The Water Witch, my beloved Brittany book, is finally out in the world. I have wanted to tell this story for so long that it doesn’t seem quite real just yet. I’m so excited.
So if you’re ready to be swept away on an adventure, check out The Water Witch, available now in ebook, print and audio.
I’m so excited to share the cover for my new book The Water Witch. Set in Brittany, this tale of magic, adventure and romance is one I’ve wanted to write for a very long time. As many of you will know Brittany is a place very dear to my heart and it’s wonderful legends have always fascinated me, especially the legend of the lost city of Ys. I’ve visited the area so many times and hope I’ve captured some of the beauty and wonder I find anew here every time
Sitting side by side on the clifftop, he turns to her solemnly and says, ‘The water witch is real.’ She rolls her eyes and grins, teasing him. ‘Sure. A psycho mermaid. Got it.’ But now he’s gone forever… will she find the truth beneath the waves?
Brittany, France. Ariadne Walker’s fiancé Simon drowned in the stormy Atlantic Ocean doing what he loved: searching for the lost underwater city of Ys. Local legend says it was destroyed centuries ago when the princess of Ys became a water witch, cursing the name of the man who betrayed her.
Ari never believed these tall tales. And the letter Simon sent before he died finishing their relationship is a devastating secret she’ll take to the grave. But arriving in Brittany, Ari encounters a man emerging from the sea in a rocky cove, saltwater dripping from his dark hair. Rafael swears the legends are true: and his ancestor was cursed by the water witch. Now, his own life is in terrible danger. And the secret to breaking the curse lies hidden in the lost city.
When Ari finds a strange engraved mask on the sea bed, and a cryptic map amongst Simon’s things, she has no choice but to believe Rafael’s plea. Can they follow the trail and save Rafael’s life? Poring over the map by candlelight, the flickering flames only add to the heat between them… but will Ari’s fragile heart soon be shattered all over again? And will they ever find Ys and break the curse – or will the water witch demand another sacrifice?
An absolutely addictive romantic fantasy read filled with passion and mystery, that will sweep you away to the wild coast of northern France. Inspired by real myths and legends from this magical place, The Water Witch is perfect for fans of Luanne G. Smith, River of Shadows and Jennifer L. Armentrout.
It’s hard to believe it has been ten years since The Treachery of Beautiful Things first came out.
Unfortunately it has been out of print for some time now, but I’m delighted to announce that on the 5th July it will be available again.
It comes to you complete with a fabulous new cover by the supremely talented Rhoda Baxter who is perhaps better known for her gorgeous rom coms (go to her website, sign up for her newsletter, get a free book!). I couldn’t believe how beautiful the image is and how it captures the magic and the danger of the Realm so clearly.
The trees had swallowed Tom whole.
Seven years ago Jenny’s brother vanished in Branley Copse. She returns one last time to say goodbye, but the sound of music draws her into the shade of the trees and onto the twisted pathways of the Realm, the place where fairy-tales, and nightmares, are born.
Determined to find and free Tom, Jenny must navigate a strange and frightening world of wonders. Her only guides are the hobgoblin known as Puck, and Jack of the Forest, the Guardian of the Edge, a strange green-eyed man who is duty bound to protect her. And she desperately needs protection.
Hunted by Queen Titania and her servants, with time running out, Jenny and Jack find themselves caught up in an older magic, one bound in rituals of love and death. As it awakens to the presence of a new May Queen, the Realm demands a sacrifice.
The tenth anniversary edition of the much loved fairy-tale fantasy.
The news is out. I will have a new book with Bookouture next year, The Water Witch.
We are also delighted to have re-signed contracts with fantasy author Jessica Thorne. Associate Publisher Ellen Gleeson has acquired World English Language rights, plus audio, from Sallyanne Sweeney at MMB Creative for The Water Witch.
Publishing in summer 2022, The Water Witch is set on the wild shores of Brittany and tells the story of how Ariadne, a young woman still grieving for her lost fiancé, becomes involved in an archaeological dig searching for the lost city of Ys — and awakes an ancient and dangerous power.
Jessica said,
‘I’m so delighted to be working with Bookouture on this wild and magical tale of Brittany, a place so very close to my heart. It’s always such a thrill to start a new adventure and to explore the mysteries of family dynamics, folklore handed down through generations and the human heart.’
