Tag: deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Amber Chen, YA Fantasy

  Posted at 2:03 pm by Laura, on July 11, 2025

  

  I am absolutely overjoyed to share the news that Amber Chen, author of the #1 Sunday Times bestselling duology Of Jade and Dragons and The Blood Phoenix, will be coming out with a brand new duology in fall 2026 and 2027, beginning with An Auction of Souls!

  Kelsey Murphy at Viking has acquired An Auction of Souls by Amber Chen (Of Jade and Dragons), a YA fantasy duology that follows a girl who runs a legendary magical auction house, whose life is upended after a stranger shows up wanting to sell a soul. She must embark on a dangerous journey with two Hell guardians to save her grandmother and unravel the mystery of the soul—before hell is literally set loose on earth. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Laura Crockett at Triada US negotiated the two-book deal for world English rights.

  A few years ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing the manuscript that became Of Jade and Dragons. I remember thinking how great it was, too. Though I did not offer representation at the time, Amber was an author whose career I wanted to follow. Her manuscript stuck with me. I’m not sure if other agents feel this way, but there are a few authors out there whose work I’ve read at the querying stage (and enjoyed but passed) who have great careers now, and it makes me smile to see them thriving with their agent. I don’t necessarily see it as a missed opportunity for passing on their projects or not offering rep (or offering rep and not being selected)––because I truly, firmly believe they are with their perfect agent match.

  But sometimes things happen in publishing and the author needs to seek new rep. I was so happy to have been on Amber’s radar still, and when I saw the premise and sample of An Auction of Souls as well as some other project ideas in the works, I knew I needed to work with her. I wasn’t going to let this second chance pass me by!

  …and the rest is history!

  Congratulations, Amber! And if you haven’t already, add An Auction of Souls to your TBR!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 0 Comments | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Chloe Gong, YA Dystopian

  Posted at 1:46 pm by Laura, on July 11, 2025

  

  I am extremely delayed in sharing this news on the blog, but still so very excited to share the news that Chloe Gong’s YA dystopian trilogy, beginning with COLDWIRE, will be publishing in Fall 2025, 2026, and 2027!

  Sarah McCabe at McElderry Books has acquired Coldwire by Chloe Gong (These Violent Delights), the first in a YA dystopian trilogy. It’s set in the near future where life has moved to virtual reality, following an ousted corporate soldier racing to clear her name of treason alongside the enemy who is truly guilty. Publication is set for fall 2025; Laura Crockett at Triada US did the high six-figure deal for North American rights.

  Readers outside the US, rejoice! Hodderscape acquired the rights for UK Commonwealth, and it will also be translated into Portuguese (in Brazil and in Portugal), German, Polish, and Spanish. Hopefully more languages to come!

  The wonderful news was announced publicly in June 2024, but actually this deal was negotiated way back in July 2023. I was in the beginning stages of addressing my burnout, and was [admittedly] so nervous about pitching a dystopian, science fiction project…and a trilogy to boot. That genre and that series format is so immensely, indescribably difficult to break into and convince a publisher to acquire, to take that risk and commit. But Chloe, Sarah, and I managed to make the magic happen, and we are so beyond thrilled to be at the head of this dystopian revival in YA literature! It’s amazing how much can change in two summers.

  Check out all the ways you can preorder COLDWIRE by visiting Chloe’s website!

  Congratulations, Chloe!!!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 0 Comments | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Crystal Seitz, YA Fantasy

  Posted at 4:52 pm by Laura, on December 12, 2024

  

  I am absolutely overjoyed to share the news that Crystal Seitz, author of debut Inheritance of Scars, will be coming out with two new YA standalones, beginning with Beast Becomes Her!

  Sarah McCabe at McElderry Books has bought Crystal Seitz’s (Inheritance of Scars) next YA fantasy, Beast Becomes Her, and an untitled standalone in a six-figure, two-book deal. Pitched as an exploration of feminine rage and toxic masculinity via Wednesday meets Stalking Jack the Ripper with a Norse myth spin, the novel follows Edith, who is sent to Skallagrim Academy to be among berserkir like herself. But when a student is attacked, and a handsome huntsman suspects Edith is behind it, Edith must set out to prove her innocence and avoid the hunter’s crosshairs or become the killer’s next victim. Publication is set for spring 2026; Laura Crockett at Triada US sold North American rights.

