Adult Newsletter: January 2025
Up And Coming For Submission
FICTION
Cutting ties with her toxic family, twenty-two-year-old Charlie moves to Florence, determined never to return to the USA. When she lands a position as an au pair for the wealthy Montefiori family, she quickly realizes the job isn't what she bargained for: the unruly offspring must be tamed by summer's end if she wants to earn her visa and call Italy home. The task becomes treacherous when her heart is drawn to Diego De Luca, the family’s handyman. Unable to resist his quiet charm and calloused touch, she plunges into a forbidden romance, knowing the estate’s strict no-fraternization policy could lead to immediate dismissal. Meanwhile, Lorenzo Montefiori, the children’s uncle and heir to the Montefiori empire, is determined to make her life miserable—constantly belittling her American ways and distracting her with his maddeningly good looks. As the summer grows hotter and cicadas scream louder, Charlie’s unease deepens when she unveils the Montefioris’ fascist past and Diego’s connections to organized crime. Charlie must confront her feelings for both men, their dangerous backgrounds, and her place within the Montefiori family—or risk losing her future, her visa, and her chance at love. In her debut novel, WHEN CHARLIE CHOSE ITALY, Bailey Evers paints a tantalizing picture, where forbidden love and dark family secrets collide under the Tuscan sun. Based on her experience as an American in Italy (shared with her 380k social media followers), this sweeping love story will be a must-read for fans of Colleen Hoover and Ali Hazelwood.
While Milo Rogers knows his best friend and publicity client, pop star Veronica Bash, needs to rehab her public image after the Oscar fiasco, he doesn’t think “Taylor Swift-ing” football player Paul Thurman is the way to go. But Veronica’s label has hired a new crisis PR company, and Milo is feeling iced out. Worried that they’re paying more attention to Veronica’s career than her actual needs, he agrees to take point and manage Paul—though what he should be doing is building his own PR business. Meanwhile, Paul has no clue why they picked him. Do they not know he’s gay? He hasn’t been hiding it, though he also hasn’t really advertised it since he got to the NFL. But the promise of a renewed contract and sponsorship deals is too good to pass up. So, to the dismay of his family, he retreats into the closet for the highly publicized showmance. But sparks fly when Paul and Milo spend time together, going from enemies to friends to lovers. And when their fling becomes love, it's a heavy lift to hide their relationship from the NFL, the PR group, Veronica, and her fans. The PR company discovers the truth and hatches a plan that will preserve Veronica’s reputation…and destroy Paul’s. Together, Paul and Milo need to figure out what they really want in their careers and their lives all before the truth comes out and the love affair maims them, too. A SWIFT PROPOSAL is acclaimed YA author (All That’s Left in the World) Erik J. Brown’s adult debut. (Please note, Michael Bourret is the agent for this project.)
When Jessica Barnes joins SkinnySolutions for the umpteenth time, she is determined to finally lose the weight. These extra pounds, she is convinced, are all that are keeping her from happiness: from finding love, from making partner at her law firm… and from getting through a day without being called names, ignored or pushed against angrily on subway seats. After surveying the array of similarly hopeful women in a strip mall SkinnySolutions storefront, though, Jessica’s legal brain clicks into action: if these programs are predicated on repeat business, how can they offer long-term success? For the first time, instead of signing up for counting points, eating tasteless frozen meals and trying to fill up on sanctioned “free foods”, Jessica Barnes does her research and realizes that she’s been sold a bill of goods and set up for failure like so many millions before her. So, she sues the diet industry. FAT CHANCE is an unflinching look at what it feels like to live in a larger body, exploring how women are exploited and what happens when one fat “Erin Brockovich” decides to fight back. As Jessica navigates love, weight loss meds and an unprecedented legal battle, she questions whether anything ‘tastes as good as thin feels’—and finds some answers that surprise her. For readers of Jennifer Weiner, Jane Green and Olivia Dade, FAT CHANCE—written by attorney and longtime dieter Judi Zirin - is a witty contemporary romp through some pretty heavy topics. Pun intended. (Please note, Stacey Glick is the agent for this project.)
Former Women’s National Team star Sam's career-ending injury was followed immediately by a trust-shattering break up, and she hasn't wanted to think of soccer or love since. She'll just keep her head down, run her family's Jewish deli, and dodge her mom's attempts at setting her up with a nice girl from synagogue. But when her best friend begs her to coach a youth team, Sam is suddenly thrust back into the world of the game…and into the orbit of the hot woman she made out with at a bar last week, who just happens to be the mom of one of the players. Hazel has been a single mom since her daughter was born and after a heartbreaking romantic betrayal that left her trust in shambles. Nothing could tempt her into falling for anyone, especially not the coach of her kid's soccer team. But as Hazel struggles to fit in with the other soccer moms and Sam grapples with defining herself without pro soccer, both women find they can’t quite resist a new friend—with benefits. Neither of them are prepared for the feelings they'll catch, but love's a game, and they're both about to be subbed in. Zabe Doyle’s debut novel LOVE OFFSIDES is a warm and steamy romance that will appeal to fans of Meryl Wilsner's Cleat Cute and Ashley Herring Blake's Delilah Green Doesn't Care. (Please note, Lauren Abramo is the agent for this project.)
