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).

HEIRESS AMONG THIEVES by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Jun 242025
 

When teen heiress and heist leader Olivia Owens receives an invitation for her cold-hearted grandmother’s seventieth birthday at the family’s inherited Swiss castle, only one thing entices her to accept: the vault full of gold waiting in the castle’s frigid dungeons. Assembling her old crew of high school criminals, now including her boyfriend Jackson, Olivia feels more prepared than ever for grand theft.

But not everything is what it seems when they arrive. For starters, the reunion turns out to be less of a party and more of a wake. Her grandmother announces that she’s dying … and plans to be buried with her fortune. Suddenly the entire greedy Owens clan turns their eyes toward Olivia’s target. It’s hard enough to steal something everyone’s looking at, but an old backstabber, a new suitor, and an uninvited guest add fuel to the fire until Olivia is desperately trying to hold the pieces of her plan—and her crew—together.

As Olivia faces her family’s dark legacy of deceit, grift, and maybe even murder, she’s forced to weigh how deeply she loves Jackson with how her love might destroy him. She didn’t choose her family, but now she has to choose—who she loves, who she trusts, and who she’s willing to risk to get what she wants. In a family of thieves, this might cost her everything.

May Translation Deals

May 312025
 

Catalan rights to New York Times bestselling author Martha Wells’ ALL SYSTEMS RED, ARTIFICIAL CONDITION, and ROGUE PROTOCOL, the first three installments in the New York Times bestselling Murderbot Diaries series, to Rayo Verde, by Elena Rodríguez at International Editors & Yáñez Co’ S.L. in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Polish rights to New York Times bestselling author Tamsyn Muir’s GIDEON THE NINTH, HARROW THE NINTH, and NONA THE NINTH, the first three books in the Locked Tomb series, to Grupa Wydawnicza FILIA, by Milena Kaplarević at Prava i prevodi in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Brazilian Portuguese rights to New York Times bestselling author Tamsyn Muir’s HARROW THE NINTH, the second book in the Locked Tomb trilogy, to Alma Books, by Cristina Purchio at International Editors’ Co. in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Slovene rights to LJ Andrews’s THE MIST THIEF, to Zeleny Kocur, by Prava I Prevodi in association with Katie Shea Boutillier.

Slovene rights to New York Times bestselling author Martha Wells’ ALL SYSTEMS RED and ARTIFICIAL CONDITION, the first and second books in The Murderbot Diaries, to Aktivni Mediji, by Milena Kaplarević at Prava i prevodi in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Swedish rights to New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop’s HEIR TO THE SHADOWS, the second book in the Black Jewels series, to Quadrifolia, by Jules Rosier at Sebes & Bisseling Literary Agency in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Ukrainian rights to Robert Sheckley’s THE STATUS CIVILIZATION, IMMORTALITY INC and DIMENSIONS OF MIRACLES, plus several short stories, to Lobster, by Prava i Prevodi, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Cameron McClure.

Review: THE REBEL’S GUIDE TO PRIDE by Matthew Hubbard

May 212025
 

School Library Journal: Hubbard’s second novel finds 17-year-old Zeke stuck in a territory all too familiar with teenagers. Part of him hangs on to his past as the star pitcher on his high school baseball team, a straight-A student on his way to the University of Alabama, and destined to join the family law firm. Another part of him is him is struggling to accept his own identity as a gay man who wants to do everything he can to rebel against his father and the life he envisioned. This convergence comes to a head when his Alabama small town’s first Pride event is cancelled, and Zeke’s father is involved. To save Pride, Zeke and his friends start hosting secret events to subvert a new ordinance banning LGBTQIA+ events disguised as legislation meant to protect children. This novel explores topics ripped straight out of today’s headlines from the perspective of a newly out gay teen struggling with his own understanding of what it means to be gay. Zeke’s ongoing grapple with his identity and the one that was forced on him is universal. Additionally, Hubbard adeptly demonstrates why Pride is important to the LGBTQIA+ community, while at the same time reaffirming that there is no right or wrong way to be your authentic self. VERDICT Fans of Becky Albertalli’s Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda and Trung Le Nguyen’s The Magic Fish will fall in love with Zeke and his story.

