HEARTS OF STONE by Brad SMITH

Jacques Filippi, who runs the House of Crime and Mystery in Canada, writes:

Hearts of Stone is Brad Smith at the top of his game, a novel about greed and desperation that leads to cold-blooded violence but with a humanity and sensitivity that will emerge from the darkness; Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood mixed with Daniel Woodrell’s Winter’s Bone.

Brad Smith masters the cadence of his multi-layered story that he permeates in an atmosphere of raw emotions. He especially excels at developing true characters like Carl Burns, the main protagonist, a man of few words who presents to the world an external quietness while his internal force drives him.

I am so much looking forward to reading the next book in the series that I intend to drop everything else when I have it. Brad Smith is Canada’s master of country noir.

News about Brad Smith, Sara Alexi, Bradt Guides and Ventura Press

Fabulous new covers for Brad Smith titles now being launched in digital format by the UK's Endeavour Press:

 

Brad's also just signed a contract for a new Carl Burns thriller to be published by Severn House next year. His first Carl Burns thriller, ROUGH JUSTICE, will be available in paperback soon.

Bradt publishers launched two new travel literature titles in June:
 

 

Andrew Fraser goes on a jaunt around ten European cities including Skopje, Girona, Brussels, Thessaloniki, Gdansk and Oslo for £144 and describes how aspiring travellers can create their own dream travel itineraries on flights that cost less than an airport latte. Uncovering the little known travel gems which you can fly to for under a tenner, it is also an often surreal, idiosyncratic and funny account of one man's adventures on the move.

John Carter, having spent half a century globetrotting during an illustrious career as a travel writer and TV presenter, seeing the world via press trips, cruise ships and Concorde, recounts the tales he couldn't tell at the time: being savaged by a duck during the Pamplona bull running, meeting Sophia Loren and drinking vodka with Walter Kissinger, sharing a small island with a bottom-biting hippo, eating scorpions on toast and taking an unplanned flying lesson.

Sara Alexi, author of the bestselling Greek Village Series of novels (17 published so far!), was interviewed in Prima magazine:

 

 

  

 

  
Portuguese rights have been sold by our co-agents Sandra Bruna Agency to SUPERFOODS by Seana Smith, originally published by Ventura Press in Australia.

 

 

While TALK LESS, LISTEN MORE by Michael Hawton, also published by Ventura in Australia, has sold more than 25,000 copies in China.

 

 

 

 

Author Brad Smith

'Carl Burns has returned to his hometown to support his estranged daughter, Kate, who is one of three witnesses in the rape trial of the town’s mayor. The trial goes bad, and Kate slips slowly into addiction and depression... Even in a hard world, however, there’s always room for fighting back, and nobody does stand-up guys better than Smith.'

- Booklist

ROUGH JUSTICE is Brad Smith's eighth novel, the first to hit the UK market; it was published in hardback in the UK, US and Canada in late 2015/early 2016 and a paperback will be out later this year. Publishers Weekly called it 'engrossing' and Kirkus said a 'slow-burning tale of vigilante justice leading to a satisfying ending'. Translation rights are available. 

Brad has previously been published in Canada by Doubleday, Penguin and Simon & Schuster, and in the US by Henry Holt and Scribner, and translated into Hungarian and Japanese. ALL HAT was made into a major feature film and he has also adapted other authors' novels for the big screen. Author Richard Russo called him a writer with 'lots of skill, lots of heart, lots of brains'. He's often been called a modern-day Elmore Leonard.

The next in the Carl Burns series has just been completed.

Brad's books are often set in farming communities near the US-Canada border, where he lives near the shore of Lake Erie (he connects regularly with his readers through events). Brad was born and raised in the hamlet of Canfield in southern Ontario, and as a child had a 'Huck Finn' existence, building rafts and catching frogs and falling off his bike. He grew up on stories - hockey books and listening to the old-timers in the village. Read more here.

Two years ago, in our first deal for Brad (though I've been a fan of his books for years), we placed reprint rights to his first novel, ONE-EYED JACKS, with digital crime publisher 280 Steps:

In addition to placing the new Carl Burns series with Severn House, we've now placed reprint rights to three other fabulously recommendable novels of his, ALL HAT, BUSTED FLUSH and BIG MAN COMING DOWN THE ROAD, with digital publisher Endeavour Press who will launch in a few months. New cover designs to come.

