A writer-mum has been hailed as the new J.K. Rowling after her second novel, which had been turned down by every literary agency in Australia, sparked a worldwide bidding war among publishers later.

The Wall Street Journal made the prediction about mum-of-four Rebecca James whose ‘Beautiful Malice’, a thriller aimed at young teenagers, was hailed as “a sexy psychological thriller” and a “brilliantly plotted page-turner” at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

It has been sold in more than 20 countries and is scheduled to be translated into at least 13 languages.

Rebecca, an unknown writer from Armidale, whose first novel had earned her just 100 dollars, was said to have received offers past 1 million dollars for her second manuscript.

“It’s just the biggest dream come true, but there’s also another side,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted her as saying.

“I wanted to make money, enough to be a writer, but I didn’t ever think I’d get so much attention … It’s quite bizarre,” she added.