This has been a big and exciting year for AAPS, in 2015, we have seen Gary Kemble’s debut thriller Skin Deep hit the shelves, along with Nicholas J Johnson’s Fast and Loose, sequel to Ned Kelly Crime Award nominee Chasing the Ace. Martin Shaw has joined the agency as our German co-agent, and we have signed new authors Jackie Ryan, Kathleen Jennings & Angela Slatter, Holly Harper, Shannon Horsfall, Bernice Barry and we still have two exciting announcements that didn’t quite get finalised to make the shouting list for 2015.
On the personal front, I have some amazing friends who I love dearly, had the bestest times with my adorable nieces, lost and gained my poor part-time corporate job, met and worked with some incredible people. I couldn’t do what I do without a huge support team, first and foremost, the stoic Paul Landymore, who puts up with an awful lot and keeps the home fires ticking over. Thank you to everyone!
I’m also pretty damn excited for 2016! Keep an eye out for new titles from AAPS, especially the incredible debut from Maria Lewis, Who’s Afraid? in January, but also Occupy Me by Tricia Sullivan, picture book Not Me by Shannon Horsfall, the long awaited print release of all three of Alan Baxter’s Alex Caine series in July, the biography of botanist Georgiana Molloy The Mind That Shines by Bernice Barry, and one more that I’m just not allowed to tell you about yet.
And now for the real highlight of my year, the books! 2015 has been a watershed year of phenomenal life changingly good books.
My top 5: Dorothy L. Sayers’ Gaudy Night & Busman’s Honeymoon, Isobelle Carmody’s Red Queen, Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’sTale, and Emily St John Mandel’s Station Eleven.
Honourable mentions to Trent Jamieson’s Day Boy, C.S. Pacat’s Captive Prince series, Paula Weston’s Rephaim series & Anne Bishop’s Others series.
Amazing re-reads of 2015: ALL Obernewtyn series, Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper, Persuasion by Jane Austen, & Deep Secret by Diana Wynne Jones.
My 2015 reading stats: 107 books (!!!). 20% audio books, 4% ebook, 80% women authors. What a year!
See you all to do it all over again in 2016! HAPPY NEW YEAR!