Happy Holidays from JVNLA!

January and February 2011 Releases

THE VIEW FROM LAZY POINT by Carl Safina

In the elegant, lyrical prose we have come to expect from Carl Safina's earlier books, SONG FOR THE BLUE OCEAN, EYE OF THE ALBATROSS and VOYAGE OF THE TURTLE, THE VIEW FROM LAZY POINT offers profound insights and environmental wisdom. The book follows Safina (New York Times contributer, MacArthur Genius Grant winner, and co-founder of the Blue Ocean Institute) through one year of observation and discovery from his home in Long Island, New York, to Alaska, Central and South America, and the Pacific and Polar regions. According to Safina, the environment's problems drive very real matters of human justice, well-being, and our prospects for peace. Nature and human dignity require one another.

But in Safina's hands, all is not doom and gloom. THE VIEW FROM LAZY POINT grants new insights into how our world is changing and what our responses should be.

“Solid science and excellent storytelling. A superb work of environmental reportage and reflection.” --Kirkus, starred review

Henry Holt, January 2011

TRAVELING LIGHT: POEMS by Linda Pastan

A new collection from a poet long recognized for her “unfailing mastery of her medium” (New York Times). Linda Pastan meditates on themes of aging and memory, language and art in this moving collection, where she travels from the Thanksgiving table, a “palimpsest / with traces of the past / showing through,” to Japan, where she dreams in haiku. “Pastan . . . expresses a full range of the possibilities and potencies of the human, feminine voice” (Boston Globe).

From "In the Forest"
The trees are lit
from within like Sabbath candles
before they are snuffed out.
Autumn is such a Jewish season,
the whole minor key of it.
Hear how the wind trembles
through the branches, vibrato
as notes of cello music.

W.W. Norton & Company, January 2011

PALE ROSE OF ENGLAND by Sandra Worth

Beauty is both a blessing and a curse for Lady Catherine, the Pale of Rose England. It is a blessing when it helps win her the heart and hand of Richard, Duke of York—pretender to the throne of England. But the gift becomes a curse when Richard is captured during his war waged against the crown and she is laid at the feet of the King in chains.

The King is as smitten with her beauty as was the challenger to his throne; ordering the chains removed, he names her lady in waiting to his Queen. But can his passion for her change the course of her affection for Richard--the disgraced, tormented husband who is trapped in the King's halls, who is planning the most daring of escapes?

“Luminous . . . impressive . . . Worth examines Elizabeth's life with a journalist's eye.” --Publishers Weekly, on THE KING'S DAUGHTER

Berkley, February 2011

THE TUDOR SECRET by C.W. Gortner

THE TUDOR SECRET introduces Brendan Prescott, a foundling reared in the Dudley household, as he arrives at court to serve as squire to the arrogant Lord Robert Dudley. Keen and ambitious, Brendan hopes to gain advancement in his post—until Lord Robert dispatches him on an illicit mission to the King's sister, Princess Elizabeth. A dark plot brews around Elizabeth's quest to unravel the truth of her brother King Edward VI's disappearance. Lured into her service as a spy, with only a bold stable boy and an audacious lady-in-waiting at his side, Brendan plunges into a ruthless gambit of half-truths and lies, pitted against the wiles of a vengeful opponent who may know the secret of his birth—a secret that could shatter everything he believes and cast a shadow over him, Elizabeth, and the future of England.

THE TUDOR SECRET is the first book in The Spymaster Chonicles, which depicts the rise of Brendan Prescott as a spymaster for Elizabeth I.

“Riveting...In Gortner’s capable hands, Prescott is a believable and enjoyable hero...Robert has depth...Gortner handles action with aplomb, adding a riveting, fast-paced thriller to...Tudor fiction.” --Publishers Weekly

St. Martin's Press, February 2011

HOLLYWOOD FOREVER by Susan Goldstein

April is a lovely month in Beverly Hills, California, but things are not going well for wealthy, spoiled Samantha Crowley, whose superstar husband has filed for divorce. Unhappy with what the law has to offer, Samantha embarks on her own agenda for "divorce justice.” But every person to whom she turns for aid in her scheme is dead within 24 hours of meeting Samantha. Then her husband is murdered. Samantha's life begins to resemble a 1940's noir in which she is both leading lady and number one suspect.

