AVON SCOOPS TWO NOVELS FROM EMMA COWELL

Avon Books has acquired two novels from Emma Cowell, including her heart-warming debut, ONE LAST LETTER FROM GREECE. Editor Lucy Frederick won world English language rights from Kate Burke of Blake Friedmann at auction. ONE LAST LETTER FROM GREECE is to be published in May 2022.

ONE LAST LETTER FROM GREECE follows the story of Sophie who, devasted by the death of her beloved mother, longs to get away from the echoing, empty rooms of her once happy home. So, when a chance discovery reveals something unexpected about her mother’s past, she is more than ready to hop on a plane and escape to the magical, idyllic town of Methoni to find out more. Once there, however, Sophie discovers more than she could ever have foreseen… about her mother, yes, but also about herself…

Lucy Frederick says: ‘Never have I longed for a holiday more than when I first dove into Emma’s opening pages. ONE LAST LETTER FROM GREECE is romantic, life-affirming and wonderfully escapist. But beyond the beautiful Greek backdrop, Emma’s story is touching and emotive, introducing an enduring mother-daughter bond and a love that stretches across all time and distance. I know I speak on behalf of the whole Avon team when I say we are over the moon to welcome Emma to the list as an incredibly exciting new voice and we can’t wait for the world to fall in love with Sophie’s journey with us.’

Emma Cowell says: ‘I am thrilled to have the perfect home for my debut novel. Writing this story has been such an emotional experience, exploring the highs and lows of love and grief, touching on some of the universal issues that affect women today. I am so grateful to Kate Burke at Blake Friedmann and the amazing team at Avon for believing in me with such passion and enthusiasm.’

Kate Burke says: ‘I’m delighted to have this deal in place for Emma – both she and the dynamic Avon team are a perfect pairing! Emma’s writing is absorbing and gripping, and her setting is just magical.’

Praise for Emma Cowell:

‘A compelling and tender story, beautifully told by an exciting new voice.’ – Santa Montefiore

‘Emma Cowell tells an emotional, gripping tale about family secrets, love and loss in her debut novel. I am reminded of page turners like EAT, PRAY, LOVE and UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN when I read these delicious pages.’ – Adriana Trigiani

About the author:

Emma lives in Cornwall with her husband, Tony, and their fur baby, a Russian Blue called Papoushka Gerald Cowell. A former actress and BBC presenter Emma has worked in the fundraising division of children’s palliative care for the last decade and is currently Head of Philanthropy for national charity Together for Short Lives. Segueing from being paid to talk for a living into writing was a natural progression, since story telling has been at the heart of her career to date. Outside of work, Emma is a keen angler and held a Cornish record for over 10 years until her crown was toppled. She is yet to get over it but tries to keep calm by practising yoga. Also, a keen linguist, Emma is attempting to learn Greek to maintain her love affair with the country where she has set her debut novel. She is yet to achieve a level of proficiency outside of tavernas and bakeries.

Follow Emma on Twitter and Instagram.

SCARLETT BRADE’S ‘EXPLOSIVE’ FEMINIST REVENGE THRILLER DEBUT SNAPPED UP BY ZAFFRE

Scarlett Brade’s debut novel, THE HIVE,  has been bought by Zaffre, the flagship fiction imprint of Bonnier Books UK. Senior Editor Kelly Smith acquired world English language rights at auction in her first acquisition for the imprint from Kate Burke at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency.

THE HIVE  is a feminist revenge thriller which opens powerfully with the protagonist confessing to killing her ex-boyfriend’s new partner via Instagram Live and inviting viewers, and by extension the reader, to vote on whether he should live or die. The novel celebrates sisterhood and raises important questions about the relationship between social media and mental health, and child loss, whether by choice, chance or circumstance.

Kelly Smith said: ‘Scarlett is a breath of fresh air in the genre. She writes of matters usually considered taboo, but which in reality are just part of the day-to-day female experience. THE HIVE is by turns compelling and thought-provoking, while Scarlett’s portrayal of four friends, supporting each other through their individual troubles, is uplifting.’

Scarlett Brade said: ‘I’m over the moon that Zaffre, Bonnier Books, has decided to publish my first book, THE HIVE. It’s a dream come true and an honour to join a list of authors whose books have been a powerful influence on my own writing. I have been harbouring this idea for three years and wanted to tell a story that provokes discussions on subjects we deem unmentionable. One of the things I love about this novel is how it tests our moral compass, leaving the reader with the burning question ‘What would you do?’ long after the pages have ended. THE HIVE is my take on Sex and the City meets GONE GIRL, and I cannot wait to share it with the world.’

Kate Burke said: ‘Scarlett is such an exciting new voice for the thriller genre, and I’m delighted that Zaffre will be launching THE HIVE in such a big way next year. This is an explosive book that will get everyone talking!’

THE HIVE will be published in hardback, audio and eBook in July 2022, with the paperback following in summer 2023.

For more information, translation and dramatic rights please contact Kate Burke, Blake Friedmann: kate@blakefriedmann.co.uk

For media enquiries please contact Jenna Petts, Press Officer, Bonnier Books UK: jenna.petts@bonnierbooks.co.uk

For world English rights information please contact Ruth Logan, Rights Director, Bonnier Books UK: ruth.logan@bonnierbooks.co.uk

About the Author
Scarlett Brade is the daughter of parents who migrated from the Caribbean to England in the early 1970s. She was born and educated in London, though as a child she spent her summers in Canada, where she developed her love affair with reading. THE HIVE is her first psychological thriller novel and was inspired by the author’s own relationship with a high-profile sportsman where social media interfered.

Follow Scarlett on Twitter.
Visit Scarlett’s website.
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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.