Happy 2016... with client news

Samantha Verant's internationally successful debut memoir SEVEN LETTERS FROM PARIS has been optioned by a film studio. Her next book, HOW TO MAKE A FRENCH FAMILY, about her first few years of life as an instant stepmother and wife in the south of France - filled with food and faux pas - has been sold to US publisher Sourcebooks for spring 2017 publication. UK rights to both books are available.

Sarah Outen is busy writing her new book, DARE TO DO. Nicholas Brealey acquired world rights and the book is due for publication in June.

Brad Smith's new novel, ROUGH JUSTICE, has been published by Severn House and received this review from Booklist:

The quintessential Brad Smith hero is an ex-con attempting to live a quiet life who finds himself drawn back into the world of violence, usually to help out someone he loves. Following in the tradition of Ray Dokes (All Hat, 2003) and series hero Virgil Cain (Red Means Run, 2012), Carl Burns lands in prison after taking a quixotic stand against corruption and absorbing the unintended consequences. Now out of prison, he has returned to his small Ontario hometown to support his estranged daughter, Kate, who is one of three witnesses in the rape trial of the town’s mayor. The trial goes bad, and Kate slips slowly into addiction and depression. Burns watches helplessly, biding his time and helping the sister of his ex-wife attempt to battle a ruthless land-grabber. Typically, Smith combines elements of the comic caper novel with hard-edged thriller fare, but this time the comedy and the banter take a backseat to real-world realism. Even in a hard world, however, there’s always room for fighting back, and nobody does stand-up guys better than Smith.

Diane Esguerra's memoir JUNKIE BUDDHA has continued to gather fine reviews also - Therapy Today called it uplifting, commenting on 'eloquent writing and self-deprecating humour' (http://www.therapytoday.net/article/show/5136/shelf-life-junkie-buddha/). Diane also appeared on Salford City Radio (https://soundcloud.com/david-southam/smiley-queen-salford-city-radio-interview). Links to all the reviews and interviews can now be found here: http://junkiebuddha.com/endorsements/.

'The Inca witch told me that Machu Picchu was the right resting place for Sacha... Yes, my son was a junkie. But he was also a Buddha.'  

Translation rights are available in Brad Smith's novel and Diane Esguerra's memoir.

An interview just came out with Ian Moore about being a father, comedian and author: http://www.dadofdivas.com/dads-in-the-limelight/ian-moore

As editor of John Searancke's book PRUNES FOR BREAKFAST: ONE MAN'S WAR, I'm pleased to see the book selling well on Kindle and getting great reviews on Amazon.

More updates are to be found on the AGENCY CLIENTS page. Thanks to all authors, publishers and co-agents for your support in 2015. Very best wishes for 2016 from me and the 'office assistant' in Megalo Horio, Tilos!

Coming soon...

Big books coming out in the next few months by my clients!

       

   

Back in the office, with lots of news!

It's been another exciting month for the agency, not least because I am settled again in my office in Megalo Horio, Tilos, after spending so much time travelling in the last year. It's very peaceful working here in the mornings, with the sound of birdsong and sheeps' bells. But the agency has been buzzing, and it's not just the bees...

As a result of discussions at London Book Fair, a deal has just been signed for Canadian author Brad Smith's new novel, tentatively entitled ROUGH JUSTICE, with Severn House. We're excited as it's the first time he's been published in the UK. We're also on the brink of signing a three-book deal for digital editions of his previous novels with another publisher. Stay tuned.

http://www.bradsmithbooks.com/

Steven Gauge appeared on Sky Sports with two members of his rugby team who feature in his book, and announced that tickets have gone on sale for the stage version of MY LIFE AS A HOOKER in September.

http://stevengauge.blogspot.gr/

Ian Moore, after the success of A LA MOD and C'EST MODNIFIQUE, has been asked to speak at the France Show (held at London Olympia) next January. He is currently working on a debut crime novel set in France. I love his new website, too...

