kt literary

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.

Please help us give a warm welcome to kt literary’s newest client, Sandra Proudman!

I am beyond excited to welcome Sandra into the kt literary family! Sandra’s YA Sci-Fi is a visual delight with a dynamic ensemble of characters you won’t be able to help falling for. GHOSTS OF THE VOID follows hacker Suzanna Jimenez, who is hired by a shadowy politician to hack the virtual reality where the minds of the wealthy elite have resided for the last century as the earth decays: the payout is huge but Suzanna is looking for something far more valuable, something she lost long ago: her sister.

Congratulations to Jason M. Hough on his sale of INSTINCT – a high-stakes, action-packed thriller coming in 2020 from Skybound!

From Publishers Marketplace:
NYT bestselling author Jason Hough’s INSTINCT, in a small town full of dark secrets and wild conspiracy theories, the lone sheriff struggles to trust her own instincts when the people around her begin making shockingly bad decisions, to Michael Braff at Skybound Books, for publication in 2020, by Sara Megibow at kt literary.

Jason is the author of the DIRE EARTH series of space opera novels – the first of which, THE DARWIN ELEVATOR, released immediately on the New York Times bestseller list.

From Jason’s website, “Jason M. Hough (pronounced ‘Huff’) is the New York Times bestselling author of The Dire Earth Cycle and the near-future spy thriller Zero World, which Publisher’s Weekly said is “a thrilling action rampage that confirms Hough as an important new voice in genre fiction.” In a former life he was a 3D artist, animator, and game designer (Metal Fatigue, Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction, and many others). He has worked in the fields of high-performance cluster computing and machine learning, and holds a patented invention related to location-based content licensing.”

Learn more at www.jasonhough.com

Say hi and congratulations on twitter @JasonMHough

Congratulations to Jamie Harrington, Brittanie Pyper, and Holly Homer on the publication today of 101 KIDS’ ACTIVITIES THAT ARE THE OOEY, GOOEY-EST EVER! If you or your kids love slime, dough, or just making a mess with their hands, this is the perfect Holiday present!

Squishy, Stretchy, Sticky, Smelly and Sparkly Ways to Play with Slime, Doughs and Other Squeezable Concoctions!

Let your creativity and your imagination soar with these colorful, crazy-fun recipes for slime, dough, clay, foam, mud and more.

Create amazing concoctions like Fake Snow, Color-Changing Slime and Glow-in-the-Dark Dough. Dig your fngers into Glowing Magic Mud, Shaving Cream Dough and Kool-Aid Foam. Or, if you’re brave enough, squeeze the Spider Egg Sack Slime or the Frog’s Vomit Slime?eek! There are even some special slimes that you can eat like Gummy Worm Slime, Pudding Slime and Cookie Dough Dough. With 101 super cool activities (that are also super easy to clean up), you can try them all!

From the bestselling authors of 101 Kids Activities, 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments and Adorkable Bubble Bath Crafts, this book is full of exciting and fantastical recipes that include tips on the science behind the goo, so you can learn too! Whether it’s a slime, a dough or some other moldable creation, you’ll be able to create and become whatever your imagination dreams up!

Grab a copy today wherever books are sold!

Just a quick note that all of the agents at KT Literary will be closing to queries on December 1st until Monday, January 7th. We’ll be spending the time off from our query inboxes catching up on other reading — if we’ve requested material from you, we’ll do our best to reply as soon as possible. We’re also looking forward to reading for pleasure! Maybe some of the great books on these lists from Paste Magazine, from NPR, from Seventeen, or from Publishers Weekly!

Hope you have fun holiday reading plans! What’s on your TBR pile for next month? Comment below for a chance to win an upcoming title from one of our clients.

“The explosive final book in Allmon’s Blue Unicorn erotic fantasy trilogy (after Apocalypse Alley) is a delightful mix of action, emotion, and surprisingly raw sexuality.” – Publishers Weekly

Happy Book Birthday to Don Allmon whose BURNING MAGUS releases today!

BURNING MAGUS is the last in Don’s Blue Unicorn trilogy – a cyberpunk fantasy trilogy filled with adventure, romance and fast cars!

The first book in the series, GLAMOUR THIEVES, earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly who called it, “swoonworthy.”

Whether you start at Book #1 or are one of the many fans eager for Book #3 – please help us give Don a huge round of congratulations!

BURNING MAGUS
JT was a perfectly happy orc building cars in the Arizona desert until his old friend and sometimes lover Austin showed up and talked him into one last crime. Now “one last crime” has snowballed. With a new team of thieves—a supersoldier, a hacker, a driver, a graffiti artist, and a seafaring wizard—JT and Austin are determined to free an artificial intelligence from the dungeon of the Burning Magus.

For JT, this job is more than a prison break; it’s a do-over of The Job That Went Bad two years ago, the catastrophe in which JT lost his closest friend and then chose to abandon everything, even Austin. Maybe this time no one will die. Maybe this time JT can return to Arizona and bury his old life for good.

Except Austin won’t be buried. After two years alone, Austin knows he wants JT—not just as a partner in crime, but as the lover he always should have been. Maybe this time they won’t make the same mistakes, especially when it comes to each other.

Say hi on twitter @dallmon

And check out Don’s website: www.donallmon.com

“Reisz (the Original Sinners series) ignites Kentucky with the blazingly erotic adventures of a man who’s desperate to express his kinky urges for the first time.” – Publishers Weekly

Congratulations to Tiffany Reisz on today’s release of PICTURE PERFECT COWBOY!

In addition to print and ebook, Tantor Audio has produced an amazing audiobook, narrated by the brilliant Alexandria Wilde! Check it out here!

