HarperVoyager swoops in for Katie Ellis-Brown and Becky Hunter's debut in six-figure deal

HarperVoyager has scooped Harvill Secker deputy publishing director Katie Ellis-Brown and book publicist and bestselling author Becky Hunter’s Blood Bound – written under the pseudonym Ellis Hunter – in a six-figure deal.

The book is the first of a trilogy. Natasha Bardon, publisher at HarperVoyager and HarperMagpie, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) to the book in a six-figure deal with Hunter’s agent Sarah Hornsley at Peters, Fraser + Dunlop, and Janklow & Nesbit’s Hayley Steed, on behalf of Ellis-Brown. US rights sold in a "major pre-empt" to Emilia Rhodes at Atria.

The book follows Astrid, "who has always known she is destined to die". She is the last Nachstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, cursed by a centuries-old covenant to duel the heir to the Kingdom of Vatra for the source of all magic: the Heart. But now Astrid’s time is up as she heads "into enemy territory to face Prinze Zryan, the most powerful dragon rider in eons, with only her familiar, her potions and her wits to aid her". 

Ellis-Brown has been in the publishing industry for more than 14 years, beginning her career as a publicist with Riot Communications then moving to Headline before moving to editorial. She has worked at Orion, Bloomsbury and Vintage. Hunter is a freelance book publicist, having previously worked in-house at Headline and Transworld. The pair met while working in the publicity department at Headline. The idea for Blood Bound came about after "one of many fevered discussions" about their shared obsession of fantasy.