Sara-Jayne Townsend on Edin Road Radio

Sara-Jayne Townsend recently featured on Edin Road Radio, reading a Hallowe’en story from her anthology Soul Screams as part of their “October Spooktacular” series. It was her third time on this blog radio show.

Edin Radio blog’s introduction to Ms. Townsend:

How can I say it without drooling too much on her shoes? The woman freaks me out with her attention to detail and the horrific plots in her stories.

To join in the fun and listen to Ms. Townsend’s tale, and the other “Spooktacular” stories, click here.

Babylon Steel’s Second Outing

Babylon Steel, brothel owner and swordswoman, returns early in 2013 in the second book in Gaie Sebold’s series, Dangerous Gifts. Here’s a look at the gorgeous cover by Jake Murray.  Ms. Sebold talks about it and shares her thoughts on the importance of covers in general here.

The publisher, Solaris, says:

Babylon Steel runs the best brothel in Scalentine, city of portals. She’s escaped her past and it’s all going pretty well. Apart, that is, from the racial conflict and economic misery boiling up in Scalentine.

Her lover, Chief Bitternut of the City Militia, is trying to keep the lid on, while hunting a killer whose real target is a lot closer than he knows. Just as things are getting really tense, Babylon is forced to take another job.  Bodyguard to Enthemmerlee Entaire: symbol of hope or object of disgust for most of her country’s population, and a prime target for assassination, along with anyone who happens to be in the way. Such as her bodyguard.

Unintentionally dragging a very annoyed government employee along in her wake, Babylon struggles to turn Enthemmerlee’s squabbling household guard from liability into security, dodge the rigid Moral Statutes of Incandress, and keep both herself and her client alive.  She soon realises that the situation is far worse than she thought, her past hasn’t quite let go of her yet, and she will be driven to a choice that will have far-reaching consequences…

Dangerous Gifts is available for pre-order from amazon and Simon & Schuster.

Kate Kelly’s “Red Rock” Sold

Congratulations to Kate Kelly! Her début sci-fi novel for children 10 and up, Red Rock, will be published by Curious Fox in 2013.

Ms. Kelly is represented by the Greenhouse Literary Agency. Here’s what they say about the novel:

The world is changing. The ice is melting. But as the icecaps retreat secrets are revealed, ancient ruins that have remained hidden for a hundred thousand years.
A civilisation that wasn’t human…

Fourteen year old Danni’s astronaut aunt is murdered, shot down by a sniper right in front of her eyes. As she dies she presses something into Danni’s hand and whispers: Tell no-one.

Suddenly Danni is the one in danger.  The evil Morgan Pew and his organisation EMMA, The European Mars Mission Agency, will stop at nothing to get their hands on what Danni now wears around her neck. When Danni’s uncle goes missing, it has to be Morgan Pew who’s responsible.

What powers does the artefact possess? And why does Pew want it so badly? To find the answers, and her uncle, Danni must brave flooded cities, marauding bands of scavengers, and travel across a Europe changed by the rising seas.