HC Goes Undead in Paris

Tara Weikum at HarperCollins pre-empted world English rights, in a six-figure three-book deal, to a new zombie series by debut author Amy Huntington. The first book, Sleepwalking, follows a 16-year-old who, after losing her parents, is cast off from her Brooklyn life to live with grandparents in Paris. There she meets, and falls for, a French teen named Vincent, who just happens to be a zombie. Dystel & Goderich's Stacey Glick, who sold the book, said the series introduces a new kind of zombie mythology in which the undead are “re-animated humans”—they look just like us—and don't feast on brains but, instead, carry out special missions. She said the Hollywood pitch for the book would be: “Twilight...in Paris...with zombies.” HC is planning Sleepwalking for summer 2011.

Greenwillow Goes Crimson

Rosemary Stimola, of Stimola Literary Studio, sold, in a six figure pre-empt, North American rights to a four-book YA series by 2008 Harvard grads Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur to Virginia Duncan at HarperCollins's Greenwillow Books. The the first book, The Ivy, is set to drop in fall 2010. The series follows the travails of Callie Andrews, a Harvard frosh who arrives at the storied university only to discover she's ill-equipped to handle the romantic and social challenges awaiting her.

S&S Inks McMann to Four More

Lisa McMann (Wake and Fade) has signed a four-book deal with Simon & Schuster's Pulse and Aladdin imprints. The deal, brokered by Michael Bourret of Dystel & Goderich with Jennifer Klonsky, is for world rights to two YA titles (Pulse) and two middle grade novels (Aladdin). The first title from Pulse, Dead to You, which is slated for spring 2012, follows a teenage boy who, after being abducted, returns to his family nine years later—it's psychological suspense. Aladdin is set to drop the dystopian fantasy, The Unwanteds, in fall 2011; the book follows a group of kids who, after showing sparks of creativity, are banished to a secret world where they're trained to hone their abilities.

Italian, N.J. 'Housewife' Style

Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice sold Skinny Italian to Brenda Copeland at Hyperion. Susan Ginsberg at Writers House brokered the deal, for world rights, and Hyperion is planning a May 2010 pub. In the cookbook Giudice offers recipes for healthy Italian meals. The book will also feature behind-the-scenes details about the show, as well as pictures of Giudice and her family.

Lamb 'Flips' for Debut

Tina Wexler at ICM sold U.S. rights to a debut YA thriller called Flip to Wendy Lamb at her eponymous Random House imprint. The book, part of a two-title deal Wexler closed at auction for Brit Martyn Bedford, is a psychological thriller about a boy who wakes up in another kid's body and must fight against the clock to avoid being trapped, literally, in someone else's shoes forever. Wexler did the deal on behalf of Stephanie Thwaites at Curtis Brown Ltd.; Flip is slated for fall 2010.

Rodale 'Geeks' Out

Rodale's Colin Dickerman pre-empted North American rights to Shawn Lawrence Otto's Geek Revolution: Transforming Our Politics in the Century of Science. Otto co-founded Science Debate 2008, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing attention to science policy in the national politics. In the book, Otto interviews top scientists to get various takes on national issues ranging from health care to nanotechnology to population control. Otto is also a screenwriter, best known for penning The House of Sand and Fog. Joy Tutela at the David Black Agency brokered the deal.

The Pluses of War

Sandra Dijkstra sold North American rights to what looks to be one of Farrar, Straus & Giroux's lead titles for next fall, Ian Morris's War! What Is It Good For?Eric Chinski is the acquiring editor of this history of fighting by the Stanford professor; in the book, Morris takes the tack that war has been beneficial in certain ways, making, per the agency, “our lives (paradoxically) less violent.”

Briefs

Bestseller Jack Higgins sold his latest thriller, The Judas Gate, to Putnam's Neil Nyren, who took North American rights from Ed Victor; in the book, former IRA man turned member of the “Prime Minister's Army” Sean Dillon chases a Westerner who's gone rogue and is leading Taliban forces in Afghanistan. Putnam is planning an early 2011 publication.

Reagan Arthur at Reagan Arthur/Little, Brown pre-empted North American rights to the debut, America Pacifica. Set in a future where this continent has fallen under an ice age, the book follows a young woman, living in an island country, whose mother is kidnapped. As the heroine investigates, she discovers secrets about her own past, along with those of her country's and its self-obsessed leader. Julie Barer at Barer Literary brokered the deal for Anna North, a graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop.

p.g. sturges, son of director Preston, sold his debut crime novel, Shortcut Man, to Anna deVries at Scribner in a pre-empt. A playwright/screenwriter, sturges (the lower-case, we're told, is intentional), offers up a Hollywood-set tale featuring a P.I. named Dick Henry who gets an assignment that hits close to home when he has to case a producer's cheating wife. Ryan Fischer-Harbage and Nicole Robinson, of Fischer-Harbage, brokered the deal, which was for world rights.