kt literary

Please help us congratulate Samantha San Miguel on the sale of SPINELESS!!

From PW Children’s Bookshelf:

Debut
Rachael Stein at Sterling Children’s Books has acquired Spineless, a middle grade debut by Samantha San Miguel that follows Algie Emsworth, whose asthma takes him from 19th-century London to a health resort in the jungles of Florida. An aspiring naturalist, Algie longs for adventure—but between a supposed curse, reckless poachers, and the possible discovery of a fabled cryptid, this trip might be more than he bargained for. Publication is planned for spring 2021; Hannah Fergesen at KT Literary negotiated the deal for world English rights.

SPINELESS delves into a world I’ve never seen before in fiction: the sprawling, lush, and, astoundingly, historically accurate grand hotels of Florida’s jungles during the 19th century. The mystery and magic of this world comes through on every page, and I cannot wait for the world to experience the world Samantha has created and the characters who navigate it.

Congratulations, Samantha!!!

Please help me give a warm KT Literary welcome to my newest client, Barrie Summy. I was fortunate enough to connect with Barrie via a referral from one of Kate’s clients, and when I picked up her fabulous, tightly plotted middle grade magical realism story I couldn’t put it down. Here’s the pitch:

Eleven-year-old trivia buff Leah Carter buys a misshapen miniature plastic elephant from the 99 Cent Store on a trip to visit her Dad in Phoenix. When she discovers it shoots her into other people’s dreams, she thinks she’s found the solution to all her problems. She can convince her ex-best friend to quit hanging out with mean girl Natalie. She can persuade the other kids at school she’s nice and non-violent and friend-worthy, and that the whole broken-leg incident with Natalie was one big misunderstanding. That is, until the magic starts wearing off, and Leah has to find the courage to confront the ex-best friend, fix her tattered relationship with her dad, and land a coveted spot in the Triviamania school competition all on her own.

Barrie Summy amassed student loans and earned degrees in French, Canadian Literature, and Speech/Language Pathology before realizing she wanted to write middle-grade mysteries. She is the author of The Disappearance of Emily H.and the I So Don’t Do mystery series. Barrie lives in Southern California with her husband. She is a fan of their four children, licorice and veiled chameleons. She is not a fan of cooked carrots.

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I’m thrilled to welcome Heather Truett to the KT Literary family as my newest client. I fell in love with her YA novel in verse and just knew I had to work with her! Here’s the pitch:

When Airy Bull’s ex-boyfriend goes off to college and gets “woke” about feminism, he publically apologizes for raping her when she was 16. Airy isn’t sure what the biggest problem with this is… the fact that he never raped her or that this is how her current boyfriend found out she isn’t a virgin. Airy will have to convince new guy Sam to forgive her for lying to him while navigating gossip and confusion sparked by her ex’s faux-pology.

Heather is a writer, a mother, and a somewhat heretical pastor’s wife. Her credits include: The Mom Egg, Vine Leaves Literary, Tipton Poetry Journal, Drunk Monkeys, Panoply Zine, and the Young Adult Review Network. Heather is currently a senior at the University of Memphis, double-majoring in English (Creative Writing) and Spanish.

You can follow her on Twitter, or learn more about her here! Welcome, Heather!

Huge congratulations to Angelina M. Lopez on her first book deal!

I met Angelina years ago at an RWA event (Romance Writers of America). It’s been such a delight to reconnect through THE BILLIONAIRE’S PRINCE – I’m so excited for readers to get their hands on these books!

From Publishers Marketplace:
Fiction: Women’s/Romance
Debut author Angelina M. Lopez’s THE BILLIONAIRE’S PRINCE, an enemies-to-lovers story about a billionaire businesswoman who makes a baby deal with a prince who runs a struggling vineyard, and the outrageous dates and steamy chemistry that make them both reevaluate the meaning of intimacy, to Kerri Buckley at Carina Press, in a three-book deal, for publication in fall 2019, by Sara Megibow at kt literary (world English).

Follow Angelina’s debut journey on her website: www.angelinalopez.com

Say hi and congrats on twitter @AngelinaMLo

Congratulations to Rebecca Roanhorse on yesterday’s announcement…

TRAIL OF LIGHTNING is a finalist for the prestigious Compton Crook/ Stephen Tall Award!

