Flatiron Crafts with Jesus
Ross MacDonald sold a comedic how-to book called What Would Jesus Craft? to Colin Dickerman at Flatiron Books. MacDonald, a prop designer for Boardwalk Empire and an illustrator, was represented by Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties; McGhee sold North American rights in the deal. Dickerman said the book is a “sincere, yet playful look at what our savior would make to create a blessed home.” He added that the title, which is set to publish just before Christmas 2015, features step-by-step instructions on making everything from a “Last Supper Lunch Box” to a “Jesus Jean Jacket.”
Carolrhoda Gets Knocked Out by Neri
Andrew Karre bought world English rights to G. Neri’s YA novel, Knockout Games, for Lerner Publishing Group’s Carolrhoda Lab imprint. Neri, who won the 2011 Coretta Scott King Author Honor for his YA graphic novel Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty (Lee & Low), was represented by Edward Necarsulmer IV at Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. The book, which is scheduled for release in August 2014, is, Karre explained, about a 15-year-old white girl who is lured into joining a violent group called the TKO Club by a charismatic 18-year-old black boy. Karre added that the book offers “an unflinching and morally complex look at casual violence and American teenagers.”
SMP Closes Triple
Sara Goodman at St. Martin’s Press brought North American rights to a YA anthology called My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories, edited by Stephanie Perkins. Kate Schafer Testerman at KT Literary represented Perkins, a YA author whose books include Anna and the French Kiss (Dutton). The collection will feature, SMP said, “romantic tales of young love” by celebrated YA authors like Rainbow Rowell, Kelly Link, and Ally Carter.
In a second deal coming out of SMP this week, Jennifer Enderlin bought North American rights to three more essay collections about mother-daughter relationships by bestselling thriller author Lisa Scottoline and her daughter, Francesca Serritella. Thus far, Scottoline and Serritella have written five of these collections—the latest being Meet Me at Emotional Baggage Claim (Nov. 2012). SMP plans to keep to an annual summer publication schedule for the books.
Also at SMP, Nichole Argyres bought world rights to Robert Young Pelton’s Finding Kony. In the book, Pelton, a journalist and documentary filmmaker who wrote the cult hit The World’s Most Dangerous Places (a survival handbook published in 1994), will chronicle his trip to Africa to find Joseph Kony, the leader of the guerilla group the Lord’s Resistance Army. Argyres said Finding Kony will also “reconstruct Joseph Kony’s life story [and] show his impact on Central Africa, while drawing a larger picture of the turmoil and instability that is modern emerging Africa.” Pelton was represented by agent Paul Bresnick, and Finding Kony is set for publication in fall 2015.
