DEAL OF THE WEEK
Bantam Nabs Podcaster’s Debut
For Bantam Books, Jenny Chen bought North American rights to Ashley Flowers’s debut novel, All Good People Here. Flowers, who hosts the popular Crime Junkie podcast and is the founder and CEO of podcast production company Audiochuck, was represented by Meredith Miller at United Talent Agency. Bantam said the thriller, set for August, explores, “obsession, crime, and family in small-town America.”
Lozada-Oliva Sells Debut Novel
Poet Melissa Lozada-Oliva sold her debut novel, Candelaria, to Danny Vazquez at Astra House in a two-book, world rights deal. The publisher said Candelaria, slated for fall 2023, is “a sweeping, magical realist novel set over the course of one day, about an earthquake echoing the Guatemalan disaster of 1976 that leaves Massachusetts in shambles and sets off a larger global apocalypse.” The second book in the deal, Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus Is Alive, is a story collection about “the complex inner lives of women in search of salvation.” Rachel Kim at 3 Arts represented Lozada-Oliva.
Crouch Gets the ‘Upgrade’ at Ballantine
Blake Crouch (Dark Matter) sold North American rights to two novels to Julian Pavia at Ballantine. The exclusive submission was handled by David Hale Smith at Inkwell Management. The publisher said the first book in the deal, Upgrade, set for summer, follows a man who “undergoes a startling genetic transformation and discovers a plot to force humanity into the next stage of evolution.” The second book is a currently untitled thriller.
Bastone Re-ups with Audible
Audible’s Allison Carroll inked Cara Bastone (Call Me Maybe, an Audible Original bestseller) to a new six-figure agreement for Love at First Psych. Tara Gelsomino at One Track Literary Agency brokered the world English audio rights deal. She described the new audio rom-com as “When Harry Meets Sally meets The X-Files,” saying it follows two psychology students who “set out to prove whether love at first sight is real by interviewing several present and former couples about their meet-cutes.”
Reid Romances HQN
For HQN, Errin Toma bought world rights to a currently untitled contemporary romance by Charish Reid in a two-book deal. Saritza Hernández at Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the agreement and said the love story, which is slated for June 2023, features “emotional stakes and a multicultural cast” and is about “a widowed bar owner who, upon returning to college at 40, inadvertently hires a woman who turns out to be his professor.”
George’s Latest Fetches Seven Figures
Bestselling author Elizabeth George sold the 22nd entry in her Inspector Lynley Mystery series, which is currently untitled, to Viking’s Brian Tart. Robert Gottlieb at Trident Media Group handled the seven-figure, North American rights deal. Gottlieb said the novel is "a classic Elizabeth George mystery" and "will involve social issues."
Campoverdi Goes ‘First’ at Gallery
Women’s health advocate Alejandra Campoverdi sold The First & Onlys to Karyn Marcus at Gallery Books. The publisher said the memoir “explores the emotional toll of being ‘first-generation’ ” on “a Latina who went from being on welfare as a child to attending Harvard and serving as a White House aide to President Obama.” Liz Parker at Verve and Andy McNicol at AMstudio represented Campoverdi in the North American rights deal.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the book under contract in Elizabeth George's new deal with Viking. She sold the 22nd book in her Inspector Lynley Mystery series, not the 21st. (Book 21 in the series, Something to Hide, was published by Viking earlier this month.)
