Scroll down for conference information and new deals.

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On Friday, President Obama went shopping for books with his daughters Sasha and Malia.  Among their picks were titles from the fabulous LAND OF ELYON series by Patrick Carman.  Congratulations, Patrick!  You can read more about their bookstore visit on the ABC News blog.

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Two Books for Julia Roberts:

Many people, including the millions who practice yoga, chant Sanskrit mantras without knowing what the words mean. These two, Healing Mantras and Shakti Mantras, by Thomas Ashley-Farrand (11 and 7 years old and going strong), were the first to provide reader/practitioners with translations of their chants, as well as introducing them to other mantras they can use for specific purposes.

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Aimee Thurlow’s ALPHA WARRIOR has been chosen as a Romantic Times top pick for July.  Congratulations, Aimee!

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Jane Eppinga’s THEY MADE THEIR MARK: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY OF WOMAN GEOGRAPHERS has won first prize in nonfiction books in the 2010 National Federation of Press Women Communications Contest.  The awards will be presented in Chicago in August.  Congratulations, Jane!

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Congratulations to Dana Haynes, whose novel CRASHERS has been named an Indie Next Pick for July!

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Jennifer S. Wilkov, host of the radio show “Your Book is Your Hook!” interviewed our very own Peter Rubie last week.  You can check out the interview here.  For those of your who don’t know, Peter is also the author of THE ELEMENTS OF NARRATIVE NONFICTION:  HOW TO WRITE & SELL THE NOVEL OF TRUE EVENTS (Linden Press, 2009).

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Congratulations to Eileen Flanagan, whose book THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE has won a Silver Nautilus book award!

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Congratulations to Rowan Jacobsen, whose article “…Or Not To Bee”  won an AICP award in the Food Writing That Makes a Difference category!  The article also won a James Beard awards in the “Reporting on Health, Environment or Nutrition” category.  Way to go, Rowan!

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Congratulations to Michael Wenberg, whose novel SEATTLE BLUES has been named one of the Best Books of the Year in the ages 9-12 category by the Bank Street College of Education!  You can look at the full list here, where P.W. Catanese’s novel THE BOOKS OF UMBER:  HAPPENSTANCE FOUND is named in the same category.  Congratulations, PW!

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Congratulations to author Anni Daulter, whose book ORGANICALLY RAISED:  CONSCIOUS COOKING FOR BABIES AND TODDLERS received a mention in L.A.Magazine’s May Reading List!  See the whole list here.

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With JANE SLAYRE at long last in bookstores, Sherri Browning Erwin makes her way around Manhattan to sign every copy she can find.  Looks like she found quite a few…

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Julie Genovese stopped by NBC to talk about her new book NOTHING SHORT OF JOY.  You can watch the interview, in which Julie recounts how she struggled with dwarfism but eventually found peace, here.

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Congratulations to Rowan Jacobsen for his James Beard Award nomination in the category “Reporting on Health, Environment or Nutrition.”  His article, “…Or Not To Bee” appeared in EatingWell magazine.  Rowan previously won a James Beard Award for his 2007 book A GEOGRAPHY OF OYSTERS.

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Rachelle Rogers Knight, creator of the READ, REMEMBER, RECOMMEND journals, has been featured in the April issue of The Costco Connection!  Read the article here, and be sure to check out Rachelle’s website, Bibliobabe, where she’s hosting a reading challenge with prizes for each the adult and the teen version of the journal.

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Last week’s Barnes & Noble bestseller lists showed Jennie Bentley at #10 on the mystery mass market list (and #48 overall  on the bestseller list) for her latest DIY mystery, PLASTER AND POISON! Congratulations, Jennie!

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Julie Bond Genovese’s forthcoming memoir NOTHING SHORT OF JOY (March 15, 2010) and the inspiring author herself received an excellent profile in The Star-Ledger. To learn more about the impressive fortitude behind her story, read the full article here on NJ.com. Congratulations, Julie!

