Dear writers: Please be aware of ongoing scams by agent impersonators. Use extra caution with any unsolicited offers from agents. Reputable agents will not ask for upfront fees of any kind. For more information, look at sites such as Writer Beware (https://writerbeware.blog/). Please always check email addresses/spellings. All official emails from Donald Maass Literary Agency will come from an address that ends in @maassagency.com (2 A's, 2 S's in MAASS).

June Subsidiary Rights Deals

Jun 302021
 

a pair of black ear budsAudio rights to Robert McCammon’s KING OF SHADOWS, Matthew Corrbett series Book 8, to Louise Quayle at Audible by Katie Shea Boutillier Cameron McClure.

Audio rights to Carolita Blythe’s REVENGE OF A NOT-SO-PRETTY GIRL to Kim Budnick at Tantor Media, by Katie Shea Boutillier.

Audio rights to Benjamin Wachs’s TURN YOUR LIFE INTO ART:  LESSONS IN PSYCHOMAGIC FROM SAN FRANCISCO’S UNDERGROUND, explores the techniques developed by San Francisco’s underground art scene to create experiences so profound that they seem like a kind of art magic, to Kim Budnick at Tantor Media by Katie Shea Boutillier for Jennie Goloboy.

Audio rights to Ada Harper’s  A CONSPIRACY OF WHISPERS and A TREASON OF TRUTHS, to Kim Budnick at Tantor Media, by Katie Shea Boutillier, for Caitlin McDonald.

Audio rights to Shaun David Hutchinson’s THE FIVE STAGES OF ANDREW BRAWLEY, to Kim Budnick at Tantor Media, at auction, by Katie Shea Boutillier.

Audio rights to Patrice Sarath’s  THE UNEXPECTED MISS BENNET  to Kim Budnick at Tantor Media, at auction, by Katie Shea Boutillier on behalf of Jennie Goloboy.

June Translation Rights Deals

Jun 302021
 

Danish rights to Nebula and Hugo Award winner Martha Wells’ ALL SYSTEMS RED and ARTIFICIAL CONDITION, the first two installments in the New York Times bestselling Murderbot Diaries series, to Delphiki, by Elin Rydner at Lennart Sane Agency in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

German rights to New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher’s STORM FRONT, FOOL MOON, GRAVE PERIL, SUMMER KNIGHT, DEATH MASKS, and BLOOD RITES, the first six books in the Dresden Files series, to Blanvalet, by Sarah Knofius at the Thomas Schlueck Agency in association with Jennifer Jackson.

Italian rights to Shaun David Hutchinson’s WE ARE THE ANTS, to Marco Rana at Mondadori, by Stefania Fietta at Donzelli Fietta, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

Japanese rights to S.B. Divya ‘s MACHINEHOOD, to Hayakawa, by Kohei Hattori at The English Agency on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Cameron McClure.

Korean rights to C.L. Polk’s THE MIDNIGHT BARGAIN, to MUNPI, by Jackie Yang at Eric Yang Agency, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Caitlin McDonald.

Serbian rights to Nebula and Hugo Award winner Martha Wells’ ALL SYSTEMS RED, ARTIFICIAL CONDITION, ROGUE PROTOCOL, and EXIT STRATEGY, the first four installments in the New York Times bestselling Murderbot Diaries series, plus two short stories, to Čarobna knjiga, by Milena Kaplarević at Prava i prevodi in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Swedish rights to Annika Martin’s MOST ELIGIBLE BILLIONAIRE, THE BILLIONAIRE’S WAKE-UP-CALL GIRL and BREAKING THE BILLIONAIRE’S RULES, to Tukan, in a three-book deal, by Elin Rydner at Lennart Sane Agency, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Cameron McClure.

Turkish rights to Nalo Hopkinson’s BROWN GIRL IN THE RING and MIDNIGHT ROBBER,  to Ithaki, by Merve Ongen at ONK Agency, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Donald Maass.

Starred Review: Before We Disappear by Shaun David Hutchinson

Jun 292021
 

Kirkus: When magic and illusion collide, anything is possible.

Sixteen-year-old Jack, magician’s assistant and pickpocket, is ready to steal the show—and anything else he can get his hands on—when the Enchantress, aka Evangeline Dubois, magician, con artist, and his guardian, sets her eyes on the 1909 Seattle World’s Fair. At the same time, 16-year-old Wilhelm, a boy with the ability to magically transport himself and others, is forced to perform there by Teddy, his abusive captor. Teddy has plans to use Wil’s gifts to pull off the ultimate heist, and his desire for notoriety results in a plan in which the two masquerade as a magician and his assistant, causing Jack’s and Wil’s worlds to collide. With the help of street-smart dancer Ruth and clever Jessamy, the boys examine the abuses they suffer and work to build a stable life together. Like all good magic acts, the novel will keep readers on the edges of their seats as they follow the twists and double-crosses that fill the lives of con artists and magicians. The book flawlessly combines magic and suspense in a well-crafted heist story that’s sweetly sprinkled with queer romances. A final unanswered question hints at a sequel and will have readers shouting for an encore. Ruth is Black; all other main characters are White. Jack, Wil, Ruth, and Jessamy are openly queer.

