Weber to Harmony
John Glusman has acquired two new books by author Katharine Weber (The Music Lesson; Triangle) for Harmony/Shaye Areheart; Gloria Loomis at Watkins/Loomis sold world rights. The first book will be Temper, a multigenerational novel about a family's candy business and the struggle between father and son over succession. The second, a memoir titled Symptoms of Fiction, will delve into Weber's unusual family, including her grandmother, composer Kay Swift, once Gershwin's lover, and her grandfather, brain truster James P. Warburg, who wrote the lyrics to Swift's songs.
Glusman has also acquired The Conviction of Richard Nixon: The Untold Story of the Frost/ Nixon Interviewsby James Reston Jr., who led the research team that prepared David Frost for a series of televised interviews with Nixon that made history when Nixon convicted himself on air. Reston's manuscript was never published, but has since inspired the current West End play, Frost/Nixon, and a forthcoming Ron Howard film. Joe Regal at Regal Literary sold world rights and a 2007 publication is planned.
New Novels
Dutton's Brian Tart has acquired the next novel from bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey, to be a sequel to next spring's forthcoming Sleeping with Strangers, titled Waking with Enemies and slated for publication a mere four months later in August 2007. Agent Sara Camilli made the world rights deal and Julie Doughty will edit. Both books feature a new Dickey character, a fast-living hit man haunted by his past.
Putnam's Peternelle van Arsdale has acquired North American rights to Patricia Wood's Lotteryfrom Dorian Karchmar at William Morris. This debut novel is about a man with mental challenges who wins $12 million and discovers both his true friends as well as the deep reserve of his own abilities. Wood, whose father won the Washington State lottery in 1993, lives on a sailboat in Hawaii. She already has blurbs from Paul Theroux and Jacquelyn Mitchard; Putnam plans to publish in fall 2007, and Berkley will follow in paperback.
Ellen Archer and PamelaDormanhave acquired world rights to Laurel Corona's Vivaldi's Girls for Hyperion's Voice imprint; agent Barbara Braun made the sale. This novel is set in 17th-century Venice and follows two orphaned sisters who are sent to the Pieta, a musical convent, where they encounter resident composer Vivaldi, who wrote his Four Seasons for the convent. Voice expects to publish in summer 2008.
Doubleday's Deb Futter has acquired a new novel by Judy Reene Singer, Still Life with Elephant; JaneGelfman at Gelfman Schneider sold North American rights. In the book, a horse trainer attempts to save her foundering marriage by joining her husband on a mission to Zimbabwe to help rescue an injured elephant. Doubleday published Singer's previous novel, Horseplay.
New Cookbooks
Elizabeth Beier at St. Martin's bested four other bidders for world rights to Carmine's Family Style, which will share the recipes of this popular family-style Italian restaurant. Founding chef Michael Ronis will write the book with Mary Goodbody; Michael Psaltis and Peter Steinberg at the Culinary Cooperative/Regal Literary made the six-figure deal; tentative pub date is fall 2008. Carmine's currently has four New York locations, with more to come.
Rica Allannic at Clarkson Potter has acquired the next two cookbooks by celebrity chef Bobby Flay; the first, Bobby Flay's MesaGrill Cookbook, is scheduled for fall 2007, to be followed by Grill It!Jennifer Rudolph Walsh at William Morris sold world rights.
Sydny Miner at S&S has acquired world rights to Molly Wizenberg's Orangette: The Stories My Kitchen Tells Me, a memoir comprising recipes and essays based on the author's popular food blog, Orangette. Michael Bourret at Dystel & Goderich made the sale and a fall 2008 publication is planned.
The Briefing
Houghton's Deanne Urmy bought world rights to child psychologist Dr. Alan Kazdin's The Kazdin Method for Parenting Defiant Children; agent Susan Rabiner made the deal. Kazdin, head of the Yale Parenting Center and Child Conduct Clinic, will distill his 30 years of work with children into a step-by-step method for parents. HM plans a fall 2007 publication.
