Orion has signed a debut author in a two-book deal completed under auction.Senior commissioning editor Sara O’Keeffe acquired the two titles by Rainbow Rowell via Nicola Barr at The Susijn Agency, on behalf of Ralph Vicinanza Associates.

The first of the pair, entitled Flagged, is due out in February 2011. Described as “a gorgeous, sweet, smart and funny romantic comedy”, the novel is set in a newspaper office on the eve of the millennium, at a time “when email was still a novelty”.

During work hours, two young women spend their time emailing each other, discussing “in hilarious detail”, every aspect of their lives. By night, a “shy IT worker”, who is monitoring emails, finds himself enjoying their correspondence a little too much, and ends up falling in love with one of them.

I have to say, it sounds like a fab read and it’s such a shame we have to wait until 2011!

From The Bookseller.

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