Hey There
Welcome to my deals announcement page! I realize that not everyone has the access to subscribe to Publisher's Marketplace, so here you will find my latest deals and projects I'm incredibly excited for. You can also find a list of all published work with my authors on their pages.
Recent Deal Announcements
Children's: Picture Book Fiction
Emily Sun Li's MR. CHOW'S NIGHT MARKET, in which an old man who becomes very grumpy when he has to get up early to run his supermarket is gifted a little inspiration from his neighbors, help from his grandchildren, and a dash of magic from the store itself, and turns his supermarket into something astounding, illustrated by Yu-Ting Cheng, to Elizabeth Lee at Penguin Workshop, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2026, by Emily Forney at BookEnds for the author, and by Sol Salinas at Astound US for the illustrator (world English).
Children's: Picture Book Non-fiction
Author of KADOOBOO Shruthi Rao's WHEN SCIENCE STOOD STILL, a nonfiction picture book about the discovery of black holes by Indian physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar despite resistance from Western scientists of the time, illustrated by Srinidhi Srinivasan, to Nicole Fiorica at Margaret K. McElderry Books, in a two-book deal, for publication in the fall of 2025, by Emily Forney at BookEnds for the author, and by Miranda Paul at Erin Murphy Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).
Children's: Young Adult Fiction
Author of A RUINOUS FATE and A RECKLESS OATH Kaylie Smith's A RAGING HEART, the deadly finale between a witch and her fate, concluding the trilogy, to Kelsey Sullivan at Disney-Hyperion, for publication in summer 2025, by Emily Forney at BookEnds (world English).
Children's: Picture Book Fiction
Author of BOYS DON'T FRY Kimberly Lee's 100 DAYS, in which one girl fears losing her mother's attention when her sister is born, but as the 100-day period and the traditional Chinese full moon celebration approaches, the girl's love for her baby sister grows, illustrated by Michelle Jing Chan, to Trisha de Guzman at Farrar, Straus Children's, for publication in spring 2025, by Emily Forney at BookEnds for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).
International rights: UK Fiction
Author of young adult fantasy A RUINOUS FATE Kaylie Smith's PHANTASMA, an adult fantasy romance debut about a young woman entering a deadly competition in a haunted gothic mansion and striking a deal with a handsome spirit to survive challenges and uncover the secrets of the house, to Jack Renninson at Second Sky, in a two-book deal, for publication in September 2024, by Emily Forney at BookEnds (world English).
Children's: Middle Grade Fiction
Sarah J. Mendonca's AN ENCANTADORA'S GUID TO MONSTROS AND MAGIC, the first installments in a Portuguese-inspired fantasy series, in which to help save her family's charm shop when it's threatened by the all-powerful Ministry, Rosa Coelho joins a notorious band of thieves to steal a priceless jewel and discovers corruption that must be stopped in a magical, Ocean's 8-esque heist, to Meghan McCullough at Inkyard Press, in a two-book deal, for publication in the winter of 2025, by Emily Forney at BookEnds (world English).
Fiction: Thriller
Kamilah Cole's THE SINISTER ELITE, a speculative dark academia thriller about a college freshman haunted by a sense of deja vu that turns deadly when she finds a message scrawled on her skin written in her own hand that simply says REMEMBER, to Mary Altman at Poisoned Pen Press, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2025, by Emily Forney at BookEnds (world).
Children's: Young Adult Fiction
Hayley Dennings's BITTERSWEET POISON, During the most morally disruptive period in US history, Black bodies are experimented on and turned into bloodthirsty reapers and the Saint Empire is tasked with protecting human life, Saint heiress Elise must kill her childhood best friend turned enemy and reaper, Layla; but when a Saint member is murdered and reapers murmur about a cure, the two girls are forced into an alliance and must keep their confusing feelings in check, to Wendy McClure at Sourcebooks Fire, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in the fall of 2024, by Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary (NA). UK & Comm rights, at auction, to Natasha Qureshi at Hodder & Stoughton.
Children's: Young Adult Fiction
Sydney Langford's SOMETHING TO DAYDREAM ABOUT, in which Deaf 18-year-old Natalie spends a whirlwind summer teaching ASL to (and trying not to fall for) the lead singer of America's hottest boy band so he can communicate with his sister—all while trying to save her family's failing Deaf Center, to Elanna Heda at Disney Hyperion, in a six-figure deal , in a two-book deal, for publication in the spring of 2025, by Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary (world English).
Children's: Picture Book Fiction
Alana Tyson's DEVIN'S GIFT, in which a boy embarks on a journey to find the perfect gift for his friend's birthday, finding himself stuck between what everyone seems to think a boy might want and what he knows his friend really likes, illustrated by Ebony Glenn, to Talia Benamy at Philomel, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2025, by Tracy Marchini and Emily Forney at BookEnds for the author and Anne Moore Armstrong at The Bright Group for the illustrator (world).
