Downton Abbey on Wooster Street

Since its highly acclaimed debut in 2010, the Primetime Emmy Award winning series Downton Abbey has captured the hearts and minds of American viewers. With a killer cast and rich plot wrought with juicy aristocratic drama and the political tensions of a world at war, it is no wonder this stunning British melodrama hits all the right notes for stateside fans.

The series, which airs Sunday nights on PBS, commences in season one with the devastating news of the sunken RMS Titanic and ends with the declaration of WWI. After a year-long hiatus, the show returned on January 9 with a 2-hour season premiere. We don’t do spoilers, so get up to speed on your own; you have two days to catch up!

The history, the fashion, the forbidden love—we can’t get enough of Downton Abbey. While riveted to the screen, we fondly think of our own British sagas and wartime stories, bound and shelved in our downtown office. When Monday morning rolls around, and you are longing for the Edwardian thrills and high drama of Sunday nights, look no further. We think these exciting Overlook Press titles will tide you over through the week.

No Angel, Something Dangerous, Into Temptation

Penny Vincenzi

Much like Downton Abbey, Penny Vincenzi's Spoils of Time trilogy begins during the Edwardian Era, at a time when social stratification was most evident, yet the World Wars devastated rich and poor alike. The first book of the trilogy, No Angel, introduces the Lytton family, whose wealth and prestige as a publishing dynasty contrasts sharply with the relentless poverty of those around them. Something Dangerous and Into Temptation follow suit with intense themes of power and family politics amidst a backdrop of passion and glamour.

"The racy plots and period atmosphere will keep you firmly hooked. Irresistible!"—Washington Post Book World

The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë

Bedlam: The Further Adventures of Charlotte Brontë

Laura Joh Rowland

The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë and Bedlam predate Downton Abbey in the Victorian Era, yet betrayals, passionate romance, and adventure remain the common thread among the three compelling storylines. Follow Charlotte Bronte and her sisters in suspenseful jaunts through Haworth, London, and beyond. If you enjoy engaging mysteries and historical drama, these two period novels will not disappoint.

“Laura Joh Rowland not only evokes Victorian-era London with a sure hand, she creates a believable Charlotte whose intelligence, stubbornness, and wit recall Jane at every turn. Even more important, the mystery itself is particularly fine.” —Entertainment Weekly

The Collector's Wodehouse

P.G. Wodehouse

Is there anything more quintessentially British and charming than the works of P. G. Wodehouse? Lauded as one of the greatest comic writers of our time, Wodehouse represents an antic high point in the world of farce and social satire. Creator of Jeeves, Blandings Castle, Psmith, Ukridge and more, the masterful Wodehouse lives on in our beautifully produced The Collector's Wodehouse (see the collection here).

"His novels are the very definition of British humor: bubblingly witty and dryly loony. Overlook Press continues its reissue of a handful of these absurd souffes. You can buy the work for yourself in suave hardcover volumes, the dust jackets as natty as the prose." —Entertainment Weekly

Bliss, Remembered

Frank Deford

Lovers of historical fiction will revel in this fictional memoir with flashbacks to Nazi Germany and the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The threat of war and forbidden love between an American Olympic hopeful and the son of a Nazi diplomat makes for “an enthralling work of fiction” (Library Journal) that should not be missed.

“Deford has a superb sense of character and period, and readers will at once feel drawn into the turbulent times…this is a poignant story, utterly charming and enjoyable.”—Publishers Weekly

On the third day of Christmas, Overlook Press gave to me...

...THE BEST OF PENNY VINCENZI!

We're thrilled about today's giveaway both because Vincenzi kind of rhymes with "me," and because we are huge, HUGE Penny Vincenzi fans.

First, congratulations to yesterday's winners, Gary P., @kissesforusall and @AllTheWiser. They'll be getting signed copies of Frank Deford's much-praised novel of the 1936 Olympics BLISS, REMEMBERED. Thanks to all of you who entered on Day 2! We are thrilled with the responses we're getting and appreciate your enthusiasm for some of our very favorite titles.