HOLLYWOOD FOREVER is a smart and humorous mystery chronicling the journey of a gutsy and irreverent heroine, from the pampered life to the alleys and landmarks of Hollywood, in search of a cold-blooded and cool-headed killer.

“Delightful...Goldstein supplies one surprise after another as the action builds to a suitable Hollywood ending.” --Publishers Weekly

Five Star, February 2011

November and December 2010 Releases

TEMPESTUOUS by Lesley Livingston

“I don’t love Sonny Flannery.” That’s the lie Kelley Winslow told to protect the boy she loves from a power he doesn’t know he possesses. Devastated, Sonny retreats to a haven for Lost Fae hidden deep beneath New York City. But Kelley’s not about to let things end in heartbreak. To get Sonny back, she’s got to find out who’s after his magick—and how to use her own. She’s got to uncover who’s recruiting Janus Guards to hunt innocent Faerie. She’s got to help rebuild the shattered theater company she called family. And she’s got to do it all without getting distracted by the Fennrys Wolf, whose legendary heart of stone seems to melt whenever he’s around Kelley.

The intrigue and romance that began with WONDROUS STRANGE and DARKLIGHT comes to a stormy head in TEMPESTUOUS, the breathtaking conclusion to Lesley Livingston’s urban Faerie trilogy.

“The third and final entry in the series that began with Wondrous Strange (2008), this ends the story just right...The romance! And the battles! And all the Shakespeare! It’s enjoyable [and] well plotted.” --Kirkus Reviews

Harper Teen, December 2010

THE FIRST BOOK OF SECONDS by Matthew Murrie and Steve Murrie

While some might think that being second is nothing more than being the first loser, THE FIRST BOOK OF SECONDS presents the perspective that being second can be magna cum laude. Rather than reproducing the same facts and rankings of other popular reference books, THE FIRST BOOK OF SECONDS takes a distinctive approach by presenting all of the amazing details concerning those who have eluded the first spot due to history, nature, or fortune. Check out this fascinating example:

“The world’s second largest land animal could fit inside of the world’s largest land animal with room to spare. What are these two animals? Elephants—both of them.”

Adams Media, November 2010

THE SWEETNESS OF SALT by Cecilia Galante

For the most part, Julia Winters has led an idyllic life. Except for the occasional outburst when her troubled older sister, Sophie, drops in for one of her always tumultuous visits, Julia’s life has been relatively happy. Now a senior in high school, Julia will be graduating at the top of her class, has a full ride to college, and is looking forward to starting a new chapter in her life.

But when Sophie shows up at the graduation ceremony determined to unload a family secret, Julia's plans come to a screeching halt. Instead of starting her prestigious summer internship, Julia follows Sophie back to Vermont. What follows is a season of revelations, some heartwarming, some heartbreaking, and all slowly pointing Julia toward a new understanding of herself, the nature of love, and why sadness is sometimes needed to bring out the sweetness in life.

"Like salt brings out sweetness, the drama draws out the sweet, sniffle-inducing ending."--Kirkus Reviews

Bloomsbury, November 2010

THE TRANSFORMATION OF THINGS by Jillian Cantor

Jennifer Levenworth's perfect suburban life begins to unravel when her husband is indicted for bribery and is forced to surrender his law license. Though he claims his innocence, the Levenworths are quietly booted out of the country club and their old life.

Things take another unexpected turn when, after a trip to her herbalist, Jen starts dreaming of her friends and family. She dreams of her former tennis partner Lisa falling into a deep depression, her best friend from the city Kat longing for an affair, her sister Kelly being overwhelmed by motherhood, and her husband deeply unhappy in his former life as a judge. As Jennifer begins to see the lives around her more clearly, she starts to decipher what it is she truly wants in her own life.

