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ELEANOR DRAGE
Eleanor writes speculative novels for young adults, celebrating queer joy, heartbreak, and the wonderful complexities in between.Â
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Her debut novel, HEART-SHAPED CURSE, is an ode to first love, friendship, and the musical wizardry of Kurt Cobain.
HEART-SHAPED CURSE
Young Adult • Bloomsbury • 11th February 2027
Love is a curse.
Since 1994, Alyssa has been cursed. Cursed to feed off the emotional pain of others. Cursed to be eternally sixteen. Cursed to be forever alone, with only her worn-out Nirvana cassettes for company
That is, until she meets Polly. Polly isn’t like anyone else. She's smart, funny…and immune to the effects of the Alyssa’s curse. Realising that Polly might be who she needs to cure the curse for good, Alyssa tries desperately to grow close to her.
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But when their friendship begins to blossom into something more, Alyssa realises that love might not be her antidote. It might just be a different kind of poison.
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A quick stroll through any high school locker room dishes up enough teenage angst to set my tongue tingling: ripe and rich and impossible to resist. I call it Teen Spirit, and never mind what it smells like, it tastes like heaven.
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PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY
HEART-SHAPED CURSE • Publishing 11th February 2027
THANK YOU FOR PRE-ORDERING!
This is why your support matters:
Pre-orders help new authors build momentum.
Knowing that people are interested in reading the book before it’s even published is a huge confidence boost — especially for debut authors.
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They send a message to the publishing industry.
By pre-ordering books by marginalised writers, you show the industry that there is a demand for diverse stories.
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They’re an early indicator of a book’s potential.
Pre-orders tell the publisher, booksellers & libraries that there’s a demand for the title, giving them the confidence in the author and helping to build a buzz around the book.
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Readers are rewarded.
Pre-ordering means you’ll get your hands on a copy as soon as the book comes out - sometimes even a few days before!
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I'm standing over Polly's bed, watching her sleep. In the dull half-light, I can see the tight scrunch of her brow, the occasional flicker of a dream stirring beneath her eyelids. I lean in as close as I dare and inhale a deep, discerning breath.
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Nothing.
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Photo credit: You and the Dog
MEET THE MUSE
Behind every story is a bearded street dog from Lesbos.Â
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Meet Panda, Eleanor's muse and bearded beauty. Panda's main duties include: yawning loudly at all the boring bits during read-alouds; modelling good behaviour by taking long, ridiculously cosy naps; enforcing inspirational walking breaks; and putting her judgemental eyebrows to good use.
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Before the month was even out, Erica had hold of my feeble little heart, hers to clutch and release at will. I taught myself to like it: the unpredictable palpitations, the never-quite-knowing when the next squeeze was going to come; because if Erica’s teasing was a clenched fist, her approval was a cold palm pressed against a love-fevered brow.