PICTURE PERFECT COWBOY
Jason “Still” Waters’ life looks perfect from the outside—money, fame, and the words “World Champion Bull-Rider” after his name. But Jason has a secret, one he never planned on telling anybody…until he meets Simone. She’s the kinky girl of his dreams…and his conservative family’s worst nightmare.

Learn more about Tiffany’s books online at: www.tiffanyreisz.com

“Top-Notch Thriller from John E. Stith” – Kingdom Books

Congratulations to John E. Stith on today’s release of PUSHBACK!

John is a Nebula Award-nominated science fiction author and PUSHBACK is his first straight thriller. Author Mark Stevens says, “John Stith’s PUSHBACK is a fast-paced ride that gives new definition to the term ‘bad week.’

PUSHBACK
Dave, an investment counselor with PTSD, survives a blowout that kills his fiancee, Allison.

A year later, Dave has found unexpected happiness with Cathy. At Dave’s very-small-high-school reunion, Dave is stunned that he doesn’t recognize anyone there. Cathy, who was previously victimized by a con man, breaks it off. Late that night, Dave gets a text: “How does it feel to be so quickly forgotten?” Apparently, someone close to Allison is angry that he has moved on so “soon.”

Dave’s PTSD symptoms make him avoid conflict at almost any cost, so he hopes this will pass. It doesn’t. The harassment escalates. And now, someone is trying to kill him.

Dave’s only choices are to flee or stay and fight. Has somebody picked on the wrong guy?

Check out John’s science fiction backlist and learn more about PUSHBACK on his website: www.neverend.com

Say hi and congratulations on twitter @johnestith

Happy Book Birthday to Wen Baragrey whose debut middle grade novel, WHAT GOES UP, releases today from Random House Children’s Books!

“A quirky, fun story set in a town filled with unique and amusing characters. Recommended to fans of Carl Hiaasen.” – School Library Journal

“A quirky, heartwarming story of family and friendship.” – Kirkus

WHAT GOES UP is the perfect middle grade novel for kids from weird families – Just Like Mine! (no kidding – check out twitter for the story of my dad and the banjo).

WHAT GOES UP
What goes up . . . comes down on Robyn Tinkerbell Goodfellow’s roof! Will a rogue NASA satellite crush her house before Robyn can set things right?

Robyn Tinkerbell Goodfellow (yes, that’s actually her name) has a target on her roof. Well, not a real one, but everything seems to land there: paper airplanes, lost kites, socks, cats, and once even a skydiver! In the town of Calliope, Robyn and her magnet roof are famous–for being weird. That wasn’t such a big deal . . . until now!

A rogue NASA satellite is falling out of orbit and is going to hit Earth. NASA says it will probably land in the ocean, but Robyn knows better–that satellite is headed for her roof. To make matters worse, Robyn discovers that she doesn’t just have a fairy middle name. When her class reads A Midsummer Night’s Dream, she learns that Robin Goodfellow is a fairy! Which means if the satellite flattens her, everyone will laugh at her name in the news stories. Robyn realizes what she needs to do: find her long-lost dad so he can help her change her name and protect her from the satellite!

Both surprising and relatable, this middle-grade novel will have readers wishing they could move to the small town of Calliope, laugh with the larger-than-life characters, and race against the clock to save Robyn from NASA’s mistake.

Learn more about Wen and her books online: www.wenbaragrey.com

Say hi and congratulations on twitter @WenBaragrey

SOLD!

Congratulations to Gerald Brandt on the sale of his new science fiction trilogy to DAW Books!

From Publishers Marketplace:
International bestselling author Gerald Brandt’s THREADER ORIGINS, Book One of the Quantum Empirica series, in which a young man is the victim of his father’s string theory experiment, to Sheila Gilbert at DAW Books, in a three-book deal, by Sara Megibow at kt literary.

Gerald is the author of the cyberpunk San Angeles series that launched in 2016 with THE COURIER.

The Barnes & Noble SF/F blog said, “THE COURIER brings cyberpunk roaring back to life!”

Learn more about the San Angeles trilogy, Gerald and the upcoming Quantum Empirica series on his website: www.geraldbrandt.com

Say hi and congratulations on twitter @GeraldBrandt

Happy Book Birthday to Maggie Wells and DOUBLE PLAY!

DOUBLE PLAY is the third in Maggie’s Love Game series – the sex-positive, feminist contemporary romance that we love!

LOVE GAME (Book #1 in the series) earned this amazing starred review from Publishers Weekly, “The boldness with which this power couple takes on the workplace issue as a team displays egalitarian and mutually supportive strength too rarely seen in heterosexual romance.”

DOUBLE PLAY
She knows what she wants, and how to get it.

Avery Preston knows her mind. The Women’s Studies and Literature professor is latest in a long line of feminist firebrands determined to break the mold at Wolcott University. When her biological clock tells her it’s time to bust a move, Avery does what she does best—she takes care of business all by herself. Or, so she thinks….

Dominic Mann is happy with his life just as it is
The widowed baseball coach is content, and sees no point in changing his lineup this late in the game. Still, a man would have to be dead not to notice a live wire like Avery Preston. But a one night stand was all either of them wanted.

There’s only one complication.

The clinic where Avery was inseminated has been hacked. Now, she not only knows who the father is, but she knows the father. In the biblical sense. Avery shows up on Dom’s doorstep with a bun in the oven, a bellyful of ethical righteousness, and the absolute conviction that she doesn’t need him, and soon, the two of them are caught in a rundown between their hearts and their heads.

Learn more about the Love Games series and Maggie’s other books on her website: www.maggie-wells.com

Say hi and congratulations on twitter @maggiewells1