Adult Newsletter: May
Up And Coming For Submission
FICTION
If you want to write a murder, you have to set it in the right location—like an old, converted monastery with an ominous past, deep in the mountains. Then, you have to invite the right people—like a group of mystery writers attending a prestigious mystery-writing conference. Of course, someone should not be invited but show up anyway—like the disgraced literary agent accused of stealing from his top client. Everyone in the story must have secrets so they can all become suspects when someone ends up dead. That’s when they’ll turn on each other, digging into the past to uncover dark truths—like a hit-and-run accident, a book canceled on the eve of publication, and two million in missing royalties. But don’t forget to trap everyone there—a landslide should do the trick—so they can’t escape when more people turn up dead…Welcome to the perfect murder. Nothing will go wrong. Because if anyone can get away with murder, it’s a writer. HOW TO WRITE A MURDER is Jessica Brody’s debut mystery and first adult novel since the phenomenal success of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel. This humorous, metafictional twist on the classic murder mystery masterfully blurs the line between author, character, and reader, resulting in a gripping read that both exposes and celebrates the power of storytelling. Combining the intrigue and atmosphere of The Guest List with the wit and charm of The Thursday Murder Club, this delightfully clever, locked-room puzzle culminates in an ending you won’t see coming. (Please note, Jim McCarthy is the agent for this project.)
The last thing that Sydney and Eliot Porter expected at their Uncle Florian's funeral was for a rare bird to land on the family mausoleum. They'd already heard about the corncrake from birders at Mount Auburn Cemetery, hundreds of whom had arrived from all over the country in hopes of catching a glimpse of the now famous bird, elusive and endangered even in his native habitat an ocean away. And the timing of the corncrake's arrival, right at the conclusion of the funeral, seemed not just uncanny, but miraculous, a sign from Florian that not only was he still with them, but that maybe one day, they too would be summoning rare birds instead of just becoming bones in a tomb. With one round of its distinctive call, crex crex, birders descended on the funeral like paparazzi, binoculars and cameras in hand. Yet only one of them offered a sympathetic smile, a heartfelt gesture to acknowledge Sydney and Eliot's loss, their grief and pain. He also happened to be the loveliest man they'd ever seen. For fans of Miranda July's All Fours and Jen Beagin's Big Swiss, Julie Morrison's debut novel, THE BIRDER delves into a precarious world of grief and romantic obsession, birding and betrayal, as a brother and sister find themselves navigating life after their beloved uncle's death while hopelessly under the spell of the same enigmatic, migratory man. (Please note, Jim McCarthy is the agent for this project.)
June is freshly dumped, miserable at her PR job, and would die if anyone saw her selfie reel or search history. But someone is looking at everything she does on her phone: Arnold is a socially awkward polymath who works for global tech behemoth BounceBall, and it’s his job to spy on people through their devices to sell them protein powders, beauty blenders, and trendy clothes. Mostly, though, he just watches June. He has fallen madly in love with her, obsessively taking notes on her habits and her favorite things, and eventually manipulating her into a dating app meet-up. Arnold’s stalker-adjacent behavior draws the ire of his coworker—and ex-best friend—Grizz, who takes over monitoring June once the BounceBall higher-ups discover Arnold’s been neglecting all his other assignments. Meanwhile June starts to fall for Arnold, clueless that he already knows everything about her. As the biggest shopping day of the year approaches, old ghosts and new secrets threaten to expose the truth behind the trio’s tenuous bonds, forcing them each to decide what they really want out of life—whether or not BounceBall approves. Irreverently hilarious, yet moving, HEAVY USERS by nationally syndicated columnist Stephanie Hayes is Severance meets Margo’s Got Money Troubles: an incisively funny novel sneakily carving out a poignant reflection on the paradox of loneliness during the most connected age in history. (Please note, Sharon Pelletier is the agent for this project.)
Female friendship and second chances are insightfully explored in this coming-of-old debut, PAIGE CUNNINGHAM’S REMARKABLE LIFE, by Nancy J. Fagan. Paige’s friend group, the PEEPs, are her stalwart support after her young husband’s death. But when her best friend, Pernilla dies, Paige spirals, obsessing over a closely guarded secret as well as her own death. She’s headed off for a restorative weekend retreat with her friends when she gets caught up in a robbery and suffers a bad head injury—one that leads to irrational thinking. As a result of the injury, she begins to believe that the man who harmed her can teach her life lessons. Defying warnings by the FBI and her own family, who want her to move in, she sets out to find the robber to help him rebuild his life. Paige is aided in her quest by the dropout service dog her friends have given her to help her cope. As her mission makes her question the life choices she’s made, Paige may finally be embracing her best life yet, especially as she finds herself forming an unexpected, close bond with her grandson. Perfect for readers who enjoyed The Weekend by Charlotte Woods and Beth Morrey’s The Love Story of Missy Carmichael, Nancy J. Fagan’s debut shows readers that aging is nature’s way of reminding us to live. (Please note, Ann Leslie Tuttle is the agent for this project.)
DON’T SELL YOUR SADDLE by Juliana Smith features retired bullrider Lottie Jane Turner, who loves a good villain arc—just not her own. Nearing thirty, she’s living back on her family’s farm, after a devastating injury forced her to settle for a less-than-fulfilling life. Now the only freedom Lottie can find comes at the poker tables, where she can slip into a persona and hustle men like a pro. Only the man she is facing tonight calls her by a name she hasn’t heard in years. Matthew Walker’s fast-paced career has netted him millions, but he’s hit a breaking point. Escaping to Willow Creek Farms to work as a farmhand feels like the only way for Walker to breathe. Running into Lottie—and losing all his cash to her—definitely wasn’t part of his plan. But the two former friends soon strike a deal to spend the summer checking off their bucket lists before turning thirty. What starts as friendship quickly reignites into something deeper as their undeniable chemistry refuses to be ignored. But when summer ends, will their fling spell a second chance, or will it be just as fleeting as it was fifteen years ago? Perfect for readers who love the abundant charm of Laurie Gilmore’s Dream Harbor series and Lyla Sage’s Wild and Wrangled, Juliana Smith’s slow-burn romance exudes the warmth of a quaint Southern town. (Please note, Ann Leslie Tuttle is the agent for this project.)