Witty, sparkling Alexandra Bart has luck to burn. A successful author with a professor husband, a comfortable lifestyle, and queen bee status among her artsy friends in Houston's bohemian district, she's made her peace with creative compromises—mostly. But when she meets shy, downtrodden Jeannie Belasco, a talented writer whose responsibilities as a mom and teacher have kept her from finishing her brilliant novel, Alex resolves to launch Jeannie into the writing career she deserves. Enlisting the aid of her devoted friend Julian to procure Jeannie a "room of her own" alongside a thrilling introduction to the artist's life, Alex feels her own creative spark beginning to rekindle. Until Alex's interference pushes her best friend and her protege together romantically, and her plans threaten to backfire. As the lies about her own perfect life begin to unravel—including the ones she’s told herself—Alex must choose between her own long-dormant desires and her desperate need to control the narrative at all costs. With insightful, nuanced emotional tension reminiscent of Sally Rooney, celebrated suspense author Amy Gentry (Good as Gone, Bad Habits) brings her signature talent for portraying complicated, difficult women to book club fiction with THE LUCKY ONE, combining the arch wit of a modern-day Emma with the simmering intrigue of Dangerous Liaisons. (Please note, Sharon Pelletier is the agent for this project)
The last thing Molly expected to find in Sherwood Forest was a sizzling salsa scene. Inspired by her grandmother’s travel stories and tired of playing a supporting role in her own life, Molly jet-sets to Nottingham. But rather than offering a peaceful retreat for writing, the fabled English city sweeps her into a whirlwind of merry-men bachelor parties and unexpected opportunities. When Molly meets William, a roguishly charming dancer, his bold presence awakens desires she never dared explore—and soon she’s agreed to step in as his dance partner. What begins as a simple agreement becomes a dare to trust her instincts and embrace life unapologetically. But when a family secret is revealed, Molly must rethink everything she thought she knew about love and passion, leaving her at a crossroads. With a quirky cast of characters—including Robin Hood himself, Sharif of Nottingham, and a nosey Nellie sheep, Emily Antoine’s debut novel, LEAD AND FOLLOW, embraces the warmth and wit of Emily Henry’s Book Lovers while also exploring what happens when travel blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, stripping away our disguises and sparking intense, spontaneous connections. When allowed to reimagine herself, will Molly play the hero or the outlaw? In Naughty-ham, life doesn’t follow any predictable parable. (Please note, Ann Leslie Tuttle is the agent for this project.)
When single mother Anna Olin is invited to an exclusive writing residency on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest, it feels like an opportunity for artistic redemption after watching her creative ambitions wither for over a decade. Alongside five other writers, she must finish her novel to compete for a million-dollar publishing contract. The catch? One of the writers isn’t human—it’s an AI. Once on the island, surrounded by literary icons and bestselling authors, Anna is confronted not only by her own insecurities but also by a long-ago crush. But can he be trusted? Can any of them? When Anna starts receiving cryptic notes and the AI begins exhibiting unexpected new behavior, the competition becomes more personal—and more dangerous—than anyone imagined. A taut psychological thriller that plays with genre and tropes, HOUSE OF LIARS explores the twisty territory of artistic ambition, AI, motherhood, and desire, with the tech insider’s knowledge of Jenny Williams, a former AI ethicist at Microsoft and author of The Atlas of Forgotten Places (praised by author Kwei Quartey as “Nothing short of astonishing”). Timely and harrowing, HOUSE OF LIARS combines Yellowface’s unflinching examination of literary culture with a portrait of sexuality in motherhood reminiscent of Miranda July’s All Fours. (Please note, Ann Leslie Tuttle is the agent for this project.)
The city of Adamas is a haven, a glittering labyrinth of magical domes that protects humanity from the violent desert that surrounds it. To sustain the city’s intricate mechanisms and unify its warring factions, every decade the two rival schools of magic—one of Dawn, one of Dusk—choose their best disciple to become leaders of the city by undergoing the Union Rites, a series of challenging rituals that aim to test the pair’s skills, confirm their compatibility and amplify their magic to something akin to a god’s. After years of training, the latest pair—Errai and Ovy—are about to face the harrowing Rites. Except, they are far from perfectly in sync—in fact, they hate each other. Weighed down by opposing worldviews, the complicated childhood they spent together, and a single heartbreaking kiss they shared years ago, the discord between them threatens the success of the Rites. But when Errai and Ovy realize that someone is sabotaging the Rites and endangering Adamas, they will have to push past their differences and work together to unveil the dark secrets of their city’s system, the terrifying scope of their magic, and the most damning truth of all—that perhaps, they might not hate each other, after all. Inspired by the Greek folklore of the star-crossed love between the god of dawn and the goddess of dusk, and perfect for readers of The Hurricane Wars and The Bone Shard Daughter, CREST OF DAWN, VEIL OF DUSK is the adult fantasy debut of award-winning and internationally bestselling YA fantasy author Kika Hatzopoulou (Threads That Bind). (Please note, Michaela Whatnall is the agent for this project.)