“Cantor puts a unique spin on this tale of a woman in transition.” --Booklist

Avon, November 2010

THE MASUDA AFFAIR by I.J. Parker

Still grieving the death of his small son, Akitada risks his freedom, career, and family to rescue an abused child from a life of misery. The search for the boy’s parentage leads him to a harrowing story of love, murder, and abandonment. Meanwhile, his faithful servant Tora loses his bride to a powerful man who pursues beautiful women and will stop at nothing to possess them. The trails of both cases lead Akitada among the prostitutes and courtesans of the amusement quarter, and murder soon follows his steps.

“Terrific.” --Publishers Weekly, starred review

Severn House, November 2010

DAKOTA by Brenda Marshall

The lives and schemes of frontier politicians, Northern Pacific Railroad executives, bonanza farmers, and homesteaders converge in this brave and moving epic set in late 19^th-century Dakota Territory. Emotionally complex, willful, and resourceful, Frances is seduced by the myths of opportunity driving the settlement of Dakota Territory and dares to dream of a new world in which to realize her unconventional desires. Kirsten, daughter of Norwegian homesteaders, observes the world around her with equal parts absurdity and insight as she grows from a voluble girl to a formidable woman. In DAKOTA, Marshall opens a window onto the history of a place little known and often misunderstood to tell an original tale of desire and ambition.

“A vibrant, teeming work, filled with feeling, intelligence, and ultimately grace.” --Peter Ho Davies, author of THE WELSH GIRL

North Dakota Institute, November 2010

September and October 2010 Releases

WHEN MOLLY WAS A HARVEY GIRL by Frances Wood

Thirteen-year-old Molly's father has recently died, leaving her 19-year-old sister Colleen in charge of keeping a roof over their heads. Unfortunately, there's not much money left and few options for young girls in the late nineteenth century. Colleen dresses Molly in women's clothing—good thing she's tall!—and both apply for positions at the Harvey Eating Houses—famous along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. To Molly's dismay, the plan works, and she soon finds herself far away from her friends in the heart of the Wild West working 12-hour shifts. Determined to get back home, Molly concocts a plan to marry off her sister. But will she be able to circumvent the elusive outlaw Genius Jim?

“Wood's prose is dense with the smells and tastes of a heroine's work.” --Publishers Weekly

Kane Miller, September 2010

THE KNEEBONE BOY by Ellen Potter

In the small English town of Little Tunks, everyone loves to gossip about the Hardscrabble family—in between avoiding them like the plague. Mrs. Hardscrabble mysteriously disappeared years ago, which is when 13-year-old Otto Hardscrabble stopped talking. Mr. Hardscrabble is frequently absent.

When their father has to go abroad for a few weeks, he sends the children—Otto, adventure-seeking Lucia, and whip-smart Max—to stay with a relative in London. Plans are bungled and the Hardscrabbles find themselves stranded in the city. Barely escaping the clutches of an angry, tattooed man, they manage to track down their great aunt Haddie Piggit, a young, eccentric American with a penchant for Pixy Stix living in a child-sized castle in Snoring-by-the-Sea. Soon the children discover they may be living next door to the Kneebone Boy, a horribly misshapen child who has figured in local legend for centuries. In trying to help him, they begin to have suspicions about his identity...as well as the identity of their mother.

“Fresh, funny and surprising...Wonderfully odd characters....A quirky charmer.” --Kirkus, starred review

“Often laugh-out-loud funny, this tale quietly solves a deeper mystery: how to heal the hearts of this immensely likable trio.” --Publisher's Weekly

Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, September 2010

July and August 2010 Releases

Hollywood Savage by Kristin McCloy--Miles is a successful writer whose latest book is being made into a high-profile movie in Hollywood. While in California writing the script, Miles begins to record escalating fantasies in his journal, fantasies that his glamorous New York wife is having an affair with Connor, one of Miles's young students in New York. Trapped between his fantasy world and the sun-buffed, egocentric society in which he finds himself, Miles wallows in his sense of betrayal. Meanwhile, a woman named Lucy gradually enters his life. Lucy seduces Miles's imagination with her searching mind, lack of guile, and unselfconscious motherhood. Inexorably, they move toward a passionate love-affair, a potent broth of guilt, infidelity, and loss.

