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| Christina Banach |
Christina Banach is our lucky champagne toast recipient today! Her debut, Minty is out this week from Three Hares Publishing and I'm sure we'd all like to congratulate her and wish her the best of luck!
Christina lives in Scotland with her husband and their two rescue dogs. Her debut novel Minty is set in and around Fife, and features the picturesque coastal town of Elie, one of Christina’s favourite places on the planet.
Minty, a contemporary young adult ghost story, was Three Hares Publishing’s first acquisition. Although the book comes out this month it will be launched, along with Three Hares’ other lead titles, in London in May.
Fourteen-year-old twins Minty and Jess are inseparable. Maybe they bicker now and then, even crave a bit of space once in a while. But they have a connection. Unbreakable. Steadfast. Nothing can tear them apart. Until a family trip to the coast puts their bond in jeopardy. As Minty tries to rescue her dog from drowning she ends up fighting for her life. Will Minty survive? If she doesn’t, how will Jess cope without her?
Christina says, "The idea for the book appeared early one summer morning, just as the sun came up. During the night I thought I had sensed my late father's presence, so, unable to get back to sleep, I sat in the sunroom contemplating what had actually happened. While doing this I heard my dog panting and put out my hand to stroke her. Until I remembered - she had died the month before. That's when Minty's story came to me."
"2013 was an incredible year for me. To be signed by my wonderful agent, Yasmin Standen, was thrilling in itself, but to be offered the chance to be part of an exciting new venture was way beyond my expectations. I’d like to say that I was very calm and controlled when I heard that Three Hares wanted to publish Minty. I’d be lying. To be honest, I did a little jig, grinned a lot – laughed - and then succumbed to a few tears. Truly, my emotions were all over the place, which I suppose isn’t all that surprising given the fact that I’d been working towards that moment since turning my back on the day job in January 2006."
Helen Bryant, co-publisher for Three Hares had the following to say;
"I've had my eye on Christina as a writer for a while. When the opportunity arose for Three Hares Publishing to acquire Minty as a lead title I felt like she'd come home. Minty is one of the most moving books for YA I've read in a long time. It's a real weepy from start to finish but with heart and warmth at the core. It's a cross between The Lovely Bones (without the grim murder) and Ghost and it stays with you long after you've finished the book.
Christina is a delight to work with. She's the perfect author: she's professional, enthusiastic and responds immediately to editorial suggestion. She has real talent and having been a Headteacher she's in touch with her audience, which is invaluable. She's also creative and proactive with her social media and PR opportunities. We're looking forward to publishing her with a flourish when we launch in May 2014."
You can read more about Christina, and watch the book trailer for Minty, by checking out her website www.christinabanach.com. To give potential readers a flavour of the story, Christina has created a Minty mood board on Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/cbanachauthor/.
Lorraine Gregory has been writing fantasy adventure books aimed at middle-grade boys for the last three years. She's been a chef and a restaurant manager and now works from home as an Antenatal Teacher. She belongs to the Words & Pictures Team and helps Tania to bring joy to our Saturday Celebrations' posts
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