Elements of Graphic Style

Norton senior editor Maria Guarnaschelli beat four other publishers in an auction for Dona Wong's The Wall Street Journal Guide to Presenting Data, Facts and Figures; Lynn Johnston sold world rights. Aiming to be the Strunk & White of graphics, the book will instruct readers how to express themselves in a data-driven world in which the good graphics have become almost as indispensable as good writing. Part of the book will focus on showing readers how to “Tufteize” presentations, à la Edward Tufte, whose books on graphics have sold in the millions; Wong, the WSJ's news graphics director, was a Tufte protégé. The book is scheduled for a 2010 release.

Grodstein to Algonquin

Kathy Pories at Algonquin bought a new novel by Lauren Grodstein called A Friend of the Family; Julie Barer sold North American rights. This story of suburban corruption and tragedy charts a father's fall from grace and his struggle to save his family, his reputation and himself. Grodstein is the author of one previous novel, Reproduction Is the Flaw of Love, published by Dial in 2004, and an earlier collection of stories, The Best of Animals. Algonquin will publish the new book in fall 2009; U.K. rights have already gone to Kate Elton at Random House.

Steps to De-stress

Patty Gift at Hay House bought the next two trade books by The Worry Cure author Robert L. Leahy, with a six-figure offer to Bob Diforio. In Anxiety Free, the cognitive therapist will look at the origin of anxiety and teach readers how to outsmart fears, laying out the symptoms associated with some of the most common anxiety disorders and provide simple steps to overcome fears associated with each of these. Leahy will also explore how preprogrammed rules of reaction, a product of the evolutionary process, keep us in the grip of anxiety. Pub date is April 2009, with the second book, Here Comes the Sun, a problem-solving workbook for depression, to publish later in 2009. Hay House has world English rights.

Scholastic Gets Stiefvater

Abby Ranger and David Levithan at Scholastic prevailed in a multiple-round auction for world rights to Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver in a two-book deal with Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown. This YA novel describes the first love between a 16-year-old girl and a mysterious boy who spends his winters as a wolf and is fighting to stay human as the temperature drops. The 26-year-old Stiefvater has a YA novel, Lament, just out from Flux, with a sequel to follow. Shiver will be published in fall 2009.

Martin Moves to St. Martin's

Nancy Martin, author of the Blackbird Sisters mystery series published by NAL, has signed a deal with Kelley Ragland at St. Martin's Minotaur for three books to start a new series featuring recovering New Jersey Mafia princess Nina Abruzzo. The first title, to pub in early 2010, will be called Thick as Thieves. Meg Ruley at Jane Rotrosen sold North American rights.

More Cupcakes

Rux Martin at Houghton has signed up a sequel to the bestselling Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, to be called What's New, Cupcake? The duo will share more creative cupcake projects in the new book; Houghton has about 300,000 copies of Hello, Cupcake! in print. Martha Kaplan sold world rights.

In another baking sale, Wiley's Pam Chirls bought IACP Award—winning author of ChocolateChocolate and Baking by FlavorLisa Yockelson's bakingStyle via Mickey Choate. This lifestyle book will capture the art, craft and scent of baking at home through 100 essays and their corresponding recipes. Wiley has world rights and tentative pub date is September 2010.