DEAL OF THE WEEK
Valdés Does Double at Thomas & Mercer
In a six-figure acquisition, Liz Pearsons at Thomas & Mercer bought the thrillers Hollow Beasts and Blood Mountain by Alisa Lynn Valdés (The Dirty Girls Social Club). The world English rights agreement was brokered by Alicia Brooks at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. The books both feature Jodi Luna, a game warden who, Brooks said, is “an honorable, powerful, alluring Latina heroine who will stop at nothing to get justice for the voiceless.”
Roc Lit Takes on Lemieux’s ‘She Bad’
For Penguin Random House’s Roc Lit 101 imprint, Kierna Mayo bought She Bad: Tales of Love, Hate and Bad Motherhood by Jamilah Lemieux. PRH called the essay collection a “bold testament to the multifaceted Black single mother and an invitation to all readers to finally recognize this powerful figure for who she is—not bad, but so, so good.” The author “suffers no fools while also courageously revealing the scars of her own parenting journey and search for self-acceptance in a world that doesn’t see the full worth of women like her.” Lemieux is a cultural commentator who has appeared on CNN and MSNBC and has written for, among other outlets, the Cut, Essence, and the L.A. Times. She was represented by Tanya McKinnon at McKinnon Literary in the world rights agreement.
Polis Prays for Raman’s ‘Mantis’
For Polis Books, Chantelle Aimée Osman bought world rights to two new books in RV Raman’s Harith Athreya mystery series. Priya Doraswamy at Lotus Lane Literary represented the author, who lives in India, where the series is set. The series debut, A Will to Kill, was released in fall 2020; A Praying Mantis, the first book under this contract and third in the series, is slated for fall 2022. The publisher said it sees Athreya, a detective, “sleuthing at a boutique hotel in the Himalayan foothills, where five friends have checked in, pretending to be mutual strangers.” The second book under contract is currently untitled.
Bloomsbury Nabs De Bres’s ‘Multiple’
Philosophy professor Helena de Bres sold How to Be Multiple to Callie Garnett at Bloomsbury, in a North American rights agreement brokered by Tisse Takagi at the Science Factory. The publisher said the nonfiction book, which features illustrations by the author’s twin sister (Julia de Bres), “takes the curious experience of being a twin as a uniquely clarifying lens through which to consider our place in the world and how we relate to others.”
Nat Geo Road Trips with Harbuck
National Geographic Books’ Allyson Johnson acquired world rights to Preethi Harbuck’s The Ultimate Family Road Trip. Harbuck is behind the Local Passport Family blog and Instagram account, and the publisher said the book highlights “the best tips and tricks for road tripping with kids,” with “family-friendly road trip itineraries in all 50 states.” Set for April 2023, the title also features illustrated maps and National Geographic photography. The author did not use an agent in the deal.
Mogollon Says ‘Oye’ to Hogarth
Oye, Melissa Mogollon’s debut novel, was bought at auction by Hogarth’s Jillian Buckley. Mogollon, a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, was represented by Mariah Stovall at Trellis Literary in the North American rights deal. Hogarth said in the book, “a grandmother’s refusal to evacuate Miami ahead of a hurricane sparks a tender, joyful portrait of caretaking crises, sibling feuds, psychic readings, neighborhood gossip, and the story of one Colombian American family’s telenovela-worthy origins, told exclusively through one side of many phone calls between her two granddaughters.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled the last name of Liz Pearsons.