  You could say Crystal and I were in each other’s orbits for a while. A few years ago she had queried me what became Inheritance of Scars. I’d read a sample of it and saw a lot of promise. She found representation elsewhere, and was able to sell the project to Sarah McCabe at S&S Children’s McElderry imprint. But between the sale and the time to turn in option materials (next project for publisher consideration), Crystal and the agent had parted ways.* When Crystal asked Sarah for agent recommendations, Sarah provided a list––and my name was on it!

  I am so thrilled I was one of Sarah’s suggestions, because within a day of Crystal sending the proposal materials to me I knew I wanted to represent Crystal for her career. She learned so much on her journey with Inheritance, and Beast Becomes Her is just SO feminist and angsty and full of rage and commentary on toxic masculinity and UGH YES, and seeing the pitches of her other WIPs (works in progress) made me so excited for all the possibilities of her career. We clicked on the offer call, and as they say…the rest is history!

  Add Beast Becomes Her to your TBR, and getting into the wintery spirit of the season by purchasing Inheritance of Scars!

  * This is the nature and truth of the business. Sometimes the author and agent grow apart creatively. Sometimes the author and agent struggle to communicate or they want different things. I’ve lost a few clients for these reasons, and almost a third of my clients were previously represented elsewhere before our partnership. Seeking new representation is quite common! I’m sharing this because I want others who may be in a similar boat to know that you’re not alone if you find yourself seeking new representation. At the end of the day, you want an agent––your advocate and business partner––who is not only excited and passionate about the subjective, artistic, creative material you’ve produced, but is also on the same page as you in regards to supporting and strategizing your career. I am glad Crystal queried me again!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 0 Comments | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Annie Cardi, YA Contemporary

  Posted at 10:39 am by Laura, on December 12, 2024

  

  I’m happy to share that Annie Cardi, author of the powerfully moving novel Red, will have another equally urgent and powerful novel coming out in 2026: Winter White!

  Ardyce Alspach at Union Square Kids has acquired Annie Cardi’s (Red) next retelling, Winter White. This YA adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, centered around domestic abuse and the opioid epidemic, follows a teen girl living in rural Maine with her domineering father. When a boy from her past reappears, she finds solace in his kindness and strength in his help as she uncovers the mystery of her identity. Publication is slated for early 2026; Laura Crockett at Triada US Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.

  After Red‘s publication, Annie’s publisher expressed interest in seeing more classic retellings, and Annie was happy to oblige. We created a massive list of ideas, with summaries and pitches and (in some cases) whole outlines for different classic narratives paired with modern issues and topics that teens face daily. The publisher narrowed it down, and then Annie followed her gut from those options and wrote a proposal for the project that most interested her and she felt most passionate about.

  I’m so glad Ardyce and Union Square agreed! Winter White is going to be a balm for teens within and adjacent to similar circumstances. Edits are currently underway, and I’ve already been moved to tears. This is gonna be a great book, friends––keep your eyes peeled!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 0 Comments | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Laura E. Weymouth, Adult Fantasy

  Posted at 10:56 am by Laura, on December 11, 2024

  

  I’m thrilled to share––even belatedly––that the wonderful Laura E. Weymouth is finally publishing her adult magnum opus: the Daughters of Light duology containing The Castle & the Cloister and The Starlight & the Flame!

  YA author Laura E. Weymouth’s adult debut THE CASTLE & THE CLOISTER and THE STARLIGHT & THE FLAME, a political duology following a wet nurse, a pacifist queen, and a warrior priest as they attempt to alter the fate of a continent shattered by war, pitched for fans of PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE and the Farseer trilogy, to Nivia Evans at Saga Press, in a very nice deal, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2026, by Laura Crockett at TriadaUS Literary Agency (NA). UK rights to Kate McHale at Del Rey UK, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal.

  As I shared in the YA deal announcement, Laura and I have danced around one another for years, and to finally be able to work with her and bring this special project to shelves is an absolute dream come true for both us. I’m excited for you to read it! Add The Castle & the Cloister to your TBR shelves!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 0 Comments | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Laura E. Weymouth, YA Fantasy

  Posted at 2:37 pm by Laura, on June 6, 2024

  

  I am so excited to share (albeit a little belated!) that Laura E. Weymouth is coming out with a new YA fantasy, Steel & Spellfire!

