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).

December Translation Deals

Dec 312023
 

Italian rights to Jo Walton’s AMONG OTHERS, to Marco Rana at Edizione E/O, by Stefania Fietta at Donzelli Fietta, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Cameron McClure.

Italian rights to C.L. Polk’s THE MIDNIGHT BARGAIN, to Marco Rana at Edizione E/O, by Stefania Fietta at Donzelli Fietta, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Caitlin McDonald.

Turkish rights to Melissa K. Roehrich’s LADY OF DARKNESS and LADY OF SHADOWS, to Ren Kitap, in a two-book deal, by Merve Öngen at AnatoliaLit Agency, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

French rights to Melissa K. Roehrich’s LADY OF DARKNESS series and LEGACY series, to Guy Tredaniel, at auction, in a very nice deal, in a nine-book deal, by Sarah Dray at Anna Jarota Agency, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

Hungarian rights to New York Times bestselling author Tamsyn Muir’s PRINCESS FLORALINDA AND THE FORTY-FLIGHT TOWER, to Fumax, by Milena Kaplarević at Prava i prevodi in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Italian rights to Jeanette Ng’s UNDER THE PENDULUM SUN, to Marco Rana at Edizione E/O, by Stefania Fietta at Donzelli Fietta, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Jennie Goloboy.

Spanish audio rights to New York Times bestselling author Martha Wells’ WITCH KING, to Recorded Books, by Amaiur Fernández at International Editors Co. in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Review: Cursed Cruise by Faith McClaren

Dec 192023
 

Kirkus: A supernatural mystery unfolds aboard a boat with a haunted history.

Chrissy, Chase, Kiki, and Emma, all 18, are recent high school graduates known as the Ghost Gang. Their YouTube channel has over a million subscribers, and after their last ordeal, in which a deranged serial killer fan terrorized them while they were filming an episode at the Hearst Hotel, the pressure’s now on them to deliver another heart-pounding show. The Ghost Gang also hopes to leverage their fame into a TV deal. With that goal in mind, they board the famously haunted cruise ship the RMS Queen Anne, sister ship of the Titanic, which will be sailing from New York City to Southampton for its inaugural voyage after major refurbishment. On board, they meet the Paranormal Patrol, a rival ghost-chasing crew. Told in alternating first-person viewpoints, this creepy and atmospheric story follows the main foursome as they have a series of chilling ghostly experiences while trying to unlock the truth of the ship’s past. Each Ghost Gang member faces a different challenge, putting their skills, confidence, and sometimes their safety to the test. Kiki is brown-skinned; the other major characters read white, and Kiki and Emma are queer. This follow-up to Horror Hotel (2022) will please returning fans, and the adventure holds water as a stand-alone adventure.

A fast-paced and fun Scooby-Doo–esque paranormal page-turner. (Horror. 13-18)

Deal: LJ Andrews

Dec 062023
 

After an auction, L.J. Andrews has sold world rights to the first two books in her new Stonegate romantasy series to Kristine Swartz at Ace. The deal was negotiated by Katie Shea Boutillier at the Donald Maass Literary Agency. Broken Souls and Bones is set for summer 2025. (Details about the second book are not yet available.) Boutillier said Broken Souls follows a young woman “with a unique form of bone melder magic” who is “forced into the service of a power-hungry king and is determined to escape—until she falls for the prince’s silent guard and their forbidden passion unravels a deadly truth.”

November Subsidiary Rights Deals

Nov 302023
 

a pair of black ear budsJess K Hardy’s COME AS YOU ARE and LIPS LIKE SUGAR, to Kerri Buckley at Dreamscape Media, in a two-book deal, by Katie Shea Boutillier.

Review: The Someday Daughter by Ellen O’Clover

Nov 292023
 

Kirkus: The daughter of a famous self-help author struggles when she must join a tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of her mother’s bestselling book, Letters to My Someday Daughter.

Logical, driven, precise Audrey is everything Camilla St. Vrain, her yoga-practicing, emotionally distant, image-conscious mother, is not, but she still winds up accompanying her on a nationwide press tour. This means that Johns Hopkins–bound Audrey must give up a place in a prestigious summer program for pre-med students at UPenn that her similarly ambitious boyfriend is attending. Along for the tour is Sadie, the accomplished young doctor Camilla hired to introduce Audrey to medical professionals around the country. They’re also accompanied by three spontaneous interns, Cleo, Mick, and Silas. Audrey’s evolving relationships with each of them, but particularly with Silas, to whom she is quickly drawn, turn out to be the catalyst she needs to re-examine many of her thoughts about herself and her place in the world. Audrey’s transformation from non-emotive and somewhat flat to multidimensional is portrayed with convincing complexity and appealing measures of both humor and earnestness. Some readers may anticipate the twist toward the end, but it still adds an interesting layer to this contemporary drama. Most characters read white; Chloe is Japanese American. Sadie is married to a woman. There’s a brief, entertaining encounter with a character from O’Clover’s Seven Percent of Ro Devereux (2023).

