Waterstones Nottingham is pleased to announce an evening talk by Sunday Times bestselling author Deborah Harkness on Wednesday 12 September 2012 starting at 7pm. Tickets are priced at £5, or £3 with a Waterstones loyalty card.

The American scholar and internationally best-selling novelist will be visiting the UK to talk about her phenomenally popular books A Discovery of Witches and brand new sequel Shadow of Night. The first two epic volumes of The All Souls Trilogy – a sophisticated sequence full of magic, witches, vampires, demons and sweeping historical romance – have captured the imagination of millions of readers around the world. Waterstones Nottingham is delighted to announce an evening event with Deborah, here to answer questions on her work and discuss the research that goes into creating such a compelling world. This will be followed by a book signing.

The event takes place at Waterstones Nottingham,1-5 Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham, NG1 2GR (to book your tickets ring 0843 290 8525).

Angry Robot has announced the signing of a two-book World All Languages deal with the British Fantasy Award-winning author Joseph D’Lacey.

The deal, concluded by Angry Robot Editor Lee Harris and Brie Burkeman of Burkeman & Clarke Literary Agency, is for two novels that complete a brand new post-apocalyptic duology. The first instalment, Black Feathers, will be published in April 2013, with the second part, The Book of the Crowman, to follow in 2014.

D’Lacey is best known for his shocking eco-horror novel Meat. The book has been widely translated and prompted Stephen King to say “Joseph D’Lacey rocks!”. His other published works to-date include Garbage Man, Snake Eyes and The Kill Crew.

About Black Feathers and The Book of the Crowman:

Black Feathers is a modern fantasy set in two epochs: the Black Dawn, a time of environmental apocalypse, and generations into the future in its aftermath, the Bright Day.

In each era, a child undertakes a perilous journey to find a dark messiah known as The Crowman. In their hands lies the fate of the planet as they attempt to discover whether The Crowman is our saviour… or the final incarnation of evil.

Angry Robot’s Editor Lee Harris says: “I’ve known Joseph’s work for years, and I’m absolutely thrilled to have him join the Angry Robot family. The Black Feathers duology is one of the most exciting series I’ve read in years, and I know our readers will agree.”

Joseph D’Lacey says: “Over the last three years, I’ve watched the stellar rise of ‘The Robot’ with great interest and plenty of wishful thinking. I’m ecstatic that they’ll be the ones to unleash Black Feathers upon the world. Working with Angry Robot is the opportunity of a lifetime for me and I’m grabbing it with both hands.”

Strange Chemistry, the YA imprint of Angry Robot Books, is delighted to announce the signing of Ingrid Jonach, in a one-book World English Rights deal for her debut YA novel, When the World was Flat (and we were in love).

The deal was concluded by Strange Chemistry’s editor Amanda Rutter and Meredith Kaffel of the DeFiore and Company Agency.

Ingrid Jonach was raised in Australia by two artists and spent much of her childhood hiding under tables at art exhibitions, where she would nibble the complimentary cheese over a well-worn copy of The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton.

Her love of reading led to a love of writing. By the time she graduated from high school, Ingrid had decided she wanted to spend her days sitting around in her pyjamas, writing stories.

She graduated from university a few years later with a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing with Honours. She then worked at the local newspaper, where she was able to live out her dream of writing stories for a living, but they never let her wear her pyjamas to work.

About When the World was Flat (and we were in love):

“There is no such thing as imagination.

Your dreams are memories from an alternate dimension.

And that cold shiver down your spine as you sleep means you are already dead.

These are the facts sixteen-year-old Lillie Hart must come to accept when the gorgeous and mysterious Tom Windsor-Smith arrives in her small Nebraskan town. These, and the fact that the two of them, Tom and Lillie, have been in love before – in a different dimension.

In fact, Tom has been sliding between parallel worlds for hundreds of years, falling in love with versions of Lillie over and over again in every world. But when the present Lillie learns the secret of their connection, she learns as well that their love must overcome more than their multiple past heartaches. There is also a powerful enemy who aims to ensure the two will never be together again, in this dimension or the next. “

Publishers Weekly reports that Neil Gaiman has signed a multi-book deal with HarperCollins. The deal involves three YA novels and two picture books. Publishers Weekly states:

“Both picture books will feature a new character created by Gaiman, a little panda named Chu, that is known for having an outsized sneeze. The first book, Chu’s Day, will be illustrated by Adam Rex; it is set for 8 January 2013.”

“The other three titles in the deal will include a middle-grade novel called Fortunately, the Milk, which will feature art by Skottie Young and which HarperCollins calls ‘an ode to the pleasure and wonders of storytelling itself.’ Gaiman will also write a sequel to the 2009 book Odd and the Frost Giants (also published by HarperCollins), which features characters from Norse mythology. The third novel in the deal will be a middle grade book, and is currently untitled.”

In a press release from Tor UK it has been announced as follows:

‘Bella Pagan, Senior Commissioning Editor at Tor UK, has acquired UK & Commonwealth rights to two new books by Peter F. Hamilton. The agent is Antony Harwood.

Peter will begin writing what is provisionally titled The Chronicle of the Fallers in 2013, with the first book ready for publication in 2014. It’s a return to his Commonwealth Universe, set in the time before the bestselling Void Trilogy, and will tell the story of Nigel Sheldon and what happened when he broke into the Void.

