by A.G. Pasquella Ex-con Jack Palace returns in a world of violence, heartbreak, and revenge. Cassandra, the woman who broke Jack Palace’s heart, is suddenly back in his life. She owes $600,000 to a brutal gangster who has threatened her life, and she needs Jack’s help. Meanwhile, Melody, Jack’s new girlfriend, has set a dangerous plan of her own in motion. Things start to get violent when Cassandra suddenly disappears. But not everyone believes Cassandra is in danger. Is Jack being set up? Bikers, mobsters, and strippers collide as Jack storms the mean streets of Toronto searching for Cassandra. To find her, he must rip open old wounds and confront new enemies. But as loyalties falter and secrets are revealed, Jack begins to wonder who he can really trust. If he doesn’t figure it out fast, he—and everyone he cares about—could end up dead. Publication: November 2019 Publisher: Dundurn Rights sold: Audio (World English): Dreamscape Audio North America (English and French): Dundurn “Sharply written, suspenseful and often funny as hell, Carve the Heart smashes its way through the streets of a noirishly entertaining Toronto the Bad like an out-of-control car chase. This is a book up to its shapely ass in double crosses, hot stakes poker games, rescue plans that go sideways, broken noses, strippers, bikers, drug heists, hot sex, plot twists and bottomless tumblers of smoky Scotch sipped in an illegal casino tucked away somewhere in Kensington Market. Can’t wait to see what Jack gets up to in the next installment. In the mean time, I’m going to nose around to see if I can locate that underground casino.” –Terri Favro, author of Sputnik’s Children “Pasquella vividly captures the dog-eat-dog existence of the Toronto underworld.” –Publishers Weekly “Getting impatient with hard-boiled conventions? Try this.” –Booklist
Archives: Books
K2 Literary books
by Erika Nielsen —Winner, 2019 Nautilus Book Awards— —Winner, Canada Book Awards— —Finalist, 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards— Erika Nielsen, a young cellist, believed the extreme euphoric highs and crushing lows she experienced were a normal part of being a musician—that they made her more creative, productive, and in demand. When she became the musician she always dreamed of being Principal Cellist of an orchestra, she embarked on gruelling red-eye commutes, an impossible workload, and experienced alarming symptoms had her – and others—question her choices. Meanwhile, Erika suspected that she had something more than just “normal “ups and downs”. That all ended when, in a frenzy of hypomania, Erika consulted a psychiatrist, who gave her a shocking diagnosis: bipolar disorder, type I. Now faced with treating a major mental illness, Erika was forced to turn her frenetic life around. Sound Mind: My Bipolar Journey From Chaos to Composure chronicles Erika’s journey through accepting her diagnosis, learning about her condition, and through one habit at a time, taking the necessary steps towards a new normal in learning to live with a mental illness. Erika covers everything from finding the right medication to nutrition to developing a support team, and offers useful tips and insights that will help readers of all ages take charge of their own lives and their own mental health. Both a practical guide for those living with bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions, and an inspiring story about Erika’s journey to cope with it, Sound Mind is a valuable resource for anyone struggling with mental health issues, as well as their friends and family. With actionable steps and a positive message, Sound Mind is dedicated to offering hope and ending the stigma towards mental illness. Subjects: Memoir/self help, mental health Publication: 2019 Publisher: Trigger Publishing Rights sold: World English: Trigger Publishing
by A.G. Pasquella Honour-bound ex-mob enforcer Jack Palace owes a life-debt to Tommy, the wild son of a Mafia boss. After being released from prison, Jack hits the streets to collect money for Tommy to repay his debt. Meanwhile, Tommy’s father is on his deathbed and other gangsters are waiting to seize control. Jack plans a better, safer life for himself and his girlfriend Suzanne but after Tommy’s father dies, Jack finds himself caught in the crossfire of a mob war, doing things he never wanted to do, for people he never wanted to work for in the first place. Now Jack has to navigate through hit men, backstabbers, and gritty neighborhoods toward a love, and life, that is far from certain. Goodfellas meets Richard Stark, Yard Dog is a hard-boiled and fast-paced story with a motley cast of lethal characters including a yacht-owning assassin, a loyal Triad member with the patience of a saint, an emotionally sensitive mob heavy, and a legion of scofflaws. It’s old-school noir with an updated twist—faster, funnier and sexy as hell. Publication: November 2018 Publisher: Dundurn Press Rights sold: Audio (World English): Dreamscape Audio North America (English and French): Dundurn Press “The writing here is very impressive: gritty and profane but also (in the right places) tender and quite moving.” –Booklist “A rusty syringe of lurid pulp thrills. Pasquella’s love of old school crime fiction is clear, but like a beer bottle smashed across your jaw, he’s jolted the genre into the 21st century.” –Elan Mastai, author of All Our Wrong Todays “An old-school noir romp through the belly of the city, splashing sex and violence all over Spadina Avenue. Pasquella confidently squeezes pulp right out of the pavement and onto the page.” –Andrew F. Sullivan, author of Waste and All We Want is Everything
