We are delighted to bring you the news today that we have signed a truly wonderful talent in the form of Bryony Pearce. Her novel The Weight of Souls is due from Strange Chemistry in Autumn 2013, and the deal was made between Amanda Rutter and Juliet Mushens of PFD.

About Bryony Pearce

Bryony Pearce completed an English Literature degree at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1998 and afterwards worked in the research industry. After a while she moved to a village at the edge of the Peak District and went freelance so she could devote more time to writing. Her first book, the award winning Angel’s Fury, was published by Egmont in 2011. She is now a full time mother to two children, writes as much as possible and enjoys doing school visits and events when she can fit them in. Her agent is Juliet Mushens at PFD. For more information on Bryony, please visit her website www.bryonypearce.co.uk

About The Weight of Souls

16 year old Taylor Oh is cursed: if she is touched by the ghost of a murder victim then they pass a mark beneath her skin. She has three weeks to find their murderer and pass the mark to them – letting justice take place and sending them into the Darkness. And if she doesn’t make it in time? The Darkness will come for her… She spends her life trying to avoid ghosts, make it through school where she’s bullied by popular Justin and his cronies, keep her one remaining friend, and persuade her father that this is real and that she’s not going crazy.

And then Justin is murdered and everything gets a whole lot worse. Justin doesn’t know who killed him, so there’s no obvious person for Taylor to go after. The clues she has lead her to the V Club, a vicious secret society at her school where no one is allowed to leave… And where Justin was dared to do the stunt which led to his death. Can she find out who was responsible for his murder before the Darkness comes for her? Can she put aside her hatred for her former bully to truly help him? And what happens if she starts to fall for him?

Quotable Quotes!

Bryony had this to say on being signed to Strange Chemistry: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the Strange Chemistry family with my new YA novel, The Weight of Souls, and so excited to see the team bring Taylor, a girl cursed to see the dead, to life next year.”

Amanda said this: “The Weight of Souls is a fantastic book, and every girl will be able to identify with Taylor. Bryony is a genuine talent and I’m delighted that she has signed to Strange Chemistry.”