Landing his first off-West End leading role, Leo has finally caught his big break. The only hurdle? Getting comfortable with playing a gay character—and figuring out how to tell his girlfriend and conservative family that the role involves intimate scenes with another man. Except it turns out that playing the part isn’t as difficult as Leo expected, particularly because his co-star, Patrick, is sweet, talented, and undeniably hot. As rehearsals amp up, Leo finds he has a bigger problem than playing his role convincingly. Though he’s spent his whole life believing he was straight, his burgeoning emotional bond with Patrick and the electric stage-kisses they share are forcing him to confront that he may have been completely wrong about that. And now his heart is traveling away from the woman he’s promised it to. Amid the pressures of his professional acting debut, a performance that will dictate the trajectory of his career, Leo finds himself caught between the heartache he feels for being emotionally unfaithful to his girlfriend, and the growing realization that his attempts to keep up their relationship are hurting everyone, including himself. As opening night looms and his secret begins to wreak havoc, Leo must find the strength to accept this truth about himself, and to embrace that what he has with Patrick goes far beyond just playing a part. Perfect for fans of The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun and Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings, Erin Edwards’ adult debut, ONCE MORE WITH FEELINGS, explores a sensitive dynamic with nuance and sparkle, delivering a joyful queer romance worthy of a standing ovation. (Please note, Michaela Whatnall is the agent for this project.)
A rapidly bankrupting evangelical college is the perfect place for spiritual revival. Or a cult. Whichever comes first. Set in the mountains of North Carolina, Bea Prescott arrives at Newhope College with a secret. She helped her sister, trapped in a controlling relationship with their pastor’s son, get an abortion. Her first year of college finds her disentangling the idea of God from a decision she doesn’t regret and an upbringing she suddenly distrusts. Bea’s new friends don’t fit in either; maybe that’s why they’re all strangely drawn to Will, a magnetic preacher set on transcending the limitations of the body and performative religion. Together, the five start a radical student group inspired by the school’s history of religious fervor: staging demonstrations and facilitating miraculous healings. But Bea isn’t the only one with secrets, and in the end everyone’s past—even Newhope’s—will be exposed. The Secret History meets The Incendiaries, TABERNACLE explores the dark grip of celebrity and showmanship on American evangelicalism and the bonds between women that persist inside patriarchal spaces. A vibrant, lyrical voice for fans of Elif Batuman and Barbara Kingsolver, TABERNACLE is NC State MFA graduate Kayla Rutledge Page’s debut. (Please note, Kendall Berdinsky is the agent for this project.)
NON-FICTION
Chimpanzees share over 98% of our DNA, and our deep capacity for joy, grief, memory, and love. But for generations, humans have put them in movies, enclosed them in labs, and kept them as pets. Bridging memoir and science, primatologist and animal welfare scientist Dr. Katie Cronin reveals the awe-inspiring, true nature of chimpanzees in her debut work, CHIFFON. Dr. Cronin introduces readers to chimpanzees like Chiffon, a former pet determined to be among humans, and Masya, a mother mourning her infant and revealing the emotional depth of our primate cousins, as well as Eli, the last chimpanzee actor in Hollywood. These chimpanzees are not cartoons or stand-ins for humans, they are wild animals, uniquely themselves. And they are, most of all, survivors. With a scientist’s precision and a storyteller’s heart, she gives readers a chance to experience the inspiring, resilient spirit of chimpanzees, bringing readers along to African sanctuaries, American zoos, former pet homes, and Hollywood sets as the stories of the chimpanzees create a narrative that builds empathy and understanding, one story at a time. As scientists, policymakers, and the public reckon with our relationship to nature, CHIFFON arrives at the perfect moment. Whether you’re an animal lover, a science buff, or someone looking for strength in a messy world, these chimpanzees have something to show you: that healing is possible, that connection matters, and that survival is not the end of the story—it’s the beginning.
In 2013, David Scott Holloway, a photographer with wanderlust, took what seemed like the perfect career shortcut: he finagled his way onto the tight-knit crew of a travel show hosted by a chef he'd barely heard of. What began as a clever work hack to see the world became an unexpected journey alongside one of the most influential cultural voices of our time. FAILING UPWARD: TRAVELING IN THE SHADOW OF ANTHONY BOURDAIN chronicles five years of the author's odyssey with Bourdain from 2013 until his tragic death in 2018, revealing what it was like to travel with the man behind the mythos. Unlike the countless tributes that followed Bourdain's passing, this intimate account comes from someone who initially dismissed him as "a regular reality TV show chef," but discovered something far more profound: a mentor and kindred spirit leading a crew of passionate storytellers determined to make the unfamiliar accessible. Through firsthand accounts of global misadventures that swing from laugh-out-loud funny to heartbreakingly tragic, Holloway's stories illuminate Bourdain's relentless drive to break through cultural barriers using the universal language of food while showcasing the complex humanity that made him both an extraordinary guide and a vulnerable companion. FAILING UPWARD is a raw, behind-the-scenes chronicle of one man's journey to see the world while witnessing how Bourdain and his team transformed travel television into something meaningful—a vehicle for understanding rather than exploitation, and connection rather than consumption.