With a mature cynicism and flair, Kristin creates profoundly memorable characters and relationships. She captures the flavor of New York City and the exploitive brashness of Hollywood. Her writing is terse and powerful, alternately lyrical and understated.

"...an absolutely fascinating narrator. McCloy’s raw prose and Miles’s wild unpredictability will keep readers hooked as Miles flirts with a potentially catastrophic crash and burn." —Publisher's Weekly

Washington Square Press July 2010

Parenting Apart by Christina McGhee--Unlike other experts, who get bogged down in elaborate theories about divorce and child development, McGhee presents practical tips for meeting a child's needs. Her argument--that children can not only survive, but also thrive following their parents' divorce-- is convincing and inspiring.

McGhee, an internationally acclaimed divorce coach and parent educator, understands that parents sometimes need their hands held, too. Her narrative voice hits exactly the right notes of sensitivity and structure.

Berkley August 2010

Storm Mountain by Tom Birdseye--It's stupid, all right, and it's all Ty's fault! It was Cat's impulsive, irrepressible cousin Ty's harebrained idea to spread the ashes of their late fathers at the summit of the same treacherous mountain that claimed both their lives. Now Cat must put all her mountaineering knowledge to work if they are to survive Storm Mountain and a snow storm that might become as dangerous as the one their fathers encountered seven years ago.

STORM MOUNTAIN is a gripping wilderness adventure lightened by humor and made truly memorable by the young protagonists, whose struggles help mend their fractious relationship and strengthen the bond formed by shared tragedy.

"Dramatic, insightful." --Publishers Weekly on award-winning author Tom Birdseye's JUST CALL ME STUPID

Holiday House August 2010

May and June 2010 Releases

All good things must come to an end. Fortunately for Enola fans around the globe, some good things, at least, manage to end quite well. Enola's relationship with her famous brothers Sherlock and Mycroft is finally resolved in Enola's final adventure, in a most unlikely context at that--including gypsies, a peculiar coded message from Mum, tracking dogs, quantities of mud, midnight, cutthroats, and, of course, the daring rescue of a lovely and helpless missing lady.

“In this concluding book in the series, Enola, true to her previous adventures, uncovers multiple social injustices lurking beneath the pomp of Victorian England....Enola, the quintessential spunky heroine, navigates the historical setting with the pluck of Nancy Drew but within the constraints of her upbringing....Springer takes time with her conclusion, letting this final series installment play out well and wrap up loose ends.” --Horn Book Review

Philomel May 2010

Driving side-by-side with her son on the way to a week-long family vacation, Laura Lucas watches helplessly from the adjoining highway lane as her son Whit is killed in an accident. Three months later she remains paralyzed with a grief that strains her marriage and family. Trouble brews when Elliot Hatcher moves in next door. Twenty-eight-years-old, engaging and outgoing, Elliot draws Laura out of her despondency with his cavalier grace and joie de vivre. Does her affection for this boy-child arise out of her need to fill the void left by lost son? Or is it something else entirely . . . something transgressive, dangerous—and yet alluring all the same?

Secrets, betrayal, and the cold, hard brutality of chance collide in this captivating exploration by an award-winning, developing talent.

Pegasus May 2010

New York Times Bestselling author Phillip Margolin's SUPREME JUSTICE opens with a bang during an attempted one-man mutiny on Captain John Finley's The China Sea, a vessel packed with the kind of lucrative goods that criminals would kill for. Finley is the sole member of his crew to survive the attack, and he escapes with contraband in tow. Too bad he doesn't notice the car trailing him as he flees the scene of the crime.

This high-octane opening by the New York Times bestselling author of FUGITIVE (“a plot set on full boil”--Publisher's Weekly) and EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE (“.38 special hot”--USA Today) becomes linked with a controversy that envelopes the US Supreme Court. The Court is split over a case weighing the validity of the protection of state secrets against the rights of a convicted citizen on death row. Amidst the failed assassination of a Supreme Court Justice and the blackmailing of the president that results in a corrupt judge's entrance into the case, law clerk Brad Miller must navigate the cross-hairs of a conspiracy of murder and drug smuggling.

