Huzzah for a New Publishing Company with a Difference...

Jan Carr & Lorraine Gregory

@threeharesbooks

Daring to be different - isn't that the essence of 'indie'? Three Hares Books officially launched on Tuesday 20th May and on the last day of our Everything Indie month we're delighted to congratulate new publishers Helen Bryant (nee Corner) and Yasmin Standen on their new and innovative publishing company.



Helen of Cornerstones Literary Consultancy and Yasmin of The Standen Literary Agency have come together because they both want to publish books that move the reader. Their approach allows them to take a chance on first-time writers, hit the market with books at a greater speed, and explore fresh areas. Over the coming year, they'll be releasing a whole host of original adult, young adult, and children’s fiction. They are embracing ebooks alongside print books, with more author involvement in the process.

Yasmin explains:

“In creating Three Hares we have embraced technological advances in publishing - ebook sales are soaring, but print books remain a staple for many, which is why we are publishing both.”

Yasmin and Helen

The Debut Authors with their publishers

Their first batch of books!

Three Hares have dispensed with the usual genres and have created the 'mood bar'. Choices such as  'Crush curious' 'Teen Wild' and 'Feeling blue and want to wallow' cross age bands with the intention of offering readers books that match their feelings on a particular day. Ebooks make that instant mood gratification a reality.

Helen says:

“Three Hares is about quality, speed and delivery. We operate in a low risk, high return way so it's exciting what we can do for our authors, as well as bringing fresh voices to the consumer.”

Two of those fresh voices are of course SCBWI members Christina Banach and Nick Cook. Print copies of Minty and Cloud Riders looked and felt wonderful from the cover designs by creative director Jennie Rawlings to the ever so slightly velvety feel to the board - well worth a double, digital and print, investment.

Nick and Christina with Katherine Price of Cornerstones' 'Kids'  Corner'

Nick and Yasmin

Helen and Christina

Helen and Yasmin are actively seeking new voices.

Check their submission guidelines.

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Jan Carr is the editor of Words & Pictures. Her fiction is all over the place, she blogs occasionally and loves to write in magenta. You can contact her at editor@britishscbwi.org.

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 to bring joy to our Saturday Celebrations' posts

Minty Fresh Success !

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/.

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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

Nick Cook rides the clouds to success

@CloudRiders

Hearts, flowers and chocolates galore go to SCBWI debut author Nick Cook this week, as we celebrate his deal with Three Hares Publishing. His novel Cloud Riders is the first in a YA trilogy to be published on 1st May 2014.








Nick signed with his agent Eve White in 2012. He says “It’s taken little over a year since signing with Eve to securing a publishing deal. It’s a journey that I haven’t spoken much about in public before, because there’s been so many highs and lows, false dawns and crushing disappointments. But I have to say, being able to announce the publishing agreement with Three Hares has, without doubt, been one of the best moments of my life. The idea that at last I’ll soon have an audience for my work still seems like a dream – but like they say, dreams do sometimes come true.”

When the first twister in months appears from nowhere and an airship emerges from the spout, Dom’s world is turned upside down. The ship's pilots are explorers who make Dom an offer beyond his imagination. But the pilots are hiding a terrible secret. Can Dom uncover the truth and make the right decision before everything he cares for is destroyed? 

Nick’s publisher, Yasmin Standen of Three Hares Publishing says: “Every now and then a book comes along that grabs hold of you and you cannot put it down, you find yourself thinking about it all the time. Cloud Riders is that book. I fell in love with Dom's voice, I think a part of me fell in love with Dom! Cloud Riders is a fast paced steampunk adventure and an emotional roller coaster ride all in one. I am waiting with bated breath for book two! Three Hares is delighted to have acquired this superb trilogy.”

So how did Nick's journey to the clouds begin?

After completing his degree in sculpture back in 1985, rather than face the artist’s traditional garret Nick took the plunge into the emerging computer games industry. For something that was meant to be a brief detour, it became a way of life. For more than 21 years he worked as a graphic artist and creative director, helping to create over forty published titles, including many chart-topping hits.

As fascinating and intoxicating as it was, increasingly a little voice kept nagging away at the back of his head. At the end of 2006 he finally gave into it and was ready to pursue his other passion - writing - as a full time career. So, on a chilly December morning, he started scribbling in earnest. His latest manuscript is Cloud Riders, a tale set in Tornado Alley where twisters are a way of life. Then one day a tornado hits and a strange airship emerges from the spout…

Nick has a passion for science and astronomy, often blogging about the latest mind-blowing discoveries made in quantum physics. He once even solo-ed a light aircraft, an experience he’s tapping into now for Cloud Riders. Not needing any excuse to travel, he recently completed a writing research trip to the volcanic landscape of Iceland and is starting to wonder whether he should set his next book somewhere slightly warmer like the Bahamas.

You can follow his ramblings on his blog www.nick-cook.net and watch the first in a three-part trailer for Cloud Riders. So sit back, crack open the bubbly and join me in wishing Nick a huge congratulations!

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Tania Tay is an ex-advertising copywriter and has been published in Sable LitMag. She is currently writing a YA romantic thriller, is a member of The Golden Egg Academy and is on the editorial team at Words & Pictures.