Peter F. Hamilton said “After delivering Great North Road (to be published September 2012), Macmillan offered me an excellent two book deal which I was extremely happy to accept.  They have been my publisher for two decades now, and have never let any of my books go out of print, which is quite remarkable in this day and age, so continuing that relationship with them is important to me.”

Jeremy Trevathan, publisher for the adult lists at Pan Macmillan, said “Peter is one of the country’s bestselling Science Fiction writers and a long-standing Macmillan author, I’m delighted that our relationship is set to continue and look forward to continuing success with the new books. It’s rare to have a twenty year history with an author and it is an honour for us to have that with a writer of such acclaim as Peter.” ‘

Australian author Mark Barnes’ debut fantasy novel and two sequels have been acquired by 47North, Amazon Publishing’s science fiction, fantasy and horror imprint, in a deal by John Jarrold, to editor David Pomerico.  The first novel, titled Garden of Stones, will be published in spring 2013, with the first sequel following six months later.

When civil war breaks out in Shrīan, the ancient rivalries of the Great Houses threaten even further conflict. Indris, a knight of the Sēq Order of Scholars, returns against his instincts to a city he had foresworn to level the balance of power.  In a world of created races, baroque magic, political assassination and arcane science, the author has created a rich setting, never to be forgotten.

“I believe this is one of the best and most commercial fantasies I have seen in fifteen years, said John Jarrold. “There are echoes of both Macbeth and Dune.  Mark’s writing, storytelling, invention and characterisation are remarkable. It’s a fascinating time in publishing, and I’m delighted to have done this first deal with David Pomerico in his new home at Amazon. We worked together when he was at Random House and I hold him in the highest regard.”

Mark is a graduate of the Clarion South Writer’s Workshop. Amongst his tutors were Scott Westerfeld, Michael Swanwick, Ian Irvine and Sean Williams. His previous publications have been short fiction.

Angry Robot is delighted to announce a new one-book World English Rights deal with explosive writing talent Chris F. Holm.

Following the critical and sales success of Chris’ debut novel Dead Harvest, and with the noise already building for The Wrong Goodbye’s upcoming release in October this year, they’ve snapped up Chris’ third book in the Collector series. Called The Big Reap, it threatens to reveal a whole lot more of the machinations of some of Hell’s most powerful characters, as soul collector Sam Thornton gets himself in a whole universe of trouble.

The John Jarrold Literary Agency reports:  “Jon Mitchell, Senior Rights Manager at Macmillan, has sold Italian rights to Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton to Gargoyle, who recently acquired rights to publish Joe Abercrombie and others.

Nights of Villjamur was first published by Macmillan/Tor UK in 2009 and has been followed by three other successful books in the Legends of the Red Sun series. The first of a new series, Drakenfeld, will debut in 2013.”

Baph Tripp, soon to have a his story Chodpa published in Black Static #29 (July 2012), was originally Louis Tripp who starred in the Canadian movies The Gate and Gate II: Trespassers, aka Gate II: Return to the Nightmare, in 1987 and 1990 respectively. He is now a musician creating underground industrial music as x.a.o.s in Australia, but will become a new author this summer when his first published fiction appears in Black Static. His story Chodpa is “a dark, unsettling meditation on alienation, blighted hope, and the uselessness of human consciousness. And insects.”

For new authors, an appearance in Black Static brings international recognition in horror and dark fantasy fiction, but Baph has had plenty of experience of that from an early age. Baph has a convoluted history in terms of names, locations and artforms. He was born Louis Tripp, and raised in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada and was a movie star in his early teens playing the role of Terry in the 1980s cult horror films The Gate and Gate II. At age 20, he changed his name to Twelve Twenty and as 12:20 he created confrontational, experimental music and engaged in the type of performance art activities that, on occasion, resulted in his involvement with the humane society and the police. At 30, the by then somewhat notorious 12:20 became Baph Tripp and began to create underground industrial music as x.a.o.s with releases in 2001, 2007 and 2009. He now lives in New South Wales, Australia.

He wrote the 8,100 word short story Chodpa in 2011 but spent time on extensive editing and re-writes before submitting it for publication in April 2012. Its acceptance for Black Static has fuelled his ambition to write more dark fiction.

A couple of horror-centred websites have published “Where is Louis Tripp?” articles in the last few years  …

Stephen James Walker, Editorial Director of Telos Publishing in London, has acquired world rights in a new zombie novella by Sam Stone. The novella, entitled Zombies at Tiffany’s, will be published in September 2012.

Sam is the award-winning author of four vampire novels collectively called The Vampire Gene published successfully by The House of Murky Depths. A fifth title in her series, Silent Sand, is due to be published in the autumn. She said, of this deal:

“It’s great to be back working with Telos again after the superb job they did with my horror collection Zombies in New York and Other Bloody Jottings last year. The new novella is riffing on the famous Audrey Hepburn/Blake Edwards film and the novella by Truman Capote, but it’s not the same as either. I enjoy playing with the genres, and this time we have a steampunk Victorian adventure. With zombies. In the famous Tiffany’s store in New York. It’s a lot of fun, and I even have a Jewish zombie wandering around who can only eat Kosher brains – that’s a nod to the character of Shagal the Inn Keeper, brilliantly played by Alfie Bass in the Polanski film The Fearless Vampire Killers.”

Sam Stone’s first novel, Killing Kiss, won the silver award for Best Horror Novel in ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year competition, and her subsequent novels and short stories have gained her much acclaim, including winning the British Fantasy Award.