Ellen said,
‘Jessica’s books are always guaranteed to sweep me away to whatever beautiful, beguiling and entrancing world is waiting! Her gorgeous descriptions and worldbuilding, intricate plotting, ability to create totally dramatic heart-in-mouth moments, and of course passionate romance arcs, all combine to create exactly the kind of contemporary fantasy fiction her fans adore. It’s a pleasure and a privilege to work with Jessica and I can’t wait to dive straight in to The Water Witch.’
I love a release day post. It’s so exciting to see a book out in the world, especially this book, The Bookbinder’s Daughter, (aka, The Library Book) as it is on I have wanted to write for more years than I care to remember. It’s set in a world that came into being in my mind at least ten years ago and has lingered there ever since, waiting for its time. The Ayredale Special Collection has been formed from libraries all over the world, real places I have visited and places I still dream about visiting. Finding the right people for that world and getting them to tease out their stories took a lot longer.
I’m really proud of what it all turned into – of Sophie and Will, of Tia and Edward (who was never meant to be heroic but decided he would be anyway), and not forgetting the gorgeous Titivillus the library cat (named for the patron demon of scribes, because have you met cats?) I had a black cat who definitely would have felt right at home in Ayredale and Titivillus is very much my beloved Patchwork Cat.
The Bookbinder’s Daughter is available now in print, ebook and audio, narrated by the amazing Charlie Norfolk. You can hear a sample here.
If you enjoy it please leave a review. They’re so important for visibility especially around launch times.
There is also a review blog tour
And if you can’t wait to read all those amazing reviews, here are a few of the early ones…
Netgalley Reviewers – delighted to tell you that my new Jessica Thorne book, The Bookbinder’s Daughter, is up on Netgalley today. Click here to request a copy for review.
A magical library. A broken family. A dangerous secret.
It also features a magic if slightly demonic cat called Titivillus and is inspired by all things #Libraryland. Come and explore the enchanted world of the #AyredaleSpecialCollection
The Bookbinder’s Daughter will be released on the 20th September.
I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to reveal the new cover of my next Jessica Thorne book, The Book Binder’s Daughter, which will be out on the 20th September 2021.
This is another one of those stories I have wanted to write for a very long time. I have always loved libraries and adore working in a library of strange and unusual books in my day job. I’ve been lucky enough to travel with work and to see some of the most beautiful libraries in the world. I was able to pour all of this and more into The Book Binder’s Daughter and the strange, beautiful and magical world of the Ayredale Special collection.
Many thanks to Bookouture, my agent Sallyanne and my editor Ellen for helping to make this happen. I hope you will be as enchanted by Ayredale as I am.
On Friday 23rd at 8pm I’ll be reading from The Lost Girls of Foxfield Hall and doing a Q&A online with Octocon. The details are all here. Hope to see you all there.
To celebrate the launch of The Lost Girld of Foxfield Hall, for the next five days, join in the blog tour and read the reviews.
The Lost Girls of Foxfield Hall is out in the wild today and I am so delighted to see it finally published. This is very much the little book that could, one of those ones that at one point seemed destined to live in a drawer and never see the light of day. Originally conceived of as a YA book, it arrived at the wrong time for that particular market and it was only later, when discussing books wiht my wonderful agent and editor that I realised it would work so much better as an adult book. It required a total re-write of course, but we were locked down like the rest of the world. What else was I going to do?
Inspired by books of my childhood like Tom’s Midnight Garden and the Children of Green Knowe, with hints of Alan Garner, Susan Cooper and Diana Wynne Jones, this new adult version of Foxfield created two romances —
Ellie and David in 1939, childhood sweethearts separated by war, unable to know if they would have a future at all, and in 2019 Megan and Nora, who seemed destined to be together. Not my first f/f couple but the most determined to be together.
It also meant I got to use my gorgeously creepy corn dollies as inspiration. Rural fantasy and horror drawing on folklore and ancient beliefs has always fascinated me. I wound it with a lifelong obsession with Arthurian legends because, why not? So Foxfield is a sum of many passions. I really hope you enjoy it.