Children's: Middle Grade Fiction
Jenna Lee-Yun's THE LAST RHEE WITCH, in which twelve-year-old Korean American Ronnie Miller agrees to attend summer camp to show her dad and her best friend she can be the "normal" kid they want her to be, but while at camp, Ronnie is haunted by a gwishin—and a dokkaebi witch hunter who threatens them both, to Christine Collins at Disney Hyperion, in a two-book deal, for publication in the spring of 2024 and 2025, by Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary (NA).
Children's: Young Adult Fiction
Elba Luz's BUILD A GIRLFRIEND, in which 18 y.o. Amelia is said to be cursed, like all the women in her family, to never keep a partner, and determined to break the curse and equipped with romance advice from her family, sets out to find all her exes, research why they broke up with her, and become the perfect partner she failed to be in the past—and maybe get revenge on an old ex along the way, to Dainese Santos at Simon and Schuster Children's, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in the fall of 2024 and 2025, by Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary (world English).
Children's: Young Adult Fiction
Sydney Langford's THE LOUDEST SILENCE, a dual-POV story that follows the friendship between 16-year-old singer Casey, who is grappling with sudden hearing loss, and soccer captain Hayden, whose generalized anxiety weighs on his every move, after the two teens bond over the shared dream of a life in music, to Alexandra Aceves at Holiday House, for publication in the summer of 2024, by Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary (world).
Children's: Young Readers
Holly Woolnough from HarperCollins UK has acquired three early reader books from Michelle Mohrweis that follow autistic Lily MacGuffin as she explores the impossible in her aunt's antique shop, solving problems, and going on adventures as a young neurodivergent apprentice. Emily Forney brokered the deal for world rights.
Children's: Young Adult Fiction
Elba Luz's LAST HELLOS AND FIRST GOODBYES, a debut YA rom-com about bisexual perfectionist Alany Delgado, whose vow to put her tragic past behind her and go to college loan-free comes to a screeching halt when her ex-childhood best friend shows up on the same scholarship contest-circuit as her, dredging up old memories (as well as new feelings) that threaten to disrupt her future, her relationship, and her carefully curated life plan, to Rebecca Kuss at Disney Hyperion, for publication summer 2024; Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary brokered the deal for world rights.
Children's: Middle Grade Fiction
Craig Kofi Farmer's KWAME POWELL: THE GREAT ESCAPE FROM ASAMANDO, after the death of his grandmother, a 12-year-old, who never fully identified with his Ghanian roots, is dropped into the Ghanian Underworld, where he embarks on a journey of self-discovery and uncovers his connection to the dead Mother Earth, and needs to outsmart trickster gods to find his way back to the living, to Emilia Sowersby and Emily Feinberg at Roaring Brook Press, in a six-figure deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2024, by Emily Forney at BookEnds (world English).
Children's: Picture Book Fiction
Kailei Pew's MONSTER ABOVE THE BED, pitched as a monstrous inversion of a classic nighttime fear, Blossom has the creeping feeling that something looms above her bed, and confronts her worst nightmare when she faces a human, illustrated by Steph Lew, to Gabriella Abbate while at Clarion, with Kait Feldmann editing, for publication in the fall of 2023, by Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary for the author, and by Kate Kendrick at Astound for the illustrator (world).
Children's: Young Adult Fiction
Kamilah Cole's SO LET THEM BURN, pitched as “Jamaican Joan of Arc” and inspired by Zendaya's 2018 Met Gala look, the story follows a 17-year-old girl who once wielded the magic of the gods to save her island from dragon-riding colonizers and must now save her sister from the same enemy — even if it means bargaining with a long forgotten god and ending the world, to Alexandra Hightower at Little, Brown Children's, in a two-book deal, in a six figure pre-empt, for publication in winter 2024, by Emily Forney at BookEnds (world).
Children's: Picture Book
Shruthi Rao's KADOOBOO!: A SILLY SOUTH INDIAN FOLKTALE, pitched as a retelling in which a boy's encounters on his journey home scramble the name of the food he's carrying, illustrated by Darshika Varma, to Kayla Tostevin at Page Street Kids, for publication in winter 2024, by Emily Forney at BookEnds for the author, and by Amanda Hendon at Advocate-Art for the illustrator.
Children's: Picture Book
Luana Kay Horry at HarperCollins has bought world rights to I SEE COLOR by Valerie Bolling (l.) and Kailei Pew(c.), illustrated by Laylie Frazier (r.). This nonfiction picture book turns the seemingly well-meaning phrase of "I don't see color" on its head by affirming the diverse palette of color in people's skin tones, while celebrating achievements of individuals who have worked to improve the lives of all people. Publication is planned for winter 2024; James McGowan at BookEnds represented Bolling, Emily Forney at BookEnds represented Pew, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented Frazier.