And oh, what a favorite are today's titles. We're giving away JUST ONE set of Penny Vincenzi's Spoils of Time trilogy--No Angel, Something Dangerous, and Into Temptation--as well as her brand-new hardcover, Forbidden Places. The Lytton family saga remains one of Overlook's best-selling titles year in and year out. They're the story of glamorous Lady Celia Lytton, her husband Oliver, and the publishing company they run in early-twentieth-century London. Anyone who loves sweeping historical novels, strong women characters, and passionate romances written by a true master of women's fiction will fall in love with Lady Celia just like we did. (The only downside of recommending these novels to everyone? Explaining that our publishing universe isn't quite as glamorous as the literarti of Edwardian London).

We'll be giving away ONE set of these FOUR NOVELS. They're great for sinking one's teeth into and a gift that will provide hours of entertainment for the recipient (or distract you from holiday stress, difficult family gatherings, arduous winter travel...) and will open up a whole new world of fabulous Penny fiction.

TO WIN: Leave a blog comment, Tweet this contest, or leave a comment on our Facebook page. You can enter once in every area and we'll announce the winners tomorrow morning as we announce what you can look forward to for the Third Day of Overlook Christmas! And yes, it will be better than colly birds (we always thought it was "calling" birds?). Hint: we hope you like art and graphic design!

Coming up over the next 10 business days...art books, more signed books, gift book sets, some of our most popular authors (including P.G. Wodehouse, Katie Arnoldi, Peter Quinn...and more!) and a True Grit giveaway bonanza! Thanks for participating and we hope you enjoy the holidays as much as we are!

Previously:
Nonesuch Dickens Christmas Books
Autographed Bliss, Remembered

Bookreporter on FORBIDDEN PLACES, by Penny Vincenzi

My love of Penny Vincenzi is well-known to Winged Elephant readers. (Sorry!) That's why I, in particular, was so happy to see this glowing Bookreporter review on her fantastic new historical romance pageturner, FORBIDDEN PLACES. Here's my favorite part, but go here for the full review!

Like many of Penny Vincenzi's novels, FORBIDDEN PLACES offers not only a healthy dose of escapism but also a fascinating glimpse into a particular period of history, in this case the Second World War. The Blitz, the women's branches of the armed services, the surprisingly complicated politics of housing young London evacuees, not to mention the more personal politics of trying to keep marriages alive in wartime --- Vincenzi touches on all these topics even as she writes a ripping good epic that manages to draw together violence, betrayal, love, danger, and lots of sex. As in her previous bestsellers, Vincenzi carries her audience along on a tidal wave of supercharged plot tempered by genuine emotion, a thrilling combination that picks readers up and won't put them down again until the thoroughly satisfactory conclusion.

(Also, love that Bookreporter is featuring Tatiana de Rosnay and the fantastic SARAH'S KEY in their "One to Watch" section!)

New titles from The Overlook Press!

Happy birthday to seven wildly different but equally intriguing titles that hit shelves yesterday from the Overlook warehouses. We hope you all grow up to be bestsellers! Or at least find wonderful homes with people who will love you as much as we do.

Looking for reading material or getting a jump-start on your holiday shopping? This might be the perfect place to start. Our very newest titles:

FORBIDDEN PLACES, by Penny Vincenzi: The "doyenne of the modern blockbuster" (Glamour) is back with another historical romance--this time set in World War II-era England. Three women find their lives and relationships--with their husbands and each other--forever changed by war. (My grandmother, a huge Penny fan, thinks this is her best book since No Angel. I trust her expert opinion!).



THE GENIUS OF DESIGN, by Penny Sparke: The modern history of design told by renowned professor Penny Sparke. This comprehensive tome focuses on design as both a process and product of industry, with numerous illustrations. Even if you're not an industrial designer, this is a completely new way of looking at the world surrounding you and the designers who influence it.


MARITIME DOMINION: NAVAL CAMPAIGNS THAT SHAPED THE MODERN WORLD, by Peter Padfield: Perhaps the greatest naval historian of our day, Peter Padfield explores the difference between land power and sea power and how strong navies have shaped the histories of smaller merchant countries. This volume focuses on 1850 through the present, looking at how the U.S. stepped into the void of naval power in the 20th century. Fascinating and tightly focused military history.


