Three fresh deals for Headline Review, from time-slip to seasonal novels

Headline Review has tied up deals with three authors: Christina Courtenay and Erin Green, best known for their digital successes, plus a "darkly gripping" new voice for 2021, Julie Brooks.

Senior commissioning editor Kate Byrne did the three world English-language deals via Lina Langlee at the North Literary Agency (for Courtenay), via David Headley at the DHH Literary Agency (for Green) and via Judith Murdoch at the Judith Murdoch Literary Agency (for Brooks).

Courtenay, who is a Kindle top-50 bestseller, will be writing two romantic timeslip novels set partly in the Viking era for Headline Review. They are Whispers of the Runes and Tempted by the Runes, publishing in June and December 2021 respectively.

Byrne said: "Christina cemented herself as the queen of Viking timeslip fiction with Echoes of the Runes and the significant pre-orders for her follow-up, The Runes of Destiny, show readers are eager for more of her page-turning plots, thrilling adventure and unforgettable romance. They are absolutely perfect for fans of Barbara Erskine and Diana Gabaldon."

Green, also a digital bestseller, will be launching a new series with From Shetland, with Love in May 2021 and From Shetland, with Love at Christmas in September 2021. Byrne credited Green for her "gift for warm, uplifting, multigenerational, female-driven stories", which she said "will also draw on the current trends for allotment living and creative crafting". "It’s the timely, resonant and heartwarming fiction we all need now more than ever," she added.

Brooks (pictured) is welcomed to Headline Review as a new author, with Secrets of the Bay launching in digital in September 2021; a hardback will follow in December. Rights were acquired in two books by the Australian novelist, and the first in the deal is billed as "a darkly gripping dual-time novel" and "an absolute book club treat". Secrets of the Bay follows Rose and Ivy, who board a ship bound for Australia in 1919. Only one of them arrives. Years later, Molly is tasked with finding out what happened to her great-grandmother, who disappeared in the 1960s.

Byrne said: "With its morally ambiguous characters and a wealth of twists, turns and secrets, Julie’s novel had me completely hooked. It’s an absolute book club treat and I’m thrilled to be launching Julie’s career at Headline Review."