While many people love fall to watch the leaves change colors, enjoy cooler temperatures and participate in exciting events, fall is also a wonderful time to read a good book. Here are our in new books, authors and news . . . our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
New Releases
Congratulations to Jamie Sumner and Atheneum Books for the September 5th release of Maid For It.
From the acclaimed author of Roll with It comes a relatable and deeply moving middle grade novel about a girl who, in a desperate bid to keep her family afloat, takes over her mom’s cleaning jobs after an injury prevents her from working.
Now that Franny and her newly sober mom have moved to a cozy apartment above a laundromat, Franny’s looking forward to a life where her biggest excitement is getting top grades in math class. But when Franny’s mom gets injured in a car accident, their fragile life begins to crumble. There’s no way her mom can keep her job cleaning houses, which means she can’t pay the bills. Franny can’t forget what happened the last time her mom was hurt: the pills that were supposed to help became an addiction, until rehab brought them to Mimi’s laundromat and the support group she hosts.
Franny will not let addiction win again, even if she has to blackmail a school rival to help her clean houses. She’ll make the money and keep her mom sober—there’s no other choice. But what happens if this is one problem she can’t solve on her own?
Congratulations to Leslie Leyland Fields with Paul Willis and IV Press for the September 5th release of A Radiant Birth: Advent Readings for a Bright Season.
The first Christmas sermon preserved in church history was preached by St. John Chrysostom in AD 386, in which he declared, “Behold a new and wonderful mystery!” In this volume, the Christian literary writers of the Chrysostom Society reflect on Advent and Christmastide as a bright and meaningful season of anticipation and glory. Through forty-two readings from the first Sunday of Advent through Epiphany, contributors prepare us in watchful waiting for the coming of Jesus. We enter slowly so that the familiar can astonish us and become wondrous once again.
Jesus is born in Bethlehem. But not only there. He is also born in us, that we might bear his presence and impart his goodness to the world.
Congratulations to Jenn Schultz and Esther Press for September 5th release of She’s Not Your Enemy: Conquering Our Insecurities So We Can Build God’s Kingdom Together.
Find freedom from jealousy and insecurity as you rest in your true worth and identity in God. Complete with reflection questions, journaling space, and accompanying teaching videos, She’s Not Your Enemy helps you move beyond habits of self-protection and create a culture of community.
Sometimes the women in our lives feel like enemies: The colleague who threatens your position at work. The friend who talks behind your back. The woman who seems to have it all together—while you are barely hanging on.
But the real enemy is the one who is trying to defeat you with lies that lead to isolation, insecurity, and division. She’s Not Your Enemy equips us to battle Satan’s deception through the solid truth of God’s Word. Popular blogger and podcast host Jenn Schultz comes alongside us to explore:
How we find true joy when we recognize our unique roles in God’s kingdom
- What we lose when we see other women as competition
- What to do about envy, jealousy, people-pleasing, and perfectionism
- Why we will never be “enough” on our own—and why that’s great news
- How our view of God affects our view of ourselves and others
When we find our worth and identity in God, we can cultivate empathy and compassion for those we have labeled as the enemy—including the woman in the mirror—and live with greater joy.
Congratulations to Carolyn Leiloglou and Waterbrook Publishing for the September 12th release of Beneath the Swirling Sky.
After an experience he’d rather forget, Vincent is determined to be done with art. So when he and his little sister, Lili, spend spring break with their art conservator great-uncle, Vincent’s plan is to stay glued to his phone.
That is, until Lili disappears into one of the world’s most famous paintings and Vincent learns his parents have been hiding something from him: Their family is the last of The Restorationists, a secret society with the power to travel through paintings—and a duty to protect them from evil forces.
With Lili’s safety on the line, leaving art behind is no longer an option. Vincent must team up with his know-it-all second-cousin Georgia, wrestle with why his parents lied to him, and confront both his past and a future he never wanted. Young readers are invited into a captivating universe where paintings become a portal—and adventure and danger lurk beyond every canvas.
Contracts
Meryl Ashley Cantley Herr signed with InterVarsity Press for the January 2025 release of When Work Hurts.
Jennifer Strickland signed with Regnery Publishing for the October 2024 release of I Am A Woman.
Robert Bruce Jameson III signed with Penguin Random House for the November 2024 release of Everything is Never Enough.
Michaela O’Donnell signed with Baker Publishing for the August 2024 release of Life in Flux.
Meryl Ashley Cantley Herr signed with InterVarsity Press for the January 2025 release of When Work Hurts.
What We’re Celebrating
Congratulations Katie Powner! The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass received Starred Review from Library Journal.
“Powner’s real-life experience as a seasoned foster mother shines through in this tale of finding treasure in the people and things that others have cast aside. Readers will be clamoring for more.”
WordServe Water Cooler 