THE MADNESS LOCKER d’Eddie Russell

A brilliant dual narrative, historical crime fiction title inspired by a true unsolved murder case, asking questions about integrity, identity and if there is such a thing as ‘the right side’ in the fog of war.This novel has all the rich detail needed for enthralling historical fiction, with a fascinating mystery at its heart, culminating in a heartracing twist.

THE MADNESS LOCKER
by Eddie Russell
Big Sky (Australia), October 2021
(via Randle Editorial)

In the early hours of Christmas morning in 1986, the body of an older woman was discovered inside a wheelie bin in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, Australia. There were no clues and no suspects. After an extensive investigation, the police admitted defeat and filed it as a cold case. It is a case that taunts them still. Eddie Russell’s debut conjures a plausible motive to this strange crime in this artfully wrought, page-turning story which takes the reader from Utrecht to Berlin, to Auschwitz, and finally, to a sleepy neighbourhood in Sydney, Australia.
Autumn, 1986. Ruth, a Jewish woman in her later years, is grieving the death of her husband. His old friend, a widowed neighbour called Sam, offers her comfort. But Ruth feels there is something off about Sam. Whatever story he’s peddling, she doesn’t buy it. She’s determined to uncover the truth about how he came to find himself in Sydney and where his real loyalties lie.
Winter 1941. Two young girls living under the tyranny of a brutal and dictatorial Nazi regime experience a fateful twist, leading one to escape to freedom and the other to be subjected to incarceration in a concentration camp, and how she got there is buried in the depths of her memory. But remembering is key. Somebody is responsible for her ending up in the depths of hell. And, if she survives, she will make that person pay if it’s the last thing she does…
In an extraordinary story of hidden identity, revenge and deception, THE MADNESS LOCKER is a chilling reminder that the truth will always catch up with you someday.

Eddie Russell has a degree in English literature and Masters in Creative writing. Born and raised in the then English colony of East Africa to English parents, he immigrated to Australia to complete his schooling before moving to San Diego to work in technology. He is now settled back in Australia with his life partner and following his passion to write. THE MADNESS LOCKER is his first novel. You can watch Eddie introduce the novel here.

NOWHERE FOR VERY LONG de Brianna Madia

In this beautifully written, vividly detailed memoir, a young woman chronicles her adventures traveling across the deserts of the American West in an orange van named Bertha and reflects on an unconventional approach to life.

NOWHERE FOR VERY LONG:
The Unexpected Road to an Unconventional Life
by Brianna Madia
HarperOne, April 2022

A woman defined by motion, Brianna Madia bought a beat-up bright orange van, filled it with her two dogs Bucket and Dagwood, and headed into the canyons of Utah with her husband. Nowhere for Very Long is her story of exploration—of the world outside and the spirit within.
Brianna knew her road would be the one less traveled from an early age. Rejecting the competitive and capitalistic path set out before her, she chose to seek a different version of happiness, a road scary, uncertain, and entirely her own. But pursuing a life of intention isn’t always what it seems. In fact, at times it was downright boring, exhausting, and even desperate—when the van overheated and she was forced to pull over on a lonely stretch of South Dakota highway; when the weather was bitterly cold and her water jugs froze beneath her as she slept in the parking lot of her office; when she worried about money, her marriage, and the looming question mark of her future. But she was living a life true to herself, come what may, and that made all the difference.
NOWHERE FOR VERY LONG is the chronicle of a woman learning and unlearning, from backroads to breakdowns, married to solo, and finally, from lost to found.

Brianna Madia is a writer, adventurer, and desert-dweller. For the last several years, she and her now three pups Bucket, Dagwood, and Birdie call her big orange van, Bertha, home. An avid climber, canyoneer, mountain biker, kayaker, and explorer, Brianna believes in moving against the grain, embracing her true self, and trying all the things that scare you.

YOU BET YOUR HEART de Danielle Parker

A YA contemporary about star student Sasha, who finds herself in a dead heat for the valedictorian title (and the scholarship that comes with it) with her childhood best friend-turned-nemesis Ezra and decides to settle the score with a bet—winner takes all. Filled with heart and sure to make you laugh, this cinematic novel manages to be winsome yet entertaining and sweet yet smart, all while exploring how race, class, and intergenerational dynamics shape teenagers’ goals, ambitions, and drive.

