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HEIRESS TAKES ALL by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Jun 042024
 

The Inheritance Games meets Ocean’s 11 in this thrilling adventure about a teenager determined to pull off the perfect heist in the middle of her father’s wedding.

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Owens isn’t thrilled that her dad’s getting remarried…again. She’s especially not thrilled that he cheated on her mom, kicked them out of their Rhode Island home, and cut Olivia out of her rightful inheritance.

But this former heiress has a plan for revenge. While hundreds of guests gather on the grounds of the gorgeous estate where she grew up, everyone will be thinking romance—not robbery. She’ll play the part of dutiful daughter, but in reality she’ll be redistributing millions from her father’s online accounts. She only needs the handwritten pass code he keeps in the estate’s safe.

With the help of an eclectic crew of high school students and one former teacher, Olivia has plotted her mid-nuptial heist down to the second. But she didn’t plan for an obnoxiously nosy wedding guest, an interfering ex-boyfriend intent on winning her back, greedy European cousins with their own agenda, or a vengeful second wife. When everything seems like it’s going wrong, Olivia has to keep her eyes on what really matters: getting rich. And when she’s done, “something borrowed” will be the understatement of the year.

Review: HEIRESS TAKES ALL by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

May 062024
 

Booklist: Two years ago: after her father was caught cheating, Olivia Owens was forced to move out of the mansion she’d grown up in. Five hours ago: she dressed to the nines to attend her famous father’s third wedding—and rob him of all the money his prenup kept from her ailing mother. Her revenge will hit him hard, if she and her team of misfits, including an old teacher and a dramatic new flame, can get in and out of the huge wedding event with his account passwords. Unpredictable guests and her (also cheating) ex-boyfriend get in the way of Olivia’s careful planning, but she and her coconspirators are determined to make her dad pay—with his millions and with his reputation. Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka, well known for cocreating mainstream romance novels, take an unexpected turn with this heist novel, but it’s a welcome one. There is romance here but also a solid underlying plot and a thrilling heist. Recommended for all libraries.

April Translation Deals

Apr 302024
 

Czech rights to LJ Andrews’s THE EVER KING, to Albatros Media, by Milena Kaplarevic at Prava I Prevodi, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

French rights to Nebula Award winner Premee Mohamed’s NO ONE WILL COME BACK FOR US and WE SPEAK THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN, to L’Atalante, by Sarah Dray at Anna Jarota Agency in association with Michael Curry.

Hebrew rights to New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop’s VISION IN SILVER, MARKED IN FLESH, and ETCHED IN BONE, books 3-5 in the Others series, to Alma Books, by Beverley Levit at The Israeli Association Of Book Publishers Ltd in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Italian rights to Annika Martin’s THE GRUMPY BILLIONAIRE to Triskell, by Stefania Fietta at Donzelli Fietta, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Cameron McClure.

Polish rights to Robert Jackson Bennett’s THE FOUNDERS TRILOGY, by Milena Kaplarevic at Prava I Prevodi, in a three-book deal, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Cameron McClure.

Polish rights to Hugo Award finalist Vajra Chandrasekera’s THE SAINT OF BRIGHT DOORS and RAKESFALL, to Czarna Owca, by Milena Kaplarević at Prava i prevodi in association with Michael Curry.

Ukrainian rights to Nebula Award winner Premee Mohamed’s THE BUTCHER OF THE FOREST and BENEATH THE RISING, to Zhorzh, by Milena Kaplarević at Prava i prevodi in association with Michael Curry.

THE LAST BOYFRIENDS RULES FOR REVENGE by Matthew Hubbard

Apr 302024
 

A queer coming-of-age about three teenage boys in small town Alabama who set out to get revenge on their ex-boyfriends and end up starting a student rebellion. Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Jason June!

Ezra Hayes has always felt like a background character compared to BFFs Lucas and Finley. He would do anything to be seen as a romantic lead, even if it means keeping his boyfriend, Presley, a secret. But when he discovers that Presley is a lying cheater, and his best friends are having boy problems of their own, they want revenge.

Their plans to get even involve sabotaging the largest party of the year, entering a drag competition, and even having Ezra run against his ex for Winter Formal King. Then the school district starts to actively censor queer voices with their Watch What You Say initiative. Taking to TikTok to vent frustrations, Ezra begins “The Last Boyfriends Student Rebellion.”

Between ex-boyfriend drama and navigating viral TikTok fame, Ezra realizes this rebellion is about something more important than revenge. It’s a battle cry to fight back against outdated opinions and redefine what it means to be queer in small town Alabama.

Aggie Blum Thompson’s SUCH A LOVELY FAMILY featured in the NY Post!

Apr 292024
 

Congratulations to DMLA author, Aggie Blum Thompson, for SUCH A LOVELY FAMILY being part of the lineup in the April 2024 Best New Books review by the NY Post!

