Wolverhampton author is Lucky One after securing deal
An author who has sold almost 2.3 million books has secured a new deal to write three more of his trademark psychological thrillers.
Mark Edwards, of Wolverhampton, recently published the novel, The Lucky Ones, which reached the top three in the Amazon Kindle rankings on the day of its release.
Now Amazon Publishing’s Thomas & Mercer imprint has acquired world rights to three more books.
The first, Here Before, which is about a woman who becomes increasingly convinced her daughter is the reincarnation of her murdered sister, will be published in 2019.
Mr Edwards, aged 46, who lives in Compton, said: “Thomas & Mercer and the whole Amazon Publishing team have been incredibly supportive over the past few years.
“They encourage me to write the kind of books I want to write and really look after their authors. I’m thrilled to have signed with them again.”
The three books will be published at nine-month intervals and Mr Edwards, who has had five novels reach number one in the Amazon best-sellers chart, said he was looking forward to writing them.
“The first is Here Before and is about a woman who’s sister died in mysterious circumstances.
“She becomes convinced her daughter is the reincarnation of this sister because she knows things she shouldn’t possibly know.
“There are hints that something supernatural is going on but there could also be a rational explanation going on but we will have to see what happens because I haven’t written it yet,” he quipped.
Next up is a ‘secret project’, which he is remaining tight-lipped about.
“It’s something that will come out later this year and and it’s related to one of my previous books,” said Mr Edwards.
He will also be appearing at the Shrewsbury Festival of Literature, which will run from November 24 to 26.
Mr Edwards had previously co-written a series of crime novels with Louise Voss but faced uncertainty over what the future held when their contract came to an end.
He then discovered self-publishing and has never looked back. The success of self-published solo debut The Magpies, which topped the Kindle chart, led to him securing his first deal with Thomas & Mercer four years ago.
Before his new deal starts, the last book of his existing contact will be published by Thomas & Mercer.
He has finished writing The Retreat, which is set in Wales and follows a horror novelist investigating the disappearance of a young girl, and it’s now in the hands of his editors ahead of its publication next spring.
The Lucky Ones, which was published last month, is set in and around Ironbridge and features a killer who wants to give his targets the happiest send off by ensuring they die in a ‘state of bliss’ thanks to a morphine overdose.
They are then discovered in tucked away spots, such as the tranquil ruins of Wenlock Priory, with a smile frozen on their face.
He has become known for making his protagonists’ lives a misery.
From battling nightmare neighbours to enduring a holiday from hell, they have all found themselves in situations that are out of their control.
One of the main characters in The Lucky Ones is Detective Imogen Evans, who realises she is dealing with a serial killer when a woman’s body is found in the grounds of Wenlock Priory.
While single father Ben Hofland, who grew up in Ironbridge but has been living in London for 20 years, believes his luck is changing at last.
Forced to move back to Shropshire, following the breakdown of his marriage to care for his mother, he finally finds work and the bullies who have been terrorising his son, Ollie, disappear. But readers soon suspect there could something more sinister going on behind the scenes.
*The Lucky Ones is available from Amazon while signed copies are available from The Ironbridge Bookshop