WALLPAPER: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE, by Charlotte Abrahams: 300 years of wall-covering history in one outstandingly gorgeous and richly textured book. As interior designers (both professional and amateur!) see its resurgent popularity, learn about what's happening in the design world now, the history of styles and trends, key designers and manufacturers of wallpaper, and how to use each type of wallpaper in a variety of ways to achieve different affects. (We think this might be the most beautiful book Overlook has ever produced. We love it!)

THE BOOK OF ENGLISH MAGIC, by Philip Carr-Gomm & Richard Heygate: Looking for a Hogwarts-style reading list in time for the Halloween season and the next Harry Potter movie? Look no further than modern druid Carr-Gomm's encylopedia to all things mystical on the British Isles. A comprehensive history and guide to the occult sciences in England, this is a tome that's both educational and entertaining and looks properly wizardly on one's shelf.


WE WERE THERE: AN EYEWITNESS HISTORY OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, edited by Robert Fox: We love this testament to the personal impact the turning points of the 20th century had on the citizens who experienced them, told as a collection of first-person accounts by people including Orville Wright, George Orwell, Ernest Hemingway, Neil Armstrong, and Ernest Shackleton. (We also think it would make an excellent Christmas gift for parents or modern history buffs!)

THE GILDED STAGE: A SOCIAL HISTORY OF OPERA, by Daniel Snowman: An absolute must-read for opera fans with beautiful illustrations, this global social history of the world's most romantic, flamboyant, glamorous and politically influential art-form and the passions it inspires is a wonderful survey of opera through the centuries.


All of these titles are on sale now. Check with your favorite indie bookstore for availability, or if you're a journalist or blogger looking for review copies, email us!

Notes from a Publicist: Yes, I Really Do Like Penny Vincenzi This Much

A Love Story, by Kate in Publicity



This is a picture of my bookshelf, taken last night. I don't really have an organizational system and promise I didn't re-organize it to look more impressive (or I definitely would have replaced that Adriana Trigiani book with David Foster Wallace or something equally highbrow).

Those of you familiar with Overlook's highest-selling titles might realize the books in the middle--the Penny Vincenzi "Spoils of Time" trilogy. I actually applied for this job having read most of Penny's books, and am ridiculously excited to be working on her new one, Forbidden Places, that comes out in October.

But as I pitch these books, I find myself trying to prove that I'm not just being a publicist--these are historical romances that I actually think are fantastic. Sure, they're not the most literary thing we publish here, but they're pretty high-end commercial romance and I love the historical aspects as well.


I kind of want to attach this picture of my much-loved copy of No Angel to the pitches I'm sending out to reviewers, producers, and bloggers. "I'm one of you!" it seems to say. "Once upon a time, I wasn't a publicist. I was just a reader. And look how many times I read this book!"

In my cover letter that I submitted when applying for this job, I mentioned how I recommended these books to all of my girlfriends (after my grandmother recommended them to me. Generations coming together!). The upside? They loved the books too, and are badgering me for advance copies of Forbidden Places. The downside? I have to explain to them that my job is just slightly less glamorous than that of Lady Celia Lytton.

Anyways, I just wanted to share that it's incredibly fun to be a fan of an author and also get to work with her titles--and that this isn't me fluffing Forbidden Places, I actually AM that big of a fan of Penny Vincenzi.

Do you love her, too? Leave a comment, and be sure to pre-order Forbidden Places (or the paperback of Windfall, out this month!)--I think it's the best non-Celia Lytton book yet. And Penny fans know that that is high praise, indeed.

Happy reading!

