HARPER IMPULSE PUBLISH ROXANE DHAND’S SENSATIONAL DEBUT THE PEARLER’S WIFE IN PAPERBACK TODAY

Maisie Porter’s tale lands in the UK as Harper Impulse publish Roxane Dhand’s page-turning debut THE PEARLER’S WIFE in paperback today, following the ebook release on March 18. The historical novel is bound to sink hearts as Maisie, a young woman who has travelled across the ocean for an arranged marriage, finds herself drawn to an alluring British diver on her arrival.

THE PEARLER’S WIFE was published in trade paperback, audio and ebook by Bantam Australia in February. Writing for The Sunday Times Perth, Anna Carew-Reid commented, ‘Dhand’s compelling debut explores racism, homosexuality and social class, with a hefty dose of romance thrown in.’

Rights to the sensational story have also been bought in Italy by Piemme Edizioni and Lithuania by Baltos Lankos.   

A distant land. A dangerous husband. A forbidden love.

The year is 1912. Nineteen-year-old Maisie Porter watches from the deck of the SS Oceanic as England fades from view. Her destination is Buccaneer Bay in Australia’s far north-west. Her fate: marriage to distant cousin Maitland Sinclair, a man she has never met.

When Maisie arrives in her new home, she finds a stifling small town bound by Victorian morals. Shocked at her new husband’s callous behaviour towards her, she is increasingly drawn to William Cooper, a British diver she met on board ship. It soon becomes clear that secrets surround her husband, as turbulent as the waters that crash against the bay. Secrets that somehow link to her own family and secrets that put Cooper and his fellow British divers in great danger

From the drawing rooms of London to the latticed verandas and gambling dens of Buccaneer Bay, THE PEARLER’S WIFE is a sweeping, epic read, inspired by a lost moment in history.

Roxane Dhand was born in Kent and entertained her sisters with imaginative stories from a young age. She studied English and French at London University, and in 1978 she moved to Switzerland, where she began her professional career in public relations. Back in England and many years later on, she taught French in both the maintained and private sectors. Now retired, she is finally able to indulge her passion for storytelling. THE PEARLER'S WIFE is her first novel.

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Praise for THE PEARLER’S WIFE:

‘An assured debut novel ... a sweeping romance set in a little-known corner of Australian history ... a story full of tension, drama and romance’ — Kate Forsyth

Everybody needs GOOD...SAMARITANS. Two new Will Carver thrillers to Orenda Books

Karen Sullivan at Orenda books has acquired UK & BC (ex Can) rights to two new novels from Will Carver.

GOOD SAMARITANS is a dark and daring new high-concept thriller, with all the right ingredients for a bestseller: one crossed wire, three dead bodies and six bottles of bleach.

Seth Beauman can’t sleep. He stays up late, calling strangers from his phonebook, hoping to make a connection, while his wife, Maeve, sleeps upstairs. A crossed wire finds a suicidal Hadley Serf on the phone to Seth, thinking she is talking to The Samaritans. But a seemingly harmless, late-night hobby turns into something more for Seth and for Hadley, and soon their late night chats are turning into day-time meet-ups. And then this dysfunctional love story turns into something altogether darker, when Seth brings Hadley home. Dead.

Maeve can’t believe Seth’s done it again. Can’t believe she’s trimming another person’s fingernails, removing traces of evidence, burning her clothes, wrapping someone in plastic. Can’t believe the police on the news are getting it so wrong. Can’t believe she and Seth are talking again, having sex again. It might not be traditional marriage counselling but it’s working.

For now.

Because somebody saw Seth the night he killed Hadley. And he wants something more than justice. He wants a taste.

GOOD SAMARITANS is cool, dark, and sexy, with a plot wound more tightly than its characters. A highly original thriller, that plays with and subverts the reader’s expectations.

Sullivan said: "I was riveted by this book and I can’t remember the last time I read a submission in one go … nor felt such a visceral sense of anxiety as I read. It’s stunning: dark, dangerous, sexy, wildly readable, brilliantly plotted and paced and, yet, completely different to anything I’ve ever read. In a nutshell, it is exactly the kind of book I want to be publishing at Orenda, and it’s going to be huge. This is a scorching return to the crime-fiction scene for the unbelievably talented Will Carver, and I am absolutely elated to get this on my list. It’s quite simply outstanding."

Carver said he is "absolutely thrilled" with the deal.

"I know how passionate they are about the books that they publish and the writers they represent. There’s a real sense of spirit and daring to the way they work that I admire. And I believe it to be the perfect fit for my books and the way that I write. Exciting times ahead", he said.

Carver's agent, Tom Witcomb, said: "I'm so pleased that Will is joining the Orenda family. There are few who match Karen and her team in terms of passion and enthusiasm for the books they publish, and that shows in the results they get. I can't wait to see what they do with GOOD SAMARITANS, a pitch perfect, subversive genre novel, that's sure to invigorate readers looking for a fresh, exciting voice. It seems a match made in heaven.'

