The First Move

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It's a really bad time to come across Miles Brislenn again. Miles was a shy kid who went to the same school as her, and he had a huge crush on her. He recognises her the minute he sees her, but Renia has no idea who he is. She only knows he calls her Rey, so he must know her from her worst times. But as things come to a head with her daughter, Miles becomes a surprising source of support. Now 36, Jenny was born in Belfast to Paul Flynn, a GP, and Rosie Flynn, a piano teacher, and she has an older brother Adam. She studied law and French at the University of Liverpool. “I had no idea what I wanted to do,” she laughs. “I got to live in Paris for my Erasmus year, which was brilliant.”

Editorial director Carmen McCullough acquired “binge-worthy” summer thriller Liar’s Beach by Katie Cutugno, securing UK and Commonwealth rights from Jocelyn Lange at Random House US. Described as “a high-stakes YA thriller full of secrets, lies, privileged teens and beach parties”, it is out in May 2023. Again, unable to walk, Ireland returned to writing with a new perspective. Reflecting on how her disability had affected her health, Ireland took inspiration from her life to craft a teenage protagonist with arthritis—and, slowly, what would become The First Move started to take shape. “Living with arthritis for so long, it was a no-brainer for me to have a disabled female character as my lead,” Ireland says. Teenage heroes

My favourite thing about the writing process is the first draft, where you can just get it all out and see what it is. I find that part so exciting! My least favourite thing is probably coming up with plot. I love people, with all their various quirks, and could think about characters all day. Plot on the other hand… What are you working on now? Bob Mortimer wins 2023 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction with The Satsuma Complex

In fact, the family angst was the best thing about the book, and it was really, really good. In addition to the sections about Renia's mother, there's the stuff with her birth daughter. This is developed really slowly, and Lohmann doesn't make it into some sort of insta-connection. It feels realistic, both painful and hopeful at the same time, and I really liked it. I also liked Renia's relationship with Sarah, Miles’ daughter, in whom she sees bits of herself. Penguin Random House Children’s imprint Penguin has announced a string of new YA authors added to its list for 2023, with books ranging from “heart-stopping” thrillers and fantasies to inclusive and high-concept romances.The writer is married to Chris, whom she met at school and began dating at 19. They have two children, Lyla (9) and Rory (8), and Jenny’s arthritis went away during pregnancy. While research is still ongoing, one theory is that the mother's immune system changes to prevent rejection of the foetus, which also decreases pain and inflammation.