Deals

William Morrow added two books to its list via preempt and auction this week. First, Carolyn Marino and David Roth-Ey preemptively acquired a first novel by Tyler Knox titled Kockroach in a joint acquisition for Morrow and Harper Perennial, from agent Wendy Sherman. Inverting Kafka's The Metamorphosis, the novel tells the story of a cockroach in a fleabag Times Square hotel that wakes up to find itself transformed into a human. Knox is a graduate of the Iowa Writer's Workshop. Morrow holds North American rights, and publication is set for winter 2007.

And Harriet Bell prevailed in an auction for Jeff Henderson's From Cocaine to Foie Gras, the story of the author's journey from crack dealer to world-class chef, in a "significant six-figure," world-rights deal with Michael Psaltis of the Culinary Cooperative, a division of Regal Literary. Henderson, who ran a million-dollar cocaine operation in San Diego by the time he was 19, discovered a passion for cooking while serving a decade-long prison sentence; he is currently executive chef in Las Vegas. A 2007 publication is expected.

Journalist and author of The Republican War on Science Chris Mooney has sold a new book focusing on the connection between global warming and stronger hurricanes, which Harcourt's Tim Bent acquired in a preempt from Sydelle Kramer at Susan Rabiner Literary. Mooney will explore the heated debate between scientific experts and the Bush administration, particularly in light of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Harcourt has world rights.

Lt. William Keegan, a highly decorated 20-year veteran officer of the Port Authority Police Department and night commander of the WTC Rescue and Recovery Operation, will recount the nine months he and his men grappled with shattered concrete, twisted steel, body parts, political pressure and grief in Closure: The Untold Story of the Ground Zero Recovery Mission. Touchstone's Amanda Patten acquired North American rights from Robert Gottlieb and Paul Fedorko at Trident. The book will be written with Bart Davis and published on September 11, 2006.

Agent Andrew Blauner has sold a memoir by Meredith Hall titled Without a Map to Beacon Press's Helene Atwan. Hall's book describes her estrangement from her family as a pregnant teen and her ultimate reconciliation with her son and her mother; a portion of the book has already been excerpted in the New York Times's "Modern Love" column. Beacon holds North American rights and will publish in spring 2007.... Grove's Morgan Entrekin has signed The Geography of Nowhere author James Howard Kunstler to two more books, including a follow-up to his bestselling The Long Emergency and an eco-novel titled The World Made by Hand. The world rights deal was brokered by Adam Chromy at Artists and Artisans.... Tricia Boczkowski at Simon Spotlight Entertainment preempted former New York Observer reporter Jess Bruder's Burning Book: Celebrating Twenty Years of Burning Man, to be a lavishly illustrated account of America's desert art party; agent Paul Bresnick sold world rights and publication is set for spring 2007.... Before departing for Scholastic, David Allender teamed with Susie Bolotin to buy Barbara Stewart's The Complete How to Kazoo for Workman, from agent Lynn Johnston. A follow-up to Stewart's successful How to Kazoo, the book will be out this June.

Correction: Last week's Deals column erroneously reported that Carroll & Graf acquired world rights to An Alphabetical Life; it acquired North American rights.