Harper May 2010

Stalking your ex. Meeting your new in-laws. Dancing like a fool at your high school reunion. Procreating. Chances are, you will find yourself taking on at least one of these regrettable activities during a long life of unwise choices. And the situation will undoubtedly call for a cocktail – but which one?

Other books may teach you how to mix drinks, but How to Booze goes one step further, serving up the one perfect cocktail for every situation that might arise in your life (and a few that hopefully won't). With nearly 100 classic, easy-to-make recipes, How to Booze offers clear instruction on how to mix a masterful drink with a minimal amount of fuss -- and plenty of insight into managing your life, too.

“This book’s gimmick—half bartender’s guide, half advice column—is a good one, and reading it is like getting a talking-to from a bartender who’s seen it all...[Kaye and Altier] keep the patter snappy...with entertaining entries for such unique crises as “Drowning Out the Ticking of Your Biological Clock” and “Realizing Your Child Is a Fucking Idiot”....The drinks advice is remarkably good, from empowering explanations of cocktail fundamentals to variations on classics that are well worth trying.” —Booklist

Harper May 2010

To some she was the ruthless queen who led France into an era of savage violence. To others she was the passionate savior of the French monarchy. In this brilliantly imagined novel, C.W. Gortner brings Catherine to life in her own voice, allowing us to enter the intimate world of a woman whose determination to protect her family's throne and realm plunged her into a lethal struggle for power. From the fairy-tale chateau in the Loire Valley to the battlefields of religious wars to the mob-filled streets of Paris, THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI is the extraordinary, untold journey of one of the most maligned and misunderstood women ever to be queen.

“Remarkably thoughtful in its insight into an unapologetically ruthless Queen.” --Publishers Weekly

“Meticulously researched . . . vivid.” –Library Journal

Ballantine May 2010

Set in the small town of Hartfield NY, Tedrowe's debut depicts the shock waves set into motion by the marriage of one middle-class family's 78 year-old-matriarch to a wealthy, 81-year-old outsider. Winnie Easton has finally found love with Jerry Trevis, but their decision to buy one of the town's biggest homes ignites an outburst from Jerry's family, grounded in facts about Jerry that Winnie has yet to discover. With so much riding on Jerry's money, Jerry's rapid physical decline forces hard decisions within the family, as well as renewed loyalties, and surprising alliances.

Reminiscent of Jonathan Franzen's THE CORRECTIONS, but with dash of feminine perspective, Emily Tedrowe's debut novel is a powerful, heartbreakingly funny drama about the powerful, combustible forces of love and money, how the intersection of both can pull a family together--or threaten to take it all down.

“Tedrowe...shows great promise in her compassionate, nuanced depiction of love--among the old and young alike--and her confident handling of alternating, multigenerational narrators.” --Publisher's Weekly

“In her wonderfully cohesive debut novel, short-story writer Tedrowe graduates to elegant novelist with a winding, convincing familial drama about the ties that bind and the bonds that bend to the breaking point...A lovely and literate family drama that wins bonus points for its sincerity and open-hearted delivery.” --Kirkus

Harper Perennial June 2010

Freshly back from a weekend in Paris with her beau Sage, Quinn becomes engaged, with the flashy diamond solitaire to prove it. The proposal was everything she'd ever hoped forso why does that fast-approaching wedding ceremony feel more to her like a sentence than a cause for celebration? Maybe it has something to do with the wild side she never could manage to shake, the way she can still put down drinks “like a college girl.” Or is it the buried grief over her father's untimely demise?

Whatever it is, she better figure it out fast. As Quinn wobbles uncertainly through the months leading to The Big Day, she comes into contact with universal truths about self-acceptance, grief, and loss, finally reaching an understanding of love, commitment, and the imperfections of life.

