Rebecca James – “Beautiful Malice”, the debut novel from Australian author Rebecca James made her an instant millionaire and saved her from bankruptcy.
The publishing world is in a frenzy over the debut novel whose Australian author is drawing comparisons to JK Rowling and Stephanie Meyer.
In a success story reminiscent of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling’s, Ms. James is a mother and first-time author who is going from nothing to becoming a millionaire.
“Beautiful Malice was one of the most extraordinary manuscripts I’ve read in a very long while,” one editor with a losing bid says of Rebecca James’ thriller, intended for teens and up. “I’m still reeling over having lost it.”
“Beautiful Malice” tells the story of an unsettling friendship between the solitary Katherine, who has lost her sister to a brutal murder, and Alice, a glamorous party girl whose character becomes as chilling as she is charming.
With its gritty and tough themes, the book is expected to appeal both to teenagers and adults. One publisher likened “Beautiful Malice” to Stephenie Meyer’s successful Twilight series — without the vampires but with the sex
James, a 39-year-old mother of four, was literally facing bankruptcy after her kitchen-sales business went bust, only to see her novel picked out of a pile of unsolicited manuscripts.
Now, she says she’s “gobsmacked” over becoming an overnight millionaire, with Beautiful Malice to be translated into 30 languages.
“It was very scary,” James told reporters of the ride, but “this is now an amazing fairy tale.”
And that’s the latest news on the author of Beautiful Malice, Rebecca James.
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