Are you afraid of the dark? What about the monsters lurking in the headlines, the villains painted in stark, terrifying colors? We are taught to fear. Trained to spot danger. But what if the greatest threats aren't out there, but locked inside our own minds? Drawing on years of tracking real threats in military intelligence, including OSINT operations from Jordan and Syria directly confronting ISIS, and battling digital shadows as a cybersecurity expert, Derek Q. Jackson reveals a startling truth: fear is often a system, expertly designed to profit from our panic. From demonizing groups to the subtle anxieties that surface when life is finally calm, we invent villains and cling to simplistic narratives to avoid the messy, complex truth of being human. This provocative guide exposes the haunting patterns behind our fear addiction. It shows how our minds, capable of incredible feats, can become trapped by fixed assumptions, turning complex realities into cartoonish battles of good versus evil. It explores why, when the external danger recedes, we are often most vulnerable to internal anxieties, searching for threats that aren't there. Blending history, psychology, neuroscience, and gripping personal stories from the front lines of both physical and psychological battles, CHASING SATAN is a wake-up call—a toolkit for dismantling the fear-based illusions that trap us in cycles of panic and division. It challenges us to question the narratives that shape our world, offering a radical path to courage.
Science finds that conservatives and liberals have different temperaments, different brains, and different genes. Michael Ryan, author of The Genetics of Political Behavior and Professor Emeritus at Temple University, draws on hundreds of scientific studies to explain how these physiological differences account for the ideological differences between the two sub-populations of sapiens. A larger anterior cingulate cortex in liberals allows them to be flexible, well-regulated, empathetic, and prosocial. Their neurological nature predisposes them to help others while larger amygdalae in conservatives make them more constitutionally fearful, less regulated, and oriented toward group bonding. In studies simulating international conflict, conservatives choose ethno-nationalism over cosmopolitanism, and war over negotiation. Conservative traits, such as heightened startle-response, proved most beneficial to survival when sapiens first emerged 150,000 years ago. Liberals, in contrast, emerged as a distinct population about 70,000 years ago when environmental pressures resulted in a new version of sapiens, Haplogroup L3, in East Africa. The new sapiens were responsible for the Cognitive Revolution, as they could think abstractly and formulate principles such as equality which allowed them to start living together in large civil communities. In his newest work, TAME LIBERALS AND WILD CONSERVATIVES: HOW SCIENCE EXPLAINS POLITICS, Ryan breaks down the implications of these scientific findings.
When Doug Levitt boarded a Greyhound with an initial six-week bus pass, he was inspired by Depression-era projects that drew a fuller portrait of America from the margins in. But on a journey that turned into 20 years and 200,000 Greyhound miles, what the foreign correspondent and Fulbright scholar turned singer/songwriter and BBC host found was a portrait of America’s soul from the inside out. HYMNS FOR THE HIGHWAY: AMERICA’S SOUL THROUGH A 20-YEAR GREYHOUND ODYSSEY is a sweeping exploration of connection, resilience, and identity. It’s the story of a nation at the crossroads, told through the lives of fellow travelers met while crisscrossing vast highways and backroad byways. It’s a story of survival—of individuals and of the country itself—and of the human connections forged in the most unlikely places. In the wake of recent elections, the question of identity—who we are and what binds us—has taken center stage in the American psyche. Amidst a growing need to understand, Greyhound travel stands out as a unique lens on American life: a liminal space that transcends geography, politics, religion, and race. The narrative braids the story of America over two tumultuous decades, the raw and moving voices of those encountered along the way, and the author's own journey of healing. In an era obsessed with division, Levitt reveals that our most enduring truths emerge in the profound and fleeting moments we share on the road. The result is a hopeful, human portrait of American resolve and commonality in tenuous times.
For more than 150 years, horrors have been committed under the banner of “survival of the fittest.” But surely Charles Darwin—the reclusive, bearded naturalist behind On the Origin of Species—had nothing to do with them…or did he? In this groundbreaking and deeply researched book, historian Erik L. Peterson opens the long-locked family archives of Charles and Emma Darwin to uncover a far more complicated—and disturbing—legacy. Through three generations of Darwin descendants, UNNATURAL SELECTION traces how the family not only supported but actively shaped the pseudoscientific movement known as eugenics. From the 1890s through the 1950s, doctors in the United States and Europe sterilized and incarcerated hundreds of thousands deemed “unfit.” In Germany, the Third Reich murdered thousands more in preparation for the Holocaust. Yet even after the world condemned Nazi atrocities, members of the Darwin family continued to champion eugenics and its successor: the global population control movement. Blending biography, science, and cultural history, UNNATURAL SELECTION reveals for the first time how one of science’s most celebrated families became entangled in one of its darkest chapters.
Hosting can feel overwhelming. Meal planning is a chore. But some of life’s best memories are made gathered around a table—candles low, bellies full, chairs pushed back in easy conversation. THROUGH SUNDAY is a weekend menu cookbook designed to make room for those moments by taking the stress out of planning and cooking. The menus are all done for you, so you can focus on being present—not prepping. Rooted in Midwestern seasonality but made for kitchens everywhere, THROUGH SUNDAY offers 16 thoughtfully curated menus—four for each season—guiding home cooks from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch. Each menu includes a streamlined grocery list, make-ahead strategies, and hosting tips, all crafted to reduce waste, use ingredients to their fullest, and bring ease and beauty to your weekend meals. Every season features one vegetarian and one gluten-free menu, with recipes that are as nourishing as they are unfussy. Lisa Hackwith is a designer, entrepreneur, and self-taught home cook passionate about sustainability, intentional living, and the magic of shared meals. As the founder of Hackwith Design House, she’s built a brand rooted in thoughtful consumption—values that flow seamlessly into her approach to food. Whether cooking at home or hosting weekends at her cabin, Lisa has learned that a little planning goes a long way in creating meaningful, memorable gatherings. THROUGH SUNDAY invites readers to linger longer, cook with intention, and savor every meal and moment from Friday through Sunday.