More Praise for Penny Vincenzi's WINDFALL

Another stellar review for Penny Vincenzi's Windfall has arrived: "In London 1935, Cassia Tallow has been married to a practicing doctor Edward for seven years while she has stayed home to raise their three young children. She is somewhat envious of her spouse as she also was trained as a doctor, but he insists she stay at home. Cassia is scrubbing the alter steps when she learns she inherited a fortune from her godmother, Lady Beatty, who drank Champagne with the rich, aristocratic and famous like Edward VIII. With a half a million pounds, Cassia has the means to join the upper crust if she chooses or practice medicine to the neglected working-class women as she once dreamed of; something her husband objects to. However, Cassia soon begins to learn that her liberating windfall may not rightfully belong to her; ethical as always, she investigates with a need to learn the truth. Sometimes the truth will not set you free as Cassia learns that with each revelation comes increasing danger.

This a typical entertaining Penny Vincenzi historical thriller as the ethical heroine tries to do what is right, but finds that dangerous. Cassia makes the story line work as her actions after learning of her WINDFALL place her in opposition with her demanding spouse and to a degree her children, but eventually she goes after what she wants for herself: providing medical care to impoverish women. Fans of the author and those who enjoy a between World Wars English historical will want to read Ms. Vincenzi's blockbuster bonkbuster as the British would say over a cup of Earl Grey. - Midwest Book Review

Penny Vincenzi's WINDFALL in Booklist

Booklist takes note of Penny Vincenzi's Windfall: "Cassia Tallow, the independent, only child of a suffragette, wants to be a doctor, but given that she comes of age at the close of World War I, the closest she gets is marrying one. Cassia lives a quiet, pleasant life in West Sussex with her husband and their three children. Until the day she inherits half a million pounds from her sophisticated, slightly eccentric godmother. Suddenly everything is changed; everything is within reach; doors are open to her, and she can do whatever she likes. So Cassia moves to London and splurges on clothes, cars, and anything else she covets that she couldn’t afford before. But while she’s busy jetsetting around London, hanging out with glamorous people, and trying to restart her medical studies, she realizes that she’s hurting her husband and family in more ways than one. Then she begins to wonder where exactly the money she inherited came from. Another stirring novel with an ensemble cast from the prolific and entertaining Vincenzi."

Another Rave for Penny Vincenzi's WINDFALL

A great notice in Publishers Weekly for Penny Vincenzi 's Windfall: "The British have coined a term for the kind of novels Vincenzi writes: bonkbusters. Her most recent one to appear stateside is a prime example: fast-paced, well written and full of sex. It’s set in 1930s London, where the very rich drink champagne with Edward VIII and the Mountbattens, while the poor have too many babies, nonexistent health care and can only afford to follow the antics of their royal family on the radio. Cassia Tallow, trained as a doctor but playing wife and mother when we first meet her, inherits a fortune from her glamorous godmother. The windfall thrusts Cassia back into a world of high society, high fashion and old lovers. It also gives her the opportunity to go back to practicing medicine and ministering to working-class women, which her husband has prevented her from doing. But when Cassia begins to suspect that the money may not be rightfully hers, she goes to dangerous lengths to find the truth. Once again, Vincenzi delivers grade-A entertainment."

Summer Reading: Penny Vincenzi's Classic Trilogy "The Spoils of Time"

Penny Vincenzi has just released a new novel The Best of Times, published by our friends at Doubleday, that is sure to be a summer bestseller. One of Britian's best-loved and most popular authors since her first novel was published in 1989, Penny Vincenzi has sold over four million books worldwide. Introduced to American readers by The Overlook Press, Penny's beloved backlist titles continue to find new readers. Coming this Fall from Overlook is Windfall, and a new paperback, An Outrageous Affair. For summer reading, we recommend Penny's classic Lytton family trilogy - "The Spoils of Time" - beginning with No Angel, followed by Something Dangerous and Into Temptation.

Penny Vincenzi's WINDFALL Coming In October 2009

For all you Penny Vincenzi fans, here's some very good news: Windfall will published by The Overlook Press in October 2009. A number one bestseller in Britain, Windfall is perhaps Penny Vincenzi’s most riveting family saga yet; a mesmerizing story of one woman's very complicated inheritance. After smashing successes with the American publication of six of Vincenzi’s "marvelously engrossing" (Barbara Taylor Bradford) novels, Overlook is thrilled to offer Windfall for American readers for the very first time.