“First-novelist Rowley creates credible characters and situations with sharp dialogue and apt descriptions, and wisely lets a personal perspective embody the story of a national disaster.” —Booklist

Avon June 2010

Upcoming April 2010 Releases

In the tradition of PERFECT MADNESS and THE FEMININE MISTAKE, Laurel Kennedy's THE DAUGHTER TRAP is the first book to identify a hot-button issue that directly affects 39.2 per cent of Boomer women: No matter how many husbands and siblings factor into the equation, it's almost always the daughter who gets handed the parental role in taking care of aging parents. And women (who are caught between the competing demands of frail parents, a working spouse, school-aged kids and a full-time career) are being taxed to their physical and emotional limits.

St. Martin's Press April 2010


















Hailed as the saviors of democracy, vilified as a scourge on the native biota everywhere they have been introduced, rainbow trout are the repository of more than a century of American's shifting relations with the natural world. Through a series of fascinating characters, this book will chronicle the discovery of rainbow trout, their introduction to every state in the country and every continent except Antarctica, and the reasons that, even while they are being eradicated in some waters, they are still the most commonly stocked fish in the United States.

"With prose as engaging as it is thoughtful, Halverson has crafted a cautionary tale of ecological trial and error, documenting our tardy but increasing understanding of biological interdependence and its immeasurable value.”--Washington Post

Yale University Press April 2010


















Reaching a milestone of 400 million active users, Facebook, the Web’s dominant social ecosystem and an essential personal and business networking tool in the wired world, continues to grow at a record-breaking pace. What comes of these millions of connections? Stories.

A modern-day CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL from a seasoned lifestyle writer with extensive experience writing people profile articles, FACEBOOK FAIRYTALES is a collection of roughly twenty-five of the most inspiring stories that have resulted from these “kismet connections,” and includes material from an exclusive interview with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

"What does the world look like when a billion people are using social networks and they can share even more than they're able to today? A lot more things will be possible . . ." --Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, from the Introduction of FACEBOOK FAIRYTALES

Skyhorse April 2010


















New York Times Book Review Editors' Pick!!

"Very, very good . . . page after page [of] unrelenting truth ... When asked if Night Navigation is based on her own life, Ms. Howard replied, '... the core of the story springs from real events in my own family's life . . . Like Del Merrick, the mother in Night Navigation, I have received many calls in the night, driven many miles on snowy roads to support meetings: Al-Anon, where I've been encouraged to “let-go,” and to National Alliance on Mental Illness groups, where I've been advised to “hang on.” . . . So smooth a telling of a rough ride that you'd think it was the author's fourth, fifth or sixth book, not her first . . . A major accomplishment. Ginnah Howard is a writer to watch.” --Washington Times

"The strength of this story pulls Howard's readers along, unable to turn away from a fierce mother and son who are determined to negotiate the future without having to 'detour around every moment of their past." --New York Times Book Review

Mariner paperback April 2010


















Edgy and disarming, Springer's newest is tale of Jessie, a young teenager who has recently lost her older brother Jason, the apple of her mother's eye. Her mother, paralyzed by grief, has been neglecting Jessie. Struck with an unusual idea, Jessie decides to dress up just like Jason in an attempt to pull her mother out of the shocked stupor of her loss. The plan works wonders.

But trouble brews when Jessie continues on to school still dressed as her brother, and is confronted by her friends, teachers, and the administration. Things take a turn for the worse when Jessie, visiting Jason's grave, is seized by--something as her novel plan begins to spiral dangerously out of control...

Holiday House April 2010


















Think A DANGEROUS BOOK FOR YOUNG WRITERS!

Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter have received thousands of fan letters. They majority of them have asked the same question: How do you write?

Ao Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter being the industrious, intrepid, and experienced writers that they are--Anne is the uathor of over forty books for young readers, Ellen is the author of SLOB, PISH POSH, and the Olivia Kidney series--decided to coauthor a lively and upbeat book about that very topic. Eschewing strict and boring writing rules, Anne and Ellen talk about their own approaches to writing and guide young readers to find what works best for them.