Follow Roxane on Twitter

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

Carole Blake on Debut Fiction

Representing debut fiction now is just as exciting as it’s ever been.  Selling it is another matter.  An agent agreeing to take on an unpublished writer always ventures into the unknown. We must always be extraordinarily excited by the work, and sure there is a market for it before taking on a new client,: but even experienced agents are facing setbacks now with work they have taken on confidently. 

When publishers are as risk-averse and cautious as they are now about what they buy, agents have to be equally as careful about who they offer to represent.  The caution will inevitably make its way back along the publishing food chain.  It isn't  impossible to get a first time writer published now, but it probably is more difficult now than at any time in the past decade. Because authors can so easily publish themselves now, they are often less willing to wait for publication by the more traditional route. But self-publishing requires a huge amount of marketing and sales effort on the part of the author, and a thick hide too …

Ask any book business person – agent, publisher, bookseller - what they are looking for and you will hear phrases like ‘a fresh voice’, ‘a new take on a universal theme’, ‘something that surprises me’.  In those shorthand phrases lies hope.  None of us really knows precisely what we are looking for, but we all hope we will find ourselves reading a manuscript that truly excites us.  Whether an agent, or a publisher’s editor, we all want to read a manuscript that glues us to the page, entertains and informs, and leaves us needing to urge a friend to read it too.  And if that involves discovering a new writing talent, the adrenalin surge is quite extraordinary.

When I take on a new client (which is very seldom now), it’s because I can’t help it: I can’t bear to let that manuscript be handled by someone else because I understand it, I know exactly which editor will love it, exactly which publishing house – in a number of markets - will be able to sell it well.  For me it is crucial to believe there will be a multiplicity of markets for the work.

Fiction in particular, can be completely international.  By that I certainly don’t mean the story has to move from one country to another, with the central character spending half the novel travelling.  I mean instead, that storytelling is universal and a novel that engages the reader emotionally can be set in a village on a Norwegian fjord, but if readers empathise with what the characters are experiencing, they will trust the writer and embark on that journey.

My agency isn't daunted if we can’t get a British publisher right away.  We have several authors where we were able to sell them in more than a dozen languages before a British publisher made an offer.

The so-called ‘slushpile’ (horrible phrase) can yield gems.  Just some of the authors I represent who I've found among the unsolicited submissions are Elizabeth Chadwick, Beryl Matthews, Michael Ridpath, Julian Stockwin: a stellar crew.  Some have long careers, in multiple markets: one was 70+ when we began representation and is still publishing, more than a decade later.

So I stick by my comment that representing debut fiction is just as exciting as it has ever been.  Exciting, worrying – it certainly keeps us on the edge of our seats.  Both the storytelling and the business of selling it!

Carole Blake

Joint Managing Director, Blake Friedmann Literary Agency Ltd

Author of:
From Pitch to Publication: Everything you need to know to get your novel published, Pan Macmillan

First published in New Books Magazine, 2009. Revised text © Carole Blake 2014

Carole Blake on Debut Fiction

Representing debut fiction now is just as exciting as it’s ever been.  Selling it is another matter.  An agent agreeing to take on an unpublished writer always ventures into the unknown. We must always be extraordinarily excited by the work, and sure there is a market for it before taking on a new client,: but even experienced agents are facing setbacks now with work they have taken on confidently. 

When publishers are as risk-averse and cautious as they are now about what they buy, agents have to be equally as careful about who they offer to represent.  The caution will inevitably make its way back along the publishing food chain.  It isn't  impossible to get a first time writer published now, but it probably is more difficult now than at any time in the past decade. Because authors can so easily publish themselves now, they are often less willing to wait for publication by the more traditional route. But self-publishing requires a huge amount of marketing and sales effort on the part of the author, and a thick hide too …

Ask any book business person – agent, publisher, bookseller - what they are looking for and you will hear phrases like ‘a fresh voice’, ‘a new take on a universal theme’, ‘something that surprises me’.  In those shorthand phrases lies hope.  None of us really knows precisely what we are looking for, but we all hope we will find ourselves reading a manuscript that truly excites us.  Whether an agent, or a publisher’s editor, we all want to read a manuscript that glues us to the page, entertains and informs, and leaves us needing to urge a friend to read it too.  And if that involves discovering a new writing talent, the adrenalin surge is quite extraordinary.

When I take on a new client (which is very seldom now), it’s because I can’t help it: I can’t bear to let that manuscript be handled by someone else because I understand it, I know exactly which editor will love it, exactly which publishing house – in a number of markets - will be able to sell it well.  For me it is crucial to believe there will be a multiplicity of markets for the work.

Fiction in particular, can be completely international.  By that I certainly don’t mean the story has to move from one country to another, with the central character spending half the novel travelling.  I mean instead, that storytelling is universal and a novel that engages the reader emotionally can be set in a village on a Norwegian fjord, but if readers empathise with what the characters are experiencing, they will trust the writer and embark on that journey.

My agency isn't daunted if we can’t get a British publisher right away.  We have several authors where we were able to sell them in more than a dozen languages before a British publisher made an offer.

The so-called ‘slushpile’ (horrible phrase) can yield gems.  Just some of the authors I represent who I've found among the unsolicited submissions are Elizabeth Chadwick, Beryl Matthews, Michael Ridpath, Julian Stockwin: a stellar crew.  Some have long careers, in multiple markets: one was 70+ when we began representation and is still publishing, more than a decade later.

So I stick by my comment that representing debut fiction is just as exciting as it has ever been.  Exciting, worrying – it certainly keeps us on the edge of our seats.  Both the storytelling and the business of selling it!

Carole Blake

Joint Managing Director, Blake Friedmann Literary Agency Ltd

Author of:
From Pitch to Publication: Everything you need to know to get your novel published, Pan Macmillan

First published in New Books Magazine, 2009. Revised text © Carole Blake 2014