$$$$, Dogs, $$$$...Films and books....

From Publishers Lunch Weekly:

FICTION/DEBUT:

Adena Halpern's THE TEN BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE, the heartwarming and humorous story of a young LA personal shopper who dies before her time-- run over by a Mini-Cooper -- who narrates her assignment to prove herself worthy of staying on the top level of heaven (which includes calorie-free ice cream, walk-in closets and a hunky guy next door) by making right some relationships left behind, to Allison Dickens atPlume, by Brian DeFiore at DeFiore and Company (NA). Frank Rich's son (and Paris Review editor)

Nathaniel Rich's THE MAYOR'S TONGUE, the dual stories of a rebellious son of a wealthy Italian immigrant and an older protagonist, who is trying to cope with his wife's impending death, to Sean McDonald at Riverhead, in a very nice deal, by Elyse Cheney at Elyse Cheney Agency (NA).

HORROR:

Successful podcasting horror author Scott Sigler's INFESTED, about an everyman's bloody battle against a mysterious parasite that hijacks his body and pushes his thoughts into a psychotic rage, the sequel CONTAGIOUS, in which those murder-inducing parasites are just the first wave of a more sinister plot, and a third, stand-alone book, to Julian Pavia at Crown, at auction, by Byrd Leavell at Waxman Literary Agency(world). Rights: lkaplan@randomhouse.com for foreign rights.

MYSTERY/CRIME:

NYT bestselling author and two-time Edgar winner T. Jefferson Parker's LA OUTLAWS, moving to Ben Sevier at Dutton, for publication in February 2008, in a two-book deal, by Robert Gottlieb at Trident Media Group (NA).

Elena Forbes' DIE WITH ME (the opening chapter of which was shortlisted for the 2005 Debut Dagger Award), the first in a series introducing Detective Mark Tartaglia and the rest of Homicide West Team Five as they investigate a rash of apparent suicides involving young girls plunging to their deaths from church naves around London, to David Adams at MacAdam/Cage, in a two-book deal, by David Forrer at Inkwell Management, on behalf of Sarah Lutyens at Luytens & Rubinstein (US). daveadams@macadamcage.com

THRILLER:

TV producer Julie Kramer's STALKING SUSAN, about a TV reporter who follows a lead about a serial killer who targets women named "Susan" and kills them in a distinctive manner on the same date every year, to Stacy Creamer at Doubleday, in a two-book deal, by Elaine Koster at Elaine Koster Agency (NA).

Tom Rob Smith's debut thriller CHILD 44 and a second novel, to Mitch Hoffman at Grand Central, in a pre-empt, by Jim Rutman at Sterling Lord Literistic on behalf of James Gill at PFD. Translation: Jessica Craig, jcraig@pfd.co.uk jgill@pfd.co.uk

GENERAL/OTHER:

David Collins' MONEY TALKS, pitched as taking on the ego-driven, power-obsessed world of New York real estate in the way The Devil Wears Prada approached the fashion business and Bonfire of the Vanities treated Wall Street, to Laurie Chittenden at William Morrow, by Richard Pine at Inkwell Management (NA).

FILM:

Film rights to Dana Vachon's MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS, to Anonymous Content, reportedly for "high six figures," at auction, with Steve Golin (Babel, Being John Malkovich) producing along with Shawn Simon and Matt DeRoss, by Justin Manask at IPG, on behalf of David Kuhn at Kuhn Projects.

UK:

Journalist and former investment editor at the International Herald Tribune Martin Baker's MELTDOWN, with creative input (and contract negotiation) from his wife, City fund manager Nicola Horlick, a thriller set in Paris dealing with high finance, murder, jurisprudence, sex and politics and the biggest conspiracy theory imaginable, to Jeremy Trevathan at Pan Macmillan, in a pre-empt, for publication in January2008 (world).c.noel@macmillan.co.uk

Art Williams Jr.'s THE ART OF MAKING MONEY: My Adventures in a Counterfeit Life, with Jason Kersten, based on an article in Rolling Stone about the rise and fall of this counterfeiter, to Ken Barlow at Ebury, at auction, by James Gill at PFD, on behalf of Scott Waxman at Waxman Literary Agency. Translation: farley@waxmanagency.com Italian and Dutch language rights to to Rizzoli and Luitingh, by Luigi Bernabo Associates and Ulf Toregard at Sane Toregard, respectively, on behalf of Farley Chase at the Waxman Literary Agency.

