Bostwick Re-ups at Kensington
In a three-book world English-rights deal, bestselling author Marie Bostwick sold the novel The Promise Sisters to Kensington’s Martin Biro. The book is about three former child prodigies who are put in a comprising position by a filmmaker—they can reenter the limelight to save one of their siblings, or, as the publisher explained, “continue to bury their mother’s dark secrets.” Liza Dawson, who has an eponymous shingle, brokered the sale.

Benz Is ‘Gone’ at Ecco
Chanelle Benz’s debut novel, The Gone Dead, was acquired by Ecco’s Megan Lynch in a best-bid auction. Lynch took North American rights to the Mississippi Delta–set work, which the HarperCollins imprint described as “a big, atmospheric novel.” Gone Dead follows a woman who returns to her hometown to deal with the questions haunting her life, as well as the mystery surrounding the death of her estranged father. Benz, who hails from the U.K. but lives in Houston, is an O. Henry Prize winner; she was represented by Denise Shannon at the Denise Shannon Literary Agency.

Akashic Gets Colorful With Lavie
The debut picture book by Israeli musician Oren Lavie, The Bear Who Wasn’t There, was acquired in a world English-rights deal by Ibrahim Ahmad at Akashic Books. The book was originally published last year in Germany, by Verlag Antje Kunstmann; Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management brokered the sale on behalf of the foreign house. The book, the agency said, is a “lyrical, thought-provoking story” about a bear who goes on a quest in the forest. German illustrator Wolf Erlbruch did the art for the book. Lavie’s debut album, The Opposite Side of Sea, was released in the U.S. in 2009.

Allocca Presses ‘Play’ at Bloomsbury
Kevin Allocca, who has the title Head of Culture and Trends at YouTube, sold a book called When We Press Play to Lea Beresford at Bloomsbury. Beresford took world English rights to the book at auction from Jeff Kleinman at Folio Literary Management. The book, Bloomsbury said, will explore “the democratization of culture and art.”