Starred Review: OUT OF AIR by Rachel Reiss

May 142025
 

School Library Journal: Phoebe, nicknamed Phibs by her friends, has lived in Boca Chica Key, FL, with her grandmother since her mother mysteriously disappeared. She’s always felt connected to the ocean, is an expert diver and underwater photographer, and seems to possess a sixth sense about the underwater world. She often feels out of place among her wealthier Key West friends, but her unique gift brings them unexpected social media fame, leading to a dream dive trip to Marimont, off the coast of Australia. This trip offers Phibs a chance to spend a final, glorious summer with her friends, including Gabe, whom she secretly hopes will become more than a friend. On a dive in Marimont, Phibs feels the ocean calling her to explore a crack she sees in the seabed, which leads to a magnificent underwater cave. It’s like nothing she’s ever seen, but Phibs and her friends soon learn some things are best left undisturbed. The story unfolds through alternating time lines, weaving together present-day events with flashbacks that reveal details about what happened to the group before Marimont. This narrative technique, paired with an engaging writing style and some shocking twists and turns, is sure to thrill. Romance, mystery, horror, adventure, treasure hunting, and a love letter to diving all combine to make this a compelling read. Fans of The Outer Banks will find themselves hooked from the first page. VERDICT A refreshing, original debut, this book is a must-have addition to any YA collection.

OUT OF AIR by Rachel Reiss

May 132025
 

The deeper you go, the darker you fall.

Phoebe “Phibs” Ray is never more at home than when she’s underwater. On a dive six months ago, she and her four closest friends discovered a handful of ancient gold coins, rocketing them into social media fame. Now, their final summer together after high school, they’re taking one last trip to a distant Australian island to do what they love most – scuba dive.

While diving a local reef, Phibs discovers a spectacular underwater sea cave, rumored to be a lost cave with a buried treasure. But when Phibs and her best friend Gabe surface from the cave, they notice that they’re undergoing strange changes. Oozing gashes that don’t heal. Haunting whispers in their heads… Something has latched onto them, lurking beneath their skin, transforming them from the inside out.

When treasure hunters arrive, desperate to find the location of the cave and hold Phibs’ group for ransom, she’ll do anything to keep her friends safe. In the process she learns that, of all the dreadful creatures of the sea, she might be the most terrifying of them all.

Deal: Melissa K. Roehrich

May 072025
 

Melissa K. Roehrich’s Legacy series, a dark fantasy romance featuring a woman bound to the heir of death who fights not only the fate thrust upon her, but the temptation to lose herself to desire, including three previously self-published books and one original title, to Alexandra Sunshine at Kensington, in a major deal, in a four-book deal, by Katie Shea Boutillier (NA).

Children’s Book Council’s 2025 Librarian Favorites!

May 022025
 

Congratulations to Jose Iriarte and Shaun David Hutchinson as both BENNY RAMIREZ AND THE NEARLY DEPARTED and SCHOOL FOR INVISIBLE BOYS made the Children’s Book Council’s 2025 Librarian Favorites list, and their 2025 Teacher Favorites list!

April Translation Deals

Apr 302025
 

Croatian rights to New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher’s THE AERONAUT’S WINDLASS and THE OLYMPIAN AFFAIR, Books 1 and 2 of The Cinder Spires, to Lumen, by Milena Kaplarević at Prava i Prevodi in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Hungarian rights to New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher’s COLD DAYS, Book 14 of The Dresden Files, to Delta Vision, by Nada Popovic at Prava i Prevodi in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Hungarian rights to Michael Livingston’s NEVER GREATER SLAUGHTER, to Peko, by Milena Kaplarevic at Prava I Prevodi, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

Polish rights to Robert McCammon’s THE PROVIDENCE RIDER, to Vesper, by Milena Kaplarevic at Prava I Prevodi, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Cameron McClure.

Polish rights to Katherine Addison’s THE GOBLIN EMPEROR, to Nowa Basn, by Prava I Prevodi, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Cameron McClure.

Portuguese rights to New York Times bestselling author Tamsyn Muir’s GIDEON THE NINTH, the first book in the Locked Tomb series, to Infinito Particular, by Elena Rodríguez at International Editors’ Co. in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Ukrainian rights to LJ Andrews’s THE BROKEN KINGDOMS SERIES, to Bookchef, in a three-book deal, by Milena Kaplarevic at Prava i Prevodi on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

Ukrainian rights to Caitlin Starling’s THE STARVING SAINTS, to Yakaboo, by Prava I Prevodi, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Caitlin McDonald.

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