  Nicole Fiorica at McElderry Books has acquired Laura E. Weymouth’s (The Voice Upstairs) next YA fantasy, Steel & Spellfire, pitched for fans of Divine Rivals and The Witch Haven. A gifted mage with clandestine romantic connections to a Royal Guard joins the court social season in an attempt to undo past wrongs, only to fall under suspicion when a creature with powers like her own begins slaughtering her fellow debutantes. Publication is set for summer 2025; Laura Crockett at Triada US did the deal for North American rights.

  Laura is no stranger to publishing, nor to our agency. But I am elated to represent her and her work. She has such a gorgeous way of writing fantasy worlds with compelling characters that grip your heart. Steel & Spellfire is no different!

  Funny story, though. Years and years ago, in the early days of my career, Laura had queried me a much earlier version of this project. There was a nugget of something there, something intriguing. Over time Laura honed her skills and grew in her craft. To be reunited with this project is such a joy––to see how far the project and Laura have come is a true pleasure as an agent.

  (I’ve seen the cover on this one. Friends, you’re gonna love it!)

  Add Laura’s Steel & Spellfire to your TBR and stay tuned for more news to come!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 0 Comments | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Tesia Tsai, YA Fantasy

  Posted at 8:23 pm by Laura, on May 28, 2024

  

  I am so happy to share the news (albeit a little belated!) that debut author Tesia Tsai YA fantasy, Deathly Fates, will be published! 

  Vanessa Aguirre at Wednesday Books has bought, in a preempt, debut author and Pitch Wars alum Tesia Tsai’s Deathly Fates. Siying, a priestess who reanimates the dead to shepherd them home, accepts a risky job guiding a prince’s corpse from a battlefield––only to find that he awakens more alive than dead. But as they work together to strengthen and preserve what life he has left, the truth of his death becomes a threat to the fate of the entire kingdom. Publication is slated for winter 2026; Laura Crockett at Triada US did the two-book deal for North American rights.

  Once upon a time…

  Way back in February 2021, back when Pitch Wars was still a thing (RIP), I requested a project titled THE ART OF DEATH. In a handful of days Tesia had received offers of rep and I was scurrying to read and throw my hat into the ring too. I do not know how many other agents offered, nor do I care––but I was over-the-moon thrilled that she chose me!

  What followed in our submission journey were all of these revision requests from editors. Changing the name of the protagonist, changing the perspective from third to first, adding in more horror, adding in more romance. Tesia toiled away on this project, polishing it bit by bit. It’s been an extraordinary journey, and we knew we were finally, surely, getting close to that perfect editor match. 

  I’m so glad we continued to persevere! Because we found the perfect person with Vanessa Aguirre. She adored the manuscript to pieces, she really understood Tesia’s intentions with the narrative on grand and minute scales. So much of publishing is more than hard work and revision––it’s also luck too. 

  The stars aligned!

  And the rest…is history.

  Congratulations, Tesia! You’re going to be a published author! 

   

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 1 Comment | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Tasha Suri, Fantasy

  Posted at 3:49 pm by Laura, on March 11, 2024

  

  I’m so happy to finally share the news that Tasha Suri (Books of Ambha duology and The Burning Kingdoms trilogy) is coming out with two brand new fantasy standalones!

  World Fantasy Award-winning author Tasha Suri’s next standalone fantasy novel about a knight and a witch who must change the fate of magic and the world by altering the end of their story, pitched as Green Knight meets The Starless Sea with reincarnation, to Priyanka Krishnan while at Orbit, with Tiana Coven editing, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2025, by Laura Crockett at Triada US Literary Agency (world).

  We’ve been waiting to share this news for a whole year. One whole year. It’s been agony to not speak of it, to generate buzz, to discuss research and tales and myths. It’s been so long, I’m not even sure what to say about it other than it’s sapphic, it turns Arthurian tales on its head, it makes you see British history through a different lens, it’s magical and whimsical, it’s dark and painful, and above all it’s so beautifully written it makes you weep.

