genre that Catherine Cookson made her own, but with stories set in London. As a young girl her ambition was to become a professional singer but lack of funds drove her into an office, where she worked her way up from tea-girl to credit controller. After she retired, she began to pursue her dream of becoming a published author.

Allison & Busby are giving these re-issued novels a fresh cover style, and will publish two more titles in Spring 2016.

Barbara Erskine’s THE DARKEST HOUR shortlisted for Romantic Novelists’ Association Awards

Barbara Erskine’s latest novel THE DARKEST HOUR is shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Awards in the Epic category. Five other authors our shortlisted in this category, including Elizabeth Buchan and Alison McQueen. Category winners will then go on to compete for the £5000 Romantic Novel of the Year Award. All winners will be announced at a sparkling London ceremony on 16 March.

THE DARKEST HOUR is published by HarperCollins. An epic tale of love and heartbreak set in World War II and the present, Lucy’s husband is killed in a bizarre car accident and a painting he was to have restored leads Lucy back to the life of the artist, Evie. Finding a painted-over figure of a WWII pilot behind Evie’s self-portrait, Lucy unravels the mystery of the two men in Evie’s life, and their relevance to Lucy’s own.

Barbara Erskine is the author of the bestselling novel LADY OF HAY, which has been continuously in print for 29 years and is published in 26 languages.

Praise for Barbara Erskine:

'Barbara Erskine's storytelling talent is undeniable.' -- The Times