by Claire Buss, Deputy Editor, Write On! 

At Write On! and Pen to Print we want to help connect authors and readers, so we’ve created a Spotlight page every Saturday, showcasing some of the exciting new reads available. The list has been curated by Lisa Rouiller and myself, based on books that you send us, so if you’re an author and you’d like your book in the spotlight, reach out to Lisa at pentoprint@lbbd.gov.uk. Whether you’re an indie author, with a small press or mainstream publisher, we’d love to hear from you and shine a light on your new novel.

Write On! offers other opportunities for writers as well. If you’d like us to feature an extract from your book or a short story, please send the extract, book cover and blurb to pentoprint@lbbd.gov.uk with the subject Write On! Showcase (ensuring you have your publisher’s permission, of course).

Pen to Print are also looking for short videos from people reading a passage from their favourite book, or authors reading extracts from their own books. These videos will be featured on the Pen to Print YouTube channel and across our social media. Please send in your videos or links to pentoprint@lbbd.gov.uk with the subject ‘Video Stories’.

Infernal War by Ezra Carias

Lucifer and the angels who rebelled with him got thrown out of Heaven.

They, along with the inhabitants of Earth, find themselves in a despicable place. They all blame Lucifer for their current predicament and want revenge. Ovnion, Lucifer’s old ally and former king of Earth, is the only one to approach Lucifer with a different purpose.

Ovnion wants to ally with Lucifer. He thinks if they work together they might survive. Lucifer will use Ovnion to become the sole ruler over both angels and Earth beings. As the fallen angels and Earth beings fight amongst themselves, Lucifer will do everything in his power to use their war to his advantage.

Available to buy here
Connect with Ezra Carias

No More Secrets by Joanne Guidocci

Angelica Delfino takes a special interest in the lives of her three nieces, whom she affectionately calls the daughters of her heart.

Sensing each woman is harbouring a troubling — possibly even toxic — secret, Angelica decides to share her own; secrets she had planned to take to the grave.

Spellbound, her nieces listen to an incredulous tale of forbidden love, tragic loss and reinvention, spanning six decades across two continents. It’s the classic immigrant story upended: an Italian widow’s transformative journey amid the most unlikely of circumstances. Inspired by Angelica’s example, the younger women share their problems and, in the process, revisit their relationships and set themselves free.

But one heart-breaking secret remains untold…

Available to buy here
Connect with Joanne Guidoccio

You’ve Got This by Dorota Pawlak

The life of a first-time mother is full of challenges, surprises, uncontrollable tears and laughter. The life of a mother who runs her own business can be even more intense on each and every level.

Can you prepare for this new lifestyle? Is it actually possible to combine freelance work with motherhood?

In this book, Dorota Pawlak interviews 15 women from across the world, working in various industries, to learn how they combine their freelance careers with motherhood. She also shares her experience as a business owner and mother to help you prepare for new challenges and the transition into the life of a self-employed mum.

The book includes topics such as:

• How to prepare your freelance business for maternity leave
• How to create a safe environment for unexpected challenges as a mother and business owner
• Why slowing down and listening to your intuition can help you cope with your new reality
• How to continue freelancing after giving birth
• What to do if childcare is not an option
• How to redefine your work style and adapt to a new concept of time
• Why working less may help you work more
• How to learn to ask for help
• Why self-care should be your top priority
• ….And much more!

If you’re ready to listen to inspiring stories and want to get ready for the life of a self-employed mum, buy this book now.

Available to buy here
Connect with Dorota Pawlak

Maelstorm by G.A. Franks

A hundred years from now, everything you know will be gone.

Growing up an orphan in privately run New Britain, Gideon Rayne had just one dream: to work for Kaoteck Industries as one of the Constables. But when selection day comes around, nothing goes as expected.

Soon, Gideon is entrusted with a miraculous suit of high-tech armour and thrown into a terrifying adventure, putting him on a collision course with forces darker than he ever knew existed.

Gideon Rayne – Maelstorm is an exciting new series that will keep you turning the pages, as you delve deeper into Gideon’s journey through the chaotic world of New Britain in the year 2120.

Available to buy here
Connect with G.A. Franks

The Skylark’s Secret by Fiona Valpy

Loch Ewe, 1940. When gamekeeper’s daughter Flora’s remote highland village finds itself the base for the Royal Navy’s Arctic convoys, life in her close-knit community changes forever.

In defiance of his disapproving father, the laird’s son falls in love with Flora, and as tensions build in their disrupted home, any chance of their happiness seems doomed.

Decades later, Flora’s daughter, singer Lexie Gordon, is forced to return to the village and to the tiny cottage where she grew up. Having long ago escaped to the bright lights of the West End, London still never truly felt like home. Now back, with a daughter of her own, Lexie learns that her mother—and the hostile-seeming village itself—have long been hiding secrets that make her question everything she thought she knew.

As she pieces together the fragments of her parents’ story, Lexie discovers the courageous, devastating sacrifices made in her name. It’s too late to rekindle her relationship with her mother, but can Lexie find it in her heart to forgive the past, to grieve for all that’s lost, and finally find her place in the world?

Available to buy here
Connect with Fiona Valpy

Remember, if you’re an author and you’d like to see your book in our Saturday Spotlight, email: pentoprint@lbbd.gov.uk and send us the details of your new novel. 

Further Links

For details of Penguin RandomHouse new releases, visit their website here.
For details of Hachette new releases, visit their website here.
For details of HarperCollins new releases, visit their website here.
For details of PanMacmillan new releases, visit their website here.
For details of Simon & Schuster new releases, visit their website here.

Disclaimer: Amazon links are given for ease but please remember there are a number of other online retailers operating, including hive (which helps to support independent book shops), Kobo, Apple Books, Google Play and Nook as well as online stores for bookstores like Waterstones, Barnes & Noble and WHSmiths. Given the current situation, though, please check first.

Read the latest issue of Write On! magazine online here