The Baltimore Science Fiction Society announces this award in honor of the “best first SF/ fantasy/ horror novel of the year” See the entire list of finalists here!

TRAIL OF LIGHTNING has also been honored as:

“Best Books of 2018” at NPR

“One of the 50 Greatest Science Fiction/ Fantasy Debuts Ever Written” by B&N

“Our favorite science fiction and fantasy books of 2018” by The Verge

“Best Science Fiction/ Fantasy Books of 2018” by Library Journal

“Best Books of 2018” by Kirkus

And Rebecca won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer for this novel!

Huge congratulations Rebecca!

Learn more about TRAIL OF LIGHTNING and its sequel, STORM OF LOCUSTS (coming in April 2019) on her website:
www.rebeccaroanhorse.com

I absolutely love Love LOVE this cover for Kim Harrington‘s next middle grade novel, REVENGE OF THE RED CLUB. Thanks to Kidliterati for hosting the cover reveal! Here’s the books description:

Riley Dunne loves being a member–and leader–of the Red Club. It’s more than a group of girls supporting each other through Aunt Flo’s ups and downs; it’s a Hawking Middle School tradition. The club’s secret locker has an emergency stash of supplies, and the girls are always willing to lend an ear, a shoulder, or an old pair of sweatpants.

But when the school administration shuts down the Red Club because of complaints, the girls are stunned. Using skills she cultivated as her school paper’s top investigative reporter (okay, only investigative reporter), Riley digs for the truth about who shut the club down and why.

If that weren’t enough, she also must deal with her best friend, who is acting super weird as of late; a new and ridiculous dress code; and trying to make sure the group remains focused on fighting back, rather than fighting with one another.

With humor, heart, and lots of period power, Riley and her friends rely on surprising allies–and their own strength–as they work to save their club and stand up for what they know is right.

And please click through to Kidliterati’s post for more from Kim on the cover, and the reveal in all it’s full-size glory!

You can find the full (amazing list) online here.

Congratulations to Maureen Johnson, whose second novel in the Truly Devious series, THE VANISHING STAIR, comes out today!

In New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson’s second novel in the Truly Devious series, there are more twists and turns than Stevie Bell can imagine. No answer is given freely, and someone will pay for the truth with their life.

The Truly Devious case—an unsolved kidnapping and triple murder that rocked Ellingham Academy in 1936—has consumed Stevie for years. It’s the very reason she came to the academy. But then her classmate was murdered, and her parents quickly pull her out of school. For her safety, they say. She must move past this obsession with crime.

Stevie’s willing to do anything to get back to Ellingham, be back with her friends, and solve the Truly Devious case. Even if it means making a deal with the despicable Senator Edward King. And when Stevie finally returns, she also returns to David: the guy she kissed, and the guy who lied about his identity—Edward King’s son.

But larger issues are at play. Where did the murderer hide? What’s the meaning of the riddle Albert Ellingham left behind? And what, exactly, is at stake in the Truly Devious affair? The Ellingham case isn’t just a piece of history—it’s a live wire into the present.

Praise for Book One:

“The Agatha Christie-like ecosystem pairs with lacerating contemporary wit, and alternating past and present scenes makes for a multilayered, modern detective story.” —New York Times Book Review

“Remember the first time reading Harry Potter and knowing it was special? There’s that same sense of magic in the introduction of teen Sherlock-in-training Stevie Bell.” —USA Today (four stars)

“Be still, my Agatha-Christie-loving beating heart.” —Bustle

And more great press keeps pouring in! Entertainment Weekly posted a great review, in part, “Take it from the world’s most impatient reader: If the Truly Devious series is basically one long mystery book, The Vanishing Stair is a middle part so enjoyable you won’t even want to skip to the end.” The Buffalo News also praises the book, saying “In this second installment of her marvelous Truly Devious series, Maureen Johnson offers thrilling suspense, sly wit, a memorable cast of characters and more pieces of her deliciously intricate puzzle, shifting between a 1936 unsolved kidnapping and triple murder at the elite Ellingham Academy and present-day Vermont where that cold case crime continues to reverberate in disturbing ways.” I also love this review from TheFandom.net: “A great continuation to the first installment, this book captures the audience into the riveting mystery and challenges them to detangle the loose threads to form their own hypothesis.”