To say mushrooms are having a moment may be a gross understatement. If the natural world had an IT kid, mushrooms would be it. With SO THEY GATHER: STORIES OF MUSHROOMS, FORAGING, AND MUSHROOM HUNTING TRADITIONS IN AMERICA, award-winning journalist and lifelong mushroom forager Julie H. Case turns her attention to that IT kid to investigate fungi, the history of mushrooms, and the secretive communities obsessed with them. Species by species, SO THEY GATHER reveals the most beloved mushrooms in America today, their habitats, and the foraging traditions held dear by native-born Americans and immigrants alike. As she traipses deep into the American forests alongside these secretive foraging communities to hunt mushrooms, Julie tells the history and ecology of each of these prized fungi. Here is the matsutake, so culturally important it’s the only mushroom most Japanese Americans will pick. Here are the Russian and Ukrainian immigrants foraging boletes virtually side by side in upstate New York. Here’s the Stacy family pillaging an Appalachian mountainside of its morels for generations. Part mushroom foraging guidebook, part anthropological investigation, SO THEY GATHER is the first book to explore the history of America’s most prized fungi and to introduce those mushrooms and their hunters as protagonists in the story of the mushroom’s rise to fame. With SO THEY GATHER, the quest to explore the complex and fascinating world of mushrooms explodes on the page. (Please note, Stacey Glick is the agent for this project.)
FEEDING BRIGHT BRAINS is an original science-backed guide to building brilliant brains through better nutrition—starting in the womb and stretching through adolescence—written by Dr. Sylvie Charles, a physician, food entrepreneur, and mom of two. When Dr. Charles became pregnant, her background in psychiatry and nutrition sent her down a rabbit hole of research about children’s brain health. What she discovered was shocking: Many prenatal vitamins lack key nutrients for brain development, and pediatric nutrition advice often stops at “try a balanced diet.” In a world where kids’ brains are struggling—ADHD, anxiety, and inattention are on the rise—parents deserve better. Rooted in groundbreaking research over the last decade about the first 1,000 days of brain development, FEEDING BRIGHT BRAINS outlines the nine essential nutrients for cognition, focus, memory, and more, and shows parents exactly how to get them into their kids’ bellies—without a fight. With 100+ kid-approved recipes, smart ingredient swaps, and playful, nerdy science breakouts, this is a must-have reference for modern parents. Dr. Charles is a physician specializing in nutrition and mental health, a health food chef, and the founder of Just Date, a better-for-you sweetener brand sold at Whole Foods and Sprouts. Just Date has been featured in Bon Appetit, The New York Times, Forbes, The View, and award-winning cookbooks by chefs like Gregory Gourdet and Nik Sharma. FEEDING BRIGHT BRAINS is what every parent needs: a practical, playful and delicious roadmap for feeding the brain. (Please note, Stacey Glick is the agent for this project.)
Dr. Raquel Martin can’t pinpoint the exact moment she recognized the Black Superwoman cape she was wearing, but she knows it’s always been heavy. It was not quite passed down by her mother, because that would mean she’d taken it off herself, which she hasn’t. It’s been battered and bruised through the generations, but still survives. Black women are not receiving the care that they need. They are excluded and then talked over when they advocate for themselves. They are being ground down by a society that dehumanizes them and looks to them for grueling free labor in the same breath. They want change, but they don’t know where to start. But Dr. Martin does: as a psychologist specialized in Black mental health, she wants Black women to be seen and cared for in the way that they deserve. Black women don’t need to be stronger; they need to be freer. BURN THE CAPE: A ROADMAP TO FREEDOM will share approachable information and techniques to help readers understand and address the root causes of the Black Superwoman Schema to promote sustainable well-being. It will show Black women how to liberate themselves from the cape, not by taking it off, but by burning it once and for all. A Licensed Clinical Psychologist, she is also a podcast host with more than 1.5 million followers across platforms and the creator of a national support group which provides free mental health care to Black women. (Please note, Lauren Abramo is the agent for this project.)
From 2011 to 2022, adult autism diagnosis in the US increased by 450%. Since the rise of social media, millions have discovered that their struggles were missed in childhood. A fraction of them have access to formal assessment, which can be lengthy and costly, while the vast majority will never seek a medical diagnosis for reasons including availability, cost, reduced safety, compromised access to everyday goods and services, and because there are precious few supportive resources available. Every year more than half a million adults in the US and 7.5 to 11 million adults worldwide are just beginning the process of learning what autism means for them—often without accessible, trustworthy resources and from systems that are, at best, woefully out of date. Enter SURPRISE! YOU’RE AUTISTIC! NOW WHAT?: A Guide to Rebuilding After Learning You’re Autistic, a bold, compassionate guide for adults embracing their autistic identities—offering not just validation, but a roadmap for thriving. Through research, lived wisdom, and the voices of autistic community members, readers will learn to reframe their pasts, reclaim their strengths, and rebuild their futures with clarity and power. This conversational resource combines research and insights from community members to fill the persistent support gap. Author Diane J. Wright is a Black autistic disability justice advocate and the founder of Autastic, providing community and resources to thousands of autistic adults. As a ghostwriter, filmmaker, and media consultant, she blends lived experience and professional insight to help others reclaim identity, belonging, and #AutisticJoy. (Please note, Lauren Abramo is the agent for this project.)
