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Jenny Geras, Senior Commissioning Editor for Fiction, has bought two new books by Lucy Diamond from agent Lizzy Kremer at David Higham Associates. Lucy Diamond’s latest The Beach Café has been a top 50 bestseller and her previous novel Sweet Temptation was a Bookseller Heatseekers no. 1 and shortlisted for the Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance. Lucy Diamond is a pseudonym for bestselling children’s writer Sue Mongredien.

Jenny Geras said: ‘Sweet Temptation and The Beach Café have taken Lucy’s sales to a whole new level and we’re all thrilled to have bought two new books. Lucy occupies a very special place on our women’s fiction list; she writes about the lives of real women, and their lives and problems, with warmth, charm, and humour.’

Pan Macmillan will publish Lucy Diamond’s next novel Summer with My Sister in June 2012, and these two new novels will follow in Summer 2013 and Summer 2014.

(Taken from booktrade.info)

Great news for Lucy Diamond fans, we’ve loved a lot of her books and think the cover makeover has certainly updated her books! Congratulations to Lucy/Sue on the new deal!

Some of you may or may not be familiar with Deborah Voight. For those of you who are not you should, at a bare minimum, get to know her beautiful music. As stated in her own biography Voight, “is one of the world’s leading dramatic sopranos, internationally revered for her performances in the operas…”. Personally, as someone who is passionate about not only music, but also women’s issues I was extremely to see the following announcement in the NY Times late last week and announced in Publishers Weekly on Tuesday…

Deborah Voigt, the renowned soprano, has sold her autobiography to HarperCollins, the publisher announced. The book, tentatively titled “True Confessions of a Down to Earth Diva,” is scheduled for publication in 2013. The memoir will detail Ms. Voigt’s dramatic ups and downs throughout her career, including her famous battles with her weight.

Ms. Voigt, 50, said in a statement, “It’s time for me to step up and share my story because I know there are lots of other people, especially women, who are out there suffering in silence.” Jonathan Burnham, the publisher of HarperCollins, called the book an “unbelievably honest narrative of a woman caught in a dangerous cycle of addiction and illness who overcame her demons in an utterly triumphant way.” Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

This is a story I’m eagerly awaiting and absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on. As someone who has also struggled with weight (who hasn’t?) as well as being a huge fan of hers I cannot wait to hear her side of this tremendous journey. For me, definitely a memoir worth reading. What about you?

Yesterday morning I received notice that one of my absolute favorite Chick Lit authors has formally announced another book deal with one of my favorite publishers! Abby McDonald who has three books published with Candlewick Press currently (Sophomore Switch, Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots, and The Anti-Prom), has another on the way in the Spring of 2012 called Getting Over Garrett Delaney and is now set to release a fifth titled Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood! According to Abby’s blog post about her deal for Getting Over Garrett Delaney she mentioned that the fifth book, which we now know will be titled Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood, will be released in the Spring of 2013 and I can’t wait! Take a look at the press release from Publishers Weekly for more details…

Liz Bicknell at Candlewick Press has bought Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood by YA author Abby McDonald, a modern-day spin on Sense & Sensibility, the tale of two broke teen sisters as they move from San Francisco into a relative’s Beverly Hills guest house, and navigate their strange new world while trying to keep their hearts (and original noses) intact. It’s McDonald’s fifth novel at Candlewick Press, and Kaylan Adair will edit. Rosemary Stimola of Stimola Literary Studio was the agent.

There have been a slew of recent Book Deal announcements recently, so here are the ones that caught our attention:

Lesley Lokko has signed a new four-book deal with Orion. Her latest book A Private Affair is out in July with the new book of this new deal out in 2013!

Coronet has bought two novels from Jessica Thompson. The first is This is a Love Story, which is a romantic comedy following Nick and Sienna who are both “scared of taking the risk when it comes to love”. It’ll be out in 2012.

Coronet has also bought a novel from Tess Daly (host of Strictly, married to Vernon Kay) called The Camera Never Lies which is out in October.

HarperCollins have bought a trilogy of novels from Lucy Lord. The books will be called Revelry, Vanity and Treachery and the first book will be out in 2012.

Danielle (our American Weekends editor) reviewed Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman earlier this year and the novel will be published in the UK in January 2012 by Abacus.

Hodder have acquired a Jane Austen marriage guide called The Jane Austen Marriage Manual by Kim Izzo and it will be out in 2012.

Hodder have also signed two more novels from Ciara Geraghty, with the first book in that deal Finding Mr Flood out later this year.

We got an email yesterday telling us that the fabulous Lisa Jewell has signed for another three novels with Random House! Her next book The Making of Us is out in May (which I can’t wait for!) with the first of her new deal out in 2012! Here’s the official press release:

Kate Elton, Publisher of Century and Arrow, has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to three new books by novelist Lisa Jewell. The deal was struck with Jonny Geller at Curtis Brown. Century has published Lisa Jewell since 2009 with The Truth About Melody Browne followed in 2010 with After the Party, the long awaited follow up to Ralph’s Party.