http://ianmoore.info/

Samantha Verant's SEVEN LETTERS FROM PARIS has been sold in three new territories, Latvia, Hungary and Poland, thanks to her US publisher Sourcebooks. Now returned to France from a very successful book signing at Barnes and Noble in Santa Monica, she has reached the exciting stage of being almost ready with a new book proposal, in spite of having broken a finger...

http://www.samanthaverant.com/

Bradt Travel Guides have launched a new anthology, TO OLDLY GO, with stories from adventurous travellers aged 60-plus, and the competition for entries is open until mid-June. I'll be editing it as well as selling the rights - though I don't get to judge the entries! The book will be launched in September.

http://www.bradtguides.com/articles/cat/news-competitions/post/to-oldly-go-competition

Jane Curry Publishing have announced they are re-branding to Ventura Press as they join forces with Simon & Schuster Australia to take the book sales to the next level.

http://www.janecurrypublishing.com.au/jcp-joins-forces-simon-schuster-australia-rebrand-ventura-press/

And we have started working with co-agents Prava i Prevodi to promote the agency's books across Eastern Europe. 

Thanks, folks: authors, publishers, freelancers and readers! The office assistant isn't much help with checking contracts or reading manuscripts but she ensures I get out for a break regularly...

Now We Are One...

JenBarclayBooks is now one year old! 

It's time to shout about some agency client news...

Brad Smith's fabulous first noir novel, ONE-EYED JACKS, was relaunched in a sparky new digital edition by 280 Steps. 
http://www.bradsmithbooks.com/
http://www.280steps.com/


Thom Wheeler's new travel book, THE WAY A RIVER WENT: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE HEART OF RUSSIA, has been sold to Summersdale for publication in summer 2015. Thom's first book was ONE STEPPE BEYOND. http://www.thomwheeler.net/


Steven Gauge, author of MY LIFE AS A HOOKER: WHEN A MIDDLE-AGED BLOKE DISCOVERED RUGBY (shortlisted for the 2013 British Sports Book Awards), and more recently THE BLUFFER'S GUIDE TO RUGBY and THE JOY OF RUGBY, gave a witty, engaging talk at the Felixstowe Book Festival.


We're excited about the imminent launch of Samantha Verant's memoir SEVEN LETTERS FROM PARIS, which has gathered exceptional advance praise. Peter Mayle, bestselling author of A YEAR IN PROVENCE, calls it 'a charming story, and a delightful tribute to the power of a good old-fashioned love letter'. 
http://www.samanthaverant.com/


Comedian, mod and chutney maker Ian Moore's new book C'EST MODNIFIQUE, follow-up to A LA MOD, is off to a great start and among other ringing endorsements Danny Wallace calls Moore 'sharp, funny, warm and witty'. http://ianmoore.info/


And finally, publisher client Bradt (www.bradtguides.com)  is celebrating its 40th anniversary with 40 tales of scrapes and narrow escapes collected as THE IRRESPONSIBLE TRAVELLER, starring Michael Palin, Tim Cahill, Simon Calder and Ben Fogle among others. I represent Bradt internationally, managed and co-edited the project, and was invited to contribute one of my own stories. The book will be launched at the Royal Geographical Society on 1 October.

Thank you so much to authors and publishers 

for your interest and support this year

JenBarclayBooks is more than a literary agency. Working with freelance associates who are also writers and editors, we offer services that include literary consultancy, editing and proofreading, ghostwriting, researching and writing books.

280 Steps and One-Eyed Jacks

Ever since around the year 2000, I've been lucky enough to read every new Brad Smith novel in manuscript form. I was just leaving my job as a literary agent at Westwood Creative Artists in Toronto when I met Brad so I couldn't represent him, but I've loved every one of his books, which deserve to be better known.

Well, finally, now that I'm doing some rights work again, I've started representing Brad. And I'm thrilled that we are inking our first deal - in fact for his very first book, ONE-EYED JACKS.
http://www.bradsmithbooks.com/oneeyedjacks.php


The book, about a washed-up boxer, poker games and a quest to buy back a farm, was originally published by Doubleday Canada in hardcover, and Penguin Canada in paperback. Now, a clever new publisher called 280 Steps, specialising in crime fiction e-books, is getting ready to relaunch it as part of their initial offering, which has a rather special line-up. I look forward to seeing the book out there again.
http://www.280steps.com/