Congratulations to Elle Cosimano, whose debut YA thriller - DEAD BLUE - just sold in a two-book, six-figure preempt to Kathy Dawson at Dial, an imprint of Penguin USA.

DEAD BLUE is a rollercoaster ride of a novel, guaranteed to keep readers on the edge of their seat, and stars a wonderful protagonist called Nearly Boswell, a math-genius from a suburban Washington DC trailer park. With the body count rising, Nearly realizes that she is the only student able to decipher the complex clues left for her by a serial killer who has every intention of framing her for murder. With mysterious blue-inked symbols turning up on every body, can Nearly find the real perp in time to save her own life?

This is a must-read for Fall 2013, with a sequel due to publish a year later.

Many congratulations to debut author Michelle Schusterman, who closed out 2011 for us with a fabulous 4-book deal with Grosset, an imprint of Penguin USA. The deal is for I HEART BAND, a fun, pacy younger middle-grade series about the thrills and spills, practices and performances, crushes and crises of the kids in a middle-school band.

Books 1 and 2 will launch together in Summer 2014, so deadlines aplenty ahead for Michelle - but also our congratulations on this very exciting first deal. 

Delighted to announce that Simon and Schuster have bought UK and Commonwealth rights in MAGIC MARKS THE SPOT by Caroline Carlson, at auction, in a three book deal. Thrilled publisher, thrilled author, thrilled agents.

We’re delighted to announce two brand-new deals for debut authors, one Middle Grade and one YA:

MFA graduate Caroline Carlson’s MAGIC MARKS THE SPOT, pitched as Eva Ibbotson meets Lemony Snicket with a twist of ‘yo ho ho’, to be illustrated with maps, journals and letters, in which a girl is rejected by the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates and shipped off to a Finishing School for Delicate Ladies instead, from where she must escape and set sail with a motley crew including a governess, a budgerigar and a talkative gargoyle on a treasure hunt for the kingdom’s lost magic, to Phoebe Yeh and Toni Markiet at Harper Children’s, in a significant deal, in a pre-empt, in a three-book deal, for publication in 2013, by Sarah Davies at the Greenhouse Literary Agency (NA).

Ashley Elston’s THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING, about a girl who, desperate to escape the Witness Protection program and discover what really happened the day that ruined her family’s lives, breaks her minders’ ultimate rule by falling for a boy and embarking with him on a perilous journey to outwit both cops and criminals, to Emily Meehan at Disney-Hyperion Children’s, in a good deal, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in Winter 2013, by Sarah Davies at the Greenhouse Literary Agency (NA).

Congratulations to both Caroline and Ashley! 

Delighted to announce that WELCOME TO THE STRANGEST ZOO by Amy Sparkes will be published by Random House Children’s Books in 2013.

Many congratulations Amy!

Delighted to announce a UK pre-empt for BLACK HELICOPTERS by Blythe Woolston.

Gill Evans, Editorial Director for Fiction at Walker Books, says: ‘BLACK HELICOPTERS is a chilling and arresting psychological thriller for YA which enthrals the reader even as its subject repels.’

Last month BLACK HELICOPTERS sold in a six-figure, North American preempt to Walker’s US sister company, Candlewick Press. Many congratulations Blythe!

Delighted to announce that SKINNY by Donna Cooner has been snapped up by Egmont UK.

Stella Paskins, Egmont Publisher, called SKINNY a ‘modern day fairytale’ and it will publish on their new Electric Monkey YA list.

Congratulations Donna!

We love exploiting authors’ publishing rights to the max - especially when it comes to selling transatlantically.

Delighted to announce new UK/Commonwealth deals in August for two of our US writers.

NYT bestselling Brenna Yovanoff’s PAPER VALENTINE has sold to Simon & Schuster UK in a two-book deal (US rights recently sold to Razorbill).

Lindsey Leavitt’s AUTHENTICALLY VINTAGE has sold to Scholastic UK (US rights sold to Bloomsbury).

Congratulations to both!

Greenhouse has been delighted to welcome the wonderful Blythe Woolston as a new client in the past few weeks.

Winner of the prestigious 2011 William C Morris Award for her debut YA novel, THE FREAK OBSERVER, and with her second book - CATCH AND RELEASE - publishing in February 2012 (both with Carolrhoda LAB), Blythe has already established herself as a brave new voice in the YA marketplace. 

Now her first work with Greenhouse, BLACK HELICOPTERS, has just sold in a six-figure, North American preempt to Elizabeth Bicknell at Candlewick, and we’re eagerly anticipating news of a UK/Commonwealth deal.

BLACK HELICOPTERS has been described by her new US publisher as ‘fabulous--chilling, thought-provoking, feminist, subversive, authentic, beautifully told, and completely believable’.

Set in wild Montana, it tells the story of Valkyrie (better known as Valley) who, with her brother, has grown up completely under the radar; to the government, she simply doesn’t exist. Raised from birth to be a conscienceless killer, Valley sets out in a bomb vest, knowing exactly why she wants to kill and be killed. But her plan goes explosively wrong . . . .

We look forward to everything that lies ahead for Blythe!

Welcome to Helen Douglas!

We’ve just tied up a UK/US double with Bloomsbury for YA thriller, EDEN.

Says Ele Fountain, Helen’s UK editor: ‘EDEN combines a pitch-perfect voice and vivid characters for some sublime romantic angst, as girl meets boy in a starry twist of fate. Love triangles, suspense and stargazing unite for a heart-stopping twist. We’re very excited to be publishing simultaneously with the US. Helen is an author with huge potential on both sides of the Atlantic.’

EDEN is a teen love story that spans the universe. When a plan to save the human race brings visitors from the future a young girl called Eden becomes the key to their success. With one action she can save the human race but along the way Eden will have to ask herself whether love and friendship is more important than saving the world.

EDEN will publish in early 2013.

Congratulations to Brenna Yovanoff, author of NYT bestselling THE REPLACEMENT and THE SPACE BETWEEN, which publishes this Fall.

We’ve just confirmed an exciting new 2-book deal for Brenna - again with Razorbill.