Plus-size popstar Chloe Belle is determined to take her new album to No. 1 and prove her haters (and rockstar ex) wrong. So why can’t the media focus on anything but her recent divorce or her double chin? When Chloe’s run-in with her celebrity crush, English stage actor-turned-Hollywood-hunk Andrew Westrate, goes viral, their teams propose a deal. Andrew is out of his depth after his last film underperformed, and a buzzy tabloid relationship could boost his image—and distract from Chloe’s past. With the fate of both their careers at stake, Chloe and Andrew embark on a whirlwind press tour, from LA pap walks, to Saturday Night Live, to the Met Gala. Smart and sensitive Andrew is the opposite of Chloe’s bad-boy ex, and he is mesmerized by her enticing curves and superstar confidence. Before they know it, their fake PR romance starts to feel very real... But fame is a hard business, and they will have to battle scheming publicists, greedy family members, and their own insecurities to find out if their love can last after the cameras turn off. Full of swoony-spicy romance and high-stakes Hollywood intrigue, FAKING IT BIG is a debut rom-com by Lucy Hunt, perfect for fans of Julie Murphy and Olivia Dade. (Please note, this project is represented by Kendall Berdinsky).
NON-FICTION
When Scott Ferson, longtime Democratic strategist and former spokesman for Senator Ted Kennedy, made a political sightseeing stop at the 2016 Iowa Republican caucuses, he left bewildered by people who seemed far removed from his suburban Boston enclave. Ferson would spend much of the next eight years seeking answers about an America that he thought he knew and found a country unsure of itself. In thousands of interviews and casual conversations with everyday Americans in dozens of states, Ferson talked to the very same voters that Kamala Harris’s campaign missed in the 2024 election. From Arkansas to Oregon, Texas to Wisconsin, the voices and stories that don’t appear in traditional political media—and proved so pivotal in giving Donald Trump a historic second term—come to life in THE DEMOCRATS LOST STEVE. While many campaign books tell the tale from the inside out, THE DEMOCRATS LOST STEVE takes the opposite approach, meeting voters where they are and pinpointing a national sense of detachment from the Democratic party which made little effort to engage with them and their concerns, alienation from Washington, and a deep disquietude about not only the future, but the volatile present. Part sociological study, part political travelogue, and deeply empirical, Ferson has stitched a narrative that functions as an MRI of America’s political soul. Blending expert political analysis with a lively storytelling style, he gives Democrats a first-person account of how and where they went wrong—and offers a blueprint for what could be the way out of the wilderness.
At the age of 55, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Patrick Dillon turned away from a 30-year profession as reporter, columnist, editor, and author to start life over as a farmer and winemaker in a rural community in Sonoma County, California. Now, more than 25 years into this passage, he chronicles the quest to reclaim his childhood joy and the conflict between having a dream and actually living it. GROUNDED is a transformative adventure about recharging our lives, finding new possibilities, and living purposefully in the transitional zone between vibrant times left behind and the measured ones that lie ahead. In 2000, Patrick and his wife Annie rejected their urban lifestyle and plunged into an agricultural community, landing on a fallow farm that would challenge their romantic ideal. Besides farming, Patrick would undertake winemaking, eventually earning plaudits and numerous awards. He would also experience failures. Readers will accompany him into his own fields, vineyards, and within his cellar doors to encounter the tricks and secrets of winemaking, meeting savants and charlatans along the way as he juggles the industry’s intractable economics and steep learning curves. As he assimilates with homegrown characters in his shambolic community, he withstands years of drought, fires, floods, self-doubt and even accepts his own limitations as he reconciles perceived failures into life lessons. GROUNDED presents an investigation into what home is and how we find it -- an antidote to gloom and despair.
Szilvia Gogh’s story begins in communist, landlocked Hungary, where a young girl with big dreams defied the odds to create an extraordinary life. Growing up in a culture of restrictions, Szilvia carved a path toward freedom and adventure, becoming a professional scuba diver, the youngest female PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors) Course Director in a male-dominated industry, and an inductee into the Women Divers Hall of Fame. Her journey didn’t stop there. She made waves in Hollywood, stunt-doubling for Drew Barrymore and working with A-List actors like Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, and Zoe Saldana alongside James Cameron, all while exploring the world’s oceans, running a thriving jewelry business, and raising a family. Balancing her career, travel, and motherhood, Szilvia faced challenges that demanded grit and resilience. From diving in the world’s most treacherous waters to surviving breast cancer, her life is a vivid testament to the power of dreaming big, never taking "no" for an answer, and turning passions into a fulfilling career. DIVING INTO DREAMS captures this journey in vibrant detail, taking readers on a global adventure filled with danger, discovery, and determination. For fans of Cheryl Strayed and Elizabeth Gilbert, Szilvia’s adventure narrative weaves themes of empowerment, adventure, and self-discovery. With stunning photographs, emotional depth, and a refreshing sense of authenticity, her story inspires readers to break barriers, follow their hearts, and live life to the fullest.
What we love might kill us—especially if we love high-contact sports. HEAD GAMES examines our fascination with mayhem masquerading as fun and games. What happens to athletes who take constant hits? Is CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) responsible for many cases of murder and domestic violence? NFL star Junior Seau shot himself in the chest to preserve his brain for study. Aaron Hernandez hanged himself in his prison cell and his autopsy showed evidence of CTE. Does that also explain OJ Simpson? Thousands of children each year are indoctrinated into the world of violent sports. In HEAD GAMES, award-winning journalist and educator, William McKeen examines the violence of all sports, zeroing in on football and the many horrific examples it provides. The NFL’s efforts to deal with the inherent violence have been feeble at best. HEAD GAMES reveals the doctors and coaches in search of a solution, offering stories of athletes whose lives were derailed by head injuries. McKeen seeks to reconcile love of sports and hatred of their sometimes tragic consequences.