A delight.

Review: The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed

Jun 282021
 

Publishers Weekly: In gorgeous prose, Mohamed (Beneath the Rising) conjures a post–climate apocalypse future in which “the chain of knowledge and study” has broken and humanity “live[s] in the scattered links that remain.” With few resources left, survival hinges on collective collaboration. So when 19-year-old Reid receives an acceptance letter from a college many believe to be a myth, she’s equally elated and guilt-ridden: how can she leave her community and ailing mother for a place that may not even be real? Complicating her decision is the Cad, a “semi-sapient” fungal parasite that lives beneath her skin. It lies dormant for years before “going off,” and there’s no cure for it and no guarantee as to how it will affect those infected. As Reid argues with her mother about her future and navigates her changing relationship with her best friend, she begins to fear that the Cad is controlling her actions. Mohamed grounds her complex, chilling vision of the future in accessible human drama, keeping a tight focus on Reid’s difficult decision and the tension it creates in her relationships. It’s an impressive feat of worldbuilding made stronger by the sensitive, nuanced characters and urgent questions about what people owe to each other. This packs a punch.

Review: Million Dollar Demon by Kim Harrison

Jun 182021
 

a woman, with light coming from her hands, stands in front of a city skylinePublishers Weekly: Picking up from 2020’s American Demon, Harrison’s 15th The Hollows urban fantasy pits her enduring heroine against a new fearsome foe while still delivering the soap operatic supernatural machinations fans expect. The struggle for control of Cincinnati heats up when master vampire Constance Corson makes it clear that the city isn’t big enough for both her and witch-born demon Rachel Morgan. To protect her friends and save her home, Rachel must fight back with every spell, charm, and ally at her disposal. It won’t be easy: she’s on the outs with her demon mentor, Al; on the verge of homelessness thanks to Constance’s machinations; and her lover, Trent Kalamack, is out of town. While he’s away, Rachel must resist the deadly allure of Pike, her vampiric foil who walks the line between reluctant ally and uneasy enemy. Meanwhile, she’s wrapped up in the intrigues of myriad supernatural factions, caught between friendship and obligation—and if she succeeds in ousting Constance, she may need to accept a level of power and responsibility she’s never wanted. This entry relies on the substantial worldbuilding of the previous novels, which will satisfy existing fans but may leave new readers struggling to catch up. For dedicated readers, however, this proves a rousing addition to the series.

Review: And What Can We Offer You Tonight by Premee Mohamed

Jun 172021
 

Publishers Weekly: Moody and atmospheric, this dystopian novella from Mohamed (A Broken Darkness) skillfully turns a murder mystery into a scathing examination of what life might be like in even later stage capitalism. Narrator Jewel and the other courtesans of the House of Bicchieri, an elite brothel, are holding a secret wake for one of their number, Winfield, in the abandoned church that is their place of worship, when Winfield suddenly comes back to life. The undead Winfield recalls being murdered—a fact the owners of the House covered up—and seeks revenge for her death and all the other injuries and injustices meted out to her fellow courtesans by the House’s über-wealthy clientele. Jewel hungers for revenge herself, but is kept in such purposeful and permanent precarity that she can’t act out. Then the owners profane the courtesans’ church, and Jewel must make a choice between protecting Winfield’s plans or her place in the House of Bicchieri. The lush prose, rife with classical allusions, captivates, echoing the brothel’s penchant for containing horrors but covering them up in a wealth of gilded detail. Mohamed’s fans won’t want to miss the mesmerizing lyricality of her latest.

Deal: Ruby Barrett

Jun 162021
 

Ruby Barrett returns to the universe of HOT COPY in WHILE IT’S HOT, in which restaurant owner Amy Chambers hires a former fan favorite reality TV chef to save her struggling kitchen, only to discover that the talented, yet enigmatic woman seems determined to undermine her authority at every turn—but when fire spreads from the kitchen to the bedroom they’re forced to reckon with their growing attraction before they lose everything, world English rights to Stephanie Doig at Carina Adores, by Kiana Nguyen.

Film Deal: Lindsey Rogers Cook

Jun 152021
 

In a preemptive bid, Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment has landed the rights to I Don’t Forgive You, the upcoming debut novel of former police reporter Aggie Blum Thompson.

The book will be adapted into a TV series for cable/streaming, which Kaplan will executive produce with Mandalay’s Peter Guber, a longtime friend and former client at WMA.

A psychological thriller with a female lead, I Don’t Forgive You is about a photographer struggling to fit in among the mom cliques in her new D.C. suburb when she is framed for a neighbor’s murder and must frantically try to uncover who is destroying her life by impersonating her on social media.

 Older Entries  Newer Entries