LAST KISS OF SUMMER
Young Adult Fiction
Jessica M. Felleman's LAST KISS OF SUMMER, about teenagers who grew up together after undergoing a rare domino heart surgery as babies but have not spoken for two years because of one fateful night; now she has received difficult news and wonders if it's time for a second chance at love—before it's too late, to Jen Klonsky and Simone Roberts-Payne at Putnam Children's, in an exclusive submission, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2026, by Jessica Harriton and Lanie Davis at Alloy Entertainment on behalf of Jess Regel at Helm Literary (NA).
Rights also to Michel Lafon (France), at auction, Lira (Hungary), in a pre-empt, by Amy Threadgold at Rights People, and to Rizzoli (Italy,) in a pre-empt, and PRH Molino (Spain), at auction, by Claudia Galluzziat Rights People
*****GREATER THAN THE SEA
Fiction: Romantasy
Author of FORGED BY BLOOD Ehigbor Okosun's GREATER THAN THE SEA, an enemies-to-lovers romantasy set in a world where death is the gateway to immortality and armies never die, in which one soldier has the power to end it all, but when she gets entangled with the general hellbent on destroying her, they fall headfirst into seductive game of cat and mouse that can only end in blood, to David Pomerico at Voyager and to Elizabeth Vaziri at Voyager UK, in a two-book deal, by Jessica Regel at Helm Literary (world English).*****
MY SOUL TO TAKE
Adult Fiction
Author of ON ROTATION and BETWEEN FRIENDS & LOVERS Shirlene Obuobi's MY SOUL TO TAKE, pitched as Twilight for adults, where a Black interventional cardiologist in her 30s must choose between following her desire or listening to her instincts when she falls for an alluring, much-younger man with a dark secret, to Nidhi Pugalia at Penguin, at auction, by Jessica Regel at Helm Literary (NA).
*****THE MAY HOUSE
Adult Fiction
USA Today Bestselling author Jillian Cantor's next novel, The May House, pitched as 28 Summers meets In Her Shoes, unfolding over three decades, it follows three sisters who spend the same week each May at their grandmother’s beach house, but when the oldest sister doesn’t show up, the younger sisters are left to piece together a stunning secret from their past, to Laura Brown at Atria in an exclusive submission by Jessica Regel at Helm Literary (North American). *****
RACE TO THE TRUTH BOOKS 7 & 8
Children's: Middle Grade Nonfiction
Alana Hadid and Jenan A. Matari's DISPLACEMENT AND THE PALESTINIAN AMERICAN STORY, and Dr. Patricia Williams Dockery's CIVIL RIGHTS AND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN STORY, in the Race to the Truth series, telling the true history of America from the perspective of marginalized communities, to Kelly Delaney at Crown Children's, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2026 and spring 2027, by Jessica Regel at Helm Literary (world).
*****
MAPLE FOR THE PEOPLE
Children's: Middle Grade Fiction
Kate McGovern's MAPLE FOR THE PEOPLE, with a diagnosis of dyslexia and a second year of fifth grade under her belt, a girl is finally off to middle school with the support she needs to read and write, but the sixth-grade election and a mystery at school will test her friendships, her sleuthing skills, and her newfound confidence, to Karen Lotz at Candlewick, in an exclusive submission, for publication in spring 2026, by Jessica Regel at Helm Literary (World English).
*****
HABITS OF THE SEA
Fiction
New York Times Bestselling author of A History of Wild Places, Shea Ernshaw's HABITS OF THE SEA, a dreamy novel pitched as for readers of Audrey Niffenegger and Sarah Addison Allen, in which a young woman rediscovers the floating island where she went missing for a week as a child—and its lone dweller who hasn't aged a day since she met him, to Loan Le at Atria, in a pre-empt, for publication in summer 2026, by Jessica Regel at Helm Literary (NA).*****
SUCCESS: SIMPLE
Non-Fiction: Business/Finance/Economics
Chief strategy officer of Black Glass Clay Parker Jones's SUCCESS, written for the ambitious mid-career leaders who strive to make everything and everyone around them the best they can be, and for the next generation of leaders who are only just beginning their careers, to Matthew Holt at Matt Holt Books, by Jessica Regel at Helm Literary (World English).*****
WILL THEY, WON'T THEY
Young Adult Fiction
Zareen Jaffery at Kokila has acquired, in a multi-bidder, six-figure auction, Will They, Won't They, the debut YA from Stonewall Honor and Lambda Award-winning author Maulik Pancholy, an enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy that follows an Indian-American teen from Queens and the son of an internationally renowned Bollywood actor when they meet at a glitzy gay wedding in Mumbai and get swept up in a "will they/won't they" media circus full of high-profile, romantic sizzle. Publication is planned for summer 2026; Jessica Regel at Helm Literary sold North American rights.I'M GOING THROUGH SOMETHING
Young Adult: Graphic Novel
Intersex activist Hans Lindahl's I'M GOING THROUGH SOMETHING, following a 16-year-old artist navigating an adolescence in which puberty never happens, illustrated by cartoonist Chan Chau, to David Levithan at Scholastic, in an exclusive submission, for publication in summer 2027, by Jessica Regel at Helm Literary for the author, and by Molly O'Neill at Root Literary for the illustrator (world).
*****MIND THE GAP
Children's: Young Adult Fiction
Brenda Janowitz's debut YA novel MIND THE GAP, a coming-of-age novel about a Jewish American teen on a European gap year adventure, pitched as 13 LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPE meets LOVE AND GELATO, to Brittany Rubianofor Melissa De La Cruz Studio, for publication in fall 2025, by Jessica Regel at Helm Literary (world).
THE BEST DAY
Children's: Picture Book Fiction
Disability activist Adiba Nelson's THE BEST DAY, about a girl's excitement getting to celebrate her and her friends at a Disability Pride Parade with her family and how the neighborhood's accessibility makes it safe and healthy for all, illustrated by DeAnn Wiley, to Emily Settle at Feiwel and Friends, in an exclusive submission, for publication in winter 2026, by Jess Regel at Helm for the author, and by James McGowan at BookEnds Literary for the illustrator (world).
*****
THE GRACE KELLY DRESS
Film Rights
Brenda Janowitz's THE GRACE KELLY DRESS, the story of an heirloom wedding gown and the hopes, dreams, and secrets of the three generations of women who were married in it, to Hallmark Channel, by Rich Green at The Gotham Group on behalf of Jessica Regel at Helm Literary.
Pinna’s popular podcast series Quentin & Alfie’s ABC Adventures will be adapted into a series of books for young readers from Farrar, Straus, and Giroux Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan. The series of hardcover titles will launch in early 2023, with books to follow in multiple formats.
*****
HBO Max Lands Adaptation of Maulik Pancholy’s YA Novel ‘The Best At It’ (The Hollywood Reporter)
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