On their way: An interesting selection of books....

From Publishers Lunch Weekly:

FICTION/DEBUT:

Alia Yunis's THE NIGHT COUNTER, about a sprawling Arab American family headed by an 85 year old matriarch who is visited by Scheherazade on the last 10 nights of her life, to Kate Kennedy at Shaye Areheart Books, by Jennifer Carlson at Dunow, Carlson & Lerner (World). mail@dclagency.com

NY Post Page Six reporter Paula Froelich's debut comic novel, MERCURY IN RETROGRADE, in which the lives of three New York women -- a newspaper reporter, fashion editor, and corporate lawyer -- intersect when they all move into the same Soho apartment building, to Greer Hendricks at Atria, by Kate Lee at ICM (world).

South African Real Simple contributor, Bridget McNulty's STRANGE NERVOUS LAUGHTER, a whimsical story that follows six endearing characters in Durban as they stumble through love, friendship and relationships (and the odd ways in which they sometimes behave) during the hottest summer in history, to Kathleen Gilligan at Thomas Dunne Books, by Tris Coburn at Tristram C. Coburn Literary Management, on behalf of Ronald Irwin Literary Consultancy (world, excl. SA).

THRILLER:

Screenwriter and creator of the TV show Heroes, Tim Kring's THE FLAG OF ORPHEUS trilogy, a historical thriller with aspects of the alternate history genre that explores the abuses of power and the moral obligation to resist it, from early 1960s drug culture attempts to open society to sinister government conspiracies to command it, co-written with author Dale Peck, to Sean Desmond at Crown, at auction, for publication beginning in Fall 2009 with SHIFT, by Richard Abate at Endeavor (world).

18 SECONDS, LAST BREATH and LOST GIRLS author George Shuman's SECOND SIGHT, to Colin Fox at Simon & Schuster, in a very nice deal, for publication in Fall 2009, by Paul Fedorko at Trident Media Group (World).Matthew Glass's ULTIMATUM, set in the near future, where climate change has become the central issue of global politics, creating tensions that eventually propel the United States and China to the brink of war, Morgan Entrekin of Grove/Atlantic and Ravi Mirchandani at Atlantic Books, for publication in May 2009, by Ben Evans at Oyster Bridge Literary Agency (World).ilonachavasse@groveatlantic.co.uk

GENERAL/OTHER:

Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him author Danielle Ganek's THE SUMMER WE READ GATSBY, a comedy of manners about two women -- best friends and cousins -- who inherit the "ultimate status real estate," a house in the Hamptons, to Kendra Harpster at Viking, for publication in Summer 2009, by Leigh Feldman at Darhansoff, Verrill, Feldman (NA).

Lorenzo Borghese's THE PRINCESS OF NOWHERE, Antonio Canova's masterpiece sculpture of Pauline Bonaparte lies in the crux of this historical novel which centers on the romance and relationship of Camillo Borghese and Pauline Bonaparte in early 19th century Rome; the statue, presently at Galleria Borghese, depicts the extremely complicated and passionate woman that Canova, who was hired by Camillo, witnessed, to Lucia Macro at Avon, by Ian Kleinert at Objective Entertainment (NA).

Author of Second Hand, Michael Zadoorian's THE LEISURE SEEKER, about a couple in their twilight years who steal off on a forbidden vacation driving cross-country in their '78 RV on the crumbling remnants of Route 66, fulfilling a lifelong vow that they will meet the end of all roads on their own terms, to Jennifer Pooley at William Morrow, in a pre-empt, for publication in Spring 2009, by Sally van Haitsma at The Castiglia Agency.
Film rights optioned simultaneously to Sharp Independent at HarperCollins.

UK:

Former constable Matt Hilton's debut crime thriller DEAD MANY'S DUST, to Sue Fletcher at Hodder & Stoughton, for five books, for publication beginning in June 2009, by Luigi Bonomi at Luigi Bonomi Associates (found in his slush pile by his wife).

CANADA:

Governor-General's Award-winning The Engineer of Human Souls author Josef Skvorecky's ORDINARY LIVES, his first new novel in nearly a decade, set in his native Czech Republic with his old narrator and alter ego, Danny Smiricky, exploring the defining moments of the twentieth century through the ordinary lives of his well-known characters, reminding us of the personal side to the grand ideologies that have determined our history, to Jane Warren at Key Porter Books, for publication in Fall 2008, by Natasha Daneman at Westwood Creative Artists.

NON-FICTION/BIOGRAPHY:

H. W. Brands' TRAITOR TO HIS CLASS: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, to Roger Scholl at Doubleday, for publication in Fall 2008, by Jim Hornfischer at Hornfischer Literary Management (NA).

BUSINESS/INVESTING/FINANCE:

Former Google CIO Douglas Merrill's book on how we can all better organize our lives (at work and outside), drawing on his experience at Google as well as his expertise in psychology, to Sarah Rainone at Doubleday Currency, who contacted Merrill after reading a Men's Health article about him entitled "The World's Most Organized Man" (World).

COOKING:

Writers of double James Beard award winner (and 2007 IACP Julia Child Award) THE LEE BROS. SOUTHERN COOKBOOK, Ted Lee and Matt Lee's next two books, to Pam Krauss at Clarkson Potter, in a major deal, at auction, by David McCormick at McCormick & Williams Literary Agency.

HISTORY/POLITICS/CURRENT AFFAIRS:

Author of the NBCC Award-winning MEDICAL APARTHEID Harriet Washington's DEADLY MONOPOLIES, a hard-hitting investigation into how so-called "life patents" being awarded to pharmaceutical and biomedical companies stymie research, inflate prices and sabotage global healthcare, to Gerry Howard at Doubleday, for publication in 2010, by Lisa Bankoff at ICM (World English).

MEMOIR:

Newsweek's Moscow bureau chief Owen Matthews's STALIN'S CHILDREN: Three Generations of Love, Betrayal and War, a dramatic family saga that chronicles, from an intimate perspective, recent Soviet Union/Russian history and its dark fascination for the West, to George Gibson at Walker, for publication in Fall 2008, by Diana Finch at Diana Finch Literary Agency (NA).

Nitro from TV's original American Gladiators, Dan Clark's GLADIATOR: A TRUE STORY OF 'ROIDS, RAGE, AND REDEMPTION, a candid, eye-opening account of the dangers of steroids - both known and unknown - viewed through the lens of his own twenty-year affair with steroids that would scar Clark both physically and emotionally and ultimately lead him on a path of personal discovery and redemption, to Brant Rumble at Scribner, by Kirby Kim at Vigliano Associates (World).

NARRATIVE:

Dr. Dave Hnida's PARADISE GENERAL, billed as "M*A*S*H in Iraq," about a diverse group of volunteer doctors who staff a combat hospital during the Surge, achieving an astounding survival rate despite harrowing circumstances, strengthened by humor and friendship, to Colin Fox at Simon & Schuster, by Larry Weissman at Larry Weissman Literary (world).

SPORTS:

Sports Illustrated writer and author of RUNNING THE TABLE, STROKES OF GENIUS, L. Jon Wertheim's look into the world, mind, and game of tennis great Roger Federer, through the rubric of a single tennis match to be played this year, as Federer approaches Pete Sampras' record of 14 grand slam victories, in the tradition of John McPhee's 1960s tennis classic, LEVELS OF THE GAME, again to Susan Canavan at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, by Scott Waxman at the Waxman Literary Agency.

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