  And that’s just one of the novels! I still can’t talk about the second standalone! *cackles*

  Congratulations, Tasha!!!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 0 Comments | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Annie Cardi, YA Contemporary

  Posted at 2:47 pm by Laura, on December 8, 2022

  

  I am so overwhelmingly thrilled to share the news that Annie Cardi is coming out with a new book, tentatively titled Red! 

  Ardi Alspach at Union Square Kids has bought, in a preempt, YA contemporary novel Red by Annie Cardi (The Chance You Won’t Return). Pitched as a nod to The Scarlet Letter in the #MeToo era, for readers of Speak and Grown, Red follows teenager Tess as her very personal decision goes public and, rejected and harassed, she seeks solace in music and uses her voice to end the cycle of abuse in her small town. Publication is planned for January 2024; Laura Crockett at TriadaUS did the deal for world rights.

  Once upon a time…

  Annie is such a perfect example of resilience and determination in this industry. She debuted in 2014 with The Chance You Won’t Return, represented by another agency. When she was querying for new representation, I read a sweet and fun manuscript of hers back in November 2017. I offered rep, and we’ve been working together since February 2018! We went on submission with two other projects over the years, all the while Annie was brewing a passion project…

  When I first read a sample of Red in summer 2019, I cried. I urged Annie to continue with it, and I was able to read a full manuscript in December 2020. Tess came alive, and Annie was touching upon deep issues that resonate with teens and adults across generations––the healing power of music and community, the toxicity of extremism and propaganda, the comfort and the struggles of religious faith, and (biggest of all) the physical and emotional impact of gaslighting and grooming. It was as if Annie read my soul and was also writing my dream passion project all at once. 

  Submission for this kind of project is extremely difficult. It taps into very heated topics of religion and politics, so I had to be careful with the submission and not take it personally if someone passed. But Ardi read the pitch, read the manuscript, and said to me: Wow. This was incredibly powerful and moving. She and Union Square Kids saw the same depth we did, felt the same gut-punch, and gave us an offer we couldn’t––and wouldn’t!––refuse. 

  And the rest…is history.

  Congratulations, Annie! Everyone, go add Red to your TBR! This is one you don’t want to miss. You will see yourself, a friend, a family member, in Tess. Keep an eye on this one…great things are in store for Annie and Red!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 0 Comments | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Deal Announcement: Molly Horan, YA Contemporary

  Posted at 2:04 pm by Laura, on November 15, 2022

  

  I’m thrilled to share that Molly Horan, author of Epically Earnest, has a new book coming out in Fall 2024!

  Lily Kessinger at Clarion has acquired an untitled book by Molly Horan (Epically Earnest), a contemporary YA novel in which 17-year-old Mia accidentally finds herself at the center of her classmates’ drama when her role as the theater club’s unofficial counselor goes public and her advice on life and love becomes a hot commodity, to mixed results. Publication is scheduled for fall 2024; Laura Crockett at Triada US negotiated the deal for world rights.

  As you can see, this is not Molly’s first book nor is it her first with Triada––but it is our first together! Molly’s agent last year was Elle Thompson, and when Elle left to pursue a career in law (we’re all rooting for her!) I offered to represent Molly’s incredibly voicey YA. I feel very lucky to work with her!

  And boy is this next book full of voice and humor and wit and character (and ace rep!)! Molly’s writing is so snappy and thoughtful and well-paced. I found myself laughing out loud in the opening chapters and nodding along. Swap the drama department for the music department (artsy kids, am I right?), and it’s like being back in high school. There’s a great undercurrent of raw teen emotion…I honestly feel like I’m sixteen again when I read her writing. I feel like I’m Mia.

  Keep your eyes peeled for a cover and title reveal! 

  Congrats, Molly! A second novel is on its way to publication!

  Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 0 Comments | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• 

• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

• Search the Blog

  Search for:

• Currently Reading

  

• Book Review Rating Key

  ★★★ — It’s good
  ★★★★ — It’s great
  ★★★★★ — OMG LOVE!!!

• Recent Posts

  • Deal Announcement: Amber Chen, YA Fantasy
  • Deal Announcement: Chloe Gong, YA Dystopian
  • MSWL for 2025
  • Favorite Reads of 2024
  • Deal Announcement: Crystal Seitz, YA Fantasy