In addition, THE VANISHING STAIR made lots of readers most anticipated books of January 2019, including GoodReads, BN Teen Blog, Bustle, and Hypable.

You can also check out an interview with MJ on 88 Cups of Tea or a brief glimpse into her bookshelves with the Tampa Bay Times.

Grab your copy today!

“Truly exceptional.” – Booklist, starred review

“Extraordinary.” – Kirkus, starred review

“This outstanding paean to seeing the humanity in others is a must-read for fans of contemporary romance.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review

It’s here!

The brilliant, breath-taking contemporary romance novel from New York Times bestselling author Roni Loren that has (so far) earned three amazing starred reviews! The third book in the ONES WHO GOT AWAY series releases today!

THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR
How hard would you fight for the one you love?
Taryn Landry was there that awful night fourteen years ago when Long Acre changed from the name of a town to the title of a national tragedy. Everyone knows she lost her younger sister. No one knows it was her fault. Since then, psychology professor Taryn has dedicated her life’s work to preventing something like that from ever happening again. Falling in love was never part of the plan…

Shaw Miller has spent more than a decade dealing with the fallout of his brother’s horrific actions. After losing everything—his chance at Olympic gold, his family, almost his sanity—he’s changed his name, his look, and he’s finally starting a new life. As long as he keeps a low profile and his identity secret, everything will be okay, right?

When the world and everyone you know defines you by one catastrophic tragedy…
How do you find your happy ending?

Read an excerpt of THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR here!

Learn more about the series and about Roni on her website: www.roniloren.com

Say hi and congratulations on twitter @RoniLoren

One more post for the year, and then we’ll shut off the lights, gather our loved ones and towering TBR piles close, and turn on the Out-of-Office message! But before we do, I asked all of the agents here at KT Literary for a bit of a summation of the year. Here’s what we got!

Hannah signed five new clients this year, closed five deals including ones for Deva Fagan and debuts Michelle Ruiz Keil and Simon Jimenez, went to three conferences, and drank dozens of coffees with editors as our official New York City liaison to publishing.

Renee kept her list small this year (and with three kids at home for most of the year, we’re not surprised!), but rocked a new deal for Rebekah Crane and a poolside editing session with Jessie Hilb.

Hilary signed two new clients this year and closed her first solo deal (yet to be announced!), as well as co-closing Jen Marie Hawkins’ deal with me.

Sara went to four conferences, ate a whopping tower of Danish pastries in NYC, signed three new clients, and is inching ever closer to the milestone of fifty fabulous authors. With fifteen new domestic deals, she puts us all to shame (or she just keeps better notes than the rest of us). This year, she had a Nebula Award winner, a Campbell Award winner, and a Hugo Award winner, and that was all just Rebecca Roanhorse!

I signed two new authors, closed new domestic deals for Amy Spalding, Marisa Reichardt, and Kim Harrington, first deals for Sarah Watson and Carrie Allen, and various others still to be announced! I also made very good friends with Netflix.

One or another of us went to ALA Midwinter, the Bologna Book Fair, BEA, BookCon, San Diego Comic Con, Denver ComicCon, RWA, and multiple local writers conferences.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention that we hosted another fabulous KT Literary client retreat earlier this year, in Phoenix, AZ. This was our biggest yet, and we hope even more of our clients will be able to join us for our next one — February 2020 in Austin, TX!

All in all, it’s been another great year in the books! Best wishes to you and yours, and we’ll see you in 2019!

Congratulations to all of our authors who finished a tough first draft, got a great book deal, had their debut published, or landed a foreign deal! While I can’t call out all of those (although you can check the archives for some!), we’re especially happy to share the following mentions or lists:

NUTCRACKED by Susan Adrian
– Listed as one of a festive slew of Nutcracker retellings for children, teens, and adults by BookRiot

WHAT GOES UP by Wen Baragrey
– Named one of the Best Children’s Books of 2018 by Smithsonian’s Air & Space Magazine

THE INFINITE PIECES OF US by Rebekah Crane
– One of Seventeen’s Best YA Books of 2018

THE AMBROSE DECEPTION by Emily Ecton
– One of the Chicago Public Library’s Best Fiction for Older Readers of 2018