"Agreeable, practical, and commonsensical . . . engaging and always appealing” --Booklist

"Cogent and invaluable." --Publishers Weekly

Roaring Brook Press April 2010


















Raised by her loving father, Hallie has been told all her life that her mother died tragically during Hallie's infancy. What happened to her family thirty years ago that lead her father to steal her away and hide the truth past even his own demise?

Searching for answers, Hallie travels to the remote island where her mother lived, where she quickly realizes her family's dark secrets are enmeshed in the history of this strange community. Maybe it's just the eerie atmosphere, but Hallie can't shake the feeling that strange things are about to happen . . .

"An engaging modern gothic tale with a strong female protagonist and well-done suspense. Fans of Mary Higgins Clark and Barbara Michaels and readers who like supernatural elements in their fiction will enjoy this debut.” --Library Journal

Holt April 2010

First Review for Webb's TALE OF HALCYON CRANE!!!

Waiting for that very first review from the press must be stressful, especially for a debut novelist like Wendy Webb.

But if this Library Journal review, the first for the upcoming HALCYON CRANE, is any indication of what's to come, Wendy's got nothing to fear (expect maybe that creepy girl from Holt's spectacular cover art, or the many chills 'n thrills from Wendy's imagination lying in wait within the book's covers . . .)


















An engaging modern gothic tale with a strong female protagonist and well-done suspense. Fans of Mary Higgins Clark and Barbara Michaels and readers who like supernatural elements in their fiction will enjoy this debut.”—Library Journal

THE TALE OF HALCYON CRANE has it all . . a complex, atmospheric tale that will remind you of why you first loved reading.” --Patry Francis, author of THE LIAR'S DIARY

“The perfect cozy read.”—Mary Sharratt, author of The Vanishing Point and Daughters of the Witching Hill

Holt April 2010

Upcoming February and March 2010 Releases

What are the Four Rs? Reading 'riting, 'rithmetic, and Rufus, of course! Rufus is back, with even more of his puppy friends. Spend a day in school with the clever canine as they read, write, count, and sing--and make mischief in the library.

Charlesbridge, February 2010


















There's nothing ten-year-old Lily Sinclair likes about her new life in the city with her single mom. She misses her best friend, who seems to have forgotten her and their secret place, Willowood. She almost never sees her hard-working mom, can't get her to tell Lily anything about her absent father. Her only source of comfort is her beloved pet gecko, Weemis. Everything changes when Mrs. Hiller introduces Lily to the owner of the Pet Palace, a nearby pet store, and his adult Down's syndrome son, Nate. Lily finds herself with an unofficial after school job--and forges a tentative friendship with Nate that's threatened by a dark secret about Nate that Lily has yet to discover.

Aladdin (Simon & Schuster), March 2010

“THE LANGUAGE OF SECRETS is a psychological mystery with emotional under-pinnings that will have you puzzled and intrigued right up to the moment Dixon’s sleight-of-hand is revealed.” —Sue Grafton

"A lovely, compelling debut novel. Aptly titled, THE LANGUAGE OF SECRETS explores the ramifications of loss, the aftermath of tragedy, and the sometimes terrible cost a child can pay for a parent's guilt." --Kristin Hannah, New York Times-Bestselling author of Firefly Lane

DoubleDay, March 2010

CASE OF THE CRYPTIC CRINOLINE nominated for Edgar Award!!

Nancy Springer is no stranger to the Edgar Award, having won in the Best Juvenile category not once, but twice--for LOOKING FOR JAMIE BRIDGER in 1994 and for TOUGHING IT in 1996.

But two things make her current nomination for 2009 Edgar Award THE CASE OF THE CRYPTIC CRINOLINE extra-special: this is the second time that Springer's critically-acclaimed Enola Holmes series, starring the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes, has been nominated for the award; the first title in the series, THE CASE OF THE MISSING MARQUESS, was also up for the award in 2006.

Secondly, the double nomination for the series (could it be Springer's third win?) will likely to provide a nice boost to the concluding chapter in the Enola Holmes saga: CASE OF THE GYPSY GOODBYE, coming May 2010!


















Philomel May 2010