‘Jaws at 35,000 feet’: the flight attendant whose thriller debut sold for seven figures

TJ Newman dreamt up her terror-in-the-skies novel Falling while guarding the cockpit as the pilots took a toilet break. She reveals how she kept going through furlough and 41 rejectionsFlight attendant Torri Newman was working on the red-eye flight from Los Angeles to New York when the idea for her debut novel came to her. To be precise, she was blocking access to the cockpit, a security procedure required when pilots take a toilet break. “I was standing at the front of the airplane,” she says, “looking out at the passengers. It was dark and they were all asleep. And I had this thought, ‘All of their lives, our lives, are in the hands of the pilots.’ That’s not exactly new – but the flipside of that also came to mind. With that much power and responsibility, how vulnerable does that make a commercial pilot?”Newman, speaking via Zoom from her home in Phoenix, Arizona, was rattled. “I just couldn’t shake the thought. A few days later, I was working a different trip with a different set of pilots, and I said to the captain, ‘Hey, what would you do if your family was taken, and you were told that if you didn’t crash the plane, they would be killed?” What was his reaction? “He had no clue what he would do – the thought terrified him.”I almost gave up. But seeing two authors at a Q&A reminded my why I had to keep going Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2021-05-04 05:00:21 UTC ]
News tagged with: #flight attendant #debut novel

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BBC boosts bookshop sales by "almost £500,000"

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Wed, 23/03/2011 - 15:49 The BBC's "Faulks on Fiction" and "My Life in Books" series have boosted book sales by almost £500,000, Nielsen BookScan data indicates. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Transworld signs three from debut author Lamb

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 22/03/2011 - 08:30 Transworld has acquired three novels by debut author Victoria Lamb, all set in the time of Elizabeth I's reign. Publishing director Selina Walker bought world rights in the trilogy from agent Luigi Bonomi, and will... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #transworld signs


The Winning Game: 2010 Hardcovers: Facts & Figures 2011

What's new in the hardcover fiction bestsellers of 2010? Very little. Almost every author in the fiction top 30 has been on these charts in previous years—most several times. The sole exception is the #1 fiction bestseller, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, with sales of 1.9 million. Stieg... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ebook list #trade paper #mass market


In Paperbacks, Big Names on Top: Facts & Figures 2011

It's the Stieg Larsson show in 2010 paperback bestsellers. The first two books of his enormously successful trilogy racked up sales of more than 10,942,000 in their mass market and paperback editions. That's more than the combined sales of two other stellar sellers—James Patterson and Nora... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nora roberts #paperback editions #big names #combined sales #mass market


Five-figure deal to indie Inside Pocket

Publication Date: Fri, 18/03/2011 - 10:17 Independent children's publisher Inside Pocket has signed a five-figure four-book deal with Roald Dahl Funny Prize-winner Ursula Jones. Director of Inside Pocket, Sarah Harrop, acquired world rights, including audio and ebook, to the titles from Celia... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #strange world #including audio


Mulholland Books acquires debut by "Saw" writers

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 16/03/2011 - 09:04 Hodder thriller imprint Mulholland Books has acquired a fiction debut by "Saw" writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, and author, screenwriter and illustrator Stephen Romano. Editor Ruth Tross bought British... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nancy wiese #european rights #fiction debut


Hodder pays six figure sum for two from Geraghty

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 15/03/2011 - 09:12 Hodder & Stoughton, along with Hachette Books Ireland, has bought rights to two new novels by Irish fiction author Ciara Geraghty for a "significant six figure sum". The deal for British Commonwealth rights including... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bought rights #figure sum


Record attendance for IPG

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 08/03/2011 - 08:49 The Independent Publishers Guild Conference will be attended by 265 delegates this year, more than any other year previously, and marking an 18% rise in attendance on last year. The conference runs from tomorrow [9th... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #thursday afternoon #patrick neale #sam husain #dominic myers #record attendance


Book Club Associates sold to Webb Group

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 08/03/2011 - 16:00 Online bookseller Book Club Associates (BCA) has been sold to a retail home entertainment supplier. The Webb Group, which supplies retail home entertainment products including games, DVDs, music and gifts, announced the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mail order #webb group #sells books


Big Green Bookshop appeals for 1,000 customers

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 25/02/2011 - 08:38 The Big Green Bookshop is appealing to 1,000 of its loyal customers to help secure its future by buying one book each. Owners Simon Key and Tim West of the indie in Wood Green, North London, have also set up an online donation... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #north london #wood green #tim west #loyal customers


No Exit acquires hitman thriller

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 21/02/2011 - 08:28 No Exit has bought a new book by an author whose previous novel has been adapted as a thriller starring Oscar-nominated actor Ryan Gosling. Publishing director Ion Mills bought UK and Commonwealth rights, including digital, to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #caspian dennis #including digital


Indies could earn as much as 30% from books sold via Gardners' Hive

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 18/02/2011 - 16:30 Book wholesaler Gardners has begun consulting with independent booksellers over the direction of its consumer website, with one option revealing that booksellers could earn as much as 30% when books are sold at their full RRP.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #consumer website #begun consulting #independent booksellers #books sold


Two thriller deals for Headline

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 16/02/2011 - 14:50 Headline fiction publisher at large Martin Fletcher has made two sets of acquisitions, including a debut novel by Cityboy author Geraint Anderson. Fletcher bought UK, Commonwealth, excluding Canada and including ANZ and Europe... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lizzy kremer


Debut author wins Waterstone's Children's Book Prize

Publication Date: Wed, 09/02/2011 - 20:05 Debut author Sita Brahmachari has won the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize for her coming-of-age novel about life, death, friendship and love. She was awarded the £5,000 prize this evening [9th February] for Artichoke Hearts, published by Macmillan... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #macmillan children #book prize


Murdoch's iPad-Ready The Daily Debuts: 5 Things to Know

Can The Daily save journalism? The iPad-friendly e-newspaper officially rolls off the press (kinda) Wednesday. Here are five things to know about the News Corp. and Apple endeavor. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble Digital Newsstand Passes 650,000 Periodical Downloads

While publishers and Apple haggle over the pending launch of a digital newsstand, Barnes & Noble took the opportunity to remind everyone that it not only has a functional newsstand, but it's chugging right along. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #barnes noble #digital newsstand


NYT Pay Wall Could Debut Next Month

The New York Times will roll out its much-anticipated digital subscription package, probably next month, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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