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Sandra Bruna Literary Agency

TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN REALITY

Author: Sandra Bruna Thursday 13 July 2017

On Tuesday, a ceremony was made to remember the 20th year of Miguel Ángel Blanco’s murder by the terrorist group ETA. When I saw the news, I couldn’t help but remember it, and it was very surprising because it was something so shocking at that time, that I still know by heart exactly what happened in those 48 hours. I felt the anger and indignation you have when realizing people are capable of doing something like that and, at the same time, I get goosebumps when I remember people’s reaction. In Barcelona, many of us who went out on the street so they knew that there was a majority of us who solidarized with the family and believed, as I did, that they wouldn’t be able to kill Miguel Ángel Blanco after everything that had happened. But, unfortunately, they did, and I remember driving in my car, I don’t know exactly where, listening to the radio when there were only a few minutes left until the execution. When they confirmed that he had been killed, I couldn’t hold back the tears. I didn’t understand that wickedness that cold blood, and I’ve never had. At that time, 20 years ago, when I was way more visceral than now, I wished the worst for those people that were capable of killing a normal, innocent person because of an ideology. It seems something from a movie, a noir novel, but it was real and it left me a scar. Today, remembering it, I’m still moved at people’s solidarity. There were many of us who didn’t understand nor approved that violence and I think to myself: I wish this had been a novel that I had to read, and not the reality.

In crime novels, crimes are taken for granted. Without a crime nor the police, there isn’t a novel. That’s why today I recommend CALLE DEL CARMEN, 21 (‘Carmen Street, 21’), by Carmen Cuevas, an author discovered through our imprint SBeBooks, which was turned into a paper edition by the small but brave publishing house adaliz ediciones. They’ve just confirmed us that they’re already on its second printing, as the first one has been sold out. I encourage you to read it, especially to readers of this genre, because it will hook you and entertain you, and it has nothing to envy to many well-known authors of the genre.

You’ll find below the plotline and it would be great if it could be one of your summer reads, because you readers are the ones that help us make true the dreams of authors that, like Carmen, deserve a place in the publishing world. I also take the chance to congratulate the work done by adaliz ediciones, because it’s not easy to start a publishing house with good criteria and reprintings. So, lots of luck and encouragement from our end, and we’ll keep helping you build new voices:

There wasn’t a breeze of fresh air; it was going to be another bad day. Inspector Cabarga’s marriage is going through a rough time. He and his family need those holidays, but the unexpected discovery of a corpse in an old fishermen’s neighborhood is going to change everything in a way that he cannot imagine. No one missed that body until the smell of putrefaction started to be annoying and, nonetheless, the police found next to it a good amount of money. Too much money for anyone to just leave behind. Once again, Cabarga will find out that not many things are as they seem, and that what’s possible transcends our own imagination. A thrilling novel where reality shows its hardest and most human side, and where lives intertwine and exceed fiction. The best of the book is in each of its pages, and when you reach the last one, its characters will be forever in you.

THE HIDDEN PART OF THE WRITER

Author: Sandra Bruna Thursday 19 January 2017

Being an agent is not an easy job. It looks good, it’s pretty, but if I’m being honest, every day I find it more difficult, because you never know which book will stand out and why. Many times I think that it will be ‘that’ one, because you’ve fallen head over heels in love with it, it has kindled a thousand emotions in you… but, at the end of the day, that novel goes unnoticed. As an agent, you must always be on alert, not miss a thing and, furthermore, take care of your authors on a daily basis, to whom you can’t always give them good news and that’s why you must be flexible and handle things deftly. However, these things happen and instinct is the one that takes charge. That’s why sometimes you get it right, and sometimes you don’t. That’s also part of the magic of this crazy business. There are publishers that have missed opportunities that have become bestsellers, agents that have said no to authors that, later, found a good place in the publishing market and have sold millions of copies, and when these things happen, you’re left feeling like a stupid for not having been able to detect it. But it happens, because no one can know for sure if a story is going to work and you’re going to be selling it to everyone. You have to risk, and bet and, most of all, BELIEVE in what you do and why you do it. If you do it like this, with determination, things will come to you, but not everyone has the patience to wait.

It’s not Paz Castelló’s case, an author that we discovered already eight years ago through her wonderful blog. Despite being a good writer and having good ideas, it hasn’t been easy to find a proper publishing house for her, up until Umbriel came and read MI NOMBRE ESCRITO EN LA PUERTA DE UN VÁTER and said to us ‘Yes, I do’. She’s had a lot of patience, and there have also been moments of wanting to give up, but at the end we’ve managed to weather the storm and even enjoy it. Monday was a great day, both for her and for me, because after all the struggles, we found a great publishing house and a great editor for this book, Esther Sanz, to whom I thank for believing in this story and this author, who truly deserves it. As a new part of this odd game, her story is a “criticism” to the publishing business and its way of behaving, but with a darker plotline that keeps you on pins and needles, while showing the hardest part with whom a writer has to live and the solitude, sometimes, with which they walk.

We’ll meet Mauro Santos who, despite his talent, hasn’t been published by any editor. Frustrated, he accepts an agreement with Germán Latorre, a famous TV presenter that turns everything he touches into gold. The deal consists in Mauro selling to him two novels already written –which have been previously rejected by several publishers– and writing for him another two, thus becoming his ghost writer. Under Germán’s name, Mauro’s works turn into international bestsellers, sold worldwide, with dozens of translations and a big response from the critics and the media. It’s then when Germán Latorre’s television channel launches a new program, a talent show to discover new writers. Mauro Sauntos finds there the only opportunity to take back his literary career and start believing in himself once again. But in order to do so he has to turn upside down his life: he must stop writing for Germán Latorre.

A novel with a provoking title, an open criticism weaved in a plotline that you’re not going to stop reading. Perfect for those that like books, crime stories, mystery and the ins and outs of the television world, the show and literary business. You’re going to enjoy it like crazy. A novel that comes after LA MUERTE DEL NUEVE, the first book of the author that lots of people loved, who have always helped us not to give up. Therefore, I want to thank from the bottom of my heart all the readers that each day do your best to help keep books an important part of lots of people’s everyday lives.



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