Watching the Deals-6

Two major deals were reported within the past two weeks: first, A Travel Guide to Heaven author and priest Anthony DeStefano's next two spiritual/religion books were sold for "in the six figures," and second, St.Martin's will publish NYT bestselling author/former attorney Stephen Coonts' next two hardcover thrillers featuring Tommy Carmellini.

While Tommy Carmellini can claim his own series beginning with 2004's Liars and Thieves, he has appeared as a major character in several of Coonts' Jake Grafton novels: Cuba, Hong Kong, America, Liberty, as well as Coonts' latest on the shelf, Traitor. Obviously, the major deal involves an expansion of the Tommy Carmellini series.



Recent Romances Sold:

RITA award-winner Beth Pattillo's THE SWEETGUM KNIT LIT SOCIETY, in which five women find faith and healing through their knitting and their novels, to Dudley Delffs at WaterBrook Press, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2008, by Jenny Bent at Trident Media Group (NA).

Syrie James's THE LOST MEMOIRS OF JANE AUSTEN, written in a modernized Jane Austen style that weaves fact and fiction together seamlessly, and in which Jane Austen meets Mr. Ashford, falls in love, and has just the relationship her legions of fans and readers might wish for the beloved spinster, to Lucia Macro at Avon, in a good deal, at auction, by Tamar Ellman at the Laura Dail Literary Agency (NA). Good deal = $100,000 - $250,000.

Lucinda Betts's SHE BEAST, an anthology of erotic romances where each story features a woman shape shifter; HORSE PLAY, a single-author, paranormal erotic romance anthology; and MYTHOS, a multi-authored, paranormal erotic romance anthology, to Hilary Sares at Kensington Aphrodisia, in a nice deal, by Faith Hamlin at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates (world). Nice deal = $1 - $49,000.

NYT bestselling author Lynsay Sands's three untitled historical romances, to Erika Tsang at Avon, in a good deal, by Jenny Bent at Trident Media Group (World English). Good deal = $100,000 - $250,000.

Marjorie M. Liu's four untitled paranormal romance novels, to Chris Keeslar at Dorchester Leisure, in a good deal, by Lucienne Diver of Spectrum Literary Agency. Good deal = $100,000 - $250,000.

Doreen Rainey's FOOLISH PRIDE, about an unlikely couple who team up to stop their siblings from marrying, only to find themselves fighting their own attraction, to Evette Porter at Harlequin's Kimani, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, by Pamela Harty of The Knight Agency. Nice deal = $1 - $49,000.

Maxine Billing's IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH, the sequel to The Breaking Point, in which a couple will see just how strong their marriage is when the husband is faced with a serious health condition, again to Glenda Howard at Kimani, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, by Pamela Harty of The Knight Agency. Nice deal = $1 - $49,000.

AND ONLY TO DECEIVE author Tasha Alexander's next two novels of historical suspense featuring a Victorian aristocrat, to Jennifer Civiletto of William Morrow, by Anne Hawkins at John Hawkins & Associates.

Writing as Dawn MacTavish, Dawn Thompson's THE MARSH HAWK, for publication in July 2007, THE PRIVATEER, and PRISONER OF THE FLAMES, both for publication in 2008, to Chris Keeslar at Dorchester, in a nice deal. Nice deal = $1 - $49,000.

Recent Mysteries Sold:

Kathryn Lilley's DYING TO BE THIN: A Fat City Mystery, in which a spunky television reporter travels to Durham, NC, "Diet Capital of the World," to enter a clinic and achieve that "on-air look," but she soon finds the inside story on a murder investigation when one of the doctors ends up dead, to Kristen Weber at NAL, in a nice deal, in a three-book deal, by Kim Lionetti at BookEnds(World). Nice deal = $1 -$49,000.

Claudia Bishop's holiday-themed Hemlock Falls mystery, to Natalee Rosenstein at Berkley Prime Crime, in a nice deal, by Lucienne Diver of Spectrum Literary Agency. Nice deal = $1 - $49,000.

