THE IMPROVISERS by Nicole Glover

Nov 052024
 

Velma Frye is many things. A pilot, a former bootlegger, a well-seasoned traveler, a jazz pianist…and a wielder of celestial magic. She’s also a member of the mystical Rhodes family as well as an investigator for arcane oddities for a magic rights organization, dealing with both simple and complicated cases. And when a pocket watch instigates a magical brawl after one of her flight shows, things become very complicated.

In 1930s America, enchanted items are highly valuable, especially in the waning days of the magical Prohibition. As Velma digs deeper, she discovers the watch is part of a collection of dangerous artifacts manipulating people across the country—and in some cases, leading to their deaths. Something about all this is tickling Velma’s memories, and the more she discovers, the more these seemingly isolated incidents feel as if they’re building to something apocalyptic.

Connecting the dots isn’t easy, though, and further complicating her work is journalist Dillon Harris. He hounds her steps, and while not actively sabotaging her investigation, he also clearly knows more than he lets on. Whether it’s his presence that she finds so vexing or his easygoing charm, that’s a mystery she isn’t interested in solving. Because someone is out there seeding cursed objects with the intent on wreaking havoc, and Velma will have to use every trick in her tool kit, including some well-placed magical improvisation, to win the day.

Focusing on a new generation of the Rhodes family, The Improvisers brims with charming magic, intriguing mystery, and high-flying adventure seeking new heights.

Review: THE VALKYRIE by Kate Heartfield

Nov 042024
 

Publishers Weekly: Brave women warriors and diplomats shine in their roles as leaders in this alluring reimagining of Norse mythology from Heartfield (The Embroidered Book). Valkyrie Brynhild has just been exiled from Valhalla by Odin for contradicting his orders. Resigned to the life of a mortal in Midgard, she declares that she will use her wisdom, strength, and rune magic to help those who need protection. Meanwhile, Christian Burgundian princess Gudrun agrees to marry Hun prince Bleda to secure a peaceful alliance—but then Bleda’s brother, Attila, slays him and declares the truce void. In the aftermath, the serpent dragon Fafnir attacks with its poison breath, and Gudrun’s brother, King Gunnar, runs away. With him missing, Gudrun becomes queen and uses her diplomacy skills and knowledge of herbal magic to protect her people. Fortunately, Brynhild and her new friend, Sigurd, the owner of a powerful dragon-killing sword, arrive to help. The complex romances, alliances, and betrayals between Gudrun, Sigurd, Brynhild, and Gunnar intertwine with heartbreaking and tragic results. With a brilliant heroine at the helm, this richly detailed, character-driven story renders epic mythological battles on a human scale. (Oct.)

October Translation Deals

Oct 312024
 

Chinese (complex) renewal rights to New York Times bestselling author Martha Wells’ ALL SYSTEMS RED, ARTIFICIAL CONDITION, ROGUE PROTOCOL, and EXIT STRATEGY, the first four books in The Murderbot Diaries series, to Global Group, by Lucy Su at Grayhawk Agency in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Czech rights to Katherine Addison’s THE GOBLIN EMPEROR, to Dobrovsky (Czech Republic), by Milena Kaplarevic at Prava i Prevodi, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Cameron McClure.

Danish rights to Vonda N. McIntyre’s DREAMSNAKE, to A Mock Book (Denmark), by Vere Bank at Sebes & Bisseling on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Jennie Goloboy.

French rights to Miranda Lyn’s TILL DEATH, to Eilean Books, in a preempt, by Sarah Dray at Anna Jarota Agency, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

French renewal rights to New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop’s MURDER OF CROWS, the second book in the Others series, to Bragelonne, by Sarah Dray at Anna Jarota Agency in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

French rights to LJ Andrews’s THE EVER QUEEN and THE MIST THIEF, to City Editions, in a two-book deal, by Sarah Dray at Anna Jarota Agency, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

German rights to Margaret Doody’s ARISTOTLE DETECTIVE, to Kampa, by Bastian Schluck at Thomas Schlueck Agency on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Donald Maass.