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While we’re on the subject of JANE SLAYRE, Sherri Browning Erwin just received the most blush-inducing review from Library Journal, saying:

“Erwin seems to be channeling Brontë and the monsters are a seamless addition to the text…Verdict Similar to Sharon Shinn’s Jenna Starborn, Erwin’s unique and gripping revision of a well-loved classic. Enthusiastically recommended for all.”

Wow! We’re fanning our cheeks in excitement, and insist you pause to read the full review online here.  While you’re at it, check out the equally glowing Publishers Weekly review here, which stated:

“…fans of Jane Eyre will find much to love, with moments of laugh-out-loud hilarity…”

Double congratulations, Sherri!

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Sherri Browning Erwin and Charlotte Bronte’s literary vampire mashup is mentioned in USA Today! Of course we ran down to the stand and picked up our very own copy, but you can take a look here online. While you’re on the net, you can keep up with this hilarious authoress on her Twitter page here. Congratulations, Sherri!

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Marvelous news from FinePrint Productions! Scholastic’s bestselling picture book I LOVE YOU STINKY FACE by Lisa McCourt and Cyd Moore has been optioned by now independent producer Brendan Deneen and FPP. We can’t wait to see it in theaters, but for now here are the full details online at Film News Briefs. Congratulations, Brendan and Pouya!

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Mary Margret Daughtridge’s SEALED WITH A RING got a fresh review from Fresh Fiction, saying:

“…a page-turner that you just will not be able to put down.”

You can read the full review here online. Keep up the wonderful momentum and congratulations, Mary Margaret!

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Mary Margret Daughtridge’s SEALED WITH A RING has received a blinding 4/5 Star review from the Romantic Times, dubbing it “A keeper for the shelves”!! You can view it here online, and read all about this steamy installation to MM’s SEALed series on her site here. Congratulations, Mary Margret!

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Rowan Jacobsen, James Beard Award-winning author of A GEOGRAPHY OF OYSTERS, lends his diverse expertise to this article, a self-described culinary cheat sheet, in USA Today spotlighting Vancouver’s delicious food offerings for those migrating there for the Vancouver Olympics. Keep your intellectual appetite primed for his upcoming 2010 title, AMERICAN TERROIR. Read more about it on his site here. Congratulations, Rowan!

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Erika Kendrick is simply charming, and this fabulous write-up in the Chicago Tribune only amplifies this fact.  If you enjoy sweet success stories involving one smart (Girl Scout) cookie, you must take a moment to read the article online here. Visit her site here for more info on her latest novel APPETITE. Congratulations, Erika!

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Dana Cameron’s short story FEMME SOLE is nominated for an 2010 Edgar Allen Poe Award! The story appeared in BOSTON NOIR published by Akashic Books. The Edgar® Awards will be presented to the winners at Mystery Writers of America’s 64th Gala Banquet, April 29, 2010 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City. What an honor!! Just try to keep up with this already award winning writer on her blog here. Congratulations, Dana!

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New York Times Bestseller alert!!! Patrick Lee’s THE BREACH has made the list! We were so excited that we ran to our neighborhood Borders at Penn Plaza, snapped a quick photo of the display, and couldn’t have been more elated. You can view the list here at the NYT online. Keep up with this bestselling author here on his site. Congratulations, Patrick!!

Check out the trailer!

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2010 CONFERENCES

September 10- Janet Reid will be at the Alaska Writers Guild, Anchorage

September 12 – Stephany Evans will be taking pitches at the September Ottawa Romance Writers Association workshop in Canada.

October 14- Janet Reid will be at Bouchercon!, SanFrancisco CA

October 23 – Janet Reid and Heather Evans will be taking appointments at the New Jersey Romance Writers Put Your Heart in a Book Conference

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NEW DEALS

Author of over 35 wedding titles, Sharon Naylor’s THE SMART GUIDE TO BACHELORETTE PARTIES, everything you need to know to throw a memorable bash that suits the bride’s style and your budget, to Frank Jerome at Smart Guide Publications by Meredith Hays of FinePrint Literary Management.

