O’Brien moves from HQ to Orion with three new novels

Anne O’Brien is moving to Orion with three new titles, having previously had 13 books published by HQ. 

Charlotte Mursell, editorial director at Orion Fiction, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to the three "enthralling" historical novels from Jane Judd at The Jane Judd Literary Agency, with the books promising to “give voice to the forgotten women of history”.  

The first book, A Marriage of Fortune is set to be released in hardback, e-book and audio in February 2023 and tells the story of the Pastons – a family who rose from obscurity during the War of the Roses to eventually secure themselves a place at the heart of the Yorkist court. 

As the war rages on,  Margaret Paston knows that there is only one way to survive the loss of the Paston’s family seat, Caister Castle: a fortunate marriage for one of her unruly daughters. A favourable match will change the future of her family overnight, but a scandal will ruin the Paston family name forever. 

Described as “meticulously researched, spellbinding in their retelling and always with a woman teetering on a knife edge at a pivotal moment in our nation’s history", Mursell said she has long admired O’Brien as “one of the most impressive historical writers of our time”.

“With Anne’s enthralling new novels, readers dive into a piece of history that they might be familiar with, but for the first time hear it from a woman’s point of view,” she said. “This is historical writing at its very best, but told by the forgotten (or purposely hidden) figures who were really pulling all the puppet strings behind the crown. We are so thrilled to be bringing Anne’s publishing to Orion!’ 

O’Brien who, according to the publisher, has sold more than 700,000 copies of her books in the UK and internationally to date, said: "What a wonderful welcome I have been given to Orion Publishing.  I am delighted to be working with Charlotte Mursell and the dedicated team, to give a voice to the silent women of England, women who have been cast into the shadow of their menfolk for far too long. All my thanks to Orion for putting them on the historical fiction map."