Orenda will publish in Autumn 2018.

JOE AND KAIA RETURN FOR ANOTHER ADVENTURE: SHIELD OF LIES BY SHEILA O’FLANAGAN IS PUBLISHED TODAY

SHIELD OF LIES, the second novel in best-selling author Sheila O’Flanagan’s Young Adult fantasy series, THE CRYSTAL RUN, is published today by Hachette Children’s Books in paperback and ebook. In THE CRYSTAL RUN, Joe stumbled into Kaia’s world and turned it on its head. The duo are back in SHIELD OF LIES to save Carcassia and the lives of other Runners, the teens who face the fate that Kaia had once resigned herself to.

Kaia is from a world in which blind sacrifice is a virtue, and a Runner's life expendable. It took Joe, an outsider, to show her that she must question the truth. Now, Kaia and Joe have been taken prisoner. Trusting her sworn enemies is the only way out.

With team-work, courage and ingenuity, Kaia and Joe must risk their lives and return to Carcassia to prevent more Runners from racing to their death.

THE CRYSTAL RUN series is ideal for young fantasy fanatics and lovers of Cornelia Funke, Eoin Colfer and Rick Riordan. SHIELD OF LIES is an exciting and gripping addition to the series and has been selected by iBooks as one of Spring’s Most Anticipated Books.

Sheila O’Flanagan is the author of twenty-five thought-provoking, gripping and unforgettable Sunday Times and ebook bestsellers, including THE MISSING WIFE which was published in the US in February by Grand Central following its UK success. It became a Sunday Times and Irish Times paperback bestseller in 2017, as well as becoming a No.1 ebook bestseller, and one of Amazon’s Top Ten Bestselling ebooks of the year. Her interlinked short story collection CHRISTMAS WITH YOU reached No. 2 in the Irish bestseller lists in the run-up to Christmas. Headline has sold over 7 million copies of Sheila’s books.

Adult readers will have to wait until May 31st for Sheila’s next novel, THE HIDEAWAY. Set in a picturesque Spanish villa, THE HIDEAWAY is the perfect companion for the summer holidays. Her most recent novel, WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT, was published in paperback by Headline in February in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It will be available in South Africa this month and in Canada in June.

Sheila recently signed a new two book deal with Headline, so fans of her work can anticipate two brand new titles in 2019 and 2020 from the Headline Review imprint.

Visit Sheila's website where you can also join her mailing list.

Follow her on Twitter. 

Praise for THE CRYSTAL RUN:

'Brims with all the hallmarks of a classic fantasy quest - a vividly evoked world, heart-rending conflict, compelling action' — LoveReading4Kids

'Will appeal to youngsters who enjoy reading about dangerous quests' — Sunday Independent

'Well-written, with a strong plot and excellent characters, this book gives us an
exciting, classic-style fantasy filled with intrigue' — Inis

'O'Flanagan's writing is crisp and concise and her plotting deft' — Belfast Telegraph

HELEN WALMSLEY JOHNSON’S POWERFUL MEMOIR, LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO, OUT TODAY

Helen Walmsley Johnson’s brave and unflinching memoir on coercive control, LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO, is published today by Macmillan in hardback and ebook. Helen’s frank account of life in an abusive relationship is a valuable read that opens up an important conversation about what coercive control is, and the fight to overcome it.

For more than two years, BBC Radio 4’s The Archers ran a disturbing storyline centred on Helen Tichener’s abuse at the hands of her husband Rob. Not the kind of abuse that leaves a bruise, but the sort of coercive control that breaks your spirit and makes it almost impossible to walk away. As she listened to the unfolding story, Helen Walmsley-Johnson was forced to confront her own agonising past.

Helen’s first husband controlled her life, from the people she saw to what was in her bank account. He alienated her from friends and family and even from their three daughters. Eventually, he threw her out and she painfully began to rebuild her life. Then, divorced and in her early forties, she met Franc. Kind, charming, considerate Franc. For ten years she would be in his thrall, even when he too was telling her what to wear, what to eat, even what to think.

LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO is Helen’s candid and utterly gripping memoir of how she was trapped by a smiling abuser, not once but twice. It is a vital guide to recognising, understanding and surviving this sinister form of abuse and its often terrible legacy. It is also an inspirational account of how one woman found the courage to walk away.

You can read extracts from LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO in both YOU magazine, and The Times Magazine. Yesterday, Helen appeared on the Victoria Derbyshire show, talking openly about the abuse she endured in her past relationships. She will be attending the Southbank Centre’s Women of the World festival tomorrow, joining a panel to discuss the how shame is used to control women. In June, she will be speaking at the Stoke Newington Literary Festival.

Helen Walmsley-Johnson was the author of the Guardian’s popular ‘The Vintage Years’ column, on older women and style. She worked for the Daily Telegraph, before joining the Guardian as Alan Rusbridger’s PA for seven years. Her book about middle-age, THE INVISIBLE WOMAN, was published to great acclaim in 2015. She lives in Rutland.

