Andrew Gross, whose first solo novel The Blue Zone was a New York Times bestseller for William Morrow last spring, has signed with the house for six new books, with HarperCollins to publish in the U.K. Simon Lipskar at Writers House made the deal with David Highfill and Lisa Gallagher at Morrow. This deal brings Gross to a hefty nine books under contract with Morrow and Harper UK, with The Blue Zone the first. Under the new agreement Gross will publish one book a year through 2015.

Gross’s deal is the first in a new global fiction branding and publishing strategy for Morrow. With The Blue Zone, which was also a UK bestseller and sold in 20 language markets, Gross “has proven that he has the potential to be a book-a-year global bestseller,” said Morrow publisher Gallagher. The new contract will allow Morrow and Harper UK to direct publishing plans and global brand strategy in the U.S. and the U.K. as well as with sister companies in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and China. Gallagher also pointed out that thrillers are a category of book that “travels,” which is why, added Highfill, Gross “was an obvious choice when we looked at ways to implement a global strategy.”

Morrow, which has had a good deal of recent success breaking out new authors, sees this initiative as part of a natural progression. In 2007, the house launched five authors onto the Times list for the first time: Joe Hill, Laura Lippmann, Michael Gruber, Kim Harrison and Gross. In 2006, Christopher Moore and James Rollins were Morrow first-timers.

Gallagher also said that Morrow, which controls translation rights to all nine titles, will bring Gross to Frankfurt this year to meet his current publishers from around the world as well as publishers in additional territories.

Gross’s second thriller, The Dark Tide, is due out from Morrow in March. That book will introduce a new character, Ty Hauck, who will recur in three more books under contract. Prior to The Blue Zone, Gross coauthored five Times bestsellers with James Patterson.