Press Release: Curtis Jobling New UK Deal - Max Helsing and the Thirteenth Curse Published by Orchard 2016

Exciting news Orchard Books has acquired two titles in the Max Helsing and the Thirteenth Curse series by Curtis Jobling.

The series is about Max Helsing, the descendent of the original Van Helsing vampire-killer, as he battles modern-day monsters in between schoolwork and monster-slaying training.

Homework by day… Monster-hunting by night.

 Descended from a long line of monster hunters, Max Helsing does a pretty good job of being an eighth grader by day and keeping his town safe from demons, ghouls, and the occasional mummy by night.  That is, until he turns thirteen and discovers he’s been cursed by an ancient vampire who wants him dead – at any cost. To save the world – and his life – Max must rely on his wise-cracking best friend, cantankerous mentor, computer genius neighbor, and brand-new puppy. He’ll need all their help and more to break the Thirteenth Curse!

Jobling is the British author of several books for children, including the Wereworld series (Puffin) and Frankenstein’s Cat (Hodder). He also designed the BBC’s children’s TV show Bob the Builder.

Orchard is planning to publish summer 2016. 

Random House will publish in the US in November 2015.  Cracking book cover by Jake Wyatt. 

About Curtis Jobling:

Curtis Jobling (www.curtisjobling.com and www.badablingthing.com) is the author of the acclaimed Wereworld series, published by Puffin. He’s also known for being the designer of the BAFTA-winning BBC show Bob the Builder. 

Curtis is based in Cheshire and visits up to 90 schools a year promoting his books – as well as being a regular on the festival circuit, speaking at Hay, Bath and Edinburgh. He is very active on Twitter (2.6K followers) and Facebook.

Mr Ripley's New Children's and Teen Books September 2014 - Post Two

Scott Westerfeld - Afterworlds - Published by Simon & Schuster Children's Books (25 Sep 2014)
Darcy Patel has put college and everything else on hold to publish her teen novel, Afterworlds. Arriving in New York with no apartment or friends she wonders whether she's made the right decision until she falls in with a crowd of other seasoned and fledgling writers who take her under their wings...Told in alternating chapters is Darcy's novel, a suspenseful thriller about Lizzie, a teen who slips into the 'Afterworld' to survive a terrorist attack. But the Afterworld is a place between the living and the dead and as Lizzie drifts between our world and that of the Afterworld, she discovers that many unsolved - and terrifying - stories need to be reconciled. And when a new threat resurfaces, Lizzie learns her special gifts may not be enough to protect those she loves and cares about 
most.

Kenneth Oppel - The Boundless - Published by David Fickling Books (4 Sep 2014)
After a murder is committed, Will finds himself in possession of a key that has the potential to unlock the train's hidden treasures. Together with Maren, a gifted escape artist, and Mr Dorian, a circus ringmaster with amazing abilities, Will must save the Boundless before someone else winds up dead. With villains fast on his heels and strange creatures lurking outside the windows, the train hurtles across the country as Will flees for his life. His adventure may have begun without his knowing...but how it ends is now entirely up to Will.

Dave Shelton - Thirteen Chairs - Published by  David Fickling Books (4 Sep 2014)
Jack stands in the dark on the landing of the old house, and looks at his feet - He has been here for minutes, his hand on the door handle, debating whether or not to go in. A high-ceilinged room lit only by candles. Thirteen chairs, one empty. Twelve ghostly storytellers, waiting to begin. Come in! Sit down. We have been expecting you. Listen to our stories. Are you brave enough? And what is the story that you must tell? Jack is a curious boy. Are you?

Kendall Kulper - The Witch of Salt & Storm - Orchard Books (4 Sep 2014)

Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe wants only to take her rightful place as the sea witch of Prince Island, making the charms that keep the island's whalers safe and prosperous at sea. But before she could learn how to control her power, her mother - the first Roe woman in centuries to turn her back on magic - steals Avery away from her grandmother. Avery must escape before her grandmother dies, taking with her the secrets of the Roe's power.

The one magical remnant left to Avery is the ability to read dreams, and one night she foresees her own murder. Time is running short, both for her and for the people of her island who need the witches' help to thrive.

Avery has never read a dream that hasn't come true, but a tattooed harpoon boy named Tane tells her he can help her change her fate. Becoming a witch may prevent her murder and save her island from ruin, but Avery discovers it will also require a sacrifice she never expected. And as she falls in love with Tane, she learns it is his life and hers that hang in the balance.

Mr Ripley's New Books Picks: Children's / Teens Published April 2014 - UK Post One

Kelley Armstrong - Sea of Shadows Age of Legends: BK1 - Published by Atom - 8, April 2014 

In the Forest of the Dead, where the empire's worst criminals are exiled, twin sisters Moria and Ashyn are charged with a dangerous task. For they are the Keeper and the Seeker, and each year they must quiet the enraged souls of the damned.

Only this year, the souls will not be quieted.

Ambushed by an ancient evil, Moria and Ashyn must race to warn the empire of a terrifying threat. Accompanied by a dashing thief and a warrior with a dark history, the sisters battle their way across a wasteland filled with reawakened monsters of legend. But there are more sinister enemies waiting for them at court - and a secret that will alter the balance of their world forever.

The first volume in the Age of Legends trilogy, Sea of Shadows is a thrilling dark fantasy where evil hides in every shadow and the deadliest monsters of all come in human form . . .

Bernard Ashley - Shadow of the Zeppelin - Published by Orchard Books - 3, April 2014 

Across Europe, the horror of war is destroying lives and separating families.

Yield or fight?

When tragedy strikes Freddie's family, he and his soldier brother must go on the run, battling for their survival.

Jump or burn?

Without a parachute, that's the choice Ernst knows he will face if his Zeppelin is shot down.

Bravery takes different forms. How far would you go to stand up for what's right?

Emma Pass - The Fearless - Published by Corgi Children's -24, April 2014

The Fearless. An army, powered by an incredible new serum that makes each soldier stronger, sharper, faster than their enemies. Intended as a force for good, the serum has a terrible side-effect - anyone who takes it is stripped of all humanity, empathy, love. And as the Fearless sweep through the country, forcing the serum on anyone in their path, society becomes a living nightmare.

Cass remembers the night they passed through her village. Her father was Altered. Her mother died soon after. All Cass has left is her little brother - and when Jory is snatched by the Fearless and taken to their hellish lair, Cass must risk everything to get him back.

Anne Blankman - Prisoner of Night and Fog - Published by Headline - 22, April 2014 

An explosive, fast-paced thriller set in Nazi Germany, perfect for readers who enjoyed THE BOOK THIEF. Gretchen Muller has, as best she can, dealt with the horrors of her family's past. Her father, a senior Nazi officer, died to save the life of their leader, Adolf Hitler. And now Germany has the chance to be great once more. Swept up in the excitement and passion of life in Munich in 1931, seventeen-year-old Gretchen has embraced the life laid out for her by that leader, her 'Uncle Dolf'.

But the secrets of the past cannot be silenced forever. When Gretchen receives a letter from an anonymous sender claiming to have more information about her father's death, she becomes swept up in a desperate and dangerous search for the truth. With the full might of the ever-powerful Nazi party on her tail, it is a race that will risk everything she has and change her life forever...