Molly Ringwald book to S&S

Simon & Schuster has acquired a novel in short stories by American actress Molly Ringwald. 

The publisher says it beat off stiff competition to sign When it Happens To You, with senior commissioning editor Clare Hey buying UK and Commonwealth rights from Arabella Stein at Abner Stein, on behalf of Susan Raihofer at David Black Literary Agency.

Hey said Ringwald's book was a “stunning, clever, beautifully written take on those things we might take for granted—love, family, marriage, children—and what happens when we lose them.”

She added: “I sat down meaning to dip into the beginning of When it Happens To You and several hours later emerged having read the whole thing. Molly is such a talented writer—not only does she craft the most beautiful sentences, but she has created a world peopled by characters who truly come to life, and a situation which emotionally grabbed me right from the first words.”

Ringwald has starred in films including "The Breakfast Club" and "Pretty in Pink". The actress is married to Greek-American writer and editor Panio Gianopoulos.

When It Happens To You will be published in August 2012 in hardback, with a simultaneous e-book.