New Spring Books

It’s been a long, seemingly endless winter here in NYC. Snow in April is not my idea of fun.  What is my idea of fun is looking ahead and seeing all the amazing books of ours that are being published this year.

I just returned from DC, where I had the pleasure of attending Steve Kistulentz‘s reading of his powerful debut novel, Panorama, at Politics and Prose (as well as the thrill of seeing the Michelle and Barack Obama portraits at the National Portrait Gallery).  I loved Steve’s novel from the moment I started to read it—and I read it from cover to cover in one fabulous weekend. Two years later, voila! Panorama continues to receive high praise, including these words from Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Robert Olen Butler: “A remarkable literary work…this is a stunning debut by an important new writer.”

Wade Rouse’s newest novel, The Recipe Box, written under the pen name Viola Shipman, is a hit right out of the gate. It landed on the MIBA bestseller list in week one, and has quickly become a favorite. Wade chose his pen name as a tribute to his grandmother, and writes beautiful, heartfelt stories like The Charm Bracelet (2016) and The Hope Chest (2017); The Recipe Box is his third novel centered on treasured family heirlooms. There was not a dry eye in the house when Wade delivered the keynote address at the Texas Library Association annual conference last week. These words of praise from #1 New York Times bestselling author Richard Paul Evans (The Christmas Box) say it all: “Filled with cherished memories and treasured recipes, The Recipe Box is a touching tribute to the women and food that unite us and connect our past to the present.”

Pray for spring weather…

Open Book: Will Lightning Strike Therese Anne Fowler Twice?

Publisher’s Weekly takes a look at Therese Fowler’s upcoming novel, A Well-Behaved Woman:

The name Vanderbilt carries a huge weight, conjuring images of mansions, robber barons, and even, in the 20th century, denim jeans. Most of us might be able to pull up “Cornelius” and more of us “Gloria,” but what do we really know about this huge and influential American family?

Therese Anne Fowler came up against this as she was looking for a follow-up to her massive 2013 bestseller, Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald. She faced the inevitable author dilemma: what next?

Next became A Well-Behaved Woman, the story of Alva Vanderbilt, the woman who brought the very rich but socially shunned Vanderbilts into New York society, which is set to be published in October by St. Martin’s. READ MORE

Bestselling Author Wendy Walker Takes Taiwan by Storm

If someone offers you a promotional tour of Taiwan, just say YES.


And then be sure you get to go too! I just returned from two weeks in Taiwan with bestselling author Wendy Walker (All is Not Forgotten and Emma in the Night). Our Taiwan publisher Ecus Books hosted us for a whirlwind tour that centered on the Taiwan International Book Fair and included 15 events—book signings, talks, panels, and media interviews in 10 days.

One highlight of the trip took place at the prestigious girls Jongshan School in Taipei. Wendy spoke to an audience of 100 girls about the career of a writer, and the importance of
developing a tool kit of skills that would help them succeed
in any career direction they chose. It was a thrill to see these charming girls line up after the talk to get signed copies of the books and get a picture taken with Wendy Walker.

Taiwan is a country of avid readers, warm and inviting people, and beautiful natural wonders. We experienced an earthquake (not recommended) and the colorful excitement leading up to the Chinese New Year (highly recommended).

The food of Taiwan is legendary and its reputation is very well deserved. We wined and dined at amazing local restaurants, sampling foods we might never have otherwise tried—stinky tofu, Thousand Year egg, sweet porridge, jellyfish, and a variety of dumplings that I will dream about for some time to come. Ecus’ CEO Vivien Chen hosted several dinners and treated us to killer cocktails that will remain a big part of our Taiwan memories.

 

 

We are grateful for the experience and the generosity and kindness of our hosts at Ecus Books and our co-agent in Taiwan, Whitney Hsu, who handled all the details to perfection. Thank you. Thank you, Thank you. You will stay in our hearts. You can find more fun photos on my Instagram at @wendysherman.

 

William Lashner’s New Middle Grade Series Sold to Disney

​I am ​thrilled to share the news that longtime WSA client, ​bestselling ​thriller writer ​William Lashner​, ​​ ​will be publishing his first middle​ ​grade​ fiction series with Disney-Hyperion! T​he series ​features twelve-year-old ​Elizabeth Webster, ​Attorney for the Damned, who discovers she is next in line to run the family legal practice…representing clients from the underworld.