Italian rights to New York Times bestselling author Tamsyn Muir’s PRINCESS FLORALINDA AND THE FORTY-FLIGHT TOWER, to Mondadori, by Stefania Fietta at Donzelli Fietta Agency in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Swedish audio rights to New York Times bestselling author Martha Wells’ ALL SYSTEMS RED, ARTIFICIAL CONDITION, ROGUE PROTOCOL, EXIT STRATEGY, NETWORK EFFECT, FUGITIVE TELEMETRY, and SYSTEM COLLAPSE, the first seven books in The Murderbot Diaries series, to Recorded Books, by Vere Bank at Sebes & Bisseling in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

USURPTION by Sue Burke

Oct 292024
 

Stevland, the dominant sentient lifeform of Pax, has clandestinely sent some of its progeny to Earth. To explore, to spread, to report back.

Since their germination, Earth has been a powder keg. Human rebellion, robot uprisings, and global pandemics have created chaos, distrust, and deaths.

As more and more conflicts break out across Earth, Stevland’s children work in the background, in an attempt to control human behavior and perhaps, bring peace to the planet. Stevland took control of Pax. Earth shouldn’t be too difficult…

THE TAPESTRY OF TIME by Kate Heartfield in The Guardian!

Oct 172024
 

Congratulations to Kate Heartfield and her book, THE TAPESTRY OF TIME, for being part of The Guardian‘s round-up for best recent science fiction, horror, and fantasy!

Set in England and France during the second world war, this novel centres on a family with the gift of second sight. As rational young women, the Sharp sisters dismiss their experiences as coincidence (Kit), imagination (Ivy) or a talent for pattern recognition (Rose), until they realise they may be able to aid the war effort. Their father has a theory that the Bayeux Tapestry was begun before 1066, to be used as a predictive tool in warfare. In the summer of 1944, Ivy is an undercover agent in France, and art historian Kit has stayed on in Paris, when they learn of a Nazi plan to take the tapestry, leaving Paris to burn. The sisters are the only ones who can stop them – if they survive long enough. Paranormal elements are expertly woven with real history to create a convincing and exciting tale.

Starred Review: THE IMPROVISERS by Nicole Glover

Oct 032024
 

Booklist: Glover’s latest is a standalone set in the world of her Murder and Magic series (starting with The Conductors, 2021), this time set in the 1930s. Velma Frye is an African American aviator in the early days of flight. She’s also a magical investigator, and when a fight breaks out at one of her air shows, Velma leaps into action. Mysterious items seem to be provoking discord all over America. Luckily Velma’s got an airplane, a family that includes the protagonists of Glover’s previous novels, and a nosy reporter who is more helpful than he appears. The Improvisers is packed with action, family drama, and even some romance. The plot is fast-paced and varied and Velma is a protagonist who feels realistic and accessible. There are lots of great characters, including a librarian named Lois, but Dillon Harris, Velma’s rival and companion, stands out as a foil to the famed aviator, often saving and annoying her in the same paragraph. Velma and Dillon’s back-and-forth banter is reminiscent of classic screwball comedies and contrasts delightfully with the complex mystery at the center of the story. Recommended for fans of books that mix magic and historical fiction, like Justina Ireland’s Dread Nation (2018) or Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light (2021).”

THE TAPESTRY OF TIME by Kate Heartfield

Sep 262024
 

There’s a tradition in the Sharp family that some possess the Second Sight. But is it superstition, or true psychic power?

Kit Sharp is in Paris, where she is involved in a love affair with the stunning Evelyn Larsen, and working as an archivist, having inherited her historian father’s fascination with the Bayeux Tapestry. He believes that parts of the tapestry were made before 1066, and that it was a tool for prediction, not a simple record of events.

The Nazis are also obsessed with the tapestry: convinced that not only did it predict the Norman Conquest of England, but that it will aid them in their invasion of Britain.