THE LAST SUN by K.D. Edwards
– One of the Best Fantasy Books of 2018 by BookBub

GRAVEYARD SHIFT by Michael F. Haspil
– finalist for the 2018 Colorado Book Award for Best Science Fiction/ Fantasy

TRULY DEVIOUS by Maureen Johnson
– One of Seventeen’s Best YA Books of 2018
– A GoodReads finalist for Best Young Adult novel of 2018
– A Publishers Weekly Best Young Adult Book of 2018

BERNICE BUTTMAN, MODEL CITIZEN by Niki Lenz
– Listed as one the Most Exciting MG books of 2019 by Brightly

THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY by Roni Loren
– One of the Best Romance Novels of 2018 by Kirkus
– A pick for Best Romance Novel of 2018 at Amazon
– One of the 10 Best Romance Novels of 2018 at Entertainment Weekly

THE ONE YOU CAN’T FORGET by Roni Loren
– A Best Romance Novel of 2018 at Publishers Weekly

RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE by Casey McQuiston
– One of the 30 Must-Read Books of 2019 at PopSugar
– One of the Best Books Read in November at Book Riot

Sarah Morgenthaler
– Nominee for 2018 Golden Heart Award

THE SUMMER OF JORDI PEREZ by Amy Spalding
– One of NPR’s Best Books of 2018
– Named one of the Best YA Books of 2018 by The Boston Globe
– Named one of the Best YA Books of 2018 by Kirkus
– Named one of the Best YA Books of 2018 by Cosmopolitan
– Named one of the Best YA Books of 2018 by Popsugar
– Named one of the Best YA Books of 2018 by Paste
– One of the Best LGBTQ Books of 2018 by Autostraddle and BookRiot

THE NIGHT MARK by Tiffany Reisz
– Finalist for a RITA Award for Best Mainstream Fiction with a Romantic Element

THE RED by Tiffany Reisz
– USA Today bestseller!

“Welcome To Your Authentic Indian Experience TM” by Rebecca Roanhorse
– WINNER 2018 Nebula Award
– WINNER 2018 Hugo Award
– Finalist for the 2018 Locus Award for Best Short Story
– Locus Recommended Read

TRAIL OF LIGHTNING by Rebecca Roanhorse
– WINNER 2018 Campbell Award for Best New SFF Writer
– An Amazon Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2018 Selection
– One of B&N’s Best Debuts Ever Written
– One of Library Journal’s Best SF/F of 2018
– One of NPR’s Best Books of 2018
– 2018 Audible Best Audiobook of the Year Runner Up
– 2018 Lone Star Pick

AN ENCHANTMENT OF RAVENS by Margaret Rogerson
– #1 on the bestseller list in Malaysia
– 2018 Indies Next List Top Pick for paperbacks

I’m sure there’s more! But for now, please join me in congratulating these amazing authors!

Welcome aboard to our newest KT Literary client, Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev!

I met Mayonn at the recent Atlanta Writers Conference and she blew me away with her pitch for a middle grade magical realism about grief told in the West African oral tradition. I’m so excited to be working with her!

Mayonn is working on her author website – check it out here: www.mayonn.com

And, a short bio to share:
Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev is a writer and a reader. Born in Liberia, she was exposed to a culture of oral storytelling at a young age. She lived several years in the Netherlands where she learned to stuff her klompen (wooden shoes) with carrots and developed a love for reading stories—especially tales written by Roald Dahl and Astrid Lindgren. Her hobbies include running, riding her red bicycle, and daydreaming. She lives in Georgia with her family.

Say hi and congratulations on twitter @MayonnValchev

I’m so thrilled to share the announcement for Marisa Reichardt’s new YA novel, AFTERSHOCKS, which Maggie Lehrman at Amulet will be publishing in Fall 2020!

When the Big One hits Southern California, Ruby never expected to be trapped in a laundromat only moments after her first conversation with Charlie. But as the hours and days tick on, and Ruby and Charlie struggle to survive with only each other’s voices to help keep them going, Ruby’s memories of the choices that brought her to this place and her dreams for the future may be the only way to find hope to continue.

This book has tugged at my heartstrings through every version of it that I’ve read. I can’t wait for you to meet the indomitable Ruby and fall in love with Charlie.

Please join me in sending all best wishes to Marisa on Twitter @youngadultish! And see below for the full announcement.