Teacher Pete Is New Novelist To Watch

High School teacher Pete Tanton's prize-winning debut novel Johnny Lonely receives acclaim and support ahead of publication by UK publisher Tonto Press on 30 July.

[ClickPress, Wed Jul 25 2007] Teacher Pete Tanton is to have his dream of becoming a writer realised with the publication of his debut novel, Johnny Lonely. Pete, 39, won UK publisher Tonto Press's New Novelist competition, beating off hundreds of other writers to claim the prize of having his novel published in both the UK and the US.

Originally from Alabama, USA, Pete now lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, with his British wife and son. A former violin salesman and publisher's stock room assistant, Pete teaches English at a Tyneside High School, and enjoys the irony of being an American teaching English to British students. Colleagues and students have been very supportive and are keenly awaiting the release of Johnny Lonely. One student has even set up a MySpace page for the novel's fictional hero.

'My students are all going wild about the book,' says Pete. 'The school librarian has had a real job managing the stream of kids coming in every day to reserve a copy!'

The comic novel follows wannabe musician Hughie Youngkin on an ill-fated quest to become a rock star, during which he finds himself trapped in a terrifying firestorm. A New Writing North 'Fresh Fiction Pick', it has already attracted notable praise.

Author and television agony aunt Denise Robertson said the novel is, 'atmospheric, believable, much more than just a good read. If you're young you will revel in it. If youth has flown, this is the book to revive it. Whatever your age, you'll love it.'

Jonathan Trigell, author of Boy A and Cham, said, 'Reading Johnny Lonely is funnier than watching a drunk falling over and more poignant than realizing that you're dead. Pete Tanton has a rare talent for making the weird totally credible and the realistic strangely surreal. Johnny Lonely is crammed with perfectly acute observations on American society, of a kind that only an exile could achieve.'

Johnny Lonely by Pete Tanton is available to order from all good bookstores, including Amazon, priced UK £9.99 / US $17.95.

More information about Johnny Lonely can be found at:
http://www.tontopress.com/johnnylonely

Johnny Lonely's MySpace page is at:
http://www.myspace.com/johnny_lonely

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