A Dark Inheritance, a mystery saga by British author H F Askwith was also acquired by Colthurst. World rights were signed from James Wills at Watson Little. The book will be released in January 2023. It surprised me just how many people are involved in the publication of a book. Editors, copy editors, proof readers, a designer for the cover as well as an illustrator and I’m sure a million more people I didn’t even know were involved. It’s a proper team sport. I love that. What advice would you give people who would like to write a YA novel? My copy of The First Move was provided to me by the Jennifer Lohmann herself, after I tweeted her to ask whether she knew if the e-version would be available in the UK. I'd read Wendy the Superlibrarian's review, you see, and it sounded like just my sort of book. Book Genre: Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Disability, Romance, Young Adult, Young Adult Romance

Upon waking up one week later, Ireland was told the virus had developed into encephalitis: inflammation of the brain. While unconscious, she underwent two brain surgeries and had a tube implemented to drain fluid from her brain to her abdomen. Although she’s now recovered, the tube is there to stay. A new kid called Ronan arrives locally who is good-looking and smart and acts like he's cooler than everyone else. Juliet doesn't realise that she has already encountered him online as he also plays chess. It's his escape as he is plagued by guilt over what happened to his brother Ciaran. With a thrilling will-they-won’t-they rollercoaster ride of a plot revealing their respective struggles through a compelling dual narrative, The First Move is that story that’ll move readers while putting great big grins on their faces. The writer is married to Chris, whom she met at school and began dating at 19. They have two children, Lyla (9) and Rory (8), and Jenny’s arthritis went away during pregnancy. While research is still ongoing, one theory is that the mother's immune system changes to prevent rejection of the foetus, which also decreases pain and inflammation.

It is still so rare to see disability representation in YA and Ireland provides a vulnerable and honest look at it. There is frank discussion of the impacts it can have on everyday life and how it changes your entire perspective on life. However, this is no inspiration porn. Instead, Juliet lives with her disability, which does affect every aspect of her life, but she is not solely defined by it. She is a sweet, hopeful and somewhat naive teenage girl, learning to adapt to a world that does not want to adjust for her. It leads to some real moments of anger and frustration that hit home. Ronan is also a fractured, flawed and fantastically human character that I adored. His rage at the world reminds you how rarely you truly know what is going on with someone. Here’s a spoiler. Real life doesn’t work like that. Real life is a first kiss with way too much saliva, with someone you barely know, behind the sports hall at breaktime. Your best friend is keeping lookout and whispering that you’re taking too long, when you’re only trying to figure out a polite way of stopping the slushy horror show. Real life is your other best friend doing way more than kissing, with someone else, at the same time, a few metres away. Knowles commented: “Dark secrets, quests, enemies and lovers. Family curses, morally dubious villains and summer feuds – our 2023 YA titles truly offer something for every reader whatever their genre of choice. It’s an exciting time for YA and we believe these books and their talented, creative authors are about to make it even more exciting.” Real life is the doctor handing you disgusting grey crutches and telling you that you’ll need to use a walking aid for the foreseeable future.

I think I went mad from sleep deprivation,” she says about the time when her kids—now eight and nine—were little. “I wrote one story, loved it, and got absolutely hooked.” Bob Mortimer wins 2023 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction with The Satsuma Complex Dystopian Fiction Books Everyone Should Read: Explore The Darker Side of Possible Worlds and Alternative Futures This is for readers who are in the mood for problems and emotions surrounding giving up a child for adoption. Both instantly engaging and finely nuanced, The First Move is a YA romance with real-life resonance and uplifting vibes. Always honest on the realities of living with a long-term condition and mental health struggles, it’s also happy-making, wholesome, and a whole lot of fun, with well-developed characters readers will root for and relate to.Although the hospital experience can be called traumatic, for Ireland, recovery was the hardest part. In the six weeks after leaving hospital, she could barely walk and her short-term memory noticeably suffered. She gained two stone in body weight from her required steroid medication. In just over a month, her entire appearance changed. Ireland says: “I hated that [the weight gain] bothered me, but it did. I had been put through all that and I didn’t even look like myself any more.” I like just about everything about this book. Every characters feel real. The challenges, past and present, that they face felt normal, like things I can relate to. Renia is damaged, but not broken and not self-pitying. Miles starts off seeming maybe a little to good to be true, but his human failings show up, and we learn that even with all his good intentions, he's just as likely to screw up as anyone. Sarah, Miles' teenage daughter irritates me at times (not always), and that is definitely the point. She is suppose to be caught in that awkward phase between childhood and adulthood. I have a difficult time imagining a teenager actually saying some of snotty things she says in front of other grown-ups because my children would honestly never do that--they'd think it, but not say it aloud! But I can be persuaded that there are teens who would. I'm not the target audience for a YA romance, but who cares? The gorgeous cover immediately drew me in. You know which movies are the worst? The ones set at Christmas. Teenagers with above-average good looks, festive jumpers and mistletoe, Tiffany boxes and fake snow, wrapped up with perfect smug smiles.