Julia Serebrinsky at Harper's Ecco imprint preempted a new Canadian novel, Your Mouth Is Lovely , about a Jewish girl in prerevolutionary Russia, for a significant six figures from Canadian agent Dean Cooke. The book, by Vancouver author Nancy Richler, also made rapid sales in Canada and Holland....The new Edna Buchanan novel about her Miami reporter heroine Britt Montero was optioned to Paramount for a reported six figures in a deal worked out by agent Michael Congdon at Don Congdon, working with Endeavor in L.A.... Bantam associate publisher Kate Miciak paid a "royal" six figures for two books by comic book artist Greg Rucka: one called Queen and Country , a novelized version of one of his strips that has also been sold to the movies, and another book; agent in the deal was David Hale Smith of DHS Literary in Dallas.