Grace Menary-Winefield – Editorial Assistant

As an Editorial Assistant at Piatkus Books, I get to read a lot of gory, sexy, magical and sometimes scary genre fiction. It certainly keeps the excitement up in the offices! Of course, I’m around to help out the editors as well, keeping their lives in order just that little bit more and easing their administrative load so they can focus on bringing exciting new talent to the Piatkus imprint! Life can be busy! Oh yes, deadlines loom and proofs are rushed to production in a flurry of papers and frenzied e-mails. But I am always reading and it’s super exciting discovering fresh new talent and discerning whether a vampire story is something special (or just a book with fangs) and if a historical romance is really rich (or just Fifty Shades in corsets).

Working at Little, Brown is wonderful and besides being part of the process that brings the books to life, the most engaging part of my job is the people I work with. Not only are they passionate, but I find myself constantly learning from their expertise. In the beginning of your career the resources that are the most helpful are the friends you learn from and the challenges they give you. I’ve learned to say yes to everything, not just because it’s my job but because it’s a chance to develop as an editor.

While we could wax poetic about each publication, there are two titles coming up on Piatkus Entice (digital only/digital first imprint) that I am getting very excited about:

With This Kiss by Eloisa James: This historical romance e-novella is publishing in three parts on the 12th, 19th and 26th of March. It follows some of the same characters in The Ugly Duchess and her previous e-novella Seduced by a Pirate. One of the (many) reasons we love Eloisa’s books so much, and indeed why she has connected so well with such a wide readership, is her witty, charming but unequivocally sincere portrayal of love-lost, love-found and the sometimes ‘circus’ of real, human relationships. I’ve fallen in love with a rake and a rogue many times under the power of Eloisa. I can’t wait to fall in love again reading With This Kiss!

Eternal Beauty by Laura Wright: We love stories with bite and the Mark of the Vampire series certainly gives us that! Laura’s books are raw and gritty with a sexual thrill that reinforces our belief that there are exciting and fresh new voices in vampire fiction! Laura Wright has already garnered praise from Publishers Weekly and Romantic Times (even Larissa Ione counts herself a fan). The fourth book in the series, Eternal Demon, isn’t out until May but with this novella publishing on Entice on the 2nd of April, it’s just enough Laura to sate our thirst . . .

My associate, Caroline Kirkpatrick, has more enticing reads for you to check out so be sure to read what her recommendations are . . .

Caroline Kirkpatrick – Assistant Editor

As the assistant editor of Piatkus fiction, no two days are ever the same. And as a die-hard romance fan I am truly in my element.  Having started my career at Mills and Boon, I’m a hopeless romantic who just loves a ‘happily-ever-after’! My job is busy and varied and as well as helping to ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the team, I’m in charge of the desk-editing side of the imprint. In layman’s terms, this means seeing a book through the entire editorial process from start to finish. From the structural edit where the plot and characters are developed through to the copyediting and finally the proof read, it’s always so exciting when authors receive their proof copies, as it’s their last chance to see their book before it hits bookstores! And we’re always so thrilled when we get to see the first copies of the final, fresh -from -the -factory-floor books land on our desks.

Another integral aspect of my job is acquiring new authors for Piatkus and Piatkus Entice – our ebook digital only imprint that we launched last February. For example, I’ve just bought super sexy Regency romance author Jennifer Haymore’s trilogy, the House of Trent series (do look out for part one, The Duchess Hunt, which will be available on the 25th June 2013). This author is one to watch! I’m also really looking to build our author base and profile on Piatkus Entice and I’d welcome fresh and exciting women’s fiction – be that historical, supernatural, paranormal, contemporary, erotica, mash-ups . . .  the list is endless!

Now if you’re like me and loved Fifty Shades of Grey – I even went to a Fifty Shades themed party on New Year’s Eve would you believe and (temporarily!) met my very own Christian Grey  (without the issues I hasten to add) –you might be interested to read our new line of books from erotica author Emma Allan. Daring, decadent and dazzlingly sexy, her latest books are sure to add a big dollop of spice to your life. Look out for Mistress of Seduction, Sanctuary of Seduction and Final Seduction coming to Entice on the 7th of March.

I also can’t help but mention my author Linda Howard and her fantastic new novel Shadow Woman. Can you imagine waking up one morning but not recognizing the face you see in the mirror? Well this is exactly what happens to Lizette Henry in Shadow Woman. She remembers what she looks like, but her reflection is someone else’s. Expect a novel packed with romance, suspense and intrigue from our New York Times bestselling author.

And finally, I can’t leave without mentioning the fantastic Larissa Ione. Check out Rogue Rider, Larissa’s latest novel from her Lords of Deliverance series. When Jillian Cardiff comes to a remote mountain town to forget the demon attack that almost killed her, instead, she rescues –and falls for –a gorgeous stranger who has no memory of anything other than his name. Handsome, charming and protective, Reseph seems like the kind of man that Jillian can trust. But with hints of a troubling history of his own, he’s also the kind of man that can be very dangerous . . .

We’d love to hear from you here at Piatkus fiction and would be delighted to accept agented submissions.

Happy writing and keep romance alive!

Website: www.piatkus.co.uk | www.piatkusbooks.net
Twitter: @piatkusbooks | @piatkusentice

GIVEAWAY

Grace and Caroline are giving away FIVE (5) copies of The Mystery Woman by Jayne Anne Krentz, writing as Amanda Quick. This giveaway is UK Only and ends 31st May 2013. To enter please leave a comment.

PLEASE NOTE: Before entering the giveaway please take the time to read our Giveaway Policy. We do not contact giveaway winner/s. Winner/s are announced in our Weekly Roundup post, which is published on Sunday’s, with instructions on how to claim your prize. Failure to claim your prize within SEVEN (7) days of the announcement post means you will forfeit your prize/s. So as to not miss these announcement posts, as well as future giveaways, subscribe via RSS or Email.

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