Follow Helen on Twitter

Praise for LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO:

‘A brave and gripping book…Her book, part-memoir, part self-help unpicks exactly what happened to her, demonstrating just how blithely easy it is to succumb to this form of domestic abuse, but critically it’s also about how to recognise it, survive it, and rebuild your life in the aftermath.’ — The Bookseller

‘Walmsley-Johnson has succeeded in her fundamental aim: to offer a valuable map of coercive abuse. She has also written a warming, subtle and realistic narrative of recovery.’ — Terri Apter, The Times Literary Supplement

Praise for THE INVISIBLE WOMEN:

‘THE INVISIBLE WOMAN always speaks to me, and for me. It's about saying up yours to the cult of youth, but also about seeing the life of the 50 + as hilariously funny (not unlike the life of the 15-year-old, when you come to think about it).’ — Professor Mary Beard

‘THE INVISIBLE WOMAN remains a warm, companionable book with a tart aftertaste. Above all – and this is perhaps not quite its intention – it is a reminder to all of us, man, woman, young or getting on a bit, that, no matter how solid our lives seem, we are all of us one bad decision or single piece of rotten luck away from losing everything. And for that we should be both grateful and prepared.’ — Kathryn Hughes, Guardian

‘I imagined this book as a witty riposte to ageing, and in some ways it is. But it’s much more than that. It’s full of serious insights. The author, approaching 60 at the time of writing, tells us about ageing and about how it seems to have changed in her lifetime. She makes the point that, years ago, retirement was “a reward” but now it “could be seen as the punishment”. She is excellent, too, on midlife crises, the death of parents, memory, and how to deal with the passing of time.' — Evening Standard

LUCY MANGAN’S MEMOIR, BOOKWORM, PUBLISHED BY SQUARE PEG

An enchanting memoir on childhood reading, BOOKWORM by Lucy Mangan, is published in hardback and ebook today by Square Peg. Lucy revisits childhood favourites in this immersive read, reflecting on what these stories meant as a young reader, and how these meanings have changed over time. Jacqueline Wilson has praised BOOKWORM as ‘passionate, witty, informed, and gloriously opinionated'. 

When Lucy Mangan was little, stories were everything. They opened up new worlds and cast light on all the complexities she encountered in this one.

She was whisked away to Narnia, Kirrin Island, and Wonderland. She ventured down rabbit holes and womble burrows into midnight gardens and chocolate factories. She wandered the countryside with Milly-Molly-Mandy, and played by the tracks with the Railway Children. With CHARLOTTE’S WEB she discovered Death and with Judy Blume it was Boys. No wonder she only left the house for her weekly trip to the library or to spend her pocket money on amassing her own at home.

In BOOKWORM, Lucy revisits her childhood reading with wit, love and gratitude. She relives our best-loved books, their extraordinary creators, and looks at the thousand subtle ways they shape our lives. She also disinters a few forgotten treasures to inspire the next generation of bookworms and set them on their way. Bringing the favourite characters of our collective childhoods back to life – prompting endless re-readings, rediscoveries, and, inevitably, fierce debate – Lucy brilliantly uses them to tell her own story, that of a born, and unrepentant, bookworm.

Lucy Mangan is a journalist and a writer for the Guardian. She has written for most major women’s magazines, including Grazia, Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan, and has a weekly column in Stylist magazine. She was named Columnist of the Year at PPA Awards in 2013. Her works include MY FAMILY AND OTHER DISASTERS, HOPSCOTCH AND HANDBAGS: The Essential Guide to Being a Girl, and THE RELUCTANT BRIDE. A commemoration of 50 years of Roald Dahl's CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, INSIDE CHARLIE'S CHOCOLATE FACTORY was published by Puffin UK/US in 2014.

Visit Lucy’s Guardian page

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Praise for BOOKWORM:

‘Throughout BOOKWORM [Mangan] artfully evokes that peculiar magic of reading as a child…Deliciously unrepentant, Mangan’s BOOKWORM makes a timely case not just for how vital reading is, but also for rereading books as a child, and how reading remains consoling, fortifying and, sometimes, magical.’ — Helen Davies, The Times

‘A wonderful romp through the pages of childhood, illuminated by wisdom, humour and enthusiasm.’ — Bernard Cornwell

‘Absolutely gorgeous. I felt like this was written just for me, and I think everyone will feel this way.’ — Jenny Colgan

'Beautiful and moving... It will kickstart a cascade of nostalgia for countless people' — Marian Keyes

‘Mangan is writing to and for her fellow book junkies, the ones who can’t leave the house without a book (or three) in their bag, for whom even the thought of doing so brings them out in a cold sweat. BOOKWORM invites us to relive and re-evaluate our own childhood reading, and has the good manners to entertain us along the way.’ — Claire Hennessy, Headstuff

‘What a treat! If you remember reading any of these for the first time, or just identify as a bookworm in general this book is such a delight…I can’t think of a better tribute to the power of reading…an ideal gift for any bookworm you know.’ — Bee Reader