Sue Friedman, DVM, founder and executive director of Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE); Rebecca Sutphen, MD, professor of pediatrics and oncologic sciences in the College of Medicine, University of South Florida; and Kathy Steligo’s CONFRONTING HEREDITARY BREAST AND OVARIAN CANCER: IDENTIFY YOUR RISK, UNDERSTAND YOUR OPTIONS, CHANGE YOUR DESTINY, offering practical information and real solutions that will inspire and empower individuals and families at high risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, to Jacqueline Wehmueller at Johns Hopkins University Press, by Diane Freed at FinePrint Literary Management (World).

Loyan Beausoleil’s and Leah Wells’ GAMES THAT SING: 50 ACTIVITIES TO KEEP KIDS ON THEIR TOES offering fun, cost-effective, age-appropriate songs and games that are safe for young kids in a group setting, plus hands-on instruction and advice for teachers and caregivers, to Jeanette Morgan at The Lorenz Corporation by Meredith Hays of FinePrint Literary Management.

Chris Cooper’s LONG MAY YOU RUN, a one-of-a-kind resource and beautifully designed gift book intended to inspire, encourage, and challenge runners to maintain their passion for the sport as long as they live, to Michelle Howry at Touchstone Fireside, by Stephany Evans at Fine Print Literary, for publication in October 2010 (World).

Anni Daulter’s THE ORGANIC FAMILY COOKBOOK: GROWING, GREENING, & COOKING TOGETHER, a collection of family-friendly organic recipes – snacks, breakfasts, lunches, dinners– plus tips on green living, sustainability, food prep, organic gardening, and community building, to Megan Hiller at Sellers Publishing by Meredith Hays of FinePrint Literary Management.

Bestselling wedding author Sharon Naylor’s KNACK CELEBRATION CAKES, a mix of delicious recipes and DIY design tips for a range of cake styles and flavors, from birthday cakes to special occasion cakes to multi-tiered wedding cakes, including advanced skills and inspiration from top cake designers to Katie Benoit at Globe Pequot Press by Meredith Hays of FinePrint Literary Management

Debut author Sarah Wylie’s ALL THESE LIVES, pitched as a literary YA My Sister’s Keeper, about a girl who believes she has nine lives and copes with her fraternal twin sister’s leukemia by setting out to rid herself of all her extra lives, only to discover that she might have only the one life after all, to Margaret Ferguson at Margaret Ferguson Books (FSG), in a two-book deal, at auction, by Suzie Townsend at FinePrint Literary Management (NA).

CONQUEROR’S SHADOW author Ari Marmell’s first YA novel, HOUSEHOLD GODS, a Renaissance-style fantasy adventure about a brilliant but reckless teenage thief who happens to have an invisible god living inside her head, to Lou Anders at Pyr Books, by Colleen Lindsay at FinePrint Literary Management. (World English)

Irish writer Ruth F. Long’s contemporary YA fantasy MAY QUEEN, a darkly engaging mix of romance, adventure, fairytale, and folklore, about a teenage girl thrust into a faerie world where nothing is what it seems, no one is who they say, trust is a variable commodity, love can be used against her, and where the veil slowly lifts until she finds herself faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice—and not just her own, to Jessica Garrison at Dial Books for Young Readers, in a preempt, by Colleen Lindsay at FinePrint Literary Management (World).

Turkish rights to Molly Harpers NICE GIRLS DON’T HAVE FANGS and NICE GIRLS DON’T DATE DEAD MEN to Pegasus by Jacqueline Murphy at FinePrint Literary Management, in association with Özgürr Emir at Akcali Copyright Agency.