It doesn’t take a Bond villain or a cunning tactician to destroy the world. With a boat, an anchor, and a bit of conviction, anyone can grind the global economy to a halt, shut down the internet and possibly even send the lights above flickering. By targeting a chokepoint of undersea cables and pipelines, the hidden infrastructure carrying the world’s most precious commodities––oil, gas, electricity, and data––causing chaos is more than possible, it is worryingly easy. In CHOKEPOINT: THE CRITICAL UNDERSEA NETWORK POWERING THE WORLD’S INTERNET, ECONOMY & ENERGY, readers will embark on a deep dive into the fascinating realm of subsea infrastructure, exploring just how this vast and intricate network criss-crossing the earth’s oceans, lakes, and seas supports the fragile web of our modern era’s digital dependence. Given these systems’ strategic importance, it comes as no surprise that the history spans centuries and continents, linking top secret Cold War intelligence operations to contemporary anti-submarine warfare. From sabotage and subterfuge to ‘Big Tech’ and NSAs, CHOKEPOINT proves that subsea cables and pipelines are more than just infrastructure––they’re the driving force behind the rise of AI, the pathway to the green transition, and the key to a more sustainable and interconnected future. Working for one of the world’s premier marine and cable engineering consultancy, Devon Alexandra brings readers on a voyage across the world as she navigates the privileges and perils of this vital industry, from the lowland forests of Malaysia and ‘floating cities’ in the Gulf of Mexico to copper mines in Chile and Pirelli’s tire factory in Italy. (Please note, Jessica Papin is the agent for this project.)
What would it take to actually fix American education? In THROWING MONEY AT SCHOOLS, Wall Street Journal reporter Matt Barnum explores the fraught debate over whether more funding will help students. Critics have long contended that dollars have poured into schools with little return, while advocates insist that a lack of money is the chief factor holding schools back. Combining lively journalism and novel history, Barnum chronicles this debate over the last six decades, showing the startling way it has shaped American politics and schools. The story begins with an explosive federal report from the 1960s that questioned whether money improves schools. This study helped discredit LBJ’s War on Poverty and convince the Supreme Court to rule there is no right to an education in the Constitution. The book finishes at the present day with President Trump claiming that schools can be run for half the cost, as he seeks to close the Education Department. In between, Barnum recounts the rise and fall of various school reform efforts cast as alternatives to increasing school funding; the crusading lawyers who toiled in state courts fighting for more funding; the influential think tanks that convinced politicians of both parties that money doesn’t matter much; the modern economic research that purports to show that it does; and the parents, teachers and students caught in the middle of this debate. Barnum has worked as a journalist covering schools for the last decade and currently leads the Wall Street Journal’s coverage of K-12 education. (Please note, Jessica Papin is the agent for this project.)
In many ways, human life is better than it ever has been. Modern medicine has expanded our lifespans and reshaped the quality of them, technology provides previously unfathomable conveniences and ways of connecting, and social norms have shifted in ways that allow people to pursue their individual happiness more than ever before. And yet if anything, modern humans are unhappier than all our ancestors before us–– disconnected, disaffected, and plagued by crises of both loneliness and mental health struggles. Are there any happy people at all? In WHERE ARE ALL THE HAPPY PEOPLE? psychologist, emotion scientist, and writer Sarah Rose Cavanagh sets off on a quest across disciplines, settings, and locales to answer just that question. She finds happy people on nude beaches and in nunneries, in Lithuania and Trinidad, at native plant nurseries and pagan revivals, in Black choirs and hospice centers. She concludes with a model of happiness that we all can follow to reach more fulfilled, joyful, and content lives. Cavanagh is Senior Associate Director of Teaching and Learning and an Associate Professor of Psychology at Simmons University, a Research Affiliate of the Emotion, Brain, and Behavior Laboratory at Tufts University, and Principal Investigator of a nationally funded grant project to cultivate better effectiveness in undergraduate biology education. She is the author of four highly regarded books whose work weaves science, emotion, and humanity to provide powerful insights with profound implications for education, the workplace, and everyday life. (Please note, Jessica Papin is the agent for this project.)
This decade, with its pandemic turmoil and the rise of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., may seem like the era in which America’s relationship with medicine has gone off the rails. In SEEDS OF REBELLION: HOW AN ALTERNATIVE CANCER DRUG FROM APRICOT PITS LAUNCHED THE WAR AGAINST THE MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT, law professor and historian, Lewis A. Grossman, shows that, in fact, the breach between the American people and their medical institutions opened a half century ago. Through the enthralling story of Laetrile, an ineffective cancer treatment that galvanized the nation in the 1970s, Grossman explores a time when a broad swath of Americans abandoned their profound faith in medical experts and regulators and instead embraced conspiracy theories, demanded the right to choose, and turned to unproved unorthodox remedies. SEEDS OF REBELLION provides a riveting account of how a fascinating, eccentric group of Laetrile promoters (ranging from an agent for Fidel Castro to right-wing adherents of the John Birch Society) thrust the drug into the headlines, rattled the medical establishment, provoked intervention by every branch of the U.S. government, and contributed to a permanent transformation in American attitudes about health and health regulation. Grossman is the Ann Loeb Bronfman Professor of Law and Affiliate Professor of History at American University and has also held positions at Harvard, Princeton, and Cornell. His work, including his previous book Choose Your Medicine: Freedom of Therapeutic Choice in America, has been featured in the New York Times, the New Yorker, Slate, and NPR. (Please note, Jessica Papin is the agent for this project.)