Review: The School for Invisible Boys by Shaun David Hutchinson

Nov 212023
 

Publishers Weekly: An 11-year-old navigating friendship troubles, mercurial blended family dynamics, and questions surrounding his sexual identity wishes to disappear—and abruptly does—in this heartwarming adventure by Hutchinson (Howl). Hector Griggs, who attends St. Lawrence Catholic School for Boys, isn’t a sports star like his older stepbrother. Instead, Hector prefers solitary activities such as reading, playing piano, and hanging out with his only friend, Blake. But Blake’s new pals constantly bully Hector, and when a major fight puts Blake and Hector’s friendship on the outs, Hector discovers that he can turn himself invisible at will. Now undetectable, he encounters invisible classmate Orson, who everyone believes has been missing for three years. As rumors of ghosts and rampaging monsters start swirling around school, Hector must save Orson and win back Blake from his unsavory new crew, all while evading frightening creatures. A subplot involving an undercover agent from a supernatural organization is somewhat thinly developed. Hutchinson nevertheless populates this optimistic novel with an organically diverse cast that helps to ferry insightful lessons about empathetic listening and problem-solving, broadening one’s horizons, and dealing with bullies, delivered via an entertaining series opener. 

Review: The Bachelorette Party by Carissa Ann Lynch

Nov 092023
 

Booklist: Get ready to travel to the French Quarter for a wild weekend. In Lynch’s latest, originally published as an e-book in 2022, Rosalee is excited to marry the man of her dreams and can’t wait to celebrate her upcoming nuptials in New Orleans. Her best friend, cousin, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and fiancé’s friend will all stay the weekend at a fancy historical mansion. The six will indulge in extravagant meals and a night on the town drinking and dancing. What could go wrong? As tensions begin to run high, the weekend will end in murder, and Detective Nina Smalls will be called upon to solve the crime. Rosalee must survive her bachelorette party in order to make it to the altar. This locked-room mystery is filled with nasty characters with sinister motives. Lynch explores themes of revenge, classism, and domestic violence. Readers will not see the twists coming in this thriller perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, and Shari Lapena.

The Engagement Party by Finley Turner

Nov 072023
 

Kass Baptiste is newly engaged to her fiancé Murray Sedgemont after a whirlwind romance. Before they even get to share the news, an invitation arrives via messenger – to an engagement party hosted by Murray’s parents. When Kass and Murray arrive at the Sedgemont Estate, she is astonished to learn that Murray’s family is one of the most powerful families in North Carolina. As Kass’s future mother-in-law, Beatrice, whips herself into a frenzy over the perfect party for the state’s elite, Kass begins to receive anonymous threatening social media messages.

On the night of the event, as champagne is popped and the celebrations begin, a body is found in the lavish home. All eyes are on Kass, the interloper amongst the rich and powerful guests. Over the course of the party , Kass’s dark past unexpectedly becomes intertwined with the murder, and in order to prove her innocence, she must finally come to terms with her secrets.

As Murray’s family secrets are revealed, Kass must prove herself innocent while evading the anonymous threats that haunt her every move.

Review: The School for Invisible Boys by Shaun David Hutchinson

Nov 062023
 

Kirkus: When bullying triggers Hector’s unsuspected ability to turn invisible, it seems like a superpower—but he’s not invisible to the monster lurking at school.

At home, sixth grader Hector faces bullying stepbrothers and a stepfather who values sports over piano. He was reconciled to his Catholic boys’ school thanks to best friend Blake—until Hector asked Blake to be his boyfriend, and Blake (despite having two moms) turned into a homophobic bully. After Hector discovers his power of invisibility while hiding from Blake, he encounters former pupil Orson, who’s been stuck there for years being invisible and pursued by the tentacled gelim, who entraps vulnerable students and feeds on their fears. As a gay boy and a Black boy (respectively) in a predominantly white school, Hector and Orson are easy targets. Wanting to save Orson and defeat the gelim, Hector finds allies in school librarian Mr. Morhill and Samantha, Mr. Morhill’s niece, a fellow student others perceive as a boy; Orson is also an active participant who supports Hector. Throughout his ordeals, Hector still hopes Blake will return to normal. This well-structured story is threaded with themes of misjudgment, misunderstanding, forgetting, and forgiveness. Both the visible and invisible worlds are evocatively described, and the characters are believably flawed. Despite mitigating circumstances, Hector’s swift forgiveness of Blake may sit uneasily with some readers, and while the gelim is suitably terrifying, the convoluted details about how it functions may be confusing.

Invisibility offers no protection in this well-paced, multilayered horror story.

October Translation Deals

Oct 312023
 

James Scott Bell’s POWER UP YOUR FICTION, to 21st Century Culture Center (Korea), by Sue Yang at Eric Yang Agency on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Donald Maass.

Micaiah Johnson’s THE SPACE BETWEEN WORLDS, to Editora 14 (Brazil), by Flavia Sala at International Editors’, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Cameron McClure.

Shaun David Hutchinson’s THE SCHOOL FOR INVISIBLE BOYS, to Nube de Tinta (Spain), by Amaiur Fernandez at International Editors’, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

K. Webster’s TRIPLE THREAT and DEATH WISH, to Grupo Portal (Brazil), by Cristina Purchio at International Editors’, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

Czech rights to Seth Dickinson’s EXORDIA, to Host, by Milena Kaplarević at Prava i prevodi in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Portuguese rights to New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop’s THE QUEEN’S PRICE, the latest book in her Black Jewels series, to Saída de Emergência, by Amaiur Fernández at International Editors’ Co. in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Portuguese (Brazil) rights to New York Times bestselling author Martha Wells’ ALL SYSTEMS RED, the first book in the Murderbot Diaries series, to Editora Aleph, by Cristina Purchio at International Editors’ Co. in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

LJ Andrew’s CROWN OF BLOOD AND RUIN and THE EVER KING, to City Editions (France), in a two-book deal, by Sarah Dray at Anna Jarota Agency, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

Melissa K. Roehrich’s LADY OF DARKNESS and LADY OF SHADOWS, to Heyne (Germany), in a two-book deal, by Sarah Knofius at Thomas Schlueck Agency, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

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