For centuries, people all over the world have enjoyed eating together in nature. THE PICNIC PROJECT invites readers to unwind and create fellowship over a meal outdoors, with menus, recipes, and checklists for delicious and affordable picnics. Klancy Miller, author of the award-winning For the Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food and Cooking Solo: The Fun of Cooking for Yourself, will share all she knows about creating a joyful picnic—inspiring readers to cook with some of the best produce summer has to offer, connect with friends, and delight in the simple pleasure of a tasty repast outside. THE PICNIC PROJECT will encourage readers to cultivate a sense of community, presenting 60-90 accessible recipes utilizing in-season ingredients for delicious salads, sandwiches, pastries, desserts, drinks, and more. Through it all, THE PICNIC PROJECT asserts that picnics are scenes of community and safety, and a place that, when we’re lucky, allows us to share food and take care of one another.
On March 14, 1910, former president Theodore Roosevelt strode ashore in Khartoum, Sudan. His arrival marked the end of a year-long African safari, an attempt to remove himself from the public eye and discover a new vocation. As one adventure ended, another beckoned. Roosevelt had agreed to deliver three European lectures before he returned to the United States. It would be a quiet tour, a chance for a retired politician to revisit familiar places and see old friends. This plan did not survive the Sudan; by the time Roosevelt and his entourage continued down the Nile, the simple itinerary had expanded into a thirteen-country publicity juggernaut. Abetted by a railroad carriage of journalists, Roosevelt crashed back onto the front pages of the world’s newspapers. Challenging Egyptian Nationalists in Cairo, fencing with the Pope over religious freedom, angering the British with his critique of colonial rule—the former president rediscovered his gift for capturing and holding the world’s attention. The intoxicating roar of cheering crowds and the admiration of European leaders convinced Roosevelt that his political career need not be finished. Historian Richard J. Goodrich’s TEDDY’S GRAND TOUR: AN AMERICAN BULL MOOSE IN A EUROPEAN CHINA SHOP, captures Roosevelt’s rollicking European campaign and argues that this consequential three-month period encouraged Roosevelt to entertain the unthinkable—a run for an unprecedented third presidential term.
TEACHING by Steve Heimler and Peter Zablocki delves into the heart of the American education system, offering a candid, objective look at the realities educators and school personnel face nationwide. With alarming statistics as a backdrop—86% of public schools struggling to hire educators (USA Today) and 35% of teachers considering leaving the profession in the next two years—this story amplifies the voices of those we trust to educate our children. Whereas the Pulitzer Prize recipient Studs Terkel gave a voice to the working class in his 1976 award-winning book Working, Heimler and Zablocki invite America’s educators to tell their stories—tales of triumph and tragedy, of the quest to seize students’ imaginations only to be confronted with a thick shroud of glassy-eyed boredom, and of teachers finding their true calling, offering their true selves to a room full of kids. TEACHING is a culmination of the authors’ extensive interviews with teachers and support staff, capturing firsthand accounts of modern education’s triumphs and frustrations. Heimler, the creator of Heimler’s History, an online educational community with over a million followers, brings to the project his decade of high school teaching experience, outlook, and connections. Zablocki, a history professor, award-winning author, and the host of the History Shorts podcast, likewise adds further perspective from his nearly twenty years in the classroom. Their book aims to help teachers recover the joy of their vocation, to part the curtains for teachers-in-training so they can understand the workday reality of the education system, and to invite millions of Americans with school-age children to a conversation about supporting and valuing those who dedicate their lives to education.
Historic last games evoke a whirlwind of emotions. Some signify the end of an era, delivering a poignant farewell, while others pass by unnoticed, with even the participants unaware of their significance. These final moments can be laugh-out-loud funny, like the cash-strapped St. Louis Browns running out of baseballs, or heartbreakingly poignant, as exemplified by Lou Gehrig’s speech at Yankee Stadium, delivered amidst his battle with ALS. In BOTTOM OF THE NINTH: THE LAST GAME OF..., Matthew Kastel, veteran baseball executive and stadium manager of the iconic Oriole Park at Camden Yards, steps up to the plate to explore the unforgettable final games of legendary players, teams, and stadiums. From the modern day to a century ago, each story captures the unique personality and vibrant spirit of baseball. Kastel shines a light on icons such as Pete Rose, Roberto Clemente, and storied stadiums like Ebbets Field, while also exploring lesser known but still fascinating finales. Ever heard of the infamous Potato Game? Or the bizarre tale of a Major League mascot suspected of bank robbery by the FBI? With insider knowledge and a deep understanding of the game, Kastel reconstructs these significant events, inviting readers to appreciate the often-overlooked endings of larger-than-life legends.
We often hear the wrong message about burnout—that to avoid it, we must change ourselves: adjust our work habits, improve our time management, and learn to “say no.” We are also told we must rejuvenate ourselves with things like vacation, exercise, mindfulness, and gratitude. We’ve been misled. While better boundaries and healthy hobbies are certainly good for us, they are not the solution. That’s because burnout is a community failure, not a personal one. Sociologist and belonging researcher, Dr. Lisa Nunn explains that we are not to blame for our own burnout—untrustworthy workplaces are. Anchored in her new study on why people quit their jobs, THE BURNOUT-BELONGING CONNECTION reveals that the very same factors that drive belonging, when absent, drive burnout. Nunn shows us how this applies to every community we are a part of: families, churches, schools, neighborhoods, soccer teams, you name it. Each community has its own rules, rhythms, and culture, but the dynamics that hold us together, making us feel like a “we,” are the same in all of them. When we experience a sense of belonging, it means our community is doing it right. It’s when the community doesn’t hold up its end of the bargain that things go wrong. An absence of belonging causes much more than loneliness; it’s the road to burnout and withdrawal. The answer is not self-care, it’s strengthening our communities to be more trustworthy, safeguarding each other's ambitions and wellbeing. THE BURNOUT-BELONGING CONNECTION teaches us how.
