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HarperCollins Children's Books has bought world rights to a six-book series about a tomboy and aspiring stuntwoman who discovers she is the guardian of a gateway to a magical kingdom.
Editorial director Harriet Wilson bought rights from Caroline Sheldon of Sheldon Literary Agency and Philippa Milnes-Smith from Lucas Alexander Whitley for an undisclosed sum.
The books are by Linda Chapman and Lee Weatherly who will write under the pen name of L.A. Peters.
The first book, Sophie and the Shadow Woods: The Goblin King, is scheduled for publication in May 2011 and is aimed at readers aged seven and older. The publisher described the series as about Sophie, "a tomboy and aspiring stuntwoman [who] learns on her tenth birthday that she is the Guardian of a magic gateway to the mysterious Shadow Woods.
"Now, she must outwit the mischievous creatures who live there and stop them from wreaking havoc in our world."
Wilson said: "It’s incredibly refreshing to find strong young fiction for girls that isn’t pink and sparkly. Sophie and the Shadow Woods stands apart from everything else, bringing some much needed action and adventure to this area of the market.
"Linda and Lee are a dynamic writing duo with a real understanding of what makes young readers tick. I’m delighted to be working with them both."