Larson Again to Crown
Erik Larson has signed with Crown for two new books; Tina Constable negotiated the deal with David Black, and Larson's longtime editor, Betty Prashker, will edit. The first book, yet to be titled, is said to continue the mode of historical narrative Larson established in his previous books, and tentative pub date is fall 2010. The subject of the second book is yet to be determined. Crown has published Larson since 1994, and his last three books, Thunderstruck (2006), The Devil in the White City (2003) and Isaac's Storm (1999) were national bestsellers for the imprint. The Devil in the White City also won an Edgar Award and was a finalist for the National Book Award.
Putnam Keeps Gibson
Susan Allison at Putnam has acquired North American rights to William Gibson's next novel in a major deal with Martha Millard. No information on the new book is forthcoming; tentative Putnam pub date is 2010. Gibson's latest, Spook Country, was a bestseller for Putnam this summer.
Two for Lea
Gary Fisketjon at Knopf has preempted U.S. rights to a debut novel and story collection by Adam Ross via Mark Kessler and Susanna Lea at Susanna Lea Associates. The stories, Ladies & Gentlemen, are set mostly in New York and feature 30-something brothers who've drifted apart, private school kids who aren't quite rich enough, and a college friend whose facade of a good life belies a dark underside. The novel, Mr. Peanut, is described by the author as a “police procedural of the soul.” Ross is a native New Yorker who now lives in Nashville; Italian rights have just been preempted by Einaudi.
Lea also concluded an auction for U.S. rights to French bestseller Anticancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber; Viking's Carole DeSanti was the winner. Servan-Schreiber, half-American and half-French, is a neuroscientist and a cancer survivor; according to DeSanti, the book offers a radical proposal for synthesizing our knowledge and taking control of our health. Viking plans a 2008 publication.
'Secret' Teacher to Grand Central
Diana Baroni at Grand Central's Wellness Central imprint just won a big auction for world rights to No Matter What by motivational speaker Lisa Nichols; Bonnie Solow brokered this major deal. Nichols, the author of two Chicken Soup for the Soul titles and one of the featured teachers in The Secret, presents an inspirational guide to help readers overcome life's emotional roadblocks and achieve personal success by building what the author terms the “bounce-back muscles.” The book will also include the author's own story. Nichols is currently signed up to develop a one-hour daily TV show set to air on a major network within the next year and a half. Tentative pub date is spring 2009.
Tate on James Brown
Longtime Village Voice writer Greg Tate has sold his first full-length book, an untitled work on James Brown; Jim Rutman at Sterling Lord sold world rights to Sean McDonald at Riverhead. Tate will track the movement of Brown from folk culture to pop culture, exploring how Brown became larger than life and how he pushed history (and music and culture) around.
Elsewhere at Sterling Lord, Robert Guinsler closed a deal with David Highfill at Morrow for Greg Epstein's Good Without God, which centers on the question “Can we be good without God?” Epstein, Harvard's humanist chaplain, proposes a variety of theories and practices that emphasize reason, scientific inquiry and human fulfillment while rejecting the importance of belief in God. Morrow has North American rights and plans a spring 2009 publication.