With Wine Spectator’s naming the 1998 vintage of Ornellaia as 2001 Wine of the Year, Lodovico Antinori had realized one of his greatest dreams. Indicative of his personal style, the Super Tuscan has been called “cool and sleek,” “intriguing and mysterious,” “resolute and intense.” Fueled by an incomparable pioneering spirit—and not a little bit of regret at selling shares of Ornellaia to competitor Robert Mondavi Winery—the indefatigable vintner must begin anew. Will the 80-year-old’s final venture bear the same desired fruits as his first? A gripping oenobiography that practically swirls off the page, WINE MAVERICK: A LIFE OF LODOVICO ANTINORI recounts how one Italian nobleman pushed against centuries of convention to produce “one of Italy’s most iconic modern wines,” while exhibiting profound environmental responsibility through progressive vineyard management and wildlife conservation. This heady and inspiring story, written by Lodovico Antinori with Brown University Professor of Italian Studies Allison Levy, also lays bare Lodovico’s high-voltage jet-set life bolstered by anecdotes from an American bloodline that flows from 19th-century capitalist Manhattan to Gilded Age Newport. A suspenseful balancing act between aristocratic pedigree and autonomous survival, WINE MAVERICK offers a model for channeling limitless curiosity and creativity into bold new legacy: “Ornellaia embodies the modern renaissance of Italian wines … pathbreaking in its origin, contemporary in its winemaking, international in its varietal blend, and thoroughly Tuscan in its soul.” Proclaims The Wine Advocate, “all Italian wine is born from this patrimony that Lodovico has created.” (Please note, Stacey Glick is the agent for this project.)
You’ve read his internationally bestselling books, from The Barbecue Bible to Project Smoke. You’ve watched his popular PBS TV shows, including Planet Barbecue, Project Fire, and Primal Grill. Perhaps you’ve dined at his Star Grill restaurant on a Windstar cruise or sharpened your grill skills at his Barbecue University® in California. Whether you’re a grilling neophyte or a fanatic, he’s probably changed your life. You may think you know the man Oprah called “The Gladiator of the Grill,” but barbecue is just a start. Now 5-time James Beard Award-winner Steven Raichlen tells the real story of how a French literature major from Baltimore studied medieval cooking on a Watson Fellowship and became the world’s foremost authority on barbecue. Steven’s research has taken him to 75 countries and his books have been translated into 17 languages. (He also hosted TV series in French and Italian.) He has lectured on the history of barbecue at Harvard and the Smithsonian and writes for the New York Times. Steven has been a translator, restaurant critic, wine and spirits columnist, healthy food evangelist, novelist, product designer, and consultant. He slurped wine with Stanley Tucci and cooked with Oprah, Howard Stern, and Julia Child. Did we mention his Iron Chef battle on Japanese television? (He won!) On a darker note, Steven survived his mother’s suicide when he was 17. MAN ON FIRE: MY LIFE IN FOOD will tell the improbable story of the man who launched the barbecue revolution. Complete with 50 recipes—not all grilled! (Please note, Stacey Glick is the agent for this project.)
Most of us dread having to deal with law, because the law is complicated, expensive, and dominated by a reviled profession. But law is also a powerful tool anyone can wield. In the vein of Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, Vivek Maru’s BAREFOOT LAWYERS: HOW LAW CAN WORK FOR ALL OF US braids the stories of three people with whom Vivek has partnered on a shared quest to democratize law. Jhody Polk served as a “jailhouse lawyer” for seven years while she was incarcerated, helping hundreds of fellow prisoners; she went on to build a network of 1000 jailhouse lawyers across fifty states. Daniel Sesay served as one of Sierra Leone’s first community paralegals—intermediaries who, like jailhouse lawyers, offer a bridge between law and the people who need it—and ended up leading a movement that passed one of the most progressive land laws in the world. Ma Khin trained Myanmar’s first cadre of community paralegals, most of whom continue their work to this day despite a brutal military dictatorship. Yale-trained lawyer Vivek Maru was named Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the World Economic Forum; his Ted Talk has been viewed over a million times. Together, Jhody, Daniel, Khin, and Vivek have built a global movement, with members in 175 countries. In BAREFOOT LAWYERS, Maru argues that, to find our way through the great crises of our time—democratic breakdown, inequality, environmental collapse—we need to turn law from an abstraction or a threat into something everyone can know, use, and shape. (Please note, Jessica Papin is the agent for this project.)