by Amanda Orlando Based on her experiences with anaphylaxis and living in a family with multiple food allergies, author Amanda Orlando grew up with few resources about coping with anaphylaxis both in her own kitchen and in other’s. Through years of self-education, Amanda collected recipes, found substitutions, and food brands to suit her requirements. Having previously published another cookbook for allergen-free desserts, and a popular online platform through her blog and writing projects, Amanda is eager to further share her knowledge and experiences. It’s resources like these that she wished she had while growing up. The recipes in Everyone’s Welcome dispel the myth that allergen-free foods are also flavour-free and fun-free. The allergens that each recipe is free from are clearly listed. Ranging from breakfast to dinner, and quick snacks, there is something for everyone. The simplicity of the recipes will suit readers who are on the go, such as students, busy parents, professionals, and those with little time to cook. Recipes will be accompanied by Amanda’s stunning photography. Recent statistics show that in the United States, 8% of children have food allergies, and among that number, almost 40% have a history of severe allergic reactions to food and 30% have multiple food allergies. In Canada, food allergies are present in 10% of children in urban areas, and 6% who are in rural areas. Food allergies are on the rise, and this book will be increasingly useful not just to immediate sufferers, but to their family, their friends, coworkers, teachers, and camp counsellors; it’s a book for all ages. Subjects: Cooking, lifestyle Publication: April 2019 Publisher: Touchwood Editions Rights sold: World: Touchwood Editions (K2 Literary selling rights on their behalf) “If you live with food allergies or cook for somebody who does, you know that it can be a mine field finding things that are not only safe to eat but also delicious. Enter Amanda Orlando … Amanda knows first hand what it’s like to live with food allergies and in this book it’s her goal to help you eat safely while still enjoying every mouthful. Everyone’s Welcome is packed with tips for cooking at home, eating out and traveling with food allergies and recipes are colour-coded so you can quickly find dishes that are safe for your allergies!” –Food Bloggers of Canada “Amanda Orlando hasn’t let her food allergies stop her from making food a treasured part of her life.” —The New Family Podcast “If you or someone you love has severe food allergies and dietary restrictions, Amanda Orlando’s new cookbook is for you … Everyone’s Welcome is definitely a book for kitchen novices as well as more experienced cooks with dietary conditions to consider. But Orlando’s offerings transcend the book’s allergen-free focus, underlined by the subtitle: The Art of Living and Eating Allergen Free with an emphasis on the art of living and eating … a delight.” –EAT
by Adam McDowell This engaging guide demystifies the art of ordering, preparing, and serving wine, beer and cocktails so you can drink like a boss every time. You’ll learn how to: Equip and stock a home bar Make a flawless martini Order wine without dying a little inside Choose a delicious sparkling wine instead of springing for Champagne Buy Scotch for the boss, and for yourself Whether you’re hosting a cocktail party, attending a business lunch, or relaxing with friends at the local brewery pub, you’ll gain the confidence to know exactly what you love to drink and serve. And if you want to know how to mix an Old Fashioned on an airplane, that’s in there too. Bottoms up! Subjects: Food and Drink Publication: September 2016 Publisher: Tarcher Perigee/Penguin Random House Rights sold: World: Tarcher Perigee/Penguin Random House Russia: Azbooka-Atticus (through Tarcher Perigee) “A thoroughly useful and enjoyable compendium of drinking lore and knowledge, with an ample dose of much-needed cynicism, too often lacking in books of this type.” –Philip Greene, co-founder of The Museum of the American Cocktail and author of To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion “There is, as yet, no perfect user’s guide for life. But for the many moments in our lifetimes when a decent drink is required—whether it’s a crisp pilsner on a summer afternoon, a glass of champagne on a special day, or a dry martini when the clock strikes five—Adam McDowell’s Drinks: A User’s Guide has you covered.” –Paul Clarke, executive editor of Imbibe magazine, and author of The Cocktail Chronicles “If you don’t know how to drink, this book is for you. If you do know how to drink, this book is also for you, since everyone is sure to be charmed by Adam McDowell’s sage and friendly advice about what to order, in any setting. After years of tweaking his philosophy of drink, McDowell has finally shared his accumulated knowledge in this invaluable resource. Not since Kingsley Amis has reading about drinking been this much fun.” –Christine Sismondo, author of America Walks Into a Bar “Abundant advice and a smattering of recipes served refreshingly directly are but a few of the highlights of this recommended guide.” –Library Journal
