Winter Warmers~ Sara Grant's choices

 The wonderful Sara Grant is on the blog today with her fabulous post of everything debut. We love this post and we are so excited Sara could join in our event to tell us all about the debut books she has enjoyed this year. Over to you Sara.

Thanks for inviting me to take part in your Winter Warmers event. I always try to read as many debut authors as I can. It’s exciting to discover a new talent that I can enjoy for years to come. I couldn’t single out just one author this year so I’m providing a veritable stocking full of good books for your readers.

The first four authors on my list were all discovered through a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) initiative called Undiscovered Voices. It’s a bi-annual anthology of novel extracts from 12 unagented and unpublished SCBWI members.

From the first three anthologies, 20 of the 36 selected authors have had novels contracted for publication and most have signed with agents. An extract from my debut novel Dark Parties appeared in the first anthology in 2008. It’s how I got my agent and ultimately my book deals. I am also co-creator and co-editor of Undiscovered Voices. I’m proud to have – in some small way – helped authors like Dave, Jane, Claire and Katie achieve their dreams of publication.

I read extracts from the following novels when they were submitted to Undiscovered Voices. They hooked me from the very beginning and I couldn’t wait to read the book. From the very first reading, I knew these stories would find agents and publishers – and readers!



Fifteen Days Without a Head by Dave Cousins – A story about a teen boy’s struggle to keep his family together. Dave manages to create a thought-provoking book that’s a comedy and a page-turner.

 

Someone Else’s Life by Katie Dale – This twisty-turny tale follows Rosie as she struggles to discover the truth about who she is and if she has inherited the disease that killed her mum. 

 

At Yellow Lake by Jane McLoughlin – Three distinct voices share their side of what happens when their lives come crashing together on the banks of Yellow Lake.

 Cordelia Codd: Not Just the Blues by Claire O’Brien – Follow the delightfully funny Cordelia as she recounts the most disastrous year of her life.

 

Submissions for the next anthology will be accepted in the summer of 2013. If you are an unpublished, unagented writer living in the UK stay tuned for an announcement with more details on the next anthology at www.undiscoveredvoices.com.

I also want to highlight a few folks – who are first and foremost darn fine writers and who had their first books published in 2012. Less importantly for you but vastly important to me, I am lucky to count these authors as friends.

Oliver Twisted by JD Sharpe – The title of the book says it all really. Oliver Twist with zombies! Nuf said.

The Demon’s Watch by Conrad Mason – Trolls, elves, fairies, witches, dwarves, ogres, and imps! Joseph Gruff is half goblin, half human and must save the world Mason has created.

 

Those are my reading selections to keep you warm this winter! Happy reading! Here’s wishing you a new year filled with lots and lots of books!

We would like to say a massive thank you to Sara for such an amazing post for our Winter Warmers Event. We are truly grateful!!

 

Follow the links below to learn more about the mentioned authors.

 

Sara Grant is the author of Dark Parties, a teen dystopian thriller. Her second teen novel, titled Half Lives, will be published in May 2013. Find out more about Sara and her books at www.sara-grant.com or follow her on Twitter at @authorsaragrant.

Claire O'Brien
Jane McLoughlin
Katie Dale
Dave Cousins
JD Sharpe
Conrad Mason