Bookreporter on Penny Vincenzi's AN OUTRAGEOUS AFFAIR

Reviewer Norah Piehl takes a look at Penny Vincenzi's An Outrageous Affair on Bookreporter.com: "The Overlook Press, the small publishing house that first introduced American readers to the epic novels of Penny Vincenzi, is committed to bringing all of Vincenzi's backlist in print in the United States (even as another, larger publisher has snatched up her newest titles now that the word is out). An Outrageous Affair, first published in the United Kingdom in 1993, is another terrific example of Vincenzi's ability to bring together a couple dozen characters (and just as many subplots) in intriguing, titillating and outrageous ways. . .Fans of Penny Vincenzi's other novels will recognize trademark details here: the sprawling time frame, the large cast of characters, the teetering balance between scandal and propriety, between appearance and reality. Readers are also in for a particularly alluring historical ride this time around, as the action travels from old Hollywood to Madison Avenue advertising pitch meetings to the London theater scene to noble English country house culture. . Perhaps not surprising given its title, An Outrageous Affair has somewhat more (and more explicit) sex than many recent Vincenzi novels. Nonetheless, An Outrageous Affair gives readers more of what they've come to expect from Penny Vincenzi: a thoroughly enjoyable family saga with glamour, romance and drama to spare."

Penny Vincenzi's AN OUTRAGEOUS AFFAIR in The Seattle Times

Melinda Bargreen takes a look at Penny Vincenzi's An Outrageous Affair and An Absolute Scandal in The Seattle Times: "Fans of the best-selling British author Penny Vincenzi are in luck: her new novel, An Outrageous Affair, is being released only a few months after the first U.S. publication of an earlier book, An Absolute Scandal. They're both whomping big page-turners in the old-fashioned, over-the-top grand manner — full of colorful characters, plot twists, sex scenes and long-buried secrets."

Penny Vincenzi's AN OUTRAGEOUS AFFAIR and THE DILEMMA On Sale Now!

October brings joy to fans of bestselling author Penny Vincenzi with the release of An Outrageous Affair and the paperback edition of The Dilemma. Published for the first time for American audiences, An Outrageous Affair is one Penny's most enthralling novels: A mysterious, tragic accident in the 1950s; an inexplicable suicide twenty years later, and a secret which could not be kept for ever. Moving from wartime England to fifties Hollywood, from glitzy Madison Avenue to London's theatrical aristocracy and the machinations of check-book publishing, An Outrageous Affair explores the extraordinary, sometimes fatal, consequences of truth.

Penny Vincenzi's AN OUTRAGEOUS AFFAIR in Booklist

More praise for Penny Vincenzi in Booklist: "The author of No Angel (2003) and Sheer Abandon (2007) offers another sprawling saga, this one centered around a spirited English-woman and her two daughters. Caroline Miller falls hard for dashing American soldier Brendan FitzPatrick, but his disappearance during World War II leads her to give up the baby she conceived shortly before he shipped out. By the time Brendan returns, Caroline has married another man and is expecting a child with him. Caroline refuses to leave her husband, but she implores Brendan to reclaim their baby. He does, naming her Fleur and taking her back to New York with him, while Caroline raises her other daughter, Chloe, in England. When they reach adulthood, the girls’ fates intertwine in unexpected ways when Chloe’s husband appears to be tied to the scandalous death of Fleur’s beloved father. Fans of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s multigenerational stories will likely flock to An Outrageous Affair; the mystery will likely keep them turning the pages."

Penny Vincenzi on New York Times List of BEST BEACH BOOKS of the Summer

Janet Maslin of The New York Times includes Penny Vincenzi on her list of best chick-lit reading for the beach this summer: "Snobbery, treachery and status seeking are, of course, staples of the beach-book world. Penny Vincenzi, an accomplished if long-winded British writer whose style Publishers Weekly has called “chickensian,” has a particular affinity for all of the above.

Overlook has brought American readers five glittering epics by Penny Vincenzi, and the sixth will arrive in October with the long awaited publication of An Outrageous Affair. A number-one bestseller in Britain, this delicious page-turner is considered one of Penny's great family dramas.