Over the course of half a century, Mary Engelbreit has become one of the world’s most widely recognized commercial artists, one colorful drawing at a time. Mary Engelbreit LLC features her iconic, instantly recognizable art across thirty product categories, accounting for more than $1 billion lifetime retail sales building a deeply loyal, multigenerational fan community of millions who buy, share, and cherish her work, displaying it on bulletin boards and refrigerator doors the world over—quite a long ways from her high school days selling greeting cards from a local shop for 25 cents each. Since then, Mary has illustrated thousands of greeting cards and hundreds of books for all ages, including three New York Times bestsellers. She has outlasted trends, bucked convention, ignored critics. And she’s had an indelible effect on generations of artists and creators. LIFE DRAWING: FIFTY YEARS OF MARY ENGELBREIT by Mary Engelbreit and Patrick Regan presents the definitive collection of Mary Engelbreit artwork, from her first drawing to the current day, tracing her personal and professional journey from a little girl with crayons to celebrated artist and businesswoman. Alongside her own work, the book will feature reflections from luminaries and notable fans whose lives have been touched and deeply enriched by Mary’s art, including legendary illustrator William Joyce and designer Brittany Jepsen from The House Lars Built. Mary is, of course, still drawing. She’ll always be drawing. But fifty years is a pretty good time to stop for a moment and take a fond look back. For her legions of loyal fans, this book assures that Mary’s legacy will forever endure. Timeless, truly. (Please note, Sharon Pelletier is the agent for this project.)
WILDTYPE: A BIOLOGIST’S FIELD GUIDE TO THE ANIMAL KINGDOM’S TOTAL INDIFFERENCE TO YOUR BINARY is a virtual safari through Nature’s gender rule-breakers—where female hyenas give birth through penises, hummingbirds embrace drag aesthetics, male toads grow ovaries, and an intrepid biologist tries to make sense of it all. Ed Yong’s An Immense World meets Mary Roach’s Stiffed in Dr. Rebecca Calisi-Rodriguez’s informative and entertaining WILDTYPE. An award-winning scientist and professor of animal behavior specializing in sex and reproduction at UC Davis, Calisi-Rodriguez is widely known for her work on neuroendocrinology, animal behavior, and the science of human-animal interactions. A Jose Cuervo-over-cognac biologist with Viva-La-Raza roots, Calisi-Rodriguez has spent a lifetime crashing through the wild—mud-covered, field-tested, and packing mildly unhinged stories that make it abundantly clear that nature doesn’t always check M for male or F for female. In WILDTYPE, she shows that, across the animal kingdom, sex and gender aren’t just fluid, they’re often downright chaotic—and teeming with same-sex encounters and animals that defy binary expectations of male and female. Like The Hidden Life of Trees and Entangled Life, WILDTYPE blends cutting-edge science, humor, and captivating storytelling to challenge conventional thinking about nature, while exploring the wildest, most surprising aspects of animal biology and what they reveal about our own nature. (Please note Leslie Meredith is the agent for this project.)
In this eye-opening history of science, BIOGRAPHY OF A DRUG: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF IVERMECTIN AND HOW IT CHANGED THE WORLD reveals the origin story of a medical innovation and its triumphs over disease—and how misinformed laypeople and doctors kicked over the traces with toxic and deadly results. Dr. John Janovy, Jr., one of the world’s preeminent parasitologists, mines little-known territory in a riveting narrative reminiscent of Sara Manning Peskin’s A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain. The molecules that made ivermectin possible were isolated from the soil of a Japanese golf course, and they have not been found anywhere else in the world. Through accounts of scientists at work, and of the people (and animals) whom the scientists’ discoveries saved, Janovy demonstrates the intensive process of generating a wonder drug and getting it to those who need it. In a humanitarian effort, ivermectin was deployed to save millions of lives—curing people who suffered from devastating tropical parasitic diseases with horrifying disfiguring effects and painful deaths. It’s also used to prevent life-threatening parasitic infections in livestock and pets. The two biochemists who discovered ivermectin’s precursors received a Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2015, because “The consequences… of improved human health and reduced suffering are immeasurable.” Janovy also shows the more recent history—the ineffective application of ivermectin around the world to treat Covid and now cancers—giving this drug’s life story unique importance. (Please note Leslie Meredith is the agent for this project.)
Wildlife scientist, comparative animal psychologist, National Geographic Explorer, and wildlife films on-camera expert Alex Schnell journeys into the inner lives and minds of animals, revealing that even previously overlooked tiny, spongy, spineless, and globular beings can have remarkable cognitive abilities. Combining science and narrative, A MIND OF THEIR OWN: RETHINKING INTELLIGENCE IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM recounts entertaining encounters with animals who have altered the way we perceive the minds that share our world—from patient corvids and deceitful cuttlefish to tool-using octopuses and an insistently friendly blue grouper. Recent scientific discoveries about their behaviors have created a Copernican revolution in our understanding of the diverse ways that intelligence emerges across species and manifests in the natural world—and not only in human-like brains. Because these creatures’ brains differ so fundamentally from our own—and evolved along paths vastly different from our own—they were once considered unintelligent. But each of these minds has its own brilliance and deserves our attention and empathy, and they offer profound insights into the richness of life that we would not otherwise perceive or experience. The planet holds a multitude of minds, conjured by evolution from radically different neural architectures. Like Frans de Waal in Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?, Schnell bridges the gap between cutting-edge research and a broader cultural shift, asking us to reconsider what it means to share this planet with other conscious, sentient beings. (Please note Leslie Meredith is the agent for this project.)
Lakyn Carlton really loves clothes, and she wants you to love them, too. To do that, though, one has to do the impossible: reject fashion, and adopt a new mindset around getting dressed that’s uniquely your own. HOW TO LOVE CLOTHES is not a book about finding your personal style, it’s a guide to redefining what style means, and understanding why it matters—or perhaps doesn’t matter—to you. As a personal stylist with clients in over 20 countries, a Substack readership of over 10,000, and a social media following nearing 70,000—Lakyn has helped countless people with her holistic, anti-capitalist approach to clothing that eschews trends and focuses on clothing as tools for self-expression, community building, and, above all, becoming comfortable in one's own skin. In this time of economic uncertainty, HOW TO LOVE CLOTHES is a roadmap to consuming both more sustainably and more thoughtfully, with exercises, real client case studies, and Lakyn's own unique perspective and all in her signature light-hearted style. (Please note, this project is represented by Kendall Berdinsky.)