PAPER VALENTINE, which will publish Spring 2013, is the story of a girl who is haunted by the troubled ghost of her best friend, finding herself sucked into a darkly mesmerizing string of murders, in which a serial killer who leaves a paper-heart ‘valentine’ on his victims’ bodies draws ever closer.

Congratulations, Brenna!

Congratulations to Colorado-based Donna Cooner whose debut YA novel SKINNY just landed a six-figure deal at auction with Scholastic USA. North American rights went to editor Aimee Friedman after interest from a number of houses.

SKINNY is so many things - painful, inspiring, humorous, compelling, and fascinating - and it has huge potential appeal for both girls and women.

Ever – named, somewhat ironically, after Cinderella’s ‘happily ever after’ – started putting on weight when her mom died. Now she is fifteen years old, weighs 302 pounds, and hears voices.  The voice that whispers in Ever’s ear is the voice of self-doubt, and it has a name—Skinny.  Skinny’s nasty little whispers tell Ever constantly that she’s ugly, a loser, friendless, and undeserving of love.  Especially the love of Jackson Barnett, who once kissed her in the snow all those years ago and whom she’s adored ever since.

But Ever hears another voice too – her own amazing singing voice that no one knows about even though she’s memorized the lyrics of every musical ever written.  If Ever is willing to take the chance to radically change her body, maybe she might also find the courage to share that voice with the rest of the world.  Embarking on the risky, terrifying journey of weight loss culminating in gastric bypass surgery, Ever’s body gradually changes on the outside - but she soon finds that changing the fat girl within will prove much harder.

Congratulations, Donna!

Delighted to announce debut UK and US deals for A DOG CALLED HOMELESS by Sarah Lean.

After a seven publisher auction in the UK, Rachel Denwood at HarperCollins secured the rights in a two book, UK and Commonwealth deal.

Says Denwood: ‘I couldn’t be more thrilled to be publishing this, a novel that steals the hearts of all who read it. Rarely does a book connect in such a profound and moving way.’

Sarah Shumway at Katherine Tegan Books, an imprint of HarperCollins US, came in with a pre-empt to secure the North American rights.

Many congratulations to the author and her publishers! And another English Language debut-double from the Greenhouse!

Great news. MORTLOCK by Jon Mayhew will be one of the titles offered by the Booked Up scheme this year. To find out more about Booked Up click the link. Congratulations Jon!

www.bookedup.org.uk

A transatlantic one-two for Sarah Crossan’s BREATHE.  Greenwillow/Harper pre-empted, in a major three book deal, for publication in Fall 2012. While in the UK, Bloomsbury won the day. Exciting times and congratulations Sarah!

UKCOM rights in YOU WILL CALL ME DROG by Sue Cowing have gone to Usborne Children’s Books. They will publish in late 2012. Another English Language double! Congratulations Sue!

We are delighted and very proud to welcome Scottish author Julie Bertagna to the Greenhouse for all her forthcoming work.

Published by Macmillan in the UK and Walker in the USA, Julie is the author of many books for young people, and here are some of the accolades she has earned in her writing career:

All 5 of her YA novels have been nominated for the Carnegie Medal, and she has been awarded two Scottish Arts Council Literature Bursaries.

EXODUS: shortlisted for many awards including the Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year. It won the Lancashire Children’s Book of the Year, won a Friends of the Earth Eco Award (UK) and a Santa Monica Green Literature Prize (US), US Booklist’s Top Ten SF/Fantasy for Youth 2008, The List’s Best Books of the 21st Century. EXODUS has also been translated into many languages.

ZENITH: shortlisted for the Angus Award and won the Catalyst Children’s Book Award.

THE OPPOSITE OF CHOCOLATE: shortlisted for the Booktrust Teenage Fiction Award and won Erskine Stewarts Melville Prize.

DOLPHIN BOY: shortlisted for NASEN Special Needs Award and the Blue Peter ‘Book I Couldn’t Put Down’ award.

ICE CREAM MACHINE: Made into a TV series on the UK’s Channel 5.

Do take a minute to look around Julie’s impressive website. www.juliebertagna.com. Julie is an author whom we are thrilled to welcome to the Greenhouse - and someone you’ll be hearing a lot more from in the future!

We’re delighted to announce a new deal for Anne-Marie Conway, author of the STARMAKERS series.

Usborne will publish BUTTERFLY SUMMER in Summer 2012. It’s the story of a lonely girl who makes an enigmatic friend at the Butterfly Garden, to find out that it’s the ghost of her secret and long-dead sister.

Congratulations Anne-Marie!

Just announced today:

Author of DEVIL’S KISS and DARK GODDESS, Sarwat Chadda’s ASH MISTRY AND THE SAVAGE PALACE, the first book in an epic adventure series, The Ash Mistry Chronicles, which weaves together contemporary and mythological India, about British-born Ash, whose father is offered a dream job in India, and discovers something is very wrong with mysterious millionaire Lord Savage, finding himself in a desperate battle to stop Savage’s master plan - the opening of the Iron Gates that have kept Ravana, the demon king, at bay for four millennia, to Nick Lake at Harper Collins Children’s UK, in a very nice deal, at auction, in a three-book deal, for publication beginning in Spring 2012, by Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary Agency (UK & Commonwealth).

Congratulations to Sarwat!

We’re delighted, and very proud, to announce that the Greenhouse has joined the Association of Authors’ Agents.

AAA is the accredited professional body for literary agents in the UK and membership brings with it a code of ethics and integrity. In 2010, we were accepted into the AAR, which is the US equivalent body.

Visit www.agentsassoc.co.uk to find out more.

Sarah and Julia will clink glasses tonight in celebration!

We’re delighted to announce that UK & Commonwealth rights in Jill Hathaway’s SLIDE have been sold to HarperCollins UK.

Julia has just tied up the two-book deal, at auction, for the YA thriller. Harper will publish in 2012, simultaneously with HarperCollins US imprint, Balzer & Bray.

Many congrats to Jill who has already achieved a fabulous North American deal with Harper US, courtesy of Sarah.

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/hc-acquires-ya-crime-thriller.html

Many congratulations to Sarah Crossan.

We’re delighted to announce that Julia has just tied up a World English Language deal for her novel, THE WEIGHT OF WATER. Bloomsbury UK will publish in January 2012.

THE WEIGHT OF WATER is a startling, searing and hugely moving story, told in verse.

Visit Sarah’s author page for more info.

Delighted to announce that Sarah has just sold North American rights in Susanne Winnacker’s thrilling dystopian story - THE OTHER LIFE - to Robin Benjamin at Marshall Cavendish to publish (probably) Fall 2012.

Susanne already has a UK/Commonwealth deal with Usborne in the UK, brokered by Julia, publishing Fall 2011 or Spring 2012.

At Greenhouse we are particularly proud of our track record in selling work both sides of the Atlantic, so we’re very happy to have achieved another ‘double’ for Susanne! Do take a look at the ‘Books’ section of the site to find out more about THE OTHER LIFE.

Congratulations to Shawn Stout on this exciting new deal, which launches a brand-new character - Penelope Crumb - whom Penguin are planning to build into the new Ramona Quimby, Clementine and Judy Moody

Shawn Stout’s PENELOPE CRUMB, NOSE DETECTIVE, in which a girl realizes that she has her grandfather’s big nose, resolving not only to discover the truth about her missing grandparent, but also to sniff out a way to bring her family together, to Jill Santopolo at Philomel, in a 2-book deal ,publishing in Summer 2012 and Summer 2013, by Sarah Davies at the Greenhouse Literary Agency (World English).

Shawn is also the author of the FIONA FINKELSTEIN series, which publishes with Aladdin.  See the Greenhouse Author section to find out more about Shawn.

We’re delighted to announce another debut deal at the Greenhouse!

Macmillan’s Children’s Books has won world rights to AFTER THE SNOW by SD Crockett following a hotly contested auction, brokered by Julia. The titles were bought in conjunction with Jean Feiwel of Macmillan US-owned publisher Feiwel and Friends.

AFTER THE SNOW tells the story of 15-year-old Willo as he tries to survive, alone, in an endlessly wintery environment.

Young said: “Everyone here at Macmillan Children’s Books felt that Willo’s extraordinary and endlessly affecting voice transported this gripping adventure firmly into prize-winning territory. Naive, bright, immensely entertaining — he is a character to treasure and to remember.”

Crockett said: “The winter of 2009 was extremely hard. I asked myself: what would happen if winter never ended?”.

Macmillan is to publish in hardback in the first half of 2012, with the US to publish simultaneously.

Many congratulations, SD!!

Lots of good things happening in the Greenhouse in November!

THE REPLACEMENT has sold in two more territories - France (Michel Lefon) and Bulgaria (Kragozor)

THE DEMON COLLECTOR has had its first foreign sale - Spanish/Catalan to Macmillan Spain.

And . . .

Jon Cassir and Michelle Weiner at CAA (Creative Artists Agency) in Los Angeles will be co-agenting with Greenhouse for film/TV on Jill Hathaway’s debut SLIDE.

We’re delighted to announce two more deals for debut authors - on both sides of the Pond.

In the US, Jill Hathaway’s thrilling, chilling YA novel SLIDE sold to Donna Bray at Balzer & Bray, HarperCollins, in a ‘good’ deal, in a two-book pre-empt.  SLIDE will publish in Winter 2012 and Jill’s second novel a year later.

In the UK, Susanne Winnacker’s scary, dark dystopian chiller THE OTHER LIFE - aimed at the younger end of the YA market - sold to Rebecca Hill at Usborne in a two-book deal, the first book to publish in Spring 2012.

Congratulations to both of our new writers!

We’re thrilled to tell you that today THE REPLACEMENT by Brenna Yovanoff debuted at #10 on the NYT Bestseller list!  Greenhouse’s very first book to get there.

Huge congratulations to Brenna - who came to us by a simple query in our submissions inbox, back in August 2008. You see, it can happen!

Here’s the complete list . . .

Week
CHAPTER BOOKS
4
1 CLOCKWORK ANGEL, by Cassandra Clare. (McElderry/Simon & Schuster, $19.99.) Victorian England proves a treacherous place. (Ages 14 and up)
21
2 THE RED PYRAMID, by Rick Riordan. (Disney-Hyperion, $17.99.) Ancient gods (this time from Egypt) and a mortal family meet. (Ages 10 and up)
11
3 LINGER, by Maggie Stiefvater. (Scholastic Press/Scholastic, $17.99.) The teenage werewolves of “Shiver” face a new test of love and loyalty. (Ages 12 and up)
1
4 THE SEARCH FOR WONDLA, written and illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi. (Simon & Schuster, $17.99.) Eva Nine, who lives underground, surfaces to escape danger. (Ages 10 and up)
4
5 MONSTER HIGH, by Lisi Harrison. (Poppy/Little, Brown, $16.99.) Frankie Stein worries about befriending “normal” classmates. (Ages 12 and up)
4
6 HALO, by Alexandra Adornetto. (Feiwel & Friends, $16.99.) Good angels, sent to Earth, must keep their wings under wraps. (Ages 12 and up)
2
7 RECKLESS, written and illustrated by Cornelia Funke. (Little, Brown, $19.99.) Boys and beasts in a dark place called Mirrorworld. (Ages 10 and up)
25
8 DORK DIARIES, written and illustrated by Rachel Renée Russell. (Aladdin, $12.99.) Reflections of a junior Samuel Pepys of the female variety. (Ages 9 to 13)
2
9 BINK AND GOLLIE, by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee. Illustrated by Tony Fucile. (Candlewick, $15.99.) These friends are opposites in many ways, but no less bound together. (Ages 6 to 8)
1
10 THE REPLACEMENT, by Brenna Yovanoff. (Razorbill, $17.99.) A changeling is torn between life on Earth and the underworld called Mayhem. (Ages 12 and up)
Weeks
On List

Not often we get to say this - but debut author Talia Vance has done the double! Two deals, two houses - in one day.

Talia’s YA thriller SPIES AND PREJUDICE (Veronica Mars meets Pride and Prejudice) has sold to Elizabeth Law at Egmont for publication Spring 2012. Her big Celtic YA paranormal romance, BANDIA, in a 2-book deal to Brian Farrey at Flux for publication Fall 2012 and 2013.

Look for more information - and outlines of both fantastic books - on the Greenhouse website in the next few days. And congratulations, Talia!

We’re so pleased to tell you that Michael Ford’s Victorian murder-mystery, THE POISONED HOUSE, has just sold to Albert Whitman in the USA, for publication on their Fall 2011 list.

Michael - who lives in London - already has a deal for UK/Commonwealth (Julia did that one!) with Bloomsbury UK. However, Greenhouse prides itself on being unusually transatlantic, and we do work very hard to try and secure deals for our authors both sides of the Atlantic.  We’re so happy to say it’s paid off again this time.

Many congratulations to Michael!

Greenhouse is delighted to announce another UK debut deal.

BOYS FOR BEGINNERS by Lil Chase has been sold to Quercus, who will publish in August 2011.

Lil has laugh-out-loud voice for 11+ girls and BFB is a hilarious, cringe-inducing, tender and warm debut in the tradition of Louise Rennison. Congratulations Lil - and welcome!

Delighted to announce that Jason Dravis of Monteiro Rose Dravis has been appointed our co-agent for film/TV on Jeyn Roberts’s debut DARK INSIDE.

Sarah and Julia sold DARK INSIDE simultaneously to North America (Simon & Schuster USA) and UK/Commonwealth (Macmillan) a few weeks ago - with auctions in both territories.

Too busy to post yesterday, so here it is one day late:

August 24 was the publication day of WHAT HAPPENED ON FOX STREET, the middle-grade novel by Tricia Springstubb, already acclaimed for its classic warm and lyrical charm. 

Already making waves with THREE STARRED REVIEWS pre-pub (Horn Book, ALA Booklist and Kirkus Reviews), we’ve been watching Tricia’s fanbase swell on a daily basis as librarians, bloggers, educators, and industry-watchers have discovered this gem of a novel.

Check out a lovely interview with Tricia on the newly established middle-grade-fiction blog www.fromthemixedupfiles.com.

http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/2010/08/what-happened-on-fox-street-interview-and-giveaway/

Delighted to announce a deal for Stephen Davies’ first picture book.

GOGGLE-EYED GOATS is the story of a herd of naughty goats and their long-suffering herder. Andersen Press will publish in Spring 2012.

Congratulations Steve!

A really cutting-edge deal for three super-talented stars and rising stars. This will be a fascinating and invaluable book for all authors of dark YA.  Special congratulations, of course, to Greenhouse author Brenna Yovanoff!

NYT bestselling author of SHIVER Maggie Stievfater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff’s package of stories, as well as conversations about where these stories come from, taken from their popular blog The Merry Sisters of Fate, from flesh-eating faeries and demons in love, to unearthly magicians and alternate histories, to Andrew Karre at Carolrhoda Lab, for publication in Spring 2012, by Laura Rennert at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency for Stiefvater and Gratton, and Sarah Davies at the Greenhouse Literary Agency for Yovanoff (World English).
Foreign: info@rightspeople.com

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/44138-lerner-lands-unconventional-book-from-three-ya-authors.html

As pub date approaches for WHAT HAPPENED ON FOX STREET, reviews are humming online. And here’s a great one!

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/44077-galley-talk-what-happened-on-fox-street.html

Michael Ford celebrates THE POISONED HOUSE publication, with friends and colleagues. Congratulations Michael!

At last we can announce it!

Jeyn Robert’s cinematic thrill-ride of a debut - DARK INSIDE - has sold simultaneously both sides of the Atlantic in a 2-book deal.

David Gale and Justin Chanda of Simon & Schuster USA won a nail-biting auction on Friday for North American rights. Ruth Alltimes of Macmillan Children’s has acquired UK/Commonwealth.  Both houses aim to publish Spring 2012.

Pitched as Cormac McCarthy’s THE ROAD meets 28 DAYS LATER, this is the powerful, terrifying story of four teenagers who must travel different roads to find safety and each other after earthquakes trigger the emergence of murderous ‘Baggers’ - ordinary people turned crazy killers - in a world which has descended into apocalyptic chaos. 

http://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/books/view.dT?isbn=9780374371159

This time it’s the Stockton Children’s Book of the Year Award 2010 - to be decided by schoolchildren themselves in a vote taking place March 2011.

These regional awards are a powerful catalyst in building an author fanbase and profile, whether in the UK (as in this case) or USA.

Congratulations, Harriet

We’re excited to see this great review of the very wonderful WHAT HAPPENED ON FOX STREET - and from Booklist, too!

‘Fox Street is missing a few things. One of them is foxes. The other is Mo Wren’s mother, who died when Mo’s sister Dottie was little more than a toddler. Even though they’re not around, 10-year-old Mo never stops looking for a fox in the ravine where her street dead ends. And she never stops missing her mother even as she takes on the responsibility of being in charge of wild child Dottie and helping out her dad. Fox Street, however, is home to some wonderful things as well: good neighbors, a plum tree in the backyard, and in the summertime, a best friend, Mercedes who comes to stay with her grandmother, Da. When Mercedes arrives, summer really begins, but this year it is full of conundrums and upsets for both girls as their lives change and truths are revealed. Mo, especially, sees that the harder she tries to hold on, the less she can control. Springstubb does a lovely job of mixing character, plot, and purpose in a story that contains both hardscrabble realities and moments of magic realism. Her fluency of language supports scenes that are down and dirty and those that soar. But it is her ability to make her readers really feel Mo’s tangle of emotions as hopes and dreams collide with worries and fears that makes this so memorable’. —Ilene Cooper>

Greenhouse strives to exploit ALL rights in authors’ works. Sometimes audio rights are granted to the Publisher, but often we reserve them on behalf of the Author and sell them separately.

We’re delighted to announce that audio (both physical and electronic formats) in WHAT HAPPENED ON FOX STREET by Tricia Springstubb (Balzer & Bray) have been sold to top audio publisher Brilliance.

It will be wonderful to see this fabulous novel - beautifully voiced middle-grade fiction for girls at its very best - in this great new format!

Great news today that Jason Dravis of Monteiro Rose Dravis will be co-agent with Greenhouse for film/TV rights on Megan Miranda’s YA debut, FRACTURE.

FRACTURE was sold in May in a six-figure transatlantic preempt to Walker USA and Bloomsbury UK. And Jason Dravis is the agent who sold film rights on THE HUNGER GAMES.

Interesting review of MORTLOCK in the UK’s Guardian newspaper (one of the big nationals) by Mary Hoffman, a UK writer probably known to many of you: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jun/19/mortlock-jon-mayhew-review

Also, a first blog review of THE REPLACEMENT - from the UK, where it publishes in January 2011. http://readthisbook.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/the-replacement-uk-cover/
You may have spotted that the UK/Commonwealth and North American editions have completely different jacket treatments. Which one do YOU prefer? Take a look on our Authors/Books pages!

Greenhouse loves working with new writers - and we’ve helped a lot of them get their very first publishing deals.

This week it’s the turn of Elissa Hoole whose YA debut, KISS THE MORNING STAR, has just been acquired for North America by literary editor extraordinaire Melanie Kroupa of Marshall Cavendish.

KISS THE MORNING STAR is a big, bold, beautiful novel about two girls, Anna and Kat, who set off on an epic road trip across the USA. In their backpack is a battered old copy of Kerouac’s DHARMA BUMS and that’s the spirit of their journey.  Anna is trying to move on from her mother’s tragic death - and work out her increasingly complicated relationship with Kat, her oldest friend. A story of loss and lust, God and pot, faith and the future, this is a journey both inward and outward into the tangled nature of love and identity. 

Want to know more?  We’ll be posting more in our Authors section as soon as we can, including an interview with Elissa. And the book publishes in the US and Canada in Spring 2012. 

Sarah has just been accepted as a member of AAR - the Association of Authors’ Representatives in the USA.

AAR is the accredited professional body for literary agents in the US and membership brings with it a code of ethics and integrity. Agents must fulfil a number of criteria for membership - and must have been in business for a minimum of two years (Greenhouse officially launched in Spring 2008).

To find out more about AAR see www.aaronline.org.

We are excited at this new step for Greenhouse. 

When did you last take a look at our Authors list? Because Sarah and Julia stare at it a lot - with feelings of great excitement. If you haven’t visited for a while, take a look and you’ll see some great new Greenhouse authors who have recently joined our warm and verdant glass-house.  Steve Davies (no relation) and Leila Rasheed - and of course, Kathryn James and Megan Miranda whose books we’ve just sold.

Get clicking and see who’s in the Greenhouse these days!

http://www.greenhouseliterary.com/index.php/authors/

Very exciting news from the UK. Kathryn James’ MIST has been sold to Hodder Childrens Books in a hotly contested fight between publishers.

Dark fairytale thriiler, MIST, will publish in Summer 2011 followed by FROST in 2012.

Congratulations Kathryn!!

Megan Miranda is a name to watch. 

Megan’s debut YA novel - a supernatural thriller titled FRACTURE - has just sold in a very exciting two-book joint transatlantic pre-empt to Emily Easton of Walker USA and Sarah Odedina of Bloomsbury UK.

A true BEA deal (Sarah Odedina was in New York for the Expo), we were able to seal the deal in Emily’s office in the extraordinary Flatiron building at New York’s Broadway/23rd Street.

Congratulations, Megan! FRACTURE publishes in both markets Winter 2012.  A second book, untitled, will follow in 2013. 

Yes, it’s another award shortlist for THE BOY WHO FELL DOWN EXIT 43 and author Harriet Goodwin.  This time it’s the Stockport Children’s Books Award, up there in the north of England. One of the best UK regional awards.
www.stockport.gov.uk

Hot news today - Sarwat Chadda’s DEVIL’S KISS is one of just 7 debut novels shortlisted for the prestigious Branford Boase First Novel Award in the UK. A prize that honours both the writer and their editor, we have to congratulate Puffin’s Lindsey Heaven as well as Sarwat for this great achievement. The field is huge so to make the shortlist is fantastic!

The award is given on July 14.

A great first review for THE REPLACEMENT:

http://www.yahighway.com/2010/05/book-review-replacement-by-brenna.html

Exciting news that we’ve concluded an auction for THE REPLACEMENT in Brazil, which is really establishing itself as a serious player in the YA market.

The book has gone to top house Bertrand (part of the Record group) who not only have fab marketing and distribution, but are also publishers of a number of major US teen authors including Meg Cabot and VAMPIRE DIARIES.

As we always like to say, the world is our marketplace! 

Great piece in PW online featuring Lindsey Leavitt, recently on tour in the southern states with her hot debut for tweens - PRINCESS FOR HIRE:

On the Road with Lindsey Leavitt

Alabama-based author Lindsey Leavitt recently visited the Hutchinson School for Girls in Memphis, Tenn., to discuss her debut novel, Princess for Hire (Disney-Hyperion, Mar.). First in a planned series, the book stars 14-year-old Desi who, thanks to answering a magical help wanted ad, becomes a “princess surrogate,” serving as a stand-in for princesses around the world (usually with disastrous results) while they are vacationing. Here, Leavitt and a Hutchinson student show off copies of her new book.

Shame we can’t show you the cute pic, but if you subscribe you should be able to see this link:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/457245-In_Brief_April_29.php?nid=2788&source=title&rid=16919661

Check out our very own Anne-Marie Conway, author of the STARMAKERS series, in the Usborne Young Writers competition!

http://www.usborne.com/youngwritersaward/

Excellent news: Anne-Marie Conway’s debut novel, PHOEBE FINDS HER VOICE, made it into the all-important ‘Ones to Watch’ column of last Friday’s Bookseller magazine in the UK (which is the British equivalent of Publishers Weekly).

A nice review too . . .

‘Tackling issues of family and friendship, it’s warm and accessible and spot on for the Cathy Cassidy market.’

THE REPLACEMENT by Brenna Yovanoff!

Thrilling news that Brenna’s debut will be one of just FIVE young-adult/crossover titles chosen from across all the Penguin US reprints to to be in their BIG FIVE promotion this Fall.

And when we say BIG we mean BIG!

This is a $1 million promotion chock-full of national media, online and print marketing.  Among other things, the BIG FIVE will be trailed nationally in movie theaters across 15-20 cities. 

The other four of the BIG FIVE?  Ally Condie (MATCHED), Catherine Fisher (SAPPHIQUE), Andrea Cremer (THE ETERNAL ONES) and Kirsten Miller (NIGHTSHADE)

All of which suggests that Brenna Yovanoff may be a name you will recognize this Fall if you live in the US/Canada. For UK/Commonwealth readers you’ll just have to sit on your hands until your edition - published by Simon & Schuster - publishes in January.

A really significant review of MORTLOCK has come in - from influential British reviewer Geraldine Brennan in The Guardian (one of the UK’s leading daily nationals).

Great work, Jon! 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/apr/11/mortlock-childrens-books-review

Two great pieces of news and it’s not even midday yet!

Really good review of MORTLOCK (Jon Mayhew) from Julia Eccleshare, one of Britain’s most influential and trusted reviewers: http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/5196/Mortlock-by-Jon-Mayhew.html

And we’ve just sold Complex Chinese rights in THE REPLACEMENT (Brenna Yovanoff) to Morningstar in Taiwan.

Not a bad start to Wednesday, April 7?

Somewhat exciting to see that the Greenhouse website has now easily topped three-quarters of a million page hits - since the site launched in Spring 2008. 

Next stop one million!

(Oh, and the cherry blossom is blooming in Northern Virginia . . . )

Lindsey Leavitt of PRINCESS FOR HIRE fame tours the southern states from Monday.  Can you catch one of her events?

Monday, April 5, 4 pm
Joint Signing of AWESOME with writing bud, Rachel Hawkins, author of HEX HALL
Bridge Street Barnes and Noble
Huntsville, AL

Tuesday, April 6
That Bookstore (school visits/stock signing)
Blytheville, AR

Wednesday, April 7, 4 pm
Davis-Kidd Booksellers
Memphis, TN

Thursday, April 8, 4 pm
Square Books, Jr.
Oxford, MS

Saturday, April 10, 1pm
Lemuria Books
Jackson, MS

Another day, another deal, for Brenna Yovanoff’s THE REPLACEMENT.  This time it’s Hungary, where Rights People’s Allison Heiny has sold rights to Egmont.

This weekend was the first BookCamp event. The three hour masterclass took place at the Oxford Literary Festival to a sell-out crowd of children’s book writers.

BookCamp is a 360 degree view of getting published, organised by Leah Thaxton, Senior Publisher at Egmont UK, and the Greenhouse Literary Agency. 

The aim of BookCamp is to give a complete picture of the business of getting published. Julia talked about what agents do, how to get one, and what they look for in the standout submission - as well as key advice on writing and re-writing. This was followed by Leah talking through the whole publishing process - from the manuscript landing on her desk, right through to the book finally getting stacked on shop shelves.

BookCamp might be coming to your part of the UK soon! Keep your eye on our events page for updates.

Great to hear that Harriet Goodwin, THE BOY WHO FELL DOWN EXIT 43, is shortlisted for yet another award! This time the North East Children’s Book Award, which has proved so influential for past winners.

The other shortlisted titles are: THE ANT COLONY, THE 13 TREASURES, SET-UP (MEDUSA PROJECT) and THE CHANGELING.

Congratulations Harriet!

THE OTHER SIDE OF BLUE by Greenhouse author Valerie O. Patterson has been nominated for an Agatha Award in the Children’s/Teen category.  Agatha Awards are given annually in recognition of traditional mysteries, a la Agatha Christie, in which an amateur sleuth solves the mystery behind a death.  The selection of this year’s recipient will be announced at the annual Malice Domestic mystery convention on 1 May.  Previous winners in the Children’s/Teen category include THE CROSSROADS by Chris Grabenstein (2008) and CHASING VERMEER by Blue Balliett (2004).

Well done, Valerie!

Lindsey Leavitt’s debut PRINCESS FOR HIRE - the first in a three-book series - published last month in the UK and this month in the USA.  And here’s a great review from Booklist to kick things off:

Fifteen-year-old Desi feels she is wasting her life in Idaho, between her job at the pet store, where she has to wear a groundhog costume, and her bitter ex-friend Celeste, whose father was sent to jail by Desi’s attorney dad. So when Desi is offered an enchanted position as a “sub” for real princesses, why would she say no? With a desire to help these girls—whether it’s an older sister’s crash diet or a rite-of-passage ceremony—Desi gets in some hot water and in the process discovers some important truths about her own life. With creativity and a sense of humor, this first novel is a delightful romp. The provision of magic makes all things possible, and the sense of place is vividly realized. Fans of The Princess Diaries (2000) and Ella Enchanted (1997) will be pulled in by Desi and her refusal to accept the status quo. Fortunately for them, Leavitt’s first novel is not her last—she is working on a sequel.
— Melissa Moore

Jon Mayhew, whose debut Victorian chiller/thriller MORTLOCK publishes on April 5 (Bloomsbury UK), rocked some ancient venues at the Cornwall Word Explosion Festival in south-west England last week.

As well as a scary session with tons of kids at spooky Bodmin Jail, he also led workshops at Bude Castle (see photo).  Bloomsbury are pulling out all the stops - the book will even have black edges to the pages! - to turn MORTLOCK into a Spring bestseller in the UK.  Watch this space for more news as it comes in on this one . . . . .

Good news for two Greenhouse authors today.

German rights in Tricia Springstubb’s WHAT HAPPENED ON FOX STREET have been sold at auction to Dressler, who also publish Cornelia Funke and Kate diCamillo.

A very nice review in Booklist Online for Alexandra Diaz’s YA novel OF ALL THE STUPID THINGS.
http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=3910766

Congratulations to our two lovely blooms, Tricia and Alexandra!

MORTLOCK - the Victorian gothic debut novel of Brit Jon Mayhew - is only weeks away from publishing (early April) and we’re already positively drowning in great reviews out there in the blogosphere. 

Take a look at these!

http://alexeatsbooks.blogspot.com/2010/01/mortlock-jon-mayhew.html

http://www.thetruthaboutbooks.com/book_review/jon_mayhew/mortlock.html

Great news for Tricia Springstubb, author of the upcoming WHAT HAPPENED ON FOX STREET (Balzer & Bray, Fall 2010).

Now she’s landed her very first picturebook deal.  PHOEBE AND DIGGER is the story of a little girl who thought she wanted independence and freedom - but soon discovers her need for the safety of family when she takes her shiny new digger on an adventure in the park.

Candlewick - one of the US’s leading picturebook lists - will publish Spring 2012.

It’s been a busy few months for Tricia!

Great news today - German rights in THE REPLACEMENT by Brenna Yovanoff have sold at auction to Loewe in a two-book deal.

To learn more about this German house, take a look at www.loewe.de.

Congratulations, Brenna! And congratulations to Alexandra Devlin at Rights People who did the deal on behalf of Greenhouse. 

Jon talks to the the popular UK children’s book blog, Tall Tales and Short Stories, about how MORTLOCK came to life.

Click here to read about rejection and rewrites, inspiration and influences, and what we can expect after MORTLOCK.

We’re delighted to announce a new publishing deal - Greenhouse’s first of 2010 - for Harriet Goodwin.

Harriet’s new novel - THE HEX FACTOR - has been snapped up by her publisher Stripes in the UK, who have done such a wonderful job with THE BOY WHO FELL DOWN EXIT 43. 

THE HEX FACTOR tells the story of Xanthe Fox who, hexed by the letter X, must embrace her witchy heritage if she is to come into her own powers. Will Xanthe choose to be a normal kid - or take on the inheritance of the True Witch, able to reverse hexes and turn bad into good?  Wait and see!

Publishing early 2012, THE HEX FACTOR promises to be great fun and very commercial.

Congrats, Harriet!

Good to see Harriet Goodwin (THE BOY WHO FELL DOWN EXIT 43) featured large both on and in this month’s Writers Forum magazine in the UK. 
www.writers-forum.com
And then she also pops up today in BookBrunch, where children’s authors lined up for the Oxford Literature Festival are featured: http://bookbrunch.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4160&Itemid;

Thousands of debut YA novels were published in the US in 2009. So we couldn’t be more thrilled for Sarwat Chadda, whose DEVIL’S KISS is included in Barnes & Noble’s Top 20 Teen Titles of 2009. 

http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?PRO=558&SRT=R&SZE=10&SAT=11
The titles go up and down the listing, but at time of writing Sarwat’s at #12.  Fabulous achievement!

Another Greenhouse deal slips in just before the holidays.

We’re delighted to announce that North American rights in Amanda Cockrell’s debut YA novel - WHAT WE KEEP IS NOT ALWAYS WHAT WILL STAY - have sold to Brian Farrey at Flux.

WHAT WE KEEP IS NOT ALWAYS WHAT WILL STAY is the thought-provoking, compassionate, quirky story of a girl who falls for a disabled young veteran of the war in Afghanistan. But when Jesse turns out to be more damaged than was at first apparent, Angie has to ask herself - can love ever be enough to make things right for someone else?

Flux is a small but influential teen list that has launched a number of careers, not least that of Maggie Stiefvater. www.fluxnow.com

Amanda is the founding director of one of the US’s leading children’s MFA programs, at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. The author of a number of books for older readers, this is her debut novel for young adults.

Excitement about OF ALL THE STUPID THINGS by Alexandra Diaz continues to build out there in the grass-roots blogosphere. And the grass roots are where new authors develop their fanbase. 

Thanks to Kelsey, the high-schooler behind The Book Scout, for this glowing review. If you don’t have time to read the whole thing, here’s one highlight: ‘I started and finished OF ALL THE STUPID THINGS in one day. Something about it just really kept me hooked . . . I think all teenagers should read this because it really made me rethink a lot of things I do.’

http://thebookscout.blogspot.com/2009/12/of-all-stupid-things-review.html

Any author would walk over burning coals to feature in top reviewer Nicolette Jones’s Christmas round-up of ‘The year’s best children’s books’, in the UK’s Sunday Times.

So congratulations to Harriet Goodwin, whose THE BOY WHO FELL DOWN EXIT 43 was included.  Nicolette said:

“Shortlisted for Blue Peter’s “Book I Couldn’t Put Down” - along with Ali Sparkes’s Frozen in Time.....is a debut author quickly making a reputation: Harriet Goodwin, with The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43 (Stripes). Told in pacy dialogue and sentence-long paragraphs, with lightness and feeling, it concerns a bereaved, joyriding boy who crashes through the earth’s crust into the land of the Woken Dead, and the quest he shares with a Victorian girl.”

Just confirmed today - Hungarian rights in Sarwat Chadda’s DEVIL’S KISS and DARK GODDESS have been sold to Konyvmolykepzo (which is a challenge to spell). This brings to 9 the number of territories sold, excluding deals in North America and UK/Commonwealth.

To find out more about Rights People, Greenhouse’s sister company which sells our foreign rights, check out www.rightspeople.com.

Alexandra Diaz’s first novel, OF ALL THE STUPID THINGS, publishes this month, and Egmont US’s party in New York this week was a great opportunity for Sarah and Egmont Publisher Elizabeth Law to celebrate.  Here we are with a copy of the book as we take time out from the milling crowd of agents royally entertained at the Egmont offices.  Thanks, Egmont team, for a great party - Greenhouse is delighted to have been involved in your exciting start-up.
Plus this week saw a great blog review of Alexandra’s novel. Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/ycp3vkx

Great to hear today that Rights People have concluded a deal with publisher NK of Poland, for Polish-language rights in Sarwat Chadda’s DEVIL’S KISS and DARK GODDESS. Which brings to 8 the number of territories sold, in addition to North America (Hyperion) and UK/Commonwealth (Puffin).  Congratulations, Sarwat!

Many congratulations to Harriet Goodwin, whose debut novel THE BOY WHO FELL DOWN EXIT 43 is one of just three novels shortlisted for the ‘Book I Couldn’t Put Down’ category of the UK’s 2010 Blue Peter Book Awards.

The Blue Peter Awards are not only very high profile but also among the most child-oriented, with a selection of the Blue Peter TV show’s viewers doing the final judging. Thrilling news for Harriet and her publisher, Stripes - and a first award shortlist for Greenhouse!

CHADDA, Sarwat. Devil’s Kiss. 327p. Hyperion/Disney. 2009. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-1999-9. LC number unavailable.

Gr 8 Up–This fast-paced debut novel introduces readers to a modern London in which humanity is threatened by the hungry dead. The Knights Templar, an ancient order now operating in secret, is all that stands between the regular world and supernatural threats–and loner Billi is the only girl ever to become a member of that order. It is not a position of honor, however: her father, leader of the Order, demands ridiculously high standards without ever giving her a word of support, comfort, or love. Instead, he praises Kay, once Billi’s best friend and possible love interest. She longs for a normal, simple life, which will have some readers sympathizing with her, while others more familiar with the genre will realize long before Billi does that normal is well outside her reach. Urban fantasy readers will also see plot twists before they are resolved. Chadda does an excellent job of drawing on Christian, Jewish, and Muslim folk stories to create the mythology for this world. Billi’s mother’s Muslim background and her father’s oddly secular Christian devotion provide the book with a feeling of authenticity, as those traditions are meshed over the course of the book. The open ending leaves room for sequels, and Billi’s growth makes her a more appealing narrator for future installments. Devil’s Kiss will certainly find an audience, despite its prickly narrator.–Alana Joli Abbott, James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT

Pic: author Sarwat Chadda reaches New York City, after signing his way across the USA during his recent two-week tour, which included one event with Lauren Myracle.

Following an incredibly successful Frankfurt Book Fair, and courtesy of our rights-selling colleague, Allison Heiny (www.rightspeople.com), we’ve today sold our very first Russian rights - in Jon Mayhew’s MORTLOCK.  The deal has been done with the Olma Media Group.

Bournemouth Literary Festival hosted a packed ‘Writing for Children’ day this year.

Egmont Publisher, Leah Thaxton, and Greenhouse agent, Julia Churchill talked about the children’s book business and how to make your book stand out on the slushpile, as well as doing one-to-one workshops with writers.

Festival Director, Lillian Avon, declared it a ‘must-have event’.

Tricia Springstubb’s having an amazing year. She’s on a winning streak - which isn’t surprising given her glorious writing.  Her new novel - WHAT HAPPENED ON FOX STREET - publishes with Balzer & Bray (Harper US) in Fall 2010. But you can read about her other successes here: www.hungermtn.org

Congratulations to Teresa Harris, whose debut picturebook - SUMMER JACKSON: GROWN UP - has been acquired today by Katherine Tegen for her eponymous imprint at HarperCollins US. Teresa’s debut middle-grade novel - TREASURE IN THE PAST TENSE - publishes with Clarion next year.

A wonderful bunch of friends, family, writers - and book buyers! - gathered on Sunday in Leesburg, Virginia, to crack the bottle of champagne over Valerie Patterson’s debut novel, THE OTHER SIDE OF BLUE. Published this month by Clarion, BLUE is a gloriously written young-adult story about Cyan, a girl who returns to the island of Curacao one year after her father’s mysterious death at sea. With a seemingly endless line of would-be BLUE-buyers, Val signed and signed while the rest of her launch-party guests busily consumed the delicious eats.

Great review coming too in November from the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. Here’s an extract:

‘Cyan’s present-tense narration is fluid, restrained and perceptive, and it’s balanced effectively between telling the story and conveying her grief and frustration. Patterson is particularly deft at characterization . . . There’s a touch of a mystery in the story of Cyan’s parents’ disintegrating marriage as well as in her father’s death, and the book quietly teases readers with its own hints as Cyan’s neighbor, a pompous 14-year-old boy, teases her with promises of inside information, eventually traded for a makeout session with her. Behind these dynamics lies a picture of a gorgeous island wherein much of life focuses on serving rich summer renters (like Cyan’s family) and cruise-ship tourists, but a local identity and culture nonetheless survives, albeit at a cost. There’s a smoothness and clarity here that recall Zibby Oneal or Frances O’Roark Dowell, and fans of those writers as well as readers drawn by family dramas with a bit of mystery will relish a sojourn on the island with Cyan.’

Rather than partnering with one film agent or agency exclusively, Greenhouse has a close, first-look relationship with a small number of the very best agents in the business, who become our co-agents in representing projects to the film and TV world. Three of our authors now have film/TV co-agents, based in Los Angeles:

Sarwat Chadda: DEVIL’S KISS Co-agent: Jerry Kalajian of IPG

Lindsey Leavitt: PRINCESS FOR HIRE Co-agent:  Jason Dravis of Monteiro Rose

Jon Mayhew: MORTLOCK Co-agent:  Josie Freedman of ICM

THE BOY WHO FELL DOWN EXIT 43 by Harriet Goodwin published in the UK on September 7, 2009 and was immediately picked as Borders Book of the Month with major displays instore.

DEVIL’S KISS by Sarwat Chadda was published in the USA on September 1, 2009, and achieved a Starred review in the September 7 edition of Publishers Weekly.

Devil’s Kiss Sarwat Chadda, Disney-Hyperion, $17.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-4231-1999-9

Chadda’s fast-paced debut introduces 15-year-old Billi SanGreal, who is drafted into the modern remnants of the once-great Knights Templar by her fanatical, emotionally distant father, leader of the order (“How was school?” he asks while she’s still “covered in slimy gore” after an exorcism). Though skilled in weaponry and educated in obscure religious history, Billi is a poor fit for the Templars: the lone girl in an otherwise all-male organization, of Muslim extraction but surrounded by Christians and lacking the unblinking ruthlessness required by the eternal war between the Knights and the forces of darkness. Nonetheless, she finds herself standing between the Angel of Death, Michael, who has become blinded by imagined glories of enforced salvation, and the multitude of innocents Michael would happily slaughter in the name of God. Scenes of spiritual warfare are gripping (and often gruesome), as is the undercurrent of supernatural romance. Chadda offers an original take on familiar creatures like vampires, the undead and fallen angels, but it’s Billi’s personality and tumult of emotions that will keep readers hooked. A promising beginning to both this series and Chadda’s career. Ages 13–up. (Sept.)