I’m so excited to share the cover of The Deep-Sea Duke, coming out with Barrington Stoke in Feb 2021. This is set on an underwater planet, who are facing a climate crisis as refugees from a nearby planet keep arriving. It’s a scavenger hunt, a love story, and a drama of courtly intrigue in the nobility. I’m so excited about it, and I love this cover so much!
“A rich and brilliantly bonkers story of aliens and androids. Its themes of social justice and equality really set it apart in the sci-fi genre.” – The Belfast Telegraph about The Starlight Watchmaker.
Hugo is spending the holidays on his friend Dorian’s home planet, Hydrox. Although thrilled at the invitation, Hugo is still astonished that Duke Dorian could possibly want to be friends with an android watchmaker like him. But when the pair land on Hydrox along with their friend Ada, they soon discover that there are much bigger problems afoot.
A race of butterflies from a neighbouring star system have evacuated their now-uninhabitable planet, and Hydrox is struggling to find space for the growing number of refugees. Meanwhile, deep in the seas beneath Dorian’s home, a strange creature is on a path of destruction…
Can the unlikely trio step in before the crisis gets out of control?
Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 12+, this is a sequel to The Starlight Watchmaker, which was shortlisted for the STEAM Children’s Book Prize 2020 and nominated for the Carnegie medal.
The second book in The Watchmaker and the Duke series is a 17,000 word novella which will be published in paperback and eBook by Barrington Stoke on 15th February 2021.
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Book Depository | Waterstones | Foyles | Find out more in the Tumblr tag
It’s also only a month until The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker is published, so I read the first chapter here:
I’ve been sharing character bios for the gang of ghosts:
You can still get signed copies for preorder from my etsy – these come with a new design bookmark and set of letters to the reader about all of my books, plus a set of art prints. There are 16 left and I won’t be restocking when they’re sold out.
I have an interview in VOCAB magazine here. I talk about writing craft – outlines, plot arcs, and editing!
Upcoming events:
Monthly: Sparks Young Writers classes, Coventry – book here for September 2020 onwards
Sat 26th Sept: WOWCON zoom workshop on working with agents, 8pm – book here
September: Online YA mentoring course for writers through WriteMentor
I read aloud some of the storyline about a fictional virus pandemic from The Quiet at the End of the World, including Maya and Riz’s social media posts:
And I think that’s all for now, folks! Stay safe, and I’d love it if you could preorder HARRIET STOKER and support the book!
-Lauren
LAUREN JAMES 