'The Story of Fester Cat' bought by Penguin US

Today I'm announcing my big, exciting news. I've signed a contract with a new publisher. Penguin US have bought world rights and will publish THE STORY OF FESTER CAT in 2014. (Thanks to everyone who read Fester's memoirs in manuscript. Your help and support has been so important. It's a very important book to me.)

Here's the blurb written by my brilliant Agent, Charlotte Robertson at United Agents:

Six years ago a skinny stray black and white cat covered in flea bites and with only one and a half teeth happened upon Jeremy and Paul sitting in their garden.

While they fussed about making him comfortable and getting him food, he took one look at them and realised they needed his help. 

As they set about taking him to the vets and welcoming him into their house, he decided it was time to make that house a home, by making them a family.

This is the story of Fester Cat, a stray cat who even when he was starved and in pain knew how to be happy.  He had a fierce energy and spirit, and knew his own mind, but he also knew how to appreciate sitting and singing and breathing and working towards the most contented of deep felt sighs.

Paul Magrs has written many books in many different genres. He taught novel-writing on the MA in Creative Writing at UEA, and then at Manchester Metropolitan, but is now a full-time writer.

Virginia Woolf's Flush meets Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie, Fester Cat will have you laughing out loud before breaking your heart (don’t read this on the train)

Some early quotes:

'A sweet, moving and heartfelt memoir from a companion, philosopher and cool cat.'  Carole Matthews

‘It's warm, and funny, and sad, and human. It's full of such tiny details, set in such a small area, and yet those details and that smallness are what make it so profound because it's a book about big, enormous, messy love.  I cried at the beginning, and at the end, and in the middle I laughed and soaked it all up.’  Julie Cohen