Scent has an unparalleled power to unlock memories, stir emotions, and transport us through time. Unlike sight, sound, or touch, smells bypass the brain’s central relay, going straight to its emotional core. A single whiff of perfume can conjure forgotten moments or evoke places we’ve never been. Perfume has fascinated every civilization for millennia, evolving from ancient religious rituals to a $50 billion global industry. While the West often claims perfume as its own, much of the story it tells is incomplete. Yes, Chanel revolutionized fragrance with No. 5, becoming the first fashion designer to venture into perfumery. Guerlain’s Shalimar reshaped how the East was imagined, laying the foundation for all modern “oriental” perfumes. Thierry Mugler’s Angel gave birth to the family of so-good-you-could-almost-eat-it gourmand family of perfumes. And Tom Ford’s Oud Wood brought the scented wood beloved by Arabs to the mainstream in London, Paris, and New York. Yet the East, which gave the world these ingredients and techniques, has been written out of its own history. Long before France bottled its fame, Arabia perfected the art of scent, using it not just for beauty but as a tool of power. In SCENTS OF POWER, Egyptian-American journalist Ola Salem, managing editor of New Lines magazine, tells the untold story of perfume. From Cleopatra’s perfume to the West’s modern-day fragrance boom, Salem takes readers on a cultural journey weaving together old traditions since ancient Egypt to perfumes’ modern artistry to tell the backstory of our favorite perfumes today. (Please note, Jessica Papin is the agent for this project.)
On New Year's Eve 2019, the 130-foot Scandies Rose was sinking fast. Trapped in a rare weather phenomenon, hurricane-force winds entombed her in one hundred tons of ice. As she plunged deeper, only two men escaped. Three days earlier, deckhand Dean Gribble Jr. needed a job; now he stood barefoot in the Arctic night, haunted by the dying screams of his captain and crew still trapped inside. After a harrowing turn adrift in 38-degree water, Dean’s rescue should have been triumph enough. Instead, it marked the beginning of a different kind of nightmare. In THE SURVIVOR(S), multi-Emmy winner writer/producer/director R. Decker Watson Jr. (Deadliest Catch, Finestkind) unravels a devastating tale of survival, blame, and redemption. Through unparalleled access to the rescuers, investigators, victims’ families, and the survivor, Watson reveals how two men's escape from death made them scapegoats, sending one spiraling into addiction and the other toward a tragic demise. Beneath the vitriol, darker questions lurked: had the fishing industry's ruthless economics pushed seven men into the jaws of a killer? What role did a hastily repaired hull play? And why had the captain texted about wanting to "sink the boat and end it all"? The Perfect Storm meets The Wager in this pulse-pounding saga of what happens when the rescued must survive their own survival. It reveals the true cost of our $358 billion seafood obsession, told by one of the most experienced storytellers in this realm and the only one with access to the man who saw what really happened that fateful night. (Please note, Jessica Papin is the agent for this project.)
On an absurd but moving quest, a timid forty-something author of knitting books sets out to become a Viking. Entertaining and ultimately profound, MY BRIEF LIFE AS A VIKING: ONE WOMAN’S QUEST TO FIND MEANING IN THE PAST AND A PLACE AT THE HEARTH is reminiscent of The Witching Year and Unraveling in its pursuit of meaning through hands-on craft and mystical experiences. Entering the world of historical reenactors, Larissa Brown immerses herself in the handcrafts and chores that a tenth-century woman would do. Past and present blur and Brown’s own sense of time is upended as, in real life, she begins to have unexplained seizures that rob her of her ability to follow hours and years. Diagnosed with epilepsy, Brown feels a new depth and urgency in her mission to become a courageous woman, and her attempt to slip through time seems possible. Inspired by the Viking concepts of fate and of living each day to the fullest, Brown braids together her own story of challenges and transformation in a time-traveling journey through ancient Viking Age arts and volcanic landscapes. We meet a suburban dad with a blacksmith’s forge in his garage, a world-champion ax thrower, a self-identified thug whose devotion to Norse mythology saved his life, and a forest survival skills master who tracks elk and explains the capacity to learn through empathy. Throughout, MY BRIEF LIFE AS A VIKING conveys tender lessons about compassion, courage, and the deep need for belonging. (Please note Leslie Meredith represents this project.)
Raised in Alaska in an abandoned mink pen on a decrepit fur farm without running water or electricity, Elke Govertsen imagined a future filled with great stories. Her mother, a painter and artist who fled a horrific childhood, was determined that Elke and her sister grow up making the mundane into magic, raising them on the edge of survival as if it were the most beautiful thing in the world—and it was. An Alaskan Educated, THE MINK PEN is the evocative narrative of a child seeking stability and beauty as her mother and the mink pen shape her into an adult equal parts grit, tenacity, and enchantment, setting a course out of the shack and beyond. In her tender accounts, Elke shows that survival can be learned and loved, a cage (real and imagined) can become a home, and generational trauma can be transformed into art. A near-death experience, an unexpected pregnancy, and a relationship ending in heartbreak lead Elke and her mother to live together again as adults. “There are influencers. There are influencers of influencers. And then there is Elke Govertsen,” writes George Bradt, Forbes Magazine, about the founder of Mamalode Magazine, a mother and inspiring motivational speaker. Exploring the profound effects of place with its rich images of Alaskan storms, wildlife, ice and cold, THE MINK PEN is a journey of resilience, sense-making, daughterhood, and motherhood, guiding readers to realize that their stories can transcend history, context, and cages. (Please note Leslie Meredith represents this project.)