“Perfect for fans of “Gossip Girl,” “Such a Lovely Family” by Aggie Blum Thompson is a grand foray into the lives of the rich and glamorous. As the cherry blossoms are in full bloom at the crest of Washington, D.C., the Calhouns are amid hosting their annual party to celebrate the best of the spring season.

While a hot-button party is what is expected with their beloved three children, nothing goes as planned. The kicker? A brutal murder in the middle of the celebration transforms the yearly gathering into a homicide scene, and all the guests into suspects. It was *riveting* and one of the fastest books you’ll flip through.”

FAKE FLAME by Adele Buck

Apr 232024
 

To an observer, hauling a piano onto a college campus to publicly serenade an ex might seem like a romantic gesture. To literature professor Eva Campbell, it’s the latest manipulative move by a cheating idiot who won’t take a hint. Plus, she never liked that song anyway!

Setting the piano on fire might be an overreaction, but Eva’s at the end of her tether, at least until hot young firefighter Sean Hannigan talks her down. And then he’s offering to be Eva’s fake boyfriend to get her creepy ex off her back.

Sean battles infernos for a living, reads romance on the side, and is a straight-up, family-loving good guy. Eva’s not sure she’s ready for the danger he poses to her jaded heart. But, despite their differences, the line between real and fake keeps blurring…

Review: HEIRESS TAKES ALL by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Apr 082024
 

Publishers Weekly: Following the news that her father cheated on her mother, white-cued 17-year-old Olivia Owens and her mom must give up their lavish lifestyle; they’re both kicked out of their Rhode Island estate and Olivia loses her inheritance. When her father decides to marry for a third time and Olivia’s boyfriend cheats on her, she resolves to exact revenge. She refuses to let her father get away with his past lying and cheating, especially as her mother’s medical bills mount. With the help of a former high school teacher, Olivia assembles a motley crew of classmates à la The Italian Job and plots a heist to infiltrate her father’s upcoming wedding at the Rhode Island estate. But her quest for vengeance (and search for millions) is complicated by curious wedding guests, apologetic ex-boyfriends, and extended family members with agendas of their own. In this quickly moving story of self-discovery and high-stakes revenge schemes, married creators Wibberly and Siegemund-Broka (Never Vacation with Your Ex) employ Olivia’s sardonic first-person voice to construct a serpentine plot that’s equal parts intense action and organic teenage interactions. Ages 12–up. (June)

Review: THE LAST BOYFRIENDS RULES FOR REVENGE by Matthew Hubbard

Apr 032024
 

The Bulletin: Inspired by a viewing of the 1996 film The First Wives Club, Ezra and his two best friends decide to get revenge on their terrible ex-boyfriends. Among the ensuing hijinks, Ezra anonymously uploads a TikTok video setting fire to his closeted ex’s letterman jacket, which quickly goes viral at their school. Further videos of school administrators enforcing their Watch What You Say initiative, which targets queer students and the expression of their identities, also go viral, and the trio begins to realize they can use all this attention to get their voices heard, carve out a place for themselves, and achieve something greater than their own revenge. Ezra narrates this funny, frothy Moxie read-alike, featuring a side cast of Ezra’s unfailingly supportive single dad, a warm, encouraging set of friends, and Ezra’s new hot jock crush (conveniently replacing his former hot jock boyfriend). The revenge antics are entertaining, but like their cinematic inspiration, the boys eventually channel their efforts into standing up for themselves and others, showcasing the power people have when they come together. Some readers should be cautious as Ezra’s disordered eating habits and negative body image are potentially triggering, but the ultimate message, as Ezra’s dad puts it, is that weight “doesn’t change your value.” Ezra bravely faces harassment, oppression from authority figures, and his own insecurities in this inspiring and uplifting story.

March Translation Deals

Mar 312024
 

Dutch rights to New York Times bestselling author Martha Wells’ ALL SYSTEMS RED, ARTIFICIAL CONDITION, ROGUE PROTOCOL, and EXIT STRATEGY, the first four books in The Murderbot Diaries series, to De Fontein, by Vere Bank at Sebes & Bisseling in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

French audio rights to LJ Andrews’s THE EVER KING, to Noa Rosen at Theleme, at auction, by Sarah Dray at Anna Jarota Agency, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

Italian rights to Kate Heartfield’s THE TAPESTRY OF TIME, to Marco Rana at Edizioni E/O, by Stefania Fietta at Donzelli Fietta, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier at Donald Maass Literary Agency for Jennie Goloboy.

Spanish rights to Nebula Award winner Premee Mohamed’s THE BUTCHER OF THE FOREST, to Duermevela, by Amaiur Fernández at International Editors Co. in association with Michael Curry.

Turkish rights to LJ Andrews’s Broken Kingdoms series and Ever Seas series, to Juno Kitap, in a multi-book deal, at auction, by Merve Ongen at Anatolialit Agency, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

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