Mark Newton is a good friend of this blog, so I was pretty excited when the book he wrote (and I REVIEWED) didn’t suck. In fact, it was pretty damn good. The rub? Mark only had a deal with Tor UK, meaning most people on my side of the pond (North America) weren’t going to be able to get their grubby hands on the book.

Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton

Well, leave it to Del Rey to step in and save the day:

PRESS RELEASE – TWO-BOOK US RIGHTS DEAL FOR NEW BRITISH FANTASY WRITER

Margaret Halton, Rights Director at Pan Macmillan, has sold US rights in two fantasy novels by UK novelist Mark Charan Newton to Chris Schluep for a good five-figure sum in US dollars.

World rights in the novels, which open with Mark’s mainstream debut NIGHTS OF VILLJAMUR (to be published in hardback in the UK in June 2009), were acquired by Peter Lavery at Tor UK from John Jarrold in 2008.

Chris Schluep said: ‘I am so excited to be publishing NIGHTS OF VILLJAMUR, which is an absolutely wonderful book, and I’m very much looking forward to launching the U.S. career of an important and talented new writer in the field. I’m convinced that Mark has a bright future ahead of him; he’s one of those writers that you come across only on occasion . . .’

‘Chris acted quickly and with great enthusiasm. Mark and I are delighted, and looking forward to working with him and his colleagues at Del Rey, who I know well,’ said John Jarrold.

It’s about time. Good on Del Rey for grabbing Mark while they still can, I have a feeling they won’t regret it. You can check out my interview with Mark HERE.

Discussion
  • Alexander Field May 9, 2009 at 1:33 pm

    Congrats Mark, can’t wait to get my hands on the book here in the States!

  • edifanob May 9, 2009 at 2:07 pm

    I live in Germany and Nights of Villjamur is the first book I ordered amazon.uk I really look forward to get d read the book.