Carolyn Jewel’s SCANDAL, about a not-so-reformed Regency rake in love with a woman who knows first-hand just how badly he’s behaved and refuses to consider his serious offer of marriage, to Kate Seaver at Berkley, in a two-book deal, by Kristin Nelson at Nelson Literary Agency (NA).

I only mention this foreign rights sale so I can bring up that The Recidivists will be made into a graphic novel. Keishon, have you died and gone to heaven?
Karin Slaughter’s THE RECIDIVISTS, to Kate Elton at Arrow, by Victoria Sanders at Victoria Sanders & Associates.

I am really enjoying the two books I read in the Shomi line. Very different, very fresh.
Michelle Maddox’s THE CHALLENGE, about a petty thief and a hardened criminal forced to play a game together where their lives are at stake, to Leah Hultenschmidt at Shomi, by Jim McCarthy at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management (World).

I keep wanting to read these series if only because they feature Asians, but alas, I suck and have not.
Sano Ichiro mystery series author Laura Joh Rowland’s THE SECRET ADVENTURES OF CHARLOTTE BRONTE, featuring the legendary l9th century novelist herself and her equally fascinating sisters, to Juliet Grames at Overlook, in a nice deal, by Pam Ahearn at Ahearn Agency (World).

Does Nina Bang sell well because of her pen name?
NYT and USA Today bestselling author Nina Bang’s THE JERSEY DEVIL in her Woo Woo Inn Series, to Alicia Condon at Dorchester, in a significant deal, in a four-book deal, by Natasha Kern at Natasha Kern Literary Agency (World).

More vampire love.
USA Today bestselling author Kimberly Raye’s BITE ME, her next in a series of vampire love stories about a matchmaking service for hip intelligent paranormal singles in which the heroine meets an unmatchable mafia don who threatens death if he isn’t partnered, to Charlotte Herscher at Ballantine, in a good deal, by Natasha Kern at Natasha Kern Literary Agency (World).

NYT bestselling author John Grisham’s PLAYING FOR PIZZA, about a fallen American football star who can no longer get work in the National Football League and whose agent, as a last resort, signs a deal for him to play for the Parma Panthers, in Parma, Italy, to Stephen Rubin at Broadway Doubleday, for publication on September 25, 2007, by David Gernert at The Gernert Company (NA).

Maybe. I did like the Julie Kenner Code series which was somewhat the same concept.
Diane Duane’s OMNITOPIA series, co-created with Tekno Books, about a massively-multiple online game so popular that it becomes by itself a force for good — or ill, to Daw, in a nice deal, in a three-book deal, by Donald Maass at Donald Maass Literary Agency.

Sounds pretty dull. The way that the blurb is stated makes me think the book was bought on the strength of the author’s credentials rather than the book itself because the blurb is all about rich privileged women who apparently can’t find love or happiness. Sob.
Former book editor and entertainment/media writer Sherri Rifkin’s LOVEHAMPTON, about a woman who finds herself entangled in the complex social web of a thirty-something Hamptons summer share, to Jennifer Weis at St. Martin’s, at auction, by Mary Ann Naples of The Creative Culture.

Robin Miller writing as Robin Caroll’s BAYOU JUDGMENT, the third in her Bayou series, involving a secretive pastor overseeing a Christian crisis center, and a hotline counselor who finds her roommate murdered, to Krista Stroever at Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense, for publication in May 2008, by Kelly Mortimer of the Mortimer Literary Agency.

I hope this is campy because it sounds campy and if it is not, then, geh.
Author of SECRET SOCIETY GIRL Diana Peterfreund’s RAMPANT, about killer unicorns that can only be defeated by virgin descendants of Alexander the Great, and the teenage huntress whose birthright is seriously messing up her social life, to Kristin Daly at Harper Children’s, in a good deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, by Deidre Knight of The Knight Agency (NA).

Hmmm. I can’t decide. Do I like bastardizations of original classics or not? Jayne loves a good swashbuckling story.
Donna Russo Morin’s THE SECRET OF THE SWORD, in which the daughter of a brutal Comte, fights against an arranged marriage to a weak man of her father’s choosing, with the Musketeers to protect the Queen, and for the love of her life, and THE SECRET OF THE GLASS, to Audrey LaFehr at Kensington, in a nice deal, by Irene Kraas at Kraas Literary Agency (World English).