This new deal comes as Century and Arrow reveal a bold and ambitious new cover treatment for Lisa Jewell. The b-format of After the Party is published next month, followed a month later with a new book The Making of Us, in trade paperback (covers attached).

Lisa Jewell has sold over 1 million copies of her books in the UK to date. Her first book Ralph’s Party was the fastest selling debut of 1999 and since then she has written a further 8 novels all of which have been Sunday-Times bestsellers.

The Making of Us is a grown up sophisticated read, ‘Lisa Jewell has moved up a gear into David Nicholl’s territory with The Making of Us, which stands out as a fresh, contemporary story and a real must-read’ Bookseller’s Choice, The Bookseller

Kate Elton says ‘I’m absolutely delighted that we have a new deal with Lisa. With The Making of Us she’s written her best book to date, and our re-package will appeal both to her core market, and to the legions of readers looking for immensely high quality storytelling and a simply unforgettable novel. We’re all hugely excited to now be planning the next few years of Lisa’s career, and further building her reputation as one of the most talented British writers working today’

Jonny Geller says ‘Lisa’s writing is loved and admired by other writers as well as by booksellers and readers. The Making of Us will break out her readership even further and with Century/Arrow’s great team behind her, she has a very exciting few years coming up’

Lisa Jewell says ‘I am overjoyed to have signed up for another three books with Century. Kate and her team are incredibly supportive and inspiring and I feel like part of a big, happy, functional family.’

Wayne Brookes at Pan Macmillan has acquired UK/Commonwealth rights to two new novels from Joanna Rees via Vivienne Schuster and Felicity Blunt at Curtis Brown. Rees will move from Transworld to Pan Macmillan for her next novel, TORN, to be published in spring 2012.

Brookes said: “Torn is epic storytelling at its very best, and as soon as I read the first chapters I knew I had to have it. Full of glamour, corruption, murder and romance, this is what a real blockbuster novel should be. It spans the decades, taking sibling rivalry to a whole new level. Torn is like your favourite soap opera all wrapped into one mammoth novel and will appeal to fans of Penny Vincenzi and everyone who found themselves devouring the pages of Kane and Abel.”

Rees commented: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to become a Macmillan author and delighted to be working with a creative editor of the calibre of Wayne Brookes. Torn is my most ambitious project to date and I feel very lucky to have the expertise of the excellent Macmillan team behind it.”

(Taken from Jo’s website)

As you may, or may not know, this will be Joanna’s third name change for her books! She’s been Josie Lloyd, Jo Rees and is now using her full and proper name with Joanna Rees! I look forward to the book it sounds very intriguing!

Avon has signed a spate of new year deals with an additional four-book deal for Trisha Ashley, two new novels from Claudia Carroll, and two debut authors’ first offerings.

Commissioning editor Kate Bradley secured a further four-book deal with Ashley, acquiring world English rights through Judith Murdoch. Bradley said: “We are delighted to be continuing our successful partnership with Trisha who has just spent the six weeks up to Christmas embedded in the Sunday Times Top Ten. Trisha has the knack of creating clever and witty romantic comedies that tick all of the right boxes but don’t fall into lazy cliches—her legion of ever growing and evangelical fans are testament to this.”

In another deal, editorial director Claire Bord has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to two novels by bestselling author Claudia Carroll through agent Marianne Gunn O’Connor. Bord said: “Carroll writes with lashings of humour and charm and is a unique voice within the genre of women’s fiction.” The first of the two-book deal will be published as paperback in summer 2012.

Bord has also bought UK, Commonwealth and translation rights to two novels by debut author Stella Newman through Cathryn Summerhayes at WME. The first book, Pear-Shaped, follows the story of Sophie Klein as she falls in love with the too-good-to-be-true James Stephens. Bord said: “I fell in love with Pear-Shaped as soon as I read the first page . . . She is a real talent.” Avon will publish in January 2012.

Taken from TheBookseller

I’m thrilled with this news! I love Trisha Ashley’s novels and adored Claudia Carroll’s latest book so I’m looking forward to more from her! I’m not entirely sure if Stella Newman’s novel is Chick Lit but it sounds intriguing and it’s definitely one I’ll be keeping an eye out for!

Last week the lovely Gemma Burgess told me some wonderful news: She was on the verge of signing a deal with American publisher St Martins Press. It was all hush-hush at that point, but Gemma has been given the OK to tell the world about it. Here’s what she says on her blog:

“Well, I have some news. (Clears throat.) I’m writing a new book series for St Martins Press in NYC.

I’ve been dying to tell you guys about it for the longest time – since May, when I first began working on it with them – but then I didn’t want to jinx myself. (A watched proposal never sells.) But now I finally can.

It’s called UNION STREET. The official line is ‘the first in a series of novels about a group of young women living together in a brownstone in hip, downtown Brooklyn, and trying to figure out love, life, and adulthood.’”

You can find out EXACTLY how it all came about by reading it on her blog (it’s well worth the read, it’s a fab story).

As you know I am a huge fan of Gemma’s. I love her style of reading, I adored her first two novels and I’ll be keeping an eye on release dates for this new series as it sounds amazing and if there is any author out there who deserved that book deal it was Gemma!