Rights Round Up
JONBENET: INSIDE THE RAMSEY MURDER INVESTIGATION by Steve Thomas and Don Davis went to King Street Productions. EASY and BREAKABLE by Tammara Webber went to Addam Bramich and Ryan Hamilton on behalf of YA Films LLC. CAPSIZED by Charlotte Balogh went to 20th Century. LIAR, DREAMER, THIEF by Maria Dong went to Cineflex Studios Canada Inc. GOOD AS GONE by Amy Gentry went to Water & Power Productions on behalf of Mellini Kantayya.
TORE UP, HOTTER N’ HELL, and OH HELL NO by Abbi Glines went to Podium Publishing for World English audio rights. HOW TO SAY IT TO SENIORS by David Solie went to Tantor Media for World English audio rights.
THE BRIGHT YEARS by Sarah Damoff went to Euromedia Group for Czech rights. CREDENCE by Penelope Douglas went to Dogan for Turkish rights. PIRATE GIRLS went to Black Ink for World French rights. KILL SWITCH and NIGHTFALL went to Quinta Essencia/Leya for Portuguese rights. TANGLED VINES and THE DOOMSDAY MOTHER by John Glatt went to Filia for Polish rights. CAT’S PEOPLE by Tanya Guerrero went to Astral Cultural for Brazil. TOO LATE by Colleen Hoover went to Hugo for French rights. HEART BONES went to Baltos Lankos for Lithuanian rights. VERITY went to Sakam Knigi for Macedonian rights, and Albatros for Slovak rights. REGRETTING YOU went to Otwarte for World Polish rights. MAYBE NOW went to Forum for Swedish rights. REGRETTING YOU and FINDING PERFECT went to Naklada Neptun for Croatian rights. THE 7 POWERS OF QUESTIONS by Dorothy Leeds went to Thenan for Korean rights. WITNESS FOR THE DEFENSE by Elizabeth Loftus and Katherine Ketcham went to Chikuma Shobo Ltd. for World Japanese rights. BLACK EVENING by David Morrell went to Festa Verlag for World German rights. WHEN GRACIE MET THE GRUMP and ALL RHODES LEAD HERE by Mariana Zapata went to Konyvmolykepzo for Hungarian rights. THE THINGS WE WATER, KULTI, UNDER LOCKE, and LUNA AND THE LIE went to Headline Eternal for UK & Commonwealth rights. FROM LUKOV WITH LOVE went to Sonatina for Croatian rights. GIRLS, VISIONS AND EVERYTHING by Sarah Schulman went to Editions Heloise d’Ormesson for French rights. WILD FOR AUSTEN by Devoney Looser went to Manchester University Press for UK & Commonwealth, and Ultimo for Australia and New Zealand. THE CAT! WRITES A NOVEL by Jessica Brody, based on the books by Blake Snyder, went to Athena Publishing for Ukrainian rights. A CRANE AMONG WOLVES and THE RED PALACE by June Hur went to Panini Books for Brazilian and Vesper for Polish rights. THE RED PALACE went to Wonderbooks for Spanish rights. BEHIND FIVE WILLOWS went to Wildfire/Headline for UK & Commonwealth rights. BLOOD PROMISE and SPIRIT BOUND by Richelle Mead went to Poradnia K for Polish rights. UNDER THE SURFACE by Diana Urban went to Kobiece for Polish rights. THE PROGRAM by Suzanne Young went to Aser El Kotob for Arabic rights. SKIES OVER CALEDONIA, NORTHERN TWILIGHT, and FOREVER THE HIGHLANDS by Samantha Young went to Ucila for Slovene rights. ON LOVEROSE LANE went to Purple Books for Polish rights. THE HEAT AND THE FURY by Peter Schwartzstein went to as if Publishing for traditional Chinese rights. THE FAVORITES by Layne Fargo went to Sonatina for Croatian rights, Vivat for Ukrainian rights, Dobrovsky for Czech rights, Albatros Media for Slovak rights, Baltos Lankos for Lithuanian rights, Publik Praktikum for Serbian rights, Sakam Knigi for Macedonian rights, Tammi for Finnish rights, and Topseller/PRH for Portuguese rights. WATER MOON by Samantha Sotto went to Dobrovsky for Czech rights, Mozaiek/VBK for Dutch right, Kastaniotis Editions for Greek rights, Ikar for Slovak rights, Alma Littera for Lithuanian rights, and Knigolove for Ukrainian rights. WOMAN, CAPTAIN, REBEL by Margaret Willson went to Ugla útgáfa for Icelandic rights. HEARTS THAT CUT by Kika Hatzopoulou went to Fabula for Ukrainian rights. LIFE LESSONS FROM A PARASITE by John Janovy Jr. went to Shobunsha for Japanese rights.
RECENT SALES
Jeremy Redmon’s TELL THE KIDS I LOVE THEM went to the University of South Carolina Press in a US, Canada rights deal.
COCK’D AND BOOZY: DRINKING WITH AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARIES by Brooke Barbier went to Chicago Review Press in a World rights deal by Michael Bourret.
REBELLIOUS: KEITH HARING’S LIFE AND ART by Michael G. Long went to Norton Young Readers in a World rights deal by John Rudolph.
Cathryn Michon’s I’M STILL HERE: A CAT’S PURPOSE FOREVER went to Andrews McMeel in a World rights deal.
HELLO (AND GOODBYE) TO ALL THAT by Jonathan Liebson went to Post Hill Press in a World English rights deal by Jim McCarthy.
THE PINK BOOK by A.S. King went to Dutton in a World rights deal by Michael Bourret.
