SOLARIS CONFIRMS TWO NEW DEALS

BL Publishing is very excited to announce the purchase of two new deals for its SOLARIS imprint.

BLACK MAGIC WOMAN – BY JUSTIN GUSTAINIS
Occult investigator Quincey Morris and his consultant, white witch Libby Chastain, are hired to free a family from a deadly curse that appears to date back to the Salem witch trials. Fraught with danger, the trail finds them stalking the mysterious occult underworlds of Boston, San Francisco, New Orleans and New York, searching out the root of the curse. After surviving a series of terrifying attempts on their lives, the two find themselves drawn inexorably towards Salem itself – and the very heart of darkness.

Black Magic Woman marks the start of an electrifying new series of supernatural thrillers following these occult investigators as they search out evil in the darkest corners of America.

Solaris Editor Christian Dunn said of the deal, “When Jim Butcher says that this is better than any of the manuscripts he’s been asked to read by numerous publishers, you have to listen. And he was right. This is an absolutely fantastic novel.” Justin Gustainis is an American college professor living in upstate New York. He has been, at various times in his life, a busboy, soldier, speech writer and professional bodyguard.

Black Magic Woman will be published by Solaris in December 2007.

"[Black Magic Woman is]...better than any of the manuscripts I've been asked to read and blurb on by various publishers."
- Jim Butcher, author of The Dresden Files

BLUE WAR – BY JEFFREY THOMAS
Blue War, the second Solaris novel from the critically acclaimed Jeffrey Thomas, is an incredible SF thriller starring shape-changing future detective Jeremy Stake.

A jungle of blue vegetation, on another world, in another dimension. Here, Earth’s Colonial Forces once battled against the blue-skinned Ha Jiin people, a war in which Jeremy Stake took part. Now, a hard-won peace is about to crumble as the work of a biotech corporation goes disastrously wrong. An attempt to grow an apartment village from an organic material has led to the Earth colony of Punktown being replicated at an astonishing rate, ruining farms and displacing locals. More strangely, three clones are found in this bizarre organic copy of the city, clones that the city itself has regenerated from long dead remains. Stake is employed to solve these mysteries, and in the depths of the blue jungle he discovers a sinister operation that defies belief. Up against the military, Ha Jiin gangsters, and ultimately his own government, Stake is pushed to the limits to avoid, at all costs, another war from breaking out.

Jeffrey’s first Solaris novel, Deadstock, was chosen as Waterstone’s SF and Fantasy ‘Bookseller’s Choice’ for March 2007. Celebrated SF artist, Stephan Martiniere has been commissioned for the cover of Blue War.

Solaris Assistant Editor Mark Newton said, “The critical reception for Deadstock was wonderful, and we’re delighted to see Jeffrey climb the ranks of SF Greats. Blue War will be, without a doubt, something for everyone to look out for.”

Blue War will be published by Solaris in March 2008.

Praise for Deadstock

“This is that rare animal, a thriller that keeps the reader guessing. Thomas's control of pacing and plot is expert… Deadstock is a gripping page-turner written with verve and intelligence.”
– The Guardian

“For a wild ride, readers will be hard-pressed to find a better vehicle than Thomas’s bizarre multiverse.”
– Publishers Weekly Starred Review

For more information please contact BL Publishing on: solaris@blpublishing.com 
or call George Mann on ++44 (0)115 - 900 4172