David's books get thumbs up from the USA

An 'incredibly talented' author who was raised in Dewsbury has secured a six-book publishing deal.

David Jester, 31, will re-release his online hit An Idiot in Love in June alongside five other works after American powerhouse Skyhorse Publishing signed him up.

His DIY debut novel topped Amazon’s book charts in both the UK and US, fetching 6,000 downloads within the first 24 hours of self-publication.

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It went on to sell more than 10,000 copies in its first month of release in 2012 and remained at the top of the Amazon best-sellers list for 12 months.

Mr Jester said: “I’ve been writing since I was 18. I tried to get published the traditional way for the next eight to 10 years with no luck.

“In 2012 I decided to self-publish and the first book was An Idiot in Love. That was a big success.

“Even after the sales of the books I still couldn’t get an agent in the UK or get people to read the books.”

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But San Francisco literary agent Peter Beren spotted Mr Jester’s off-beat talent.

This led to him signing the six-book deal with Skyhorse Publishing, which boasts Nobel Prize-winning novelist Samuel Beckett and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel on its roster.

All of his e-books will be re-released by the publisher.

Mr Jester thinks that it will play to his strengths because the publisher will be able to successfully market the many genres he works in such as horror, comedy and fantasy.

Mr Jester, who lived in Nook Green as a youngster, dropped out of what was formerly Thornhill High School aged 12 before moving with his family to Northumberland.

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After getting in with the wrong crowd and taking drugs, Mr Jester turned to writing at 18 as a “release.”

The freelance writer now lives in Newcastle with his wife Yiota and their pets.

The six novels to be released are An Idiot in Love; sequel An Idiot in Marriage, horror This Is How You Die, fantasy comedy Forever After and the Yorkshire-set Fairwood.

“Gross-out” comedy An Idiot in Lovetells the story of hapless Kieran McCall.

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The novel has been revised and expanded for the new edition.

It is written in an autobiographical style and chronicles a series of unfortunate sexual encounters.

Mr Jester’s agent Peter Beren said: “David is an incredibly talented writer, and the UK literary scene’s loss is America’s gain.

An Idiot in Love is released in paperback on June 7, priced at £9.99. The ISBN is 9781510700017.

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