Robert's Rules
Hyperion's Gretchen Young has acquired world rights to a yet-untitled book by Good Morning America coanchor Robin Roberts, in which she will share essential rules she lives by and incorporate stories from her life, her work, her family and her faith. A Mississippi native, Roberts has contributed to GMA since 1995 and has worked in broadcasting for more than 20 years. Peter Goldberg at N.S. Bienstock made the deal, and Hyperion will publish in June 2007 to coincide with graduation season.
Modern Drinking
The second book by Modern Drunkard's Frank Kelly Rich, tentatively titled The Modern Drunkard's Adventures in Alcohol, is moving to Three Rivers Press, where Jason Pinterpreempted North American rights from Byrd Leavell at the Waxman Agency. The book will guide readers through the alcohol kingdom, including the asides and full-color illustrations familiar to fans of the Modern Drunkard magazine. Rich was recently featured in the New York Times as one of the pioneers of "fratire," as the newspaper dubs the male version of chick lit. Publication is slated for summer 2007, to coincide with the annual Modern Drunkard Convention, which draws more than 10,000 participants.
Intuitive Choices
Fireside's Nancy Hancock has acquired North American rights to "spiritual intuitive" Char Margolis's next book, Your Inner Wisdom: Using Intuition, Logic and Common Sense to Make Your Best Choices for Life, Health, Finances and Relationships, from Wendy Keller at Keller Media. The book will teach readers how to tap into their intuitive powers to make wise choices and attract more love, money and success. Char's new half-hour reality series, Medium at Large, recently broadcast on the Sci-Fi channel; she also appears frequently on Entertainment Tonight. The book will be written with Victoria St. George, and Fireside plans a spring 2007 publication.
Double Dystel
Jane Dystel of Dystel & Goderich has sold world rights to a whodunit titled Vampires of Hollywood, the result of a collaboration between actress Adrienne Barbeau and Irish author Michael Scott, in a two-book deal to Erin Brown at Thomas Dunne Books. In the book, a Beverly Hills cop must figure out who's killing Hollywood's biggest stars, with the help of a horror film actress who's also a vampire. The follow-up book will be Vampires of Broadway. Barbeau is currently portraying Judy Garland off-Broadway in The Property Known as Garland, and her memoir, There Are Worse Things I Could Do (Carroll & Graf), came out in April.
Stacey Glick has sold The Mask of Atreus author A.J. Hartley's new thriller, On the Fifth Day, to Natalee Rosenstein at Berkley. This is the story of a maverick high school teacher shocked out of his professional problems by the death of his estranged brother, a priest in the Philippines who may have had connections to terrorism. Berkley holds North American rights and plans to publish in May 2007. Rights to Atreus, just published here in April, have sold in 12 other countries.
Winston to Warner
Warner Books has acquired two new novels by Lolly Winston, bestselling author of Good Grief; Jamie Raab acquired world rights from Laurie Fox at the Linda Chester Agency on behalf of Winston's editor Amy Einhorn, out on maternity leave. Warner will publish Winston's next novel, Happiness Sold Separately, this August; pub dates for the new novels have not been set.
The Briefing
Michael Pye at Career Press has preempted world rights, via agent Jodie Rhodes, to neurosurgeon Aaron Filler's The Upright Ape, which contends that both apes and humans descended from a common ancestor who walked upright; Career Press's New Page Books plans a fall 2007 publication, and former Harvard anthropology chair David Pilbeam will write a foreword.... Agent Kirsten Manges has just sold Karen Gurwitz's untitled cookbook derived from the author's organic meal delivery service The Mothers and Menus, which focuses on balancing healthy and comfort foods for women before, during and after pregnancy; Rica Allannic at Clarkson Potter bought world rights.... Beth Wareham at Scribner has acquired world rights to First Big Crush, a memoir by Wine Spectator's Eric Arnold of his year working at Allan Scott Wines & Estates in New Zealand; agent Robert Lescher made the deal.... Basic's Lara Heimert has preempted North American rights to Skidmore professor Tom Lewis's Washington D.C., a narrative history of America's national city, via Sterling Lord's Chris Calhoun.... Dutton's Brian Tart has signed up Beauty author Brian D'Amato's trilogy of speculative historical (as well as futuristic) fiction about the Mayans, the first of which is titled In the Courts of the Sun, via agent DeborahSchneider, who sold North American rights; Julie Doughty will edit.... Tracy Bernstein at NAL has bought world rights to Kosher Sex author Rabbi Shmuley Boteach's Parenting with Fire; Maura E. Teitelbaum at Abrams Artists Agency made the sale for a September 2006 publication.