Scott Ferson’s THE DEMOCRATS LOST STEVE went to Turner Publishing Company in a World rights deal.
World English rights to LOVE AND PROTEST: THE STORY OF QUEER RESISTANCE AND GOOD TROUBLE IN RED AMERICA by Cole LeFavour went to Beacon Press in a deal by Leslie Meredith.
THE PICNIC PROJECT by Klancy Miller went to Union Square & Co. in a World rights deal.
Michaela Whatnall sold ALL WE HUNGER FOR by Anna Mercier to Holt Books for Young Readers in a World rights deal.
Del Sandeen’s DEATH IS MY CASTLE went to Berkley in a World rights deal by Jim McCarthy.
GIRL REFLECTED IN KNIFE by Anica Mrose Rissi went to Dutton in a World rights deal by Michael Bourret.
World rights to DELETE BEFORE READING by Jada Adia went to Nancy Paulsen Books in a deal by Jim McCarthy.
THE SURVIVOR(S) by R. Decker Watson went to Gallery in a World rights deal by Jessica Papin.
World rights to THE HARROW HOME FOR WAYWARD GIRLS by Jessica Spotswood went to Henry Holt Books for Young Readers in a deal by Jim McCarthy.
James Riley’s THE DRAGON’S APPRENTICE BOOK 3 went to Labyrinth Road in a World English rights deal by Michael Bourret.
John Rudolph sold WHEN NIGHT SLEEPS by Meg Auchenbach to Post Wave in a World rights deal.
YOU ARE NOW OLD ENOUGH TO HEAR THIS by Aaron Starmer went to Penguin Workshop in a North American rights deal by Michael Bourret
Kosoko Jackson’s THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF WITCHES went to Harper Voyager in a World English rights deal by Jim McCarthy.
Shannon Anderson’s SNAKE WANTS TO MAKE A FRIEND & SNAKE ALWAYS WINS went to Post Wave in a World rights deal by Stacey Glick.
TATTOOS: A MODERN CULTURAL HISTORY by Martha Bebinger went to Pegasus Books in a World English rights deal.
Stacey Glick sold THE STUNNING GUNNINGS by Devoney Looser to St. Martin’s Press in a North American rights deal.
NO BODY NO CRIME by Tess Sharpe went to MCD/FSG in a World rights deal by Jim McCarthy.
Geeta Maker-Clark's MEDICINE FOR ALL PEOPLE went to Chelsea Green in a World English rights deal by Leslie Meredith.
THE GREAT LITTLE PUMPKIN COOKBOOK (Repackaged) by Michael Krondl went to Clarkson Potter in a World rights deal.
THE WOMEN OF THE GREEN DRAGON TAVERN by Tilar J. Mazzeo went to St. Martin’s Press in a U.S., C.A., O.M rights deal by Stacey Glick.
Leslie Meredith sold CHANGE YOUR BRAIN, CHANGE YOUR PAIN by David Hanscom, MD, to Chelsea Green in a World English rights deal.
THE PADDOCK CLUB and ON GUARD by Madge Maril went to Simon & Schuster in a World English rights deal by Ann Leslie Tuttle.
MARROW by Tehlor Mejia went to Wednesday Books in a World rights deal by Jim McCarthy.
Kendall Berdinsky sold THE ROYAL-TEA by Amanda Matta to Ten Speed in a World rights deal.
Jessica Brody’s NOVEL FAST DRAFTING went to Hay House in a World rights deal by Jim McCarthy.
ICE CREAM IS ZAWHAT? by N.H. Senzai went to Nancy Paulsen Books in a World rights deal by Michael Bourret.
Nathan Canestaro’s THE DEVIL’S SEA went to Kensington in a World English rights deal.
World rights to THE UNRULY HEART OF MISS DARCY by Erin Edwards went to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in a deal by Michaela Whatnall.
KILLER ON THE FIRST PAGE by Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson went to HarperCollins Canada in a World rights deal by Jim McCarthy.
Jessica Papin sold SCENTS OF POWER by Ola Salem to One Signal in a World rights deal.
I HEAR YOU: A BLACK THERAPIST ON HOW NOT TO LOSE YOUR MIND IN AMERICA by Edith Langford, PhD, went to Broadleaf Books in a North American rights deal by Leslie Meredith.
Katrina Kwan’s LOVE AMONG THIEVES went to Random House Canada in a World rights deal by Jim McCarthy.
THIS SIDE OF GONE by Saundra Mitchell went to Morrow in a World rights deal by Jim McCarthy.
Leslie Meredith sold TANGLED ROOTS: A FAMILY HISTORY IN FIVE FORESTS by Kathy Leonard Czepiel to Timber Press in a World English rights deal.
TRUE LIFE IN UNCANNY VALLEY and MY VOYAGER: A LOVE LETTER by Deb Caletti went to Labyrinth Road in a World rights deal by Michael Bourret.
Catherine Bybee’s UNTITLED #1-5 went to Montlake in a World rights deal.
HOW SHE FELL by Tess Sharpe went to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in a World rights deal by Jim McCarthy.
Hayley DeRoche’s THE FIELD GUIDE TO SAD BEIGE PARENTS went to Countryman in a World rights deal by Sharon Pelletier.
Steven Raichlen’s MAN ON FIRE went to BenBella Books in World rights deal by Stacey Glick.
Jessica Papin sold DRED SCOTT’S DAUGHTER by Amanda Frost to One Signal Press in a World rights deal.
Lauren King Jessen’s THE SANTA CON went to Grand Central Forever in a World rights deal by Ann Leslie Tuttle.
THE LANGUAGE OF THEFT by Maya Contreras went to Amistad in a World rights deal by Leslie Meredith.
Sonja and Alex Overhiser’s MEDITERRANEAN EVERY NIGHT went to Chronicle Books in a World rights deal.