by AGA Wilmot M_____ is a film industry extra with a meagre list of credits to their name and a side career writing obituaries for the Los Angeles Times. At thirty-two years of age, our protagonist’s young body is rapidly succumbing to cancer. With the stark reality of death looming overhead, and against the even greater threat of being forgotten, M_____ starts down a strange, fantastic, and ultimately tragic path recounting a doomed love affair with the world’s greatest living “redshirt”—a man who, over a career in film spanning two decades, has died or appeared dead in nearly 800 film and television roles. Written in a semi-epistolary format mimicking that of a blog, The Death Scene Artist is a three-act surrealist exploration of film industry supplementals, the Cinderella complex, sexual denial, fear of commitment, and the dangerous predilections of a man who has lived several hundred half-minute lives without having ever experienced his own. Publication: October 2018 Publisher: Wolsak & Wynn/Buckrider Books Rights sold: North America: Wolsak & Wynn/Buckrider Books “There is not a single instance in this novel when a reader is going to know with absolute certainty that M____ isn’t lying. And what a compelling liar they are! From the very first page, M____ draws you into these blog posts they’re writing in an attempt to make some semblance of sense of the last few years of their life. They aren’t lying to us, though, but also to themselves. This self-deceit is what makes M____ such a compelling and realistic character in this bizarre, surreal novel. Wilmot, through this gloriously broken character, holds up a cracked mirror to his audience and demands they look because he knows they haven’t been.” –Into the Void “Presenting an engaging narrative, Wilmot invites the reader to put on the skin of its narrator and see their life of obsession, all jaded film cameras and horror through their eyes.” –Heavy Feather Review “Violent and grotesque, this book is not for the squeamish. [T]here is a lot for fans or topical horror and dark comedy. Wilmot clearly has something to say here about our culture’s obsession with celebrity and our desire to overshare online, as well as gender identity and loneliness.” –Winnipeg Free Press “The novel has the tinge of a scandalous revenge story, which adds to its appeal, as does some incisive commentary about the nature of unrequited love and crises of body, gender, and personal identity.” –Quill and Quire “From the jaw-dropping opening pages when we meet a protagonist perusing their remarkable inventory of ‘outfits,’ up to the very last page, this novel kept me riveted. This is a wonderful book, surreal, disturbing and liberating in the very best way.” –Suzette Mayr, author of Monoceros “Wilmot brings a sensually complete sense of reality to the unreal worlds of on- and off-screen Hollywood. Wilmot’s serious play with language and with form makes The Death Scene Artist a hypnotic, surprising novel that doesn’t sacrifice emotion for irony.” –Nathan Ripley, author of Find You in the Dark
by Matt Cahill —Nominated for the 2016 Sunburst Awards— When his father—a distinguished writer—unexpectedly passes away, Derrick van der Lem’s insulated world implodes, leaving a much stranger and crueler place than the one he knew. In the midst of his downward spiral, the mysterious Society of Experience asks him to take part in a baffling science experiment involving time travel, with the possibility of changing his life and pulling him out of his rut. When the experiment begins to untangle, Derrick finds himself out of his depth and in the middle of a nightmare, with only the company of a beautiful stranger to steer him from chaos to heartbreak. Meanwhile, who are the Society, and what are their true intentions for Derrick? Is time travel real, or is it yet another contrivance the Society has invented? Part Philip K. Dick, part mystery, The Society of Experience is an inventive, fast-paced story of a man’s journey through streets, alleyways, and deserted buildings, for a better future. Publication: October 2015 Publisher: Wolsak & Wynn/Buckrider Books Rights sold: North America: Wolsak & Wynn/Buckrider Books “The Society of Experience is a psychological journey through the abandoned corridors of the human spirit.” –Harper’s Bazaar, 15 Best Books of Fall 2015 “A swirling confident debut, supported by crisp prose without misstep, and containing many more original ideas than books three times its slender size. Sly and slippery fun — I thought of Ben Marcus and J. G. Ballard … writers who say don’t worry I know what I’m doing as they break from the pack.” –Tony Burgess, author of Pontypool Changes Everything and The n-Body Problem “Matt Cahill’s debut novel, The Society of Experience, explores the dangers of magical thinking in a most entertaining way. Both thoughtful and humorous, twisty and fun, this is transporting storytelling (in more ways than one).” –Andrew Pyper, author of The Demonologist and The Damned