We are ecstatic to announce that we have made a new single-author book acquisition: Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl, a novelette by P.A. Cornell!

Press Release for Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl by P.A. Cornell

Publishers Jendia Gammon and Gareth L. Powell of new speculative imprint Stars and Sabers Publishing acquired world English rights for Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl, a retrofuturistic noir science fiction romance novelette from Nebula, Aurora, and World Fantasy Award finalist and Canadian-Chilean author P.A. Cornell (Lost Cargo). The publication is slated for February 2026.

We are delighted to work with award-winning Canadian-Chilean author P.A. Cornell, a brilliant cross-genre writer. We found her novelette Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl to be a delightful noir with a retro vibe along the lines of Cowboy Bebop and Fallout.

Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl is a cozy sci-fi noir tale arriving in time for Valentine’s Day, 2026.

From the Author:

In an alternate Toronto, Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl spend
evenings on their balcony overlooking the hovercar lanes. From there
they watch the airships come and go and the rockets launching for the
moon, dreaming of a life just out of reach. When they’re presented with
an opportunity to make their dreams reality, is the offer too good to be
true?

We are honored to publish this charming novelette from P.A. Cornell as we expand our single-author acquisitions at Stars and Sabers Publishing. We can’t wait to share more of P.A.’s words with the galaxy!

Read more about P.A. Cornell on her website.