​I partnered with my colleague Alex Glass​ at Glass Literary Management in this three-book deal sold at auction.

Happy FALL!

I always love this time of year.  Everyone is posting adorable pix on Facebook of their kids heading back-to-school. At WSA we have incredible back-to-work happenings on the heels of a very busy and successful summer.

Wendy Walker’s EMMA IN THE NIGHT launched huge out of the gate and continues to dazzle readers, as did the paperback of her previous novel ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN.  Our first Fall pub is Cheryl Reed’s thriller debut POISON GIRLS which has been compared to books by Laura Lippman. THE WELCOME HOME DINER by Peggy Lampman will be published next month.

On the non-fiction side of the list we have Sage Lavine’s WOMEN ROCKING BUSINESS, Emma Johnson’s KICK ASS SINGLE MOM and the most gorgeous book, CRYSTAL MUSE by Heather Askinose and Timmi Jandro.     

Stay tuned for lots of excitement in the weeks ahead!   WSA.

Welcoming Cherise Fisher

We are thrilled to share the news that Cherise Fisher has joined the agency as an agent. Cherise and I worked together for many years while she was an editor at Simon & Schuster and Editor-in-Chief at Plume, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Since the beginning of our collaboration we have sold two novels by Sadeqa Johnson Second House from the Corner and And Then There Was Me (St. Martins Press) and most recently, the groundbreaking book on​ co-parenting Blend by Mashonda Tifrere which will have a forew​o​rd by Alicia Keys and a chapter by Swizz Beatz (Tarcher/Perigee, an imprint of Penguin Random House).

Cherise has always been one of the most respected editors in the business and is now looking to build her list on the other side of the desk. You can learn more about Cherise and her areas of interest here.

EIGHT FLAVORS by Sarah Lohman

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If turkeys and gingerbread cookies have left you dizzy with spices, consider taking a break to read Sarah Lohman’s Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine​. ​

Eight Flavors is the story of the eight ingredients that have shaped American tastes, explaining how these flavors rose to popularity and what their presence says about our culture and history. Lohman, a historic gastronomist​ (say that 3 times fast)​, has spent her career researching the American palate​. Her knowledge spans centuries, social classes, and cultures. Covering standbys like black pepper and sriracha, as well as vanilla, soy sauce, garlic, curry powder, chili powder, and even MSG, her book is “richly researched, intriguing, and elegantly written,” according to Atlantic.com. Bustle.com says “Warning: This book will make you hungry.”

You can check out the New York Times’ charming account of her unusual work here​, and on her blog FourPoundsFlour.com​.

Reading THE CHARM BRACELET on the shores of Lake Michigan

This week, our Michigan-based intern read Viola Shipman’s  The Charm Bracelet, which is set in her own backyard. Here are her thoughts: 

Idyllic beaches, evening birdcalls, eager tourists, and homemade sweets shops—all of these take their place in the soft magic that is summertime along the Great Lakes. In The Charm Bracelet, Viola Shipman has made a vivid recreation of a Michigan beach town much like my own.Processed with VSCO with c1 presetI live in Grand Haven, Michigan, where I purchased Viola Shipman’s The Charm Bracelet and read it, enchanted, in a single sitting. Shipman’s descriptions of life in a lakeside town are spot-on. Like Lolly, I worked in a bustling ice cream store, spending my weekends handing Blue Moon triple-scoops to children fresh off the beach. I’ve watched in awe as fog sits atop the water, and listened intently as my mother explained the legend of the Manitou Islands. In this novel, readers can lose themselves in a beach town and find themselves in the three generations of women who navigate the fictional Scoops, MI.

With her band of tender and dynamic female characters, Shipman has given us a story that asks us to hold tightly to our histories, treat our loved ones gently, challenge our accepted routines, and weather the changes life brings.  You will love getting wrapped up in this sweet story, with characters, romance, and life lessons that grab the heart. Readers will find a quick and strong emotional attachment to the three generations of Lindsey women, as they each offer distinct personalities and charming qualities that stick with you long after the book is over. I cherished every last page of The Charm Bracelet—I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before I pick it up for another captivating read-through.

– Marie