Penny Vincenzi's AN OUTRAGEOUS AFFAIR in Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly reviews the forthcoming novel from Penny Vincenzi, An Outrageous Affair in this week's issue: "The latest sexy, overblown saga from Vincenzi’s British backlist tracks Lady Caroline Hunterton over 30 years, from the thick of WWII to the height of the counterculture. Her story is framed by an about-to-be-published tell-all from elusive yellow journalist Magnus Phillips, whose book unearths Caroline’s tragic and scandalous past, threatening everything she holds dear, especially the memory of Brendan FitzPatrick, her first love, and their daughter, Fleur. . . .Vincenzi provides plenty of heat and intrigue, and although a significant number of the multiple twists are expected, Vincenzi gives the sprawling whole enough oomph to carry one all the way through." An Outrageous Affair will be available in bookstores in October.

Meet PENNY VINCENZI at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, CA on May 19

Penny Vincenzi will appear Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, CA on Monday, May 19, at 7pm. Vroman's was recently chosen as Bookseller of the Year by Publishers Weekly! Penny is on tour in America for the paperback release of Sheer Abandon, but is also signing copies of all her books, including Overlook bestsellers such as Almost a Crime, The Dilemma, No Angel, and Something Dangerous.

New Fiction from PENNY VINCENZI

This is a terrific year for Penny Vincenzi fans. In June, Doubleday is bringing out An Absolute Scandal, another blockbuster novel set in the boom-and-bust years of the 1980s. And in October, Overlook will publish An Outrageous Affair, a mesmerizing page-turner that will delight new and old fans alike.

A mysterious, tragic accident in the 1950s; an inexplicable suicide twenty years later. What was the strange link between the two - and Caroline Hunterton's long-buried past? A secret which could not be kept for ever, especially from her two daughters, Chloe and Fleur. Fate had separated the sisters in time and distance - but bound them in mutual hatred - until journalist Magnus Phillips decided to tell the story that would tear their lives apart. Moving from wartime Suffolk to fifties Hollywood, from glitzy Madison Avenue to London's theatrical aristocracy and the machinations of cheque-book publishing, An Outrageous Affair explores the extraordinary, sometimes fatal, consequences of truth. Penny Vincenzi's electrifying novel An Outrageous Affair will be available in bookstores in October 2008.

Valentine's Day Reading: PENNY VINCENZI

Any of Penny Vincenzi's novels offer romantic reading for Valentine's Day, and the new paperback edition of Almost A Crime is perfect place to start. Last year's The Dilemma is also a great page-turner - Penny's debut novel published in 1996 and only brought to American readers by The Overlook Press in 2007. This October, Overlook will publish An Outrageous Affair, perhaps her most sensational family saga yet. This tale moves from wartime England to fifties Hollywood, from glitzy Madison Avenue to London's theatrical aristocracy.

Penny Vincenzi's THE DILEMMA on Bookreporter

From the website Bookreporter.com comes a terrific review of Penny Vincenzi's The Dilemma: "The Overlook Press was the first American publisher to introduce the novels of Penny Vincenzi, a bestselling author in her native England, to American audiences. Although U.S. readers have yet to give Vincenzi the attention she deserves, her most recent novels have garnered the attention of a major U.S. publisher, Doubleday. Overlook Press, however, has continued its efforts to bring Vincenzi's backlist to American readers, and their latest endeavor is to release Vincenzi's debut novel (originally published in 1996) to the United States for the first time . . . The Dilemma is Vincenzi's debut novel, and readers already familiar with her subsequent fiction will notice how many elements of her successful novelistic formula have their genesis here. The quickly-shifting plotlines, the burgeoning cast of dozens of characters whose disparate lives soon become entangled for better or for worse, the oblique references to economic and political issues --- all these hallmarks of Vincenzi's more recent novels can be seen in The Dilemma, which is a hugely entertaining and even captivating read. Once American fans discover Vincenzi, they'll want to read everything she's written, and reading her debut is the perfect way to trace how Vincenzi skillfully developed the fiction-writing techniques that have served her so well in her many bestselling novels to date."