Legend Press

Iain Broome taking part in Coventry Book Festival

Iain Broome, author of A is for Angelica will be taking part in Literally Coventry Book Festival.

The event will take place on Monday 10th June at Coventry Central Library from 6:30pm.

For details of the festival please click here

A is for Angelica has had some fantastic reviews since publication, including:

'A first novel that confidently moves from dark comedy that’s genuinely funny to even darker despair that grows from moving to harrowing. Really impressive.' - Daily Mail

‘An oddly addictive and often hilarious read... Presented in uncomplicated, unembellished prose, this is a brilliant and adeptly written debut novel, loaded with poignancy and feeling.’ – Time Out

‘A is for Angelica and MF is for meticulously funny. It will make you laugh out loud and feel guilty about it afterwards.’ - Simon Crump

'This is an easy book to sum up. Basically, if you don't laugh and cry over A is for Angelica in almost equal measures then bears don't deposit their personal waste in wooded areas and I'll only read this book once.' - The Bookbag

‘If you like your rollercoasters to be more emotional than mechanical, I heartily recommend this wonderful book.’ - David White

‘Iain’s magnificent and compulsive microscopic dissection of life in the suburbs was a joy to read from cover to cover, and is not only the best book I’ve read this year, but is also on my books for life list too.’ - Tom Gillespie

‘There are no misplaced or wasted words in this smashing debut. Broome will no doubt be a rising talent to watch in literary fiction.’ - Sinead Keegan

‘I think this is a haunting and powerful first novel … a book I shall certainly read again.’ - Newbooks

‘A is for Angelica is poignant, extraordinary and easy to read. Ideal for anyone.’ - Louise Miller, Around the Red Map

Lucy

A is for Angelica is available to order by clicking here

Read a free sample of In Too Deep

In Too Deep is the gripping debut novel by Bea Davenport, published by Legend Press on 1st June. We are delighted to offer you a free sample of this brilliant book today. 

Download a free sample of In Too Deep

In Too Deep is a fast-paced suspense novel, inspired by Bea’s time working as a local journalist and at the BBC. Margaret Murphy, best-selling author and former chair of the CWA called the book ‘a tense and suspenseful debut’.

Blurb

… The window’s so small I can’t see what happens next. But what I do know is that Kim is dead. And I know this, too – that I helped to kill her. Kim, my lovely, only, best friend.

Five years ago Maura fled life in Dowerby and took on a new identity, desperately trying to piece her life back together and escape the dark clouds that plagued her past. But then a reporter tracks her down, and persuades her to tell her story, putting her own life in danger once again.

Layer upon layer of violence and deceit make up the full picture for Maura to see and the reporter to reveal. Hidden secrets are uncovered that have been left to settle, for far too long. But in life some things can’t be left unsaid, and eventually the truth will out. Whatever the consequences.

Lucy

In Too Deep is available to pre-order by clicking here

Felixstowe's Queen of Crime Ruth Dugdall

Ruth Dugdall will be taking part in Felixstowe Book Festival next Monday on 16th June. Ruth has been interviewed on the festival's website, which I thought I would share with you this morning.

Below is a snippet:

Firstly, please could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m Ruth Dugdall, a Felixstowe based crime novelist. I have three published novels, all of them set in Suffolk. 'The James Version' is a historical fiction based on the murder of Maria Marten in the Red Barn, Polstead. 'The woman before me' and 'The sacrificial man' are modern psychological thrillers, and the central character is a probation officer, drawing on my own previous career.

As I have spent most of my working life with criminals, it is natural that my novels are `crime` though I am far more interested in motivation and the psychology of crime than simply uncovering `who dunnit`. This is why all of my novels start after the crime has been committed and the criminal caught; they are concerned with why the crime happened and the frailty of humanity.

To read the interview in full please click here

Lucy

The Woman Before Me is available to order by clicking here
The Sacrificial Man is available to order by clicking here
The James Version is available to order by clicking here 

Photos from the shoot for Kevin Kennedy's autobiography

We are delighted to be publishing national tresure and former Coronation Street actor Kevin Kennedy's  autobiography on 31st October 2013. The book, published by Paperbooks is a tell-all biography, which details his time on the Street and his difficult battle with Addiction. 

Here are some photos from the photo shoot for the book, which took place last week.

The Street to Recovery is available to pre-order now by clicking here

Lucy

Lacey's House reviewed by NewBooks Magazine

Lacey's House by Joanne Graham has received a great review from NewBooks Magazine. The novel was published on 1st May and has received fantastic reviews so far. The book was the winner of the 2012 Luke Bitmead Bursary.

Below is a snippet:

'I really enjoyed this book, easy to read but difficult in that each of the women had unhappy early lives, which was difficult for me to relate to as it is out of my experience. However, I found myself thinking about how each of them had been treated as children and how that affected their ability to relate to other people, but eventually find someone they could talk to.'

To read the review in full please click here

Lucy

Lacey's House is available to order by clicking here

Calling all writers!

It is fantastic to see all the entries starting to come in for the 2013 Luke Bitmead Bursary. 

If you have not entered yet then please read on...

The Luke Bitmead Bursary was set up shortly after Luke’s death in 2006 by his family to support and encourage the work of fledgling novel writers. The Bursary is now the UK’s biggest award for unpublished authors. The top prize is a publishing contract with Legend Press, as well as a £2500 bursary.

Luke is the author of the brilliant White Summer (the first novel to be published by Legend Press), The Body is a Temple and co-author of Heading South. Information about Luke can be found at www.lukebitmead.com.

We are pleased to be continuing this brilliant bursary for a sixth year, and hope to follow in the success of our previous winners Andrew Blackman (On the Holloway Road), Ruth Dugdall (The Woman Before Me), Sophie Duffy (The Generation Game), J.R. Crook (Sleeping Patterns) and last year’s winner Joanne Graham (Lacey’s House published 1st May 2013).

The deadline for submissions is Friday 2nd August 2013.

For details of how to submit please click here

The 2012 bursary was inundated with entries and we look forward to reading your work and discovering more talented authors to join our fantastic alumni!

For all enquiries please email bitmeadbursary@legendpress.co.uk

Lucy