William Langewiesche's THE FERAL ZONE: TRAVELS THROUGH THE END OF THE NATION STATE, a look at different areas of the world where national boundaries will increasingly be rendered obsolete, to Michal Shavit at Allen Lane/Penguin Press, for publication in 2009, by Farrar, Straus (UK/Commonwealth).

BUSINESS/INVESTING/FINANCE:

Rule the Freakin' Markets author Michael Parness's RULE YOUR FREAKIN' RETIREMENT, a practical guide to cashing in early and making the most of your investments so that you can live the good life, to Phil Rezvin at St. Martin's, by Greg Dinkin of Venture Literary (World).

Workplace blogger and author of the forthcoming BRAZEN CAREERIST Penelope Trunk's book cheering the exodus from corporate life into entrepreneurship, drawing on interviews, academic research, and personal experience to formulate a new set of rules for entrepreneurship, to Rachel Klayman at Crown, in a pre-empt, by Susan Rabiner at Susan Rabiner Literary Agency (world). Rights: kschulze@randomhouse.com

HISTORY/POLITICS/CURRENT AFFAIRS:

WHEN THE MISSISSIPPI RAN BACKWARDS author Jay Feldman's MANUFACTURING HYSTERIA, a history of the federal government's efforts, in times of real or exaggerated threat, to curtail civil liberties and suppress dissent by stigmatizing minorities, from the scapegoating of German Americans and pacifists in World War I to the Alien Enemy Control program during World War II to the current scapegoating of Arab andMuslim Americans, to Andrew Miller and Dan Frank at Pantheon, by Steve Wasserman at Kneerim & Williams (NA).

MEMOIR:

Tom Bloch's STAND FOR THE BEST: My Journey from CEO of H&R Block to Successful Inner-City School Teacher, about giving up the security, status and pay of being a Fortune 100 CEO and never regretting it, and his experiences have much to say about how to educate children who are often left behind, to Kate Bradford at Jossey-Bass, by Jeff Herman at the Jeff Herman Agency (world). Jeff@jeffherman.com

Dog trainer, tv pet expert and host of syndicated radio show, Pet Talk Harrison Forbes's THE LEASH THAT BINDS, an inspirational memoir featuring the working dogs he has owned, trained, and known, to Daniela Rapp at St. Martin's, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in Spring 2008, by Jeff Kleinman at Folio Literary Management (world).

NARRATIVE:

CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier's BOMBED!, including Dozier's battle back from critical injuries sustained in a Baghdad bombing, plus making it as a woman in the world of network TV, and much more, to Linda Cunningham at Meredith, by Paul Fedorko at Trident Media Group (NA).

London Sunday Times bestselling author Stephen Foster's WALKING OLLIE, OR WINNING THE LOVE OF A DIFFICULT DOG, a humorous account of the author's tribulations with a skittish lurcher puppy, to Marian Lizzi atPerigee, by George Lucas at Inkwell Management, on behalf of Short Books (NA).

POP CULTURE:

Recent winner of the YouTube Video Award for Best Series based on viewer voting AskANinja.com creators Douglas Sarine and Kent Nichols's THE NINJA HANDBOOK: A Guide for Non-Ninjas To Become More Ninja-like, claiming to be the first "video podcast to book" deal, to Julian Paviaat Crown, at auction, by Joe Veltre of Artists Literary Group (NA). Ask a Ninja is represented by UTA and manager John Elliott at Mosiac Media.

TRUE CRIME:

ATF agent Jay Dobyns's and Nils Johnson-Shelton's ALMOST ANGELS: The True Story of the First Cop to Infiltrate the Hells Angels - the World's Most Infamous and Impenetrable Motorcycle Gang, documenting Dobyns's stint undercover in the Arizona Hells Angels, running guns, riding bikes, and ultimately helping to take down a chapter of the infamous, mysterious organization, to Rick Horgan at Crown, by Richard Pine at Inkwell Management (NA).

CANADA:

Twenty-seven year-old CBC producer and food critic Kathryn Borel's CHATEAU SHITFACED, about the author and her French father touring the wine regions of Alsace, Burgundy, Cotes du Rhone and Languedoc, combining the dysfunctional road trip of Sideways with the father-daughter dynamics of Father of the Bride, in an effort to reaffirm their bond and reach a new level of understanding as adults, to Leah Marie Fairbank at Wiley Canada, by Sam Hiyate at The RightsFactory. sam@therightsfactory.com

Wrap...