Unable to fight for the cause of abolition as soldiers or politicians, three women helped liberate the enslaved (and themselves) the only way they could—by wielding their words as weapons in the social media of the era. COMING UNBOUND: THE WAR ON SLAVERY THREE WOMEN WAGED IN WRITING chronicles how these activists—popular author Lydia Maria Child, former slave owner Angelina Emily Grimké, and free Black poet Frances Ellen Watkins Harper—who were driven by the connections between the plight of slaves and the condition of women became leading voices in the antislavery movement from the 1830s into the 1860s. Despite fleeing from proslavery persecutors time and again, and navigating turbulent personal lives, they became the influencers of their day who mobilized scores of followers by insisting on the right to free speech. Female public expression was by and large discouraged in this period, but their “unlady-like” insistence on speaking truth to power in print and on the podium exposed the harrowing realities of slavery largely unknown to most Americans. Their stories are a testament to the transformative influence of fearless agitation, which ignited a movement so impactful it effectively instigated a war abolishing slavery and reshaping the entire nation. With COMING UNBOUND, professor of literature Dr. Monica Pelaez weaves a narrative that captures the tumultuous lives of three women, and a nation, on the verge of what they believed would be a new birth of freedom. (Please note, Ann Leslie Tuttle is the agent for this project.)
Rights Round Up
REMINDERS OF HIM by Colleen Hoover went to Universal Pictures. SEDUCED BY EVIL by Michael Fleeman went to 13th Lake Media LLC and JPJ Film LLC. LET THE RECORD SHOW by Sarah Schulman went to Concordia Productions. THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD by Jade Adia went to Sony. THE RED PALACE by June Hur went to Windup Films. THIS CURSED HOUSE by Del Sandeen went to BET+ Productions. INTERSTELLAR by Avi Loeb went to Popcorn Storm Pictures Limited.
CORRUPT, HIDEAWAY, KILL SWITCH, and NIGHTFALL by Penelope Douglas went to Ciela Norma for Bulgarian rights. BIRTHDAY GIRL and CREDENCE went to Dioptra for Greek rights. CREDENCE and BIRTHDAY GIRL went to Bookzone for Romanian rights. SLAY by Abbi Glines went to Turbine for Danish rights. REGRETTING YOU by Colleen Hoover went to Futami Shobo for Japanese rights. HOPELESS went to Baltos Lankos for Lithuanian rights, Mladinska Knjiga for Slovenian rights. REGRETTING YOU went to Latvijas Mediji for Latvian rights, and Otwarte for Polish rights. NEVER NEVER went to Ucila for Slovenian rights. CROSSING THE LINE and DOWN AND DIRTY by Kendall Ryan went to Baronet/Albatros for Czech rights. DEAR AARON and UNDER LOCKE by Mariana Zapata went to Niezwykle for Polish rights. FROM LUKOV WITH LOVE went to Klidarithmos for Greek rights. THE SEA CAPTAIN’S WIFE by Tilar J. Mazzeo went to Elliott & Thompson for UK & Commonwealth rights. 13 THINGS MENTALLY STRONG PEOPLE DON’T DO by Amy Morin went to Lua de Papel/Leya for Portuguese rights. ADHD FOR SMART ASS WOMEN by Tracy Otsuka went to Editura Herald for Romanian rights. A CRANE AMONG WOLVES by June Hur went to Aser el Kotob for Arabic rights. UNTETHERED SKY by Fonda Lee went to Hidra for Spanish rights, and Apex Press for traditional Chinese rights. THE JADE SETTER OF JANLOON and JADE SHARDS went to Insolita for Spanish rights. UNDER THE SURFACE by Diana Urban went to De Fontein for Dutch rights. ALWAYS YOU and BE WITH ME by Samantha Young went to Orange Books for Bulgarian rights. GERMA THE TRANSLATOR by Mohammaed Hasan Alwan went to China Intercontinental Press & Media for simplified Chinese rights. THE ART OF SCANDAL by Regina Black went to Beldash for Arabic rights. THE FAVORITES and THEY NEVER LEARN by Layne Fargo went to Ucila for Slovenian rights. WATER MOON by Samantha Sotto went to Obsidian for Bulgarian rights. ORIGINAL LOVE by Henry Shukman went to Arbor Verlag for German rights.
Recent Sales
Jewell Parker Rhodes’s WILL’S RACE FOR HOME and a second untitled book to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in a World rights deal by Michael Bourret
BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG KITTY by Kate McKean went to Sourcebooks in a World rights deal by Michael Bourret.
World English rights to MOTH DARK by Kika Hatzopoulou went to Putnam in a deal by Michaela Whatnall.
Remy Lai’s CHICKENPOX went to Holt Books for Young Readers in a World rights deal, by Jim McCarthy.
HEARTSONG by Jessica Mary Best went to Quirk Books in a World rights deal by Michaela Whatnall.
World rights to A PLAY OF SHADOWS by Dan Poblocki went to Scholastic in deal by Michael Bourret.
Archie Bongiovanni’s UNHINGED went to Abrams in a World rights deal by Jim McCarthy.
LIVONIA CHOW MEIN by Abigaill Savitch-Lew went to Simon & Schuster in a World rights deal by Jim McCarthy.
World rights to BING’S CHERRIES by Livia Blackburne, illustrated by Julia Kuo went to Knopf Books for Young Readers in a deal by Jim McCarthy.
I KILLED THE KING by Rebecca Mix and Andrea Hannah went to Balzer & Bray in a World English rights deal by Jim McCarthy.
Christine Virnig’ HAUNTED HOUSE WANTS YOU OUT, illustrated by Carrie Shyrock went to Knopf Books for Young Readers in a World rights deal by Jim McCarthy.
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO FOREVER by Kendall Ryan went to Amazon/Montlake in a World rights deal.