Ivy Sharp has joined the Special Operations Executive – the SOE – a secret unit set up to carry out espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance. Having demonstrated that she has extraordinary powers of perception, she is dropped into Northern France on a special mission.

With the war on a knife edge, the Sharp Sisters face certain death. Can their courage and extrasensory gifts prevent the enemy from using the tapestry to bring about a devastating victory against the Allied Forces?

Review: THE IMPROVISERS by Nicole Glover

Sep 112024
 

Library Journal: Velma Frye, aviator and magical investigator, finds herself in a deeply personal and intricate magical crime conspiracy. After picking up an enchanted pocket watch that initiated a heated brawl at one of her flying shows, she heads home for some advice. To her surprise, other magically tainted objects have been stolen from her family’s inn and are causing havoc and death throughout the United States. These objects are associated with a mysterious and deadly incident that happened at the inn in the 19th century. Flying coast to coast in her plane, she and nosy reporter Dillon Harris seek to find the objects as well as the story behind what happened at her family home all those years ago. But other shadowy and more pernicious characters are looking for the objects too and are set to unleash a possible magical apocalypse if obtained. This spin-off from Glover’s “Murder and Magic” series is a perfect stand-alone but will whet readers’ appetites to delve into Glover’s other books. VERDICT Fantasy fans and steampunk enthusiasts will enjoy Glover’s astounding, creatively envisioned Prohibition-era United States, where magical and historical events intertwine in a thrilling plot full of adventurous characters.—Laura Hiatt

Starred Review: THE IMPROVISERS by Nicole Glover

Aug 292024
 

Publishers Weekly: Glover returns to the alternate 1930s America of her Murder and Magic series in this thrilling spin-off, an intoxicating blend of mystery and fantasy. Velma Frye’s days as a bootlegger of forbidden magic are behind her, and she now divides her time between performing high-flying aerial stunts and working as an investigator for magical rights group the Magnolia Muses. Trouble arises when a magic-fueled fight over a pocket watch breaks out after one of Velma’s air shows. She learns the pocket watch is one of many enchanted objects that have been causing unexplained violent incidents across the country, including one that led to a woman’s death. Velma sets off to locate the rest of the dangerous artifacts and gains an unexpected travel companion, the annoyingly charming journalist Dillon Harris. Dillon’s inquisitive nature and skills as a spellcaster prove useful for Velma’s investigation, and together they discover that the enchanted objects are part of a deadly conspiracy with unexpected ties to Velma’s family. The complex mystery keeps readers on their toes and the pages flying. The colorful cast, unique magic system, and slow-burning, enemies-to-lovers romance between Velma and Dillon add to the fun. New readers and returning fans alike will devour this.

BLOOD IN SWEET RIVER by John Shirley

Aug 202024
 

After a long, hard journey west, Cleve Trewe is ready to settle down. He’s got his beautiful wife Berry in San Francisco, a baby on the way, and his sights set on a gorgeous piece of land in the Sierras. This sweet slice of heaven is aptly named Sweet River, and it’s the perfect place to build a ranch, farm, and home for his family. Problem is, Cleve’s not the only one with his eyes on the land. A big-time cattle baron named Asa Hawthorn is prepared to use threats, intimidation—and armed thugs—to get what he wants. Worse yet, Cleve knows the man from the darkest days of the Civil War . . .

Cleve’s not about to surrender his claim.. He’s got his buddy Kanaway by his side, a family of Paiute Indians on his team, and the property papers ready to sign. That’s when the real trouble starts. To squash the deal, Hawthorn unleashes his deadliest henchmen—including a would-be gunfighter from Cleve’s past and a killer-for-hire who never misses. The Paiute family recognizes some of them as the men who slaughtered their tribe—a massacre that Cleve suspects was the work of Asa Hawthorn. Either way, a major battle is brewing. And the crystal blue waters of Sweet River are about to turn red . . .

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