Emmy-nominated star of The Young and The Restless Eileen Davidson and author Robert J. Randisi's THE YEARNING TIDE, set in the world of soap operas, to Kristen Weber at NAL, in a two-book deal, by Dominick Abel at Dominick Abel Associates (World English).

Ashna Graves's DEATH PANS OUT, debut featuring a recovering breast cancer victim who instead of resting and recovering from a double mastectomy, finds herself drawn into deadly, decades-old secrets of an old mining outpost, as she tries to unravel the enigma of her long-missing uncle, to Robert Rosenwald at Poisoned Pen Press, by Sorche Fairbank of Fairbank Literary Representation.

Eppie winner Penny Rudolph's LIFEBLOOD, the sequel to Thicker Than Blood, in which a recovering alcoholic discovers two young Mexican boys locked in a van in her parking garage, and stumbles onto a deadly organ harvesting ring involving illegal immigrants, again to Robert Rosenwald at Poisoned Pen Press, by Sorche Fairbank of Fairbank Literary Representation.

Rapper C-Murder's DEATH AROUND THE CORNER, the first title in the Vibe Street Lit franchise, to Laurie Parkin at Kensington, for publication in December 2006, by Rob Kenner on behalf of Vibe and Richard Joseph, on behalf of the author (NA).

Franklin prize-winning author Mary Anna Evans's EFFIGIES, the third in an archaeological mystery series, to Robert Rosenwald of Poisoned Pen Press, by Anne Hawkins at John Hawkins & Associates.

Recent Thrillers Sold:

NYT bestselling author Robert K. Tanenbaum's ESCAPE, the 20th book in his Butch Karp legal thriller series, another provocative and topical story which blisters the use of the insanity defense pushing the limits of the law and letting murderers go unpunished, to Roger Cooper at CDS Books for hardcover North American rights, and to his longtime paperback publisher Louise Burke at Pocket for paperback reprint, in a good deal, by Bob Diforio at D4EO Literary Agency, in association with Michael Hamilburg at the Mitchell J. Hamilburg Agency. Good deal = $100,000 - $250,000.

NYT bestseller Stephen Coonts' two new hardcover thrillers featuring Tommy Carmellini, to Matthew Shear at St. Martin's, in a major deal, by Robert Gottlieb at Trident Media Group (NA). Major deal = $500,000 and up.

Laura Caldwell's RED HOT LIES, featuring a sassy, redheaded trial lawyer who turns to sleuthing when her fiance disappears on the same day her big client is killed, to Margaret Marbury at Mira, in a good deal, in a three-book deal, by Maureen Walters at Curtis Brown. Good deal = $100,000 - $250,000.

Tom Cain's THE ACCIDENT MAN, introducing series hero, Daniel Carver - a good guy, who makes bad things happen to bad people, to Joshua Kendall at Viking, for publication in winter 2008, in a two-book deal, by Julian Alexander at Lucas Alexander Whitley (US).

BLACK FOR REMEMBRANCE author Carlene Thompsons's WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES THREE, to Jennifer Weis at St. Martin's, in a very nice deal, in a two-book deal, by Pam Ahearn of Ahearn Agency (World). Very nice deal = $50,000 - $99,000.

Mark Terry's ANGELS FALLING, in which a terrorist group infiltrates the G8 Summit and holds the world's top 20 leaders hostage threatening to kill one every hour, and THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOWS, to Barbara Moore at Llewellyn, in a nice deal, by Irene Kraas at Kraas Literary Agency. Nice deal = $1 - $49,000.


Recent Religion/Spirituality Sales:

A Travel Guide to Heaven author Anthony DeStefano's next two books, to Doubleday Religion, in a six-figure deal, by Peter Miller at PMA Literary & Film Management.

Baylor University professor Thomas Kidd's A CHRISTIAN SPARTA, a religious history of the American Revolution, to Lara Heimert at Basic, by Giles Anderson at the Anderson Literary Agency (world).


Source: PublishersMarketplace.com