German rights to debut author Lisa Desrochers’s YA paranormal PERSONAL DEMONS, plus two sequels, to Katharina Dornhoefer at Rowohlt in a significant preempt deal by Jacqueline Murphy at FinePrint Literary Management, in association with Bastian Schlueck of the Thomas Schlueck Literary Agency, on behalf of Suzie Townsend.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Barbara Walsh’s AUGUST GALE: A FATHER AND DAUGHTER’S JOURNEY INTO THE STORM, a memoir about courage and redemption, pain and reconciliation, and a father and daughter’s journey into two powerful storms: one odyssey ventures into a deadly 1935 Newfoundland hurricane and the lives of schooner fishermen; the other into a squall stirred by a grandfather with many secrets, who remained a mystery until long after his death, to Erin Turner at Globe Pequot, by Diane Freed.

Shonna Milliken Humphrey’s debut novel SHOW ME GOOD LAND, set in northern Maine’s rural Aroostook County, a portrait of the fictional Fort Angus, a town struggling with decay after decades of initial prosperity, seen through the returning eyes of native Rhetta Ballou who struggles with guilt of having left family and friends, and is connected to her past by one man who sits in jail for murder, another who contemplates life beyond the gas station, and another who struggles to live as an openly gay man, to Michael Steere at Down East Books, by Diane Freed.

Debut author Allison Pang’s SHADOW OF THE INCUBUS, the first book in a new urban fantasy series about a mortal woman serving as the Queen of Elfland’s human touchstone; when her employer goes missing, she finds herself under suspicion and learns that the only way to find the truth is to forge a truce with a sexy demon who may or may not be setting her up to be the next victim, to Lauren McKenna, Executive Editor at Pocket Books, with Danielle Poiesz to edit, in a three-book deal (World English), at auction, by Colleen Lindsay.

French rights to Kelly Gay’s debut urban fantasy novel THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS to Mathieu Saintout at Bibliothèque Interdite by Donatella d’Ormesson Literary on behalf of Jacqueline Murphy.

Ed Rohs and Judith Estrine’s RAISED BY THE CHURCH, how religious institutions cared for the illegitimate Baby Boom and the true story of Rohs’ experience growing up in Catholic Homes in the New York area from age six months to 19 years old, to Fred Nachbaur at Fordham University Press, for publication Fall 2011, by Laura Wood.

Anni Daulter’s POPSICLE CRAZE, a cookbook offering organic, fresh, delicious popsicle recipes for families or anyone looking for an innovative “wholesome treat,” to Megan Hiller at Sellers Publishing, by Meredith Hays.

Lisa Desrochers’ debut PERSONAL DEMONS, about a good Catholic girl with a snarky streak who finds herself caught between an angel and a demon both fighting for her soul, and ultimately her heart, to Melissa Frain at Tor, in a three-book deal, at auction, for publication Fall 2010, by Suzie Townsend.

Author of over 35 books for brides, Sharon Naylor’s KNACK WEDDING HAIRSTYLES & BEAUTY, an illustrated guide to bridal hair and make-up and tips on how to achieve your own perfect personal style to Katie Benoit at Globe Pequot Press, by Meredith Hays.

Yvonne Navarro’s HIGHBORN, the story of a powerful fallen angel who must tread the human world to find redemption as she also seeks to regain everything lost before the fall, and the sequel, CONCRETE SAVIOR, to Paula Guran at Juno, in a pre-empt, by Brendan Deneen.

Ari Marmell’s THE GOBLIN CORPS, the story of an elite squad of goblins in a Dark Lord’s army and their battle against the assembled forces of good — who may themselves not be quite as “good” as they’re cracked up to be — pitched as INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS meets THE LORD OF THE RINGS, to Lou Anders at Pyr, in a pre-empt, by Brendan Deneen.

Leslie Tentler’s MIDNIGHT CALLER, in which an FBI agent, with the aid of a psychologist, must hunt down a sadistic killer known as “the vampire,” to Linda McFall at Mira, in a three-book deal, by Stephany Evans.