A Shadow Crown
A Shadow Crown is the highly anticipated next instalment of the fantasy saga that took BookTok by storm sees Keera navigate political scheming, backstabbing, and her own grief as she moves against the cruel king that holds her kingdom hostage.
To the kingdom, Keera is the king’s Blade, his most feared and trusted spy and assassin. But in the shadows, she works with Prince Killian and his Shadow – the dark, brooding Fae, Riven, who sets her blood on fire. Together, they plot to topple the crown that sits upon the king’s head.
A secret can only survive as long as its conspirators, and when no one is who they say, least of all Riven, all are in danger. Keera swore she would never open her heart again after a loss she barely survived. But she will soon find she has more to lose than she ever imagined…
This sequel is the follow-up to the BookTok sensation A Broken Blade, from which Melissa Blair has cultivated a devoted social media following.
Coverage
A Shadow Crown has been covered by numerous influencers on social media, including on TikTok by readwithmeg and Instagram by benaldersonauthor, the author of fantasy books Darkmourn, Realm of Fey, and Dragori. A guest piece by Melissa also appeared in Culturefly.
Not So Perfect Strangers
Not So Perfect Strangers is the newest twisty, addictive domestic thriller by former crime-reporter turned author, L.S Stratton.
Two strangers – a Black woman and a white woman – who discover that each has a husband she’d be better off without, find their lives entangled in increasingly sinister ways following one fateful encounter, leading to a shocking and violent conclusion.
Tasha and Madison may live in different parts of the country and have different everyday realities, but they have one thing in common: marriages they need out of. Tasha and Madison want to help each other, but they have very different ideas of what that means…The women are on a collision course that will end in the case files of the D.C. MPD homicide unit. Unravelling the truth of what really happened may be impossible…and futile. Because what has the truth ever done for women like Tasha and Madison?
Combining dark humour with classic domestic thriller tropes, Not So Perfect Strangers offers a fresh take on a classic story, in a brilliantly updated homage to Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train. Featuring a cast of diverse female leads living in modern America, L.S. Stratton’s latest release delves into pressing contemporary issues regarding feminism, gender dynamics, racism, and the white saviour complex.
Fans of Lucy Foley’s The Guest List and Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister the Serial Killer are sure to enjoy this highly anticipated domestic thriller.
Coverage
Not So Perfect Strangers ran a successful blog tour, with 24 bloggers posting about the book on their various social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. We also won coverage in Country & Townhouse and Writing.ie, with written pieces by L.S running in both publications and a giveaway running in That’s Life! Magazine.
DeadEndia: The Broken Halo and DeadEndia: The Watcher’s Test
Eisner Award–winning animation director, comic-book artist and TV writer, Hamish Steele’s epic DeadEndia series returned this June with the release of two YA graphic novels DeadEndia: The Broken Halo and DeadEndia: The Watcher’s Test, following the success of the Dead End: Paranormal Park Netflix series.
In volume 1 of the graphic novel series, DeadEndia: The Watcher’s Test, trans teen Barney and his best friend, Norma, are just trying to get by and keep their jobs, but working at the Dead End theme park also means battling demonic forces, time-travelling wizards, and scariest of all—their love lives! Follow the lives of this diverse group of employees of a haunted house, which may or may not also serve as a portal to hell, in the hilarious and moving graphic novel series, complete with talking pugs, vengeful ghosts, and first loves.
The epic adventures continue in volume 2, DeadEndia: The Broken Halo. It’s been weeks since Dead End was destroyed. As it reopens as a hotel, Norma is determined to leave the ghosts of the past where they belong. But with her friendship with Barney up in the air and the chaos of angels and demons using the hotel as their literal wrestling ring, Norma soon discovers that unwanted ghosts can appear at any moment.
Hamish Steele’s richly imagined world is known for its relatable and diverse action-packed adventures, presented in his signature style. His DeadEndia webcomic was adapted into a graphic novel by Nobrow in 2018, and into the Netflix fantasy horror animation, Dead End: Paranormal Park, showrun by Steele in 2022. Following the cancellation of the Netflix show, to the disappointment of audiences worldwide, fans of DeadEndia can now enjoy the updated journey of their favourite characters in the new graphic novels published by Union Square & Co. this June.
The DeadEndia Series is Steven Universe meets Adventure Zone, for fans of Heartstopper, Scott Pilgrim, Rick and Morty, Adventure Time, and Pumpkinheads.
Coverage
Deadendia has been very successful online, with one or both of the new releases being featured by 14 prominent TikTokers. An interview with Hamish McSteele also appeared in Starburst Magazine.
