Phillips to Viking, Again
Kevin Phillips, whose American Dynasty and American Theocracy were bestsellers for Viking in 2004 and 2006, has signed again with the house for a new book, Bad Money: Reckless Finance, Failed Politics and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism. Wendy Wolf bought world rights from Wes Neff at Leighco. In Bad Money, the former White House strategist will describe the consequences of U.S. economic policies, including mounting debt, a collapsing housing market, diminishing oil and the end of American domination of world markets. Viking will publish in April 2008.
Debut Preempts
Amy Einhorn preempted world rights to Matthew Flaming’s first novel, The Kingdom of Ohio, for her imprint at Putnam; Stephanie Cabot at the Gernert Company made the sale. Set in New York City in 1901, the book revolves around a young workman on the first subway lines beneath the city and a beautiful mathematical prodigy, as the two are drawn into a tangle of overlapping intrigues involving Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and J.P. Morgan. Tentative pub date is 2009, with Berkley to follow in paperback.
At Harcourt, Ann Patty preempted world English rights to Ginnah Howard’sNight Navigation via Alice Tasman at Jean Naggar. The novel explores the relationship between a mother and her 37-year-old heroin-addicted son as they try to find their way after the suicide of two family members. Howard is a two-time Pushcart nominee. Harcourt will publish in spring 2009.
Sarah Knight at Holt preempted two thrillers set in Cape Town by South African film and TV writer Roger Smith via Alice Martell. Smith’s debut, Mixed Blood, follows an American fugitive and his family caught up in a random gangland assault that jeopardizes their cover, trapping them in a cat-and-mouse game with a corrupt Boer cop and the Johannesburg detective who’s been tracking the cop. The second novel will be stand-alone, and Holt has world rights.
Brave New World
Philip Rappaport at Bantam Dell has preempted UC Berkeley bioengineers Kyle Kurpinski and Terry D. Johnson’s How to Defeat Your Own Clone: And Other Tips for Surviving the Biotech Revolution; Laurie Fox at Linda Chester sold world English rights after receiving several other preemptive bids. This guide, the authors’ first book, will address hotly debated political issues as well as shocking scientific possibilities and even pop culture fantasies; pub date is 2009.
On Bullying
Lisa Sharkey at Harper has acquired Letters to a Bullied Girl by Olivia Gardner with Emily and Sarah Buder via agent Amy Rennert, who sold North American rights. Gardner, now 14, was bullied for more than two years at three different Northern California middle schools; the book is a collection drawn from more than 4,000 letters Gardner received after the Buder sisters organized a letter-writing campaign to raise Olivia’s spirits after learning of her torment from a story in their local paper. Letter-writers included past and present targets of bullies, those who have witnessed the effects of bullying and bullies themselves, some of whom have not let go of the guilt even after 50 years. Harper Paperbacks will publish in July 2008, and Amy Kaplan will edit.
Hot Cookbooks
Broadway’s Jennifer Josephy won an auction for Elizabeth Yarnell’s Glorious One-Pot Meals: A New Quick and Healthy Approach to Dutch Oven Cooking via Stacey Glick at Dystel & Goderich, who sold North American rights. Yarnell, who has patented her technique of cooking with a dutch oven, self-published this book and sold more than 10,000 copies (including one to Josephy, who read about the book on a blog) before picking up this deal. Broadway will publish in January 2009.
Matthew Lore at Da Capo bought world rights to PBS’s Delicious TV host Toni Fiore’s Totally Vegetarian: Easy, Fast, Comforting Cooking for Every Kind of Vegetarian, with recipes that work for vegetarians, vegans and people looking to add more vegetarian fare to their weekly meals. Mary Ann Naples made the deal, and pub date is spring 2008.
The Briefing
Berkley’s Denise Silvestro preempted world rights to Corrine Morgan-Thomas’s Miracle Run: From Autism to Adulthood, which will continue the story of her family’s struggles with her twin autistic sons; the family was previously the subject of a Lifetime TV movie titled The Miracle Run. Agent Adam Chromy made the deal and pub date is early 2009.... Ecco’s Carrie Kania licensed North American rights to The Early Years: The Lyrics of Tom Waits (1971—1982) via agent William Clark. The collection will come out this month.... Ellen Archer and Pamela Dorman at Voice bought North American rights to a new novel by Claire Cook, tentatively titled Walking Lavender Lane; it is the story of several women in a suburban town whose walks take them in unexpected directions. Lisa Bankoff at ICM made the sale, and pub date is June 2009.
