Now out in paperback – The Good Wife’s Castle by Roland Vernon
With fabulous reviews such as:
‘Do buy and read, but be warned, if you do you will have to read it right through – once started you won’t be able to put it down… Five stars all round.’ – RandomJottings.com
‘Utterly compelling, psychological drama’ – Books Monthly
…this is a must read this May.
Against the backdrop of a sedate, respectable rural community, a dark and disturbing tale of obsession and twisted spirituality unfurls…
The unexpected suicide of an apparently happy family man; a woman held captive for three years in a forgotten underground bunker; a middle aged clergyman at a crisis point in his life, drawn into an uncomfortable relationship with a teenage girl. Against the backcloth of these interwoven tales comes the story of two very different men who meet accidentally and are dramatically thrown together.
Piet Steyn and Granville St Clair happen both to be out walking at dawn on a country lane when they unintentionally become joint witnesses of a domestic tragedy. There is one aspect of what they see that morning which they feel compelled to keep secret – a decision that will later have appalling repercussions for them both. As the layers of their private lives begin to peel away, they find themselves unwillingly bound together in a conspiracy with deadly consequences.
The Good Wife’s Castle is a tense thriller that explores a clash of human evil and goodness, of despair, murderous obsession and twisted spirituality, all of which co-exist beneath the veneer of seemingly respectable people in a quiet rural community.
‘Contemporary, sinister obsession, dark psychological stuff which I am thoroughly enjoying…he is a talent well worth watching’ – Sarah Broadhurst, The Bookseller
Roland Vernon lives and writes in Somerset. His previous books include a biography of the philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti and two other acclaimed novels, the award-winning A Dark Enchantment and The Maestro’s Voice.
To order your copy of The Good Wife’s Castle today click here
The Bleeding Land is published today in hardback, the first in an epic new trilogy by Giles Kristian set against the tumultuous backdrop of the English Civil War.
For more information, follow Giles on Twitter @GilesKristian and join the conversation #thebleedingland
‘A brilliant read. As he did with his Raven novels, Kristian weaves a colourful, authentic world in which to set his tale…and he has done it with confidence and real flair. Full of tragedy and triumph, honour and treachery, The Bleeding Land is a thrilling tour-de-force.’ BEN KANE
‘Expertly plotted, full of passion and bloody drama…a book that will appeal to passionate, compassionate readers, men and women alike, fans of C J Sansom as much as fans of Conn Iggulden. Read it: you’ll love every page.’ MANDA SCOTT
‘With powerful protagonists, a gripping story and rollicking action, I can strongly recommend this… outstanding.’ ANTHONY RICHES
‘In The Bleeding Land, Giles Kristian has made an effortless transition from Viking warriors to the often tricky emotional landscape of the English Civil War. Visceral, brutal and genuinely moving, this is historical fiction at its thrilling best.’ SAUL DAVID
The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter is the first collaboration from Terry Pratchett since his work on Good Omens with Neil Gaiman.
Sir Terry Pratchett first developed his vision of a chain of parallel worlds, The Long Earth, in an unfinished novel and two short stories originally entitled The High Meggas in 1986, after writing Equal Rites, the third novel in what would turn into the hugely successful Discworld series. Now, at last, this long-gestating concept is to see the light of day in two books written in collaboration with Stephen Baxter, author of Flood, Ark and the Time’s Tapestry and Destiny’s Children series.
‘Our Earth is but one of a chain of parallel worlds, each differing from its neighbours by a little (or a lot) in an infinite landscape of infinite possibilities. And you can just step from one world to the next…’ TERRY PRATCHETT
The Long Earth hits the shelves on 21st June 2012 and we can’t wait, we’ll keep you updated on all things Long Earth here at What Shall I Read?
by Kate on Apr 24, 2012 at 8:06 am
Today, the longlist for the 2012 Desmond Elliott Prize was announced which included two Transworld authors SJ Watson (Before I Go To Sleep) and Rachel Joyce (The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry).
2012 marks the fifth anniversary of the £10,000 award for a first novel published in the UK, set up in memory of the celebrated publisher and literary agent Desmond Elliott to ‘enrich the careers of new writers’. The criteria of the Prize require longlisted novels to display confident and compelling narratives and feature original and arresting characters.
This year’s panel of judges is chaired by author Sam Llewellyn. He is joined by Tom Gatti, Deputy Editor of The Times Review section and Caroline Mileham, Head of Books at Play.com. A shortlist of three books will be announced in May, followed by a winner announcement on Thursday 28 June.
The full longlist:
• Absolution by Patrick Flanery
• Bed by David Whitehouse
• Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson
• The Bellwether Revivals by Benjamin Wood
• Care Of Wooden Floors by Will Wiles
• The Land Of Decoration by Grace McCleen
• The Last Hundred Days by Patrick McGuinness
• The Missing Shade of Blue by Jennie Erdal
• The Spider King’s Daughter by Chibundu Onuzo
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
If you’d like to find out more about these longlisted titles check out these links:
Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
On Thursday 26th April the fifth book from the Queen of chilling crime fiction, S. J. Bolton is unleashed on an unsuspecting book reading public! Dead Scared follows DC Lacey Flint and DI Mark Joesbury, introduced in Now You See Me, through a gripping and terrifying case involving students taking their own lives at Cambridge University. Is it simply suicide or something more sinister. Take a look at the fantastic book trailer below for a sneak peek!