World English rights to THERE’S ONLY ONE SIN IN HOLLYWOOD by Rasheed Newson went to Flatiron in a deal by Jim McCarthy.
Aaron Starmer’s THE SWANS went to Penguin Workshop in a North American and open market rights deal by Michael Bourret.
TORTOISE by Kevin Gepford went to W.W. Norton in a World rights deal by Jessica Papin.
Tehlor Beebe’s IN DUE TIME went to Avon in a World English rights deal by Jim McCarthy.
World Volume rights to LUNCH ON A BEAM by Christine Roussel went to Brandeis University Press.
CHECK IT OUT! THE STORY OF THE US PUBLIC LIBRARY by J. Albert Mann went to Calkins Creek/Astra Books for Young Readers in a World rights deal by Michael Bourret.
Jessica Papin sold SYRINGE TIDES: HOW MEDICINE BECOMES TRASH by Jeremy Greene to Johns Hopkins University Press in a World English rights deal.
Kat Mackenzie’s A SPINSTER’S GUIDE TO OLD FASHIONED DATING went to Morrow/Avon in a World English rights deal.
World rights to IT’S ONLY FOREVER: LABYRINTH by Jes Battis went to ECW Press in a deal by Lauren Abramo.
ELON TAKES THE WHEEL by Edward Niedermeyer went to BenBella Books in a World rights deal.
Elizabeth Everett’s THE WAYSIDE OF LOVE and BY THE WAYSIDE, I LOVE YOU went to Berkley in a World rights deal by Ann Leslie Tuttle.
THE CHEATING SIDE by J. Reuben Appelman went to Amphorae in a World English rights deal by Leslie Meredith.
Heather Aimee O’Neill’s THE IRISH GOODBYE went to Henry Holt in a World rights deal by Sharon Pelletier.
Bruce Friedrich’s MEAT: THE NEXT GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION went to BenBella Books in a North American rights deal by Stacey Glick.
SOMETHING IN THE WATER by Lisa Kroger with Rebekah McKendry and Alyse Wax went to Beacon Press in a North American rights deal by Ann Leslie Tuttle.
Leslie Meredith sold BACK IN CONTROL: A SURGEON’S ROADMAP OUT OF CHRONIC PAIN by David Hanscom, MD to Chelsea Green in a World English rights deal.
Erica Ridley’s INSATIABLE went to Delacorte in a World rights deal by Lauren Abamo.
World rights to COLTONS OF DARK CANYON by Tara Taylor Quinn went to Harlequin in a deal by Ann Leslie Tuttle.
Amy Morin’s THE MENTAL STRENGTH ADVANTAGE went to Rodale Books in a North American rights deal by Stacey Glick.
World rights to IMAGINARY REALITIES by Jeffrey Jensen Amett went to Oxford University Press in a deal by Jessica Papin.
Kelly McWilliams’s AMERICAN NIGHTMARE went to Crown in a World rights deal by Michael Bourret.
MILES MORALES, PART OF MARVEL AGE OF COMICS SERIES by Ytasha Womack went to Bloomsbury in a World rights deal by Jessica Papin.
Penelope Douglas’s NEXT SANOA BAY BOOK and UNTITLED STANDALONE went to Berkley in a World rights deal.
Stacey Glick sold THE JOY OF COOKIES by Joanne Chang to Harvest in a World rights deal.
GIVE ME SOME CREDIT by Michael Waters went to Farrar, Straus and Giroux in a World rights deal by Michael Bourret.
Matthew Shaw’s THE SURFER STOMP went to the Chicago Review Press in a World rights deal by Leslie Meredith.
World English rights to SLIPSTREAM by Madge Maril went to Simon & Schuster in a deal by Ann Leslie Tuttle.
WRATH OF THE WATER TIGER and UNTITLED by Laurie L. Dove went to Berkley in a World rights deal by Sharon Pelletier.
Thomas Kent West’s CITY OF IRON & IVY went to Grand Central Forever in a World rights deal by Jim McCarthy.
Kendall Berdinsky sold LOVE LETTERS TO THE DIRTY SOUTH by Thao Ha to the University of New Mexico Press in a World rights deal.
World rights to THE CONFIDENT KITCHEN by Bailey Rhatigan of sailborbailey.com went to Rodale Books in a deal by Stacey Glick.
ZOË BAKES PIES by Zoë François went to Ten Speed in a World rights deal.
Leslie Meredith sold THE WRONG ONE DIED by Barbara Bond, MD to Johns Hopkins University Press in a World English rights deal.
North American rights to YOUR FINAL MOMENTS by Jay Coles went to Scholastic in a deal by Lauren Abramo.
World rights to UNTITLED HISTORICAL FICTION by Heather B. Moore went to Shadow Mountain in a deal by Ann Leslie Tuttle.
THE OPEN ERA and UNTITLED BOOK 2 by Kristine Swartz went to Berkley in a World rights deal by Michael Bourret.
Ann Leslie Tuttle and Jim McCarthy sold TEAM AWKWARD BOOK 3 & BOOK 4 by Joy McCullough and Veeda Bybee to Aladdin in a World rights deal.
Kaitlyn Hashem’s A BROKEN PLURAL went to Bloomsbury in a North American rights deal by Jessica Papin.
World English rights to EXPEDITION TO AN ALIEN WORLD by Avi Loeb went to MIT Press in a deal by Leslie Meredith.
ourret.