Adult: Fantasy
Sophie Kim’s adult debut THE GOD AND THE GUMIHO, a Korean contemporary fantasy about a fallen trickster god turned detective pairing up with a quick-witted and annoyingly alluring fox shapeshifter to track down a demon before it devours the mortal world, to Sarah Peed at Del Rey in a two-book deal, by Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary (world).
Children's: Young Adult Fiction
Author of YOU, ME, AND OUR HEARTSTRINGS Melissa See's LOVE LETTERS TO JOY CORVI, a YA contemporary retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac, Joy, a panromantic asexual girl with cerebral palsy who is determined to be valedictorian, seeks love advice from an anonymous student at her academy; but she's unknowingly writing to—and falling for—the last person she ever expected, to Tiffany Colon at Scholastic, for publication in the summer of 2023, by Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary (world English).
Children's: Middle Grade Fiction
Michelle Mohrweis's YOUNG ENGINEERS, in which an autistic seventh grader, with a love of all things space, finds herself paired on an engineering project with her biggest crush, and both girls confront their messy family dynamics, feelings for one another, and high expectations, to Jonah Heller at Peachtree, in an exclusive submission, for publication in the spring of 2024, by Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary (world).
Children's: Middle Grade Fiction
Emi Pinto's BEE BAKSHI AND THE GINGERBREAD WITCH, a modern retelling of "Hansel and Gretel" follows 12-year-old Bee who is self-conscious of her too-Indian family in a white community with a sinister secret, but her stress about fitting in is soon the least of her worries when she's drawn to a strange house and history begins to repeat itself, to Sara Schonfeld at Katherine Tegen Books, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in the fall of 2023 and fall of 2024, by Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary (world).
Children's: Young Adult Fiction
Kaylie Smith's WITCH'S DICE, in which a world on the brink of war, where one more Roll from a magical dice may set you down a dangerous path, Calla Rosewood joins a ragtag group of witches that ventures into a demonic enchanted forest to find a way to reset their fate only to discover the forest may be more than any of them bargained for, to Cassidy Leyendecker at Disney Hyperion, in a six-figure deal , in a two-book deal, for publication in winter 2023 and Winter 2024, by Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary (world English).
Children's: Middle Grade Fiction
Layla Hersch's YOUNG BLOOD, embedded with Jewish lore, the murder mystery follows adopted vampire brothers who play opposite roles in tracking down a killer, but little do they know the bodies are bait to hunt their own kind, to Peter Phillips at Tundra Books (PRH Canada), in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2023 and summer 2024, by Emily Forney at BookEnds (world).
Children's: Middle Grade Fiction
Michelle Mohrweis's THE TROUBLE WITH ROBOTS, in which two girls are thrust together in a robotics class, requiring them to not only prepare for their competition, but also find common ground while battling grief and feelings of otherness, to Jonah Heller at Peachtree, for publication in the fall 2022, by Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary (world).
Children's: Young Adult
OwnVoices cerebral palsy author Melissa See's YOU, ME, AND OUR HEARTSTRINGS, in which a violinist with cerebral palsy and a cellist with a need for perfection find one another through their shared love of music, while their talent takes them to stages that offer both opportunities and unwanted viral fame for all the wrong reasons, to Tiffany Colon at Scholastic, for publication in summer 2022, by Emily Forney at BookEnds (world English).
Children's: Middle Grade Non-fiction
Kailei Pew's KID MADE, an illustrated nonfiction round up of 40 kid inventors from across the globe, whose inventions are still used today, in an ode to the ingenuity, curiosity, and brilliance of young minds, to Holly West at Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), in a nice deal, for publication in summer 2023, by Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary (world English).
Children's: Picture book
Kimberly Lee's BOYS DON'T FRY, a picture book about a Malaysian boy who enthusiastically helps his grandmother prepare their family's New Year's dinner, all the while learning about the history of their traditional cuisine, illustrated by Charlene Chua, to Trisha de Guzman at FSG (Macmillan), at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in the spring of 2023, by Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary and by Tracy Marchini at BookEnds Literary for the illustrator (world).
Children's: Young Adult
Stephanie Cohen at Inkyard (HarperCollins) has bought world and audio rights to THE WRONG KIND OF WEIRD and a second book by debut author James Ramos. This YA contemporary love story celebrates a multicultural nerd culture club, and follows a Black teen on his journey to recognizing his own value and also his messiness in relationships that may not serve him anymore. The story explores geek humor, frenemy and clique culture, and a lighthearted yet introspective take on the identities and lives we live and shed in high school. Publication is slated for winter 2023; Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary brokered the deal.
Children's: Young Adult
Sophie Kim's LAST OF THE TALONS, an #OwnVoices fantasy, pitched as inspired by Korean mythology, in which a teen assassin has to kill a Dokkaebi emperor to save her sister, but falls for him instead, to Jen Bouvier at Entangled Teen, in a three-book deal, for publication in winter 2023, by Emily Forney at BookEnds (world).