YOU BET YOUR HEART
by Danielle Parker
Joy Revolution/Delacorte, Summer 2023
(via Park & Fine Literary and Media)

Four years after her dad died, Sasha Johnson-Sun’s life is entirely different for her and her Korean immigrant mother: a smaller apartment, Saturdays spent cleaning classmates’ houses, her father’s photo on the bookshelf with other deceased relatives. Only Sasha’s top-of-class grades are the same, because if Sasha knows one thing, it’s this: she will graduate as the school’s valedictorian. After all, this is the dream her father had for her, and that her mother’s many sacrifices have made possible.
Now, two months before graduation, the title and the scholarship prize that comes with it are within grasp. That is, until the principal calls Sasha and her childhood best friend-turned-nemesis Ezra Davis-Goldberg into his office to deliver the second-worst news of Sasha’s life: they’re tied for valedictorian, a first in Skyline High history. And for some reason, Ezra—carefree, effortlessly gifted, uninterested-in-school Ezra—is as determined to win as Sasha is.
These things can’t be left to chance. Sasha and Ezra agree on a winner-takes-all, best-of-three bet, with the loser throwing their grade by failing to complete their final assignment. But as Sasha and Ezra go head-to-head in a series of academic challenges, they each are forced to reexamine not just what they want, but 
why… With everything hanging in the balance, Sasha can choose to ignore the tide of long-buried emotions that are rushing to the surface, honor her family, and win; or she can let go of the things she thought mattered and choose to believe that we are lovable and worthy because of who we are, not because of what we do. Decide wrong, and she will not just jeopardize her future, but also her shot at healing her heart and maybe, possibly, even finding true love.
Danielle Parker has written a remarkably funny, heart-filled romantic comedy that is sure to win over countless teen readers over: it’s part
Election, part To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and part Happily Ever Afters. It is at once a winsome and hugely entertaining high concept romance about two biracial teens falling in love, and a sharp examination of how race, class, and intergenerational dynamics shape teenagers’ goals, ambitions, and drive. It’s also a tender portrait of a mother and daughter still grappling with grief, and of two childhood friends trying to remember why they drifted apart and trying to figure out who they’ve each become in the meantime.

Danielle Parker is a Pitch Wars alumnus and she shares Sasha’s Black and Korean biracial identity. She is a high school English teacher in the Pacific Northwest and has also worked as an editorial assistant at Weldon Owen/Insights Editions. You can follow her on twitter at @onedanip.

Des adaptations à l’écran et une franchise chez Paramount pour la série « Wayward Children » de Seanan McGuire

Les studios Paramount ont acquis les droits audiovisuels de la série de fantasy « Wayward Children » (« Les Enfants indociles ») avec pour projet la création d’une franchise autour des personnages et de leur univers, motivée par l’engouement des lecteurs pour les livres de Seanan McGuire et la grande communauté de fans déjà bien établie. Les adaptations seront produites par Pouya Shahbazian, producteur de la trilogie de films Divergente ou encore de la série Shadow and Bone sur Netflix. (Lire l’article de Deadline)

Les livres racontent les histoires fantastiques de différents élèves d’une école unique en son genre, la Maison des enfants indociles d’Eleanor West. Suite à leurs aventures dans des mondes imaginaires, ces enfants doivent faire face aux défis qui les attendent après leur dur retour à la réalité.

Le septième tome de la série est attendu pour janvier 2022 aux Etats-Unis. En France, le premier tome vient de paraître le 1er septembre aux éditions Pygmalion sous le titre Les portes perdues (titre original Every Heart a Doorway), dans une traduction de Benjamin Kuntzer.

PAWS #1: GABBY GETS IT TOGETHER de Nathan Fairbairn & Michele Assarasakorn

Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier, Kayla Miller, and Victoria Jamieson, this funny and heartwarming graphic novel series is the Baby-Sitters Club for pets!

PAWS #1: GABBY GETS IT TOGETHER
by Nathan Fairbairn
illustrated by Michele Assarasakorn
Razorbill/Penguin YR, March 2022

Meet best friends Gabby Jordan, Priya Gupta, and Mindy Kim. They’re different in just about every way—personalities, hobbies, family, and more—but they have a few important things in common: they’re all in the same class, they absolutely love animals, and for reasons that are as varied as the trio themselves none of them can actually have any pets. Unable to resist the adorable temptation any longer, the girls decide to come up with a way to finally get their hands on some furry friends. And, as luck would have it, it seems like their neighborhood is in need of some afterschool dog-walkers. So, just like that, PAWS is born! But it turns out that running a business is harder than it looks, especially with three co-owners who are such different people. The girls soon argue about everything, from how to prioritize their commitments to the best way to keep their doggy clients happy. And when their fighting ultimately leads to a doggo crisis, will it tear their business and friendship apart or will they be able to get it together to save the day?

Nathan Fairbairn is a New York Times bestselling and Eisner-nominated creator, who has worked as a colorist for such iconic characters as Spider-Man, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Scott Pilgrim. He’s also co-creator, writer, and colorist of the graphic novel Lake of Fire. He started writing PAWS, his middle grade debut, as a way to share his passion for comics and storytelling with his daughter. Nathan lives with his family in Vancouver.
Michele Assarasakorn (also known as MSASSYK) is a colorist who worked on comic series such as Eisner-nominated Isola, Gotham Academy, and The Magnificent Ms. Marvel. Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, Michele now calls Vancouver home but also likes to travel the world working remotely as an artist. PAWS marks her debut as an illustrator.