Australian author and former youth librarian Lyndall Clipstone moves to Hot Key Books with two standalone dark gothic romances, Unholy Terrors and Tenderly, I Am Devoured.
Emma Matthewson, executive publisher at Hot Key Books, acquired UK and Commonwealth (excluding ANZ) English language rights from Jill Grinberg of Jill Grinberg Literary Management LLC. Rights have[EM1] also been sold for Tenderly I am Devoured to Henry Holt in the US and Penguin Random House in ANZ in a global deal brokered by Jill Grinberg Literary Management.
Unholy Terrors is a YA vampiric romantasy following Everline Blackthorn, torn between her vows and her heart, where falling in love may be the deepest sin of all. The book was published in the US (Henry Holt) and ANZ (Penguin Random House) in 2023.
Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a YA romantic folk horror centred on a young woman who, after her betrothal to a local hedge god goes terribly wrong, must join with her childhood rival and his alluring sister to save her family’s legacy—and herself—from ruin.
Lyndall Clipstone said: “I am thrilled to be working with such a passionate, thoughtful team who have published some of my favourite authors such as Alexandra Christo, Holly Black, and Krystal Sutherland. I also have a strong personal connection to the UK, with ancestry from Cornwall and Scotland, so it’s very exciting that my books will be widely available to readers in the UK.
“Tenderly I am Devoured is my most personal story yet, where terror comes with slow, creeping dread between the flower-threaded moments. It’s a story of family secrets, hidden diaries, old love letters. Of the quiet strength in carving a new path in life, and how trusting again after being betrayed can feel more dangerous than the threat of a desperate god. I hope that Lark’s softness and bravery as she uncovers the truth about her past and forms a tentative bond with the Felimath siblings will resonate with readers.”
Emma Matthewson added: “From Lyndall’s very first lines I was seduced both by the gorgeously lush narrative, and Lyndall’s simmering gothic and folk horror vibe that is (literally!) to die for… I cannot wait for readers to be just as entranced and just as seduced.”
Lyndall Clipstone writes about monsters and the girls who like to kiss them. A former youth librarian who grew up running wild in the Barossa Ranges of South Australia, she currently lives in Adelaide, Australia, where she tends her own indoor secret garden. She is the author of Lakesedge and Forestfall. @lkclipstone
Unholy Terrors will be publishing in September 2024 and Tenderly I Am Devoured will publish in spring 2025.