Sounds pretty interesting. Anne Sowards bought Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews, two authors on my auto buy list.
Ann Aguirre’s GRIMSPACE, sci-fi with romantic undertones introducing a jumper whose fractured consciousness holds a secret that could change the world as she knows it, if she lives long enough to remember, to Anne Sowards of Ace, in a nice deal, plus the sequel WANDERLUST, by Laura Bradford of Bradford Literary Agency (world English).

Is this the second book in that series?
Ann Aguirre’s FALLING and a second book featuring scrappy space jumper superstar Sirantha Jax and a rogue band of fugitives who battle their way through grim space and hostile worlds, to Ace, in a nice deal, to Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency (NA).

Must read (and wonder if she is spying on my family).
Author of CATCHING GENIUS, Kristy Kiernan’s FAITH, the story of the consequences an entire family must face because of the college-aged son’s fascination with extreme religious causes, to Jackie Cantor at Berkley, by Anne Hawkins at John Hawkins & Associates.

This isn’t a reprint of the Joy Luck Club?
Christine Son’s THE VALEDICTORIANS, the story of three young Asian-American women, each at the top of her professional game, who must reconcile their shared penchant for overachievement with changing personal goals and the expectations of their immigrant families, to Anne Bohner at NAL, by Anne Hawkins at John Hawkins & Associates.

Maybe.
National Book Award finalist Beth Kephart’s THE HEART IS NOT A SIZE, the story of a sixteen year-old, her troubled best friend, and twelve other privileged American teens on an outreach trip to a heat-flattened town, where they are confronted with the harsh realities of barren land, excruciating poverty, and the difficulty of making a real difference, again to Laura Geringer of Laura Geringer Books, by Amy Rennert at the Amy Rennert Agency (world).

I wonder if this will be a collection of stories or two full length ones.
Operation G-Spot author Jodi Lynn Copeland’s two contemporary erotic romances, to Hilary Sares at Kensington Aphrodisia, in a nice deal, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency (world).

This sounds great and I love the title. Okay, the title is what makes it great for me. I can tell just from the title that it is about two cultures clashing but learning to blend together.
Dona Sarkar-Mishra’s HOW TO SALSA IN A SARI, the story of two arch-enemy teenage girls, one Cuban and one Indo-African, who must learn to put their differences aside and accept a life together after their single parents decide to marry, to Evette Porter and Glenda Howard at Kimani, for publication spring 2008, by Sha-Shana Crichton of Crichton & Associates.

I am, admittedly, a total sap for reunited lover stories.
Susan Mallery’s MAKING AMENDS, in which a woman encounters her high school sweetheart and re-evaluates her life, to Abby Zidle at Pocket, in a good deal, in a two-book deal, by Annelise Robey at Jane Rotrosen Agency (World).

Any book featuring an account of four people is an account, generally, of three people too many.
Dawn Shamp’s ON ACCOUNT OF CONSPICUOUS WOMEN, the portrait of four drastically different young women - a staunch suffragette, a quiet farmer’s daughter, a spoiled dreamer, and a pampered debutante-turned-schoolteacher, to Erin Brown at Thomas Dunne Books, by Erin Malone at William Morris Agency (NA).

What is with Greek billionaires and Harlequin?
Helen Brenna’s PROMISE, about a computer-hacker-turned-security-software-developer, who is forced to partner up with a sexy Greek with a lot of connections (and secrets), when Greece’s Minister of Defense refuses to do business with her, to Johanna Raisanen at Harlequin, by Tina Wexler at ICM (World).

Sounds reminiscent of many many many stories.
Terri Clark’s SLEEPLESS SUMMER, about a teen psychic who helped lock away a killer in a facility for the criminally insane, only to find herself stalked in her sleep where she learns, in a bone-chilling way, “if you die in your dream, you die for real,” to Kristin Marang at Harper, in a nice deal, for publication in summer 2008.

It’s like The Secret, only for Teens where they quote Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan instead of Churchill.
Annabel Monaghan and Elisabeth Wolfe’s CLICK!: A Girl’s Guide to Making It Happen, a charming guide for teens on how to turn their dreams into reality by developing their self-confidence and creativity, to Sangeeta Mehta at Simon Pulse, for publication in fall 2007, by Helen Breitwieser at Cornerstone Literary (world).

Jasmine Haynes’s GAMES PEOPLE PLAY, when coworkers decide to mix business with sexual pleasure, the stakes are highest when falling in love becomes part of the game in this erotic romance, to Wendy McCurdy of Berkley, in a nice deal, by Lucienne Diver of Spectrum Literary Agency (NA).