REUNA Foreign Rights 2016 Adult Fiction

REUNA Publishing Company

– The most cutting edge and rapidly growing publishing house in Finland.

REUNA Publishing was established in 2013 by Tarja Tornaeus, a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in the literary industry. Now REUNA has become an international publishing house with approximately 30–35 works annually.

Our company is best known in the Finnish literary field for our passion and innovative spirit, which has led to fun and crazy ideas like a summer tour with a mobile book store – The Book Mobile.

The company’s repertoire includes works of fiction (novels, crime stories, and poetry), non-fiction works (i.e. self-help, music, travel guides, memoirs and history), and also a selection of fantasy, young adult, and children’s books.

We co-operate with publishers around the world and we are always looking for new opportunities. Take a look at reunalla.fi for our published offerings or contact us for a meeting, to hear about our upcoming projects as well. Our most successful books with export potential are available in translated samples.

REUNA is opening its new offices next spring, in a beautiful 3000 sqm former town hall building which was built in 1938. These new premises will allow us to expand our operations further – plans for literary courses and events are already on the way. We welcome foreign publishers to join us in planning new programmes, bring foreign guests and bring their books to our events. Please contact us with your ideas!

Anna Toni Partner, Producer, Foreign Rights +358 50 531 1796 anna.toni@reunalla.fi

Tarja Tornaeus Publishing Director +358 500 610 762 tarja.tornaeus@reunalla.fi

REUNA ADULT FICTION

CRIME NOVELS REUNA Publishing Co., Finland • Foreign Rights for Sale Contact: Anna Toni, anna.toni@reunalla.fi, +358 50 531 1796

Samuel Monk, a pseudonym, is from Järvenpää, Finland where he is a well-known and liked author and proud father of a beautiful little girl. Monk started writing crime novels, at first, just as a hobby in 2010.

His first novel was released in 2012 by Texthouse Publishing Company and since then the series grew into a “Temudzin Trilogy” with the final novel having been released in 2014. His latest novel takes place in the Viking era. Samuel has lived a colorful life and is a fan of action movies which becomes apparent in his novels as the reader is held in suspense while enjoying a fast-paced action-thriller.

Jem, the Son of a Viking (2016) is a glimpse of how Finland would have looked like, if it was inhabited

by Vikings. In this historical action novel the main character Jem is driven away from his home village and he has to fight different tribes while travelling across Finlandia. In his long journey he finds solace in the company of beautiful women and strong beer.

The Temudzin Trilogy (2015) is a collection of Monk’s action-packed series of novels. The plot revolves around a Finnish poker player that calls himself Temudzin. Temudzin, disguised as a monk, becomes involved in a brotherhood of professional killers.

Initially, the brotherhood appears as dangerous but the reader becomes aware that they are actually working on the side of good. The brotherhood fights terrorists, organized crime, and enemies such as pedophiles and evil clergy. No bad guy is safe from Temudzin and his band of brothers.

YOUNG ADULTS AND CRIME NOVELS REUNA Publishing Co., Finland • Foreign Rights for Sale Contact: Anna Toni, anna.toni@reunalla.fi, +358 50 531 1796

Jasu Rinneoja is an adult and young adult fiction author who specializes in crime stories. Rinneoja’s strengths as a writer encompass his sense of humor, excellent dialogue, and intriguing storylines. He joking states that he has given the team of detectives in the crime series all of his personal faults. On the other hand, Commissioner Kylmäkorpi himself embodies everything Rinneoja would like to be.

Rinneoja’s latest venture has been a book meant for young adult audiences – especially boys. The novel is called The Mysterious Hermit.

The main character is 16-year-old Daniel who lives in the city, but is forced by his parents to spend the summertime at the countryside with his grandparents. Luckily there are some new friends and even some nice girls – but the most interesting thing is the hermit everyone warns him about. All the more reason to get to know him better!

The Kylmäkorpi detective stories are built around character Juhani Kylmäkorpi, a police commissioner, and his colorful detective team.

The plots always include an American car, and start with a murder with the reader discovering the killer’s identity only at the end of the novel. The dialogue is riddled with humor, and the reader easily empathizes with the intriguing characters.

The latest book in the Kylmäkorpi series, Kylmäkorpi – BlackMail, starts with Detective Salo being threatened with a gun at the hospital.

Some secrets from his past are starting to unveil and the colleagues of the police squad need to evaluate each other again. And what does an old photo with a red Plymouth got to do with everything?

Kylmäkorpi – The Prodigal Son. The third installment in the series, as usual, includes an American car and this time it is an old LaSalle; copper in color. Owner’s son has committed suicide and now he himself is missing. His wife is desperately seeking help from Commissioner Kylmäkorpi.

Kylmäkorpi – The Taste of Bitter Almond. In the second installment, the story revolves around a bus bomb blast in a Helsinki suburb.

A black American van was witnessed at the scene. This time the detective team needs to remain calm and even speak some English, since one of the passengers on the fated bus, a Miss Spencer, is a strikingly beautiful British woman. She may hold important clues to the case.

Kylmäkorpi – Live and Let Loosers Die. In the first book of the series, the story begins when an ex-con is found dead in his apartment.

In the same apartment lives a young man, Jesse, but he and his red Corvette are nowhere to be found.

SHORT STORIES

REUNA Publishing Co., Finland • Foreign Rights for Sale Contact: Anna Toni, anna.toni@reunalla.fi, +358 50 531 1796

Christmas Calendars 24 EXCITING crime stories – one for every day of Advent time. It’s healthier than chocolate!

The Christmas Calendar books have 24 or 25 stories all from different authors. The idea is to spread Christmas spirit and at the same time – all authors have agreed to donate their royalties to charity! Last year they helped poor families, this year the charity cause is Tukikummit, an organization that prevents social exclusion of youth. The president of Finland Sauli Niinistö is one of the founders of the organization. The books have been a big hit, and the third book in the series has been published this autumn.

The Christmas Calendar – 24 Crime Stories (2014) is the first book in the series. The stories are in alphabetical order by the author’s name, but you can check from the inner covers the right page for each day, like opening a real christmas calendar!

The Christmas Calendar – 24 New Tales of Suspense (2015) is the second book in the series. It includes 24 thrilling stories which take place around the world. Also new authors are involved. One of the stories takes place in the Alps, and it has been written by Helena Väisänen who lives in Switzerland, German sample of the story is available. There is also an English sample available of the story by Riku Talvitie taking place in Far East.

The Christmas Calendar – You Better Watch Out (2016) has a funny idea: this time the authors got each one christmas song which they had to include to their short story.

In this books there are 25 stories. One of the new writers is internationally acknowledged Vera Vala who lives in Italy.

When buying rights of Christmas Calendar, you can choose the best stories from three collections; the ones most suitable for your market.

ADULT FICTION REUNA Publishing Co., Finland • Foreign Rights for Sale Contact: Anna Toni, anna.toni@reunalla.fi, +358 50 531 1796

Ante Aikio (born 1985) is a real “son of Lapland” and a presentative of the Sami heritage. He owns reindeers and he is a famous Joiku-singer (traditional Sami way of singing) besides being an author. He also put up Samilandexhibition that has been open for audience since 2011 and is part of Unesco Observatory project. His family and ancestors have lived in Lapland for thousands of years.

He has heard the stories since his childhood and researched all the literary material from the Sami mythology context. He has turned the ancient legends, characters and myths to fictional stories, but everything is based in the real Sami folklore and culture. His dream is to create the national epic of the Sami people.

Strong ties to nature, full of resourcefulness and courage, along with mystical powers have always been present in the Sami culture. The Aigi saga draws from that legendary folklore. The first book, Fathoms of the Fenlake has been published in Finnish and English, second book Lovi was published in Autumn 2015 in Finnish.

Fathoms of the Fenlake is a ground-breaking fantasy story, translated from Finnish to English. Aigi’s journey into the mythical world of the Sami people starts with a race for the first ray of sunlight of the New Year, and continues with a plunge into the mythical Saivo realm to search for a childhood friend. On the journey, for those who know, the knowledge of beings such as the gobmi, skammaidas and other mythical creatures will surely be needed.

Sample available in German

ADULT FICTION REUNA Publishing Co., Finland • Foreign Rights for Sale Contact: Anna Toni, anna.toni@reunalla.fi, +358 50 531 1796

Mystical tales with the flow of smooth jazz

In the first novel Audrey, My Love (143 pages) a small village in Finland has a Jazz club, where famous musicians come to perform. The story’s main character, a man from Tuorila village, meets an enchanting woman named Audrey. However, she disappears from the club as mysteriously as she had appeared. Infatuated, he follows her tracks down to New Orleans. In his search of Jazz and Audrey, he finds himself entangled with the powers of Voodoo.

In the second novel of the series, Milt (192 pages), a young trumpeter Milton King would do anything to get a chance to play at the Jazz Lounge. The best jazz club in New Orleans is owned by Lady Summertime, who finally gives Milt his chance; thanks to his father Joshua. Even death is not an obstacle, when greater powers guide Milt towards his destiny.

Juha Mäntylä’s books have stuck a cord with book bloggers in Finland. His stories are innocent, touching and beautiful. Every book has a jazzy theme song. The first book plays to the tune of Lullaby of Birdland and Milt with Misty. In the upcoming novel (2017), the theme song will be Almost Blue.

Translations – novel Audrey, My love first chapters available in English

ADULT FICTION REUNA Publishing Co., Finland • Foreign Rights for Sale Contact: Anna Toni, anna.toni@reunalla.fi , +358 50 531 1796

PICTURE TUOMAS SIITONEN

Roland Tõnisson (1968) is an Estonian-Finnish writer, born in Soviet Estonia. His mother was born in the Uljana settlement – a village in Russia, inhabited by Finns. Roland holds a diploma in Theology and master’s degree in International Relations and European Studies.

He himself says that curiosity has driven him to several places in Estonia and Finland where he has worked as carrier, choir singer, suitcase maker, security guard, nurse in an asylum, Lutheran pastor, translator, vice mayor, tram driver, and finally at the moment, as an Orthodox priest. In 2015, Tõnisson was invited to LIWRE (Lahti International Writer’s Reunion).

“I like both heavenly and earthly lives. I would like to know better both of them. That’s probably why I have moved twelve times during last fifteen years, and lived seven years in Finland.”

Ward 26 (“Osasto 26” in Finnish, “Uus ilm” in Estonian 2008) was published in Finland in spring 2015. The story takes place in Tallinn in the early 1990’s. Rommi – student of theology, the “hero” of the book, lives in Tallinn in a building with eight apartments, all inhabited with very colorful people. He works in an asylum and it seems that there is no big difference between the patients at Rommi’s workplace and his neighbors. The book manages to find goodness and love in a world that seems hopeless and in people who have lost so much.

Parallel Lines (“Toisella linjalla in Finnish) is an independent sequel to Ward 26. It’s the 2010’s and Rommi has moved to Finland, to the fatherland of his mother’s ancestors. Life in Estonia has become too harsh, and he has to start a new life. Regardless of his university degree, he becomes a tram driver, for he does not like to depend on welfare. In the end there is no difference between a janitor and a president for the state of soul and heart counts in the front of eternal judgment. Driving on the streets of Helsinki, he meets people from all walks of life.

With a tram driver no one has to pretend anything. This story is not about Finns, but human nature of city people regardless the place they are living. The story is another perspective to the eternal journey to find happiness.

ADULT FICTION REUNA Publishing Co., Finland • Foreign Rights for Sale Contact: Anna Toni, anna.toni@reunalla.fi , +358 50 531 1796

Hard Cover 168 pages Coming out in Finnish April 2016

Teresa Myllymäki: Karhulehto / ”Bear Forest” A debut novel by Teresa Myllymäki, who grew up in Northern Finland, is a heavy metal enthusiast and drives a motor cycle. She enjoys the nature and the wilderness of the Finnish forests. Her background provided the inspiration for her mystical novel, which takes the reader through the decades from the 20th century mansion life and the Second World War to an 80’s hard rock love story. The tantalizing story unfolds throughout the journey all the way to present day.

The story begins in the 1980’s in a small town, when a young radio journalist, Iris, is faced with the greatest tragedy of her life: her newlywed husband Riko is killed in a mysterious car crash. Riko happens to be the lead singer of a world famous band Fourth Dimension.

The great sorrow takes Iris to the Bear Forest, where she has sought consolation all her life, even when she was just a little girl.

The forest path leads her through the memories and the background of her fairytale love story is unveiled to the reader as well. Iris’ revelations are far beyond what she could ever have imagined and she even has to fight against some dark forces to find solutions to unanswered questions. Even though sadness, jealousy and death are present in the book, the greatest message is the one about everlasting love – like in a good heavy metal song.

For Teresa Myllymäki (born 1971), heavy music makes her imagination fly.

The atmosphere and the story of the book were inspired by the songs of Stratovarius and Timo Kotipelto. ”After I had listened to the song When the Night Meets the Day by Stratovarius hundreds of times, I realized I had to write down what I was feeling”, Teresa tells. ”The idea for the story came from another song called Beauty Has Come by Timo Kotipelto, which conveys the feeling of sorrow that Iris faces when she loses her lover.”

ADULT FICTION

REUNA Publishing Co., Finland • Foreign Rights for Sale Contact: Anna Toni, anna.toni@reunalla.fi, +358 50 531 1796

Ricky Starry-eye has written, published, and presented his poetry in the past years but this year (2015) his first novel named Snow Globe has been released. Ricky is young at heart and he often blends his own self with that of the main character. Due to his personal struggles with addiction and mental health issues, he takes the reader into these worlds with ease.

Snow Globe is an urban based novel of a day dreaming young man seeking love in the pubs and back streets of Helsinki. When his search is unsuccessful, he begins to lose his mind and is institutionalized. The novel is written in poetic, lyrical prose with subtle illustrations.

REUNA Publishing submitted the novel to Finland’s most prestigious literary award competition, The Finlandia Prize.

Sample Excerpt There are paintings difficult to relate to since you have never lived or breathed the artist’s air. Rubens and Rembrandt are too dark in nature and Botero’s figures over flow in fat.

Due to Picasso’s spousal abuse, which I learned about in a movie, it makes it difficult to be present, even though I wear a worn out, collar stretched T-shirt with a print of Picasso’s peace doves. The shirt matched well with my absent minded expression as I sat in the park on that summer day when a kind black lady walked up to me and asked for directions to the Hietaniemi graveyard. So I guess in the end Pablo did have his fingers in the pot after all.

Illustrations by Niina Thuneberg

ADULT FICTION • CHILDREN’S BOOK REUNA Publishing Co., Finland • Foreign Rights for Sale Contact: Anna Toni, anna.toni@reunalla.fi , +358 50 531 1796

Henry Aho (1979) began his writing career in 2007 and has since published numerous short stories, youth and children’s books, and crime novels on an annual basis. In 2011 he was awarded The Crime Time Prize for his crime novel and in 2012 the Porvoo Theatre awarded him the first place prize in their writing competition.

Aho lives in the small village called Teuva, located in Western Finland and many of his stories take place there, including his latest novel titled The Man and his Cat (2016).

In The Man and his Cat the 100-year-old Man and his Cat are used to each other and got attached over the years. Well, actually they don’t really meet anyone else, except for the housekeeper once a week.

The Man decides to tell his life’s story to The Cat, and there is quite a lot to tell.

His childhood was pretty rough and he turned mute for a while from the constant beating by his father. The Man’s journeys have taken him through America to Soviet Union finally back to his roots to Finnish countryside. Meanwhile new presidents have been elected and man has conquered the moon. Since The Cat is such a good listener, The Man even tells about his adventures with women.

The Cat doesn’t laugh, but the reader might.

Henry Aho manages to capture what elderly think about the world today, but in a humorous and non-preaching way. The story flows, the reader is entertained and the intensity stays throughout the book.

Appr. 350 pages Coming out in Finnish autumn 2016

Mini Vampires is a children’s book series written by Henry Aho and illustrated by Harri István Mäki. Mini vampires live in the cellar of a library and get into all kinds of adventures. It all started in 2011, when Aho made a christmas calendar for his local library, that later turned into the book Salaperäisten minivampyyrien joulu (”Christmas Time with the Mysterious Mini Vampires”). In the second book, Minivampyyrit ja sihisevien liskojen saattue (”Mini Vampires and the Sizzling Lizzards”) they find an odd creature that turns out to be a dinosaur. The new book will be published by Reuna in autumn 2016 and it is called Minivampyyrit ja kauhutarinoiden yö (”Mini Vampires and the Night of Horror Stories”). It’s about a hundreds of years old tradition, where mini vampires gather around a bonfire to tell horrific stories. (Appr. 100 pages).

POETRY REUNA Publishing Co., Finland • Foreign Rights for Sale Contact: Anna Toni, anna.toni@reunalla.fi, +358 50 531 1796

AP Kivinen (1970) is a poet and a singer/songwriter from Jyväskylä, Finland. He is also an experienced poetry slam participant who performs all over the Finnish club scene. As the Finnish Poetry Slam Champion (2015) he will participate in the European Slam Competition in Tartu and the Poetry Slam World Cup in Paris next year, 2016.

AP Kivinen’s poetry might be described as down to earth with a beat-like verse, which gives voice to the slam poetry of the streets. ‘No Cheap Tricks’ and ‘Don’t Try’ are the two main mottos in the writing process.

The first poetry collection Kivinen published was titled, Valloittaja (The Conqueror, 2013) and is a collection of prose poems handed down from father to son.

The second collection, Tšernobylin kissat (The Cats of Chernobyl; Reuna Publishing Co., 2016) is a passionate conversation between you and me, a journey through the seasons of a hot-blooded relationship.

Mr. Kivinen has also released two pop/rock lyrical albums; Valley Below: Running Rites (VBmusic, 2007) and Dog Day (VBmusic, 2010).

Sample translation available: A collection of three sets of poems in English

NOVELS • HUMOR REUNA Publishing Co., Finland • Foreign Rights for Sale Contact: Anna Toni, anna.toni@reunalla.fi, +358 50 531 1796

Janne Nevala (1966) was born in Taivalkoski, a municipality located in Northeastern Finland but presently resides in Liminka, where he is the city’s Head Librarian, Cultural Director, and Principal of Liminka Community College.

From an early age on, Nevala was interested in writers such as Roald Dahl and Raymond Carver. Sports, rock ‘n’ roll, and UK music magazines are his other interests and each greatly influences his writings which are based on wordplay, Northeast Finnish humor and light-hearted sarcasm. Kirjastonhoitaja Topi Mullo (Librarian Toby Mullet) is Nevala’s second novel with his first novel being published in 2011 named Hammaskeijo (Tooth Hairy). Nevala has translated Christopher Sandford’s biography of Keith Richard’s work, Satisfaction into Finnish.

He also writes music and lyrics for both of his bands; Vaikeat Ihmiset United (Difficult People United) and Konihauta (Horsegrave).

Librarian Toby Mullet is a story of a summer of changes. The main character, young Topi Korpela, is offered a summer job in a library on a remote island. Topi, who is a city slicker, is a bit skeptical about the place, but he needs the money so he accepts the offer. Topi is the only worker in the library, which is a desolate old wooden building where he will also be living for the next four weeks.

Topi is the so-called new fish in the aquarium of islanders for all to see. He looks a bit different and swims in ways not always used to or approved by the aboriginal swimmers. He is under close observation from day one.

During his month stay on the island, Topi manages to fall in love, break up, and fall in love again with two separate women. He also manages to become engaged in a fight with a gang of local youngsters terrorizing the library, to enrage the chairman of the local council, and to abuse/amuse almost all the rest of the villagers.

The library becomes a stage for a play without a script, a plot, or even a director. In the middle of all of this a bemused and confused Topi who tries to figure out what exactly is his role in this play. A normal summer job. Not! Sample translations available in English and German

NOVELS • HUMOR REUNA Publishing Co., Finland • Foreign Rights for Sale Contact: Anna Toni, anna.toni@reunalla.fi, +358 50 531 1796

Petteri Hakkarainen (1967) is an IT geek who was born in Helsinki, Finland where he continues to reside. His trinity is comprised of powerlifting, whiskies, and writing. Being no saint either, he views and approaches life in an unreal way filtered by awkward humor.

Linguistically Hakkarainen delivers stories which are twisted and turned grammatically; breaking and bending the language with tradition thereby causing the characters to do the same with the end result being a creative completely new story.

Hakkarainen has published several books including “Born of Age, The Story of Väinämöinen” (Väinämöinen, vanhana syntynyt; 2004), a causerie style novel that transforms the Finnish national epic The Kalevala.

Another novel “Psychiatrist, Dr. Kääpä’s Illusions of his Wife” (Psykiatri Käävän vaimoharhat; 2014), is a story about a psychiatrist who attempts to self-administer psychotherapy so as to solve his problematic relationships with women.

In his latest publication “Fairy Uncle’s Most Horrific Tales” (Satu-sedän kauheimmat sadut; 2015) Hakkarainen transforms traditional fairytales into an erotic firecracker compilation which will blow the readers mind, along with a crazy linguistic romp that most naturally reflects his style.

The somewhat naive traditional short stories get a second chance at a new life in which each tale can continue to live happily ever after in a new genre.

A sample translation of “Little Red Riding Hood” from the book Fairy Uncle’s Most Horrific Tales available in English in both hardcopy and pdf

CRIME NOVELS REUNA Publishing Co., Finland • Foreign Rights for Sale Contact: Anna Toni, anna.toni@reunalla.fi, +358 50 531 1796

Harri V. Hietikko (1970) is a Doctor of Administrative Science and a Finnish author with numerous publications. Dr. Hietikko’s genres include crime novels, works of non-fiction, and theatrical scripts which have been performed on stage. He also has a monthly newspaper column.

Dr. Hietikko’s writing style can be characterized as being not only short and foul, but also at times lyrical.

The City of Tampere honored him with a Literary Award in 2014 and he has been acknowledged as an innovator of the Finnish language.

His crime novels are written in a uniquely modern way addressing society’s reality. His latest two publications, Au revoir Shosanna (2014) and First Symptoms of Insomnia (2015) introduce the reader to a nameless motorcyclist and his dark and fateful lover, the German named Gudrun. His novels play out in the deepest and darkest corners of the human psyche and in big cities where the air permeates in the fragrance of gasoline, love and hate, and passion that quickens the pulse to beat to the monotonous melody of Rammstein.

Sample translations available: First Symptoms of Insomnia in English and German

CRIME NOVELS REUNA Publishing Co., Finland • Foreign Rights for Sale Contact: Anna Toni, anna.toni@reunalla.fi, +358 50 531 1796

Riku Talvitie (1972) is an author who was born and raised in Helsinki, Finland. He has trekked the globe, visiting over 50 countries and even lived for 6 months in the United States. Even though being fairly new to the literary industry, he manages to bring plots to life with all the twists and turns in a style that keeps the reader involved in the fast paced crime drama. His first book was published in May 2015 and one of his short stories was featured in a collection of suspense dramas published in July 2015. Talvitie’s fast paced story plots combine complicated crime scenarios happening in everyday life are typical of Northern European writers.

“Fatal Format: The Gate-Crasher” is a crime novel taking place with-in a supposedly reality TV show taking place in a “house”. The characters invited to join the cast think they are participating in a show but in reality they are hostages who have been kidnapped by a criminal element and are being held for ransom.

The novel’s heroine is a young woman named Peppi; a police woman known for her persistence in solving cases, at times her insubordination and a lack of street smarts. The author, Riku Talvitie has vast experience in marketing and the media, even being himself a member of a production test team on a reality show called Big Brother, giving him the credibility and background to write convincingly about the topic.

Sample translations available in English and Spanish

CRIME NOVELS REUNA Publishing Co., Finland • Foreign Rights for Sale Contact: Anna Toni, anna.toni@reunalla.fi, +358 50 531 1796

Markku Keisala (1948) is a Finnish author whose genre is primarily crime stories and novels.

Mr. Keisala has a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics which reflects his concise, to the point, thoughtful yet not without some humor, style of writing.

He prefers to write stories which bring to light deep secrets hidden in the past which are finally resolved in the present.

Blue Eyes (2015) is Markku Keisala’s second crime novel and the plot revolves around a character named Heino, a German-Finnish soldier who is fighting with the Mountain Army in Lapland. Heino is wounded, captured and becomes a prisoner of war in Finland.

He is forced to work on a farm where he falls in love with Raquel, the farm’s matriarch. The event has fateful consequences which begin to be revealed 60 years later when Heino’s son finds in his deceased father’s belongings a mysterious note which takes him back to the event’s beginning.

Keisala also has written two crime short stories for the collections The Christmas Calendar; 24 Tales of Suspense (2014) and The Christmas Calendar; Merry Christmas from Prison (2015).

A sample translation available in German