April at Sandstone Press

We’re in for a busy month at Sandstone HQ, with a debut novel and two non-fiction books due out over the next few weeks.

First up, we have Lipstick and Leather by Kim Hawes, followed by The Grief Nurse by Angie Spoto and Voices from the Hills by Steve Chilton. While they’re very different books (fantasy, memoir and sports history), all three focus on women who rise above and beyond the spaces and roles they have been assigned. Whether it be the hard and fast world of rock and roll, the competitive climate of outdoor sports or a fictitious grand mansion, home to the bright and wealthy, this April, Sandstone Press takes readers on an exploration of the inner strength, resilience and determination of women.

Imagine you could be rid of your sadness, your anxiety, your heartache, your fear.

Imagine you could take those feelings from others and turn them into something beautiful.

With romance, mystery and spectacular gothic world-building, this spellbinding debut novel is unforgettable.

The Grief Nurse written by Angie Spoto is a beautiful work of fiction that introduces us to Lynx, a grief nurse working for the wealthy Aster family, alleviating their fear, despair and grief. When tragedy strikes the Asters and guests gather at their secluded island, hidden truths begin to surface and Lynx struggles with the role she has been ascribed as she navigates her place within the Aster family and the world beyond their private island.

‘A conceptually-explosive and vividly-rendered story that offers skewering insights into memory, grief, and desire.’ - C J Cooke, bestselling author of The Lighthouse Witches

‘Unforgettable and quietly devastating.’ - Helen Marshall, author of The Migration

‘Spoto’s extraordinary rendering of loss in The Grief Nurse conveys humanness at its brightest and its most troubled.’ - Elizabeth Reeder, author of An Archive of Happiness

Buy now

What do Motörhead, BlackSabbath, Elvis Costello, Rush and Chumbawamba have in common?

Kim Hawes, pioneering female tour manager.

Through hard work, hard partying and hard times, Kim refused to conform to others’ expectations.

This is no ordinary tale of life on the road.

Lipstick and Leather by Kim Hawes is an almost unbelievable memoir detailing the life and career of one of the world’s first female tour managers. As Hawes rises up the ranks of this notoriously male dominated industry, with all the trails and tribulations this entails, she maintains a vivacity and sense of humour that leaps off the pages of this non-fiction work. In Lipstick and Leather Kim Hawes comes face to face with the world’s biggest rockstars, trailblazing her way through the realm of sex, drugs and rock and roll in her high-heels and signature red lipstick.

‘I don’t think I’ve read a better book about the sheer hard work and determination it takes to put a band on stage.’ - Ian Rankin

‘Kim Hawes took lipstick and feminism deep into the heart of macho darkness and came out trumps as this book hilariously and poignantly reveals.’- John Robb, Music Journalist, Musician & Author

‘Some hugely colourful stories and wild anecdotes. An inspirational read and a life well lived!’ - Vic Galloway, BBC Broadcaster, Musician & Author

Buy now

Voices From the Hills is a history of female participation in mountain running, a development that was fiercely resisted in its early years.

Steve Chilton has researched the subject deeply, interviewing many female athletes whom he rightly describes as pioneers. Thanks to them, female participation has become accepted and now increasing numbers of athletes are competing at the traditional fell races, international mountain races, and the endurance challenges such as the Bob Graham Round.

Voices from the Hills by Steve Chilton relates the stories of the pioneering athletes who became the first female mountain runners, despite heavy resistance from their male counterparts. Steve Chilton presents the powerful and unique voices of the women who paved the way for future generations to make their own mark on the sport.

‘A valuable and detailed record of the women who broke through the barriers.’ – Katie Holmes, sports historian

‘A thorough, sensitive and valuable account of trail-blazing women in the hills.’ - Rachel Hewitt, author of In Her Nature

‘A must read for anyone with a passion for women's equality and sport.’ - Sue Anstiss, author of Game On

‘A joyous and inspirational read.’ - Madelaine Watson, first female Chair of the Fell Runners Association

Buy now