The Expert you’ve been waiting for!
The Complete Garden Expert by Dr DG Hessayon is a 254 page one-stop guide for all the garden – from fences to fuschias, from garden design to garden problems, from A to Z.
Fancy winning a signed copy of The Complete Garden Expert? Simply follow @ExpertGardening and on twitter and RT for your chance to win.
Questions? Get in touch @EKSwain
The trailer for The Bleeding Land is ready and what a bleeding good trailer it is!
The Bleeding Land is the first in an epic new historical fiction trilogy set against the backdrop of the English Civil War and we are delighted to be publishing this wonderful novel on Thursday 26th April.
Let us know what you think and join in the conversation on twitter #thebleedingland @Giles Kristian
Click HERE to view.
This competition is now closed
Congratulations to Sarah, Susi Holliday, Katie and Nikki-ann who have all won a copy of How To Forget!
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The hilarious new novel from Marius Brill – How to Forget is published today.
Do you hold on to your memories? Or do they hold on to you?
Magicov the Magnificent, grand illusionist, earns his living entertaining the geriatrics of Lotus House Care Home. But Mr Magicov (also known as Peter) envies them – they’ve mastered a trick that eludes him. They can forget.
Peter yearns to forget. But memories haunt him: the shameful moment an eight-year-old wrecked his life; the FBI agent who hunted him like a dog; that suitcase stuffed with a million pounds. More than anything Peter wants to forget Kate, the expert con woman. The one he loved and left.
For renowned bain-scientist Dr Chris Tavasligh, Peter’s craving to escape makes him the perfect candidate for a bold experiment in changing minds – forever. Faced with such an opportunity, will Peter go through with it? And if he does, who will he become?
This novel was sparked by Marius’ interest in magic and sleight of hand, where a magician has the ability to control the experiences of others. Marius then went on to do incredibly comprehensive research into memory, the latest breakthroughs in neuroscience and philosophy, as well as becoming a qualified hypnotist.
How to Forget has really sparked the attention of those who’ve read it. A L Kennedy said that, “How to Forget is a genuinely funny romp through some of the darker areas of the human mind and some of the more life-threatening areas of mentalism and magic. An engaging and good-hearted read.”
To celebrate the paperback release we have limited copies to giveaway. All you have to do to get your hands on one is to post a comment below telling us who your favourite magician is and we’ll announce the winners on 26th April.
Good luck!
Headstone by Ken Bruen is published in trade paperback today, the new novel in the award-winning Jack Taylor series.
Last week we spoke to Ken about crime, inspiration and much needed coffee…
Who is your favourite crime writer and why?
Jason Starr, he can turn his hand to any genre, he writes of today and his character is literally New York. He is as dark as he is hilarious. A brilliant noir stylist.
How did you feel about the film adaptations of your titles?
Blitz was terrific, dark dark humour, great pace and superb acting. London Boulevard was a fine take on celebrity. The four Jack Taylor movies showed Galway in unique light.
Where or from whom do you get the most inspiration?
Dvd’s, like Breaking bad, Treme, Weeds. They make me want to up my game always.
Tell us about how you write – do you work in the mornings, do you need coffee beforehand, do you work in silence or have any rituals you follow?
7 in the morning every day, with ice coffee, no rituals save my favourite pen beside the laptop, I review at night by reading aloud the days work.
What is next in your writing career? Are there any avenues that you have yet to explore?
I’m writing a series for American TV. Love the challenge of 14 episodes of hour long tension and black humour.
Work Experience at Transworld – Publicity Department
Anyone trying to claw their way into the world of publishing knows how important it is to get good work experience. Luckily for me, I was given the opportunity to work in the Publicity Department at Transworld for two weeks, and experience first-hand how the department functions. As well as being excited by the big brand authors that Transworld boasts (Lee Child, Bill Bryson, Joanna Trollope), I was eager to gain valuable insight into how the Publicity Department operate on a daily basis. I definitely underestimated the amount of mind-juggling that accompanies the job, and having sat in on various inter-departmental meetings, I quickly began to grasp the variety of authors, genres and strategies that were being discussed (alongside all the other work being done).
I was given a variety of tasks, from creating show cards and reading reviews to researching key historical bloggers for an upcoming campaign. The different tasks were a taste of what it would be like to work in Publicity, where I’m told no two days are ever the same. The team were more than helpful and I was encouraged to ask questions; plus they were friendly, kind and they often bought treats into the office! My experience at Transworld has confirmed my interest in Publishing, and it’s no surprise that so many people want to be a part of this vibrant and intellectual industry.
