The PMJ Christmas Love Story Competition is an opportunity for unpublished writers in the UK and Ireland to submit their festive, feel-good romance novels to be considered for publication by the publisher.

Entries were judged by a panel from the Penguin Michael Joseph editorial team, as well as Times journalist Phoebe Luckhurst, author of The Lock In (published by PMJ).

The winning novel follows Margot Murray, a newly single businesswoman with no interest in a cutesy seasonal romance, who agrees to pose as the girlfriend of unlucky-in-love Ben Gibson.
His family live in a picture-perfect manor in the countryside and every year ask when he’s going to meet “The One”. Ben realises only one thing will stop them asking – introducing them to his new “girlfriend”. The story can only go one way. Margot is sure to fall in love for real. And she does. With Ben’s sister, Ellie.

Samuels said: “This experience has been a dream come true from the start – not least because I received the good news while tucking into a jalfrezi. Rebecca has been the perfect fit as an editor and her guidance has helped shape this book into all I wanted it to be and more. I am beyond delighted to be sharing this story full of love, silliness and queer joy.”

Hilsdon said: “It was wonderful running our Christmas Love Story Competition last year and we were lucky enough to read stories from so many talented writers. However, Talia’s novel was precisely what we were looking for – warm-hearted, festive and funny – and will be the perfect seasonal romance for 2023.”

Glenister added: “Talia is one of those rare gems of an author, whose writing makes you feel like you’re chatting to your best mate and The Christmas Swap is no exception. We need far more queer love stories in the commercial fiction space and I am so excited that this very funny, very frank (and at times rather sexy) story will soon be in readers’ hands!” The Christmas Swap will be published in October 2023.

​From The Bookseller article | Lauren Brown

The cover for Stephen Moss' forthcoming book, Ten Birds That Changed the World​ (March 2023, Faber), has been revealed:

Another cover reveal this week was for Maddie Please's Sunrise With the Silver Surfers!​

​Embla Books, the digital-first commercial fiction imprint of Bonnier Books UK, has snapped up two new psychological thrillers from Becca Day.

Hannah Smith, who helped launch Embla before recently moving to Penguin Michael Joseph, acquired world English-language rights from Emily Glenister at DHH Literary agency. The first of the two, The Secrets We Buried, will be published in summer 2023, with the next to follow in early 2024.

Smith’s replacement Cara Chimirri will be publishing both new Becca Day books in her role as editorial director. Chimirri said: “Becca Day is absolutely at the top of her game and delivers exactly what fans of psychological thrillers are looking for. She had me hooked from the very first page and her masterful twists never fail to take me by surprise. The way in which readers have reacted to Becca’s amazing writing has been extraordinary, and we are beyond thrilled to be publishing two new outstanding thrillers from her.”

Day, whose first two books, The Girl Beyond the Gate and All Her Little Lies, were also published by Embla, said: “I am so excited to be continuing my journey with Embla for two more books. The whole team is so wonderfully collaborative, making my début experience an absolute dream. I can’t wait to see what we all come up with next with the exciting addition of Cara Chimirri’s editorial vision.”

Glenister said the “phenomenal success” that Day achieved with Embla for her début, The Girl Beyond the Gate, is “testament to the dedication and vision they set out to have from the get-go”.
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“I couldn’t be happier that Becca’s next two heart-pounding psychological thrillers will continue to be published by them, with the addition of Cara Chimirri, whose excitement echoes fiercely that of the rest of the Embla team. Becca’s star is well and truly on the rise,” she said.

​From The Bookseller article | Lauren Brown

As we head into December, and the Christmas holiday draws ever closer, we have some fantastic books deals to help you while away the time; simply click on the covers below to take you straight to the promo:

Phillipa Ashley contributed a short story to last week's edition of My Weekly, entitled 'Special Connections'.

The magazine is on sale now. In addition, the magazine reviewed Phillipa's latest book, the fabulously festive The Christmas Holiday:

"I'd defy even the most ardent Christmas grinch not to be converted to loving the season through this gorgeous story. The Christmas Holiday is a total festive treat filled with emotion and entertainment."

Congratulations to Eva Björg Ægisdóttir and Ragnar Jónasson, who saw both their novels respectively shortlisted for the Icelandic Crime Fiction Award. 

Ægisdóttir's Boys Who Hurt and Jónasson's Reykjavík (co-written with Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir) are honoured at this year's Awards.

Both Jo Thomas' Keeping A Christmas Promise and Noel O'Reilly's soon-to-be-published The Darlings of the Asylum were selected as the 'Best Books of December by Apple Books!

Access the full list and download / pre-order your copies here.

Finally, the cover for The Ungrateful Dead, the third in Adam Simcox's The Dying Squad series, has been revealed: