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 THE DARK INSIDE.

Sarah and Julia sold THE 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 - THE 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.)