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Leading cookbook agency The Ekus Group joins the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, operating as a boutique culinary division. 

Joining Partners, Jennifer Weltz, Alice Tasman, Ariana Philips, Agent, Alicia Brooks, and Junior Agent, Cole Hildebrand, Sally Ekus will spearhead cookbook and lifestyle titles as Senior Literary Agent, assisted by Literary Associate Ty Billman.

The January 2024 merger signifies JVNLA’s passionate commitment to cultivating the careers of writers across a diverse range of experiences and categories. The Ekus Group, established in April 1982 by Lisa Ekus, and now owned by Sally Ekus, has been the leading agency for cookbook authors, chefs, and culinary talent for more than four decades. In 2000, the business evolved from the first and only specialized culinary book PR firm in the country, to an exclusively culinary focused full-service agency. Their premier offerings include a nationally recognized media training program, talent agency, literary agency, and consulting services. Twenty years later, with Sally Ekus at the helm, The Ekus Group represents award-winning, best-selling, and emerging voices across all corners of the culinary bookshelf and has closed hundreds of deals with all major publishers and independent houses.  

“I have long admired The Ekus Group’s expertise in cookbook representation and Sally’s passion for untold culinary stories,” says Jennifer Weltz, President of JVNLA. “Welcoming Sally to our agency means JVNLA is at the forefront of one of the fastest growing niches in publishing, food and lifestyle, an area we are excited to expand.”

The relationship between The Ekus Group and JVNLA dates back to the origin of both trailblazing agencies. Founder Lisa Ekus’ first job in publishing was with the visionary Jean Naggar who established her eponymous literary agency in 1978. Jean’s unwavering commitment and dedication to her authors' careers and the tenacity to fight for their success on all fronts possible, set the stage and foundation for Lisa to start her own business just four years later. 

“In many ways, this agency alignment is like coming home,” says Sally Ekus, reflecting on the foundational parallels between the two second generation, women-owned agencies, “which for someone who has worked in a family business for 15 years is saying a lot.”

Sally brings with her the entire Ekus Group backlist, further strengthening the opportunities for The Ekus Group’s legacy authors, as well as opening her list to new clients across non-fiction. Sally will also continue offering consulting services, author trainings, and educational industry programs such as her How to Write a Cookbook course.

This joint endeavor underscores the unwavering commitment JVNLA and The Ekus Group have for their clients, and their clients’ career goals, and will specifically expand both agencies’ portfolios. 

To learn more about The Ekus Group visit www.EkusGroup.com and to learn more about JVNLA visit www.JVNLA.com. 

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Design by Victoria Skye Jones www.victoriaskyejones.com Instagram

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Murder at Black Oaks is now out in paperback!

For fans of Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr, the latest installment in Robin Lockwood’s adventures has just been released in paperback! Read what Booklist is calling “the gutsiest” of the series. 

In Phillip Margolin's Murder at Black Oaks, Attorney Robin Lockwood finds herself at an isolated retreat in the Oregon mountains, one with a tragic past and a legendary curse, and surrounded by many suspects and confronted with an impossible crime.

Defense Attorney Robin Lockwood is summoned by retired District Attorney Francis Hardy to meet with him at Black Oaks, the manor he owns up in the Oregon mountains. The manor has an interesting history— originally built in 1628 in England, there's a murderous legend and curse attached to the mansion. Hardy, however, wants Lockwood's help in a legal matter— righting a wrongful conviction from his days as a DA. A young man, Jose Alvarez, was convicted of murdering his girlfriend only for Hardy, years later when in private practice, to have a client of his admit to the murder and to framing the man Hardy convicted. Unable to reveal what he knew due to attorney client confidence, Hardy now wants Lockwood's help in getting that conviction overturned.

Successful in their efforts, Hardy invites Lockwood up to Black Oaks for a celebration. Lockwood finds herself among an odd group of invitees— including the bitter, newly released, Alvarez. When Hardy is found murdered, with a knife connected to the original curse, Lockwood finds herself faced with a conundrum--who is the murder among them and how to stop them before there's another victim.

Praise for Murder at the Black Oaks:

“Fans will rejoice to detect echoes of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Ellery Queen's The Siamese Twin Mystery, and countless puzzles by John Dickson Carr...An unapologetic valentine to golden age whodunits that sports its clichés as proudly as badges.” —Kirkus

“This is the sixth Lockwood novel, and it’s certainly the gutsiest...the risks pay off exceedingly well. Readers who enjoy a traditional legal thriller with some distinctly nontraditional story elements should really enjoy this one." —Booklist

Pick up your copy today!

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THE DAUGHTER SHIP by Boo Trundle is out TODAY!

“Trundle’s book is as cheekily humorous as it is deadly serious, a chaotic performance art piece wearing a novel as a disguise. A wildly strange reading experience that disorients and exhilarates in equal measure.” —Kirkus

Katherine, an attentive mother to her teenagers, comfortably married to her strapping provider of a husband, longs to overcome her dark thoughts and intermittent fears of sexual intimacy.

This brisk, mesmerizing version of her life is told in alternating short chapters by Truitt, Star, and Smooshed Bug—her inner children, each with their particular strategy for coping with Katherine’s past at the hands of a hopeless mother and a terrifying, seductive father. Several of her female ancestors, Confederate widows and their daughters, who’ve imposed a legacy of racism and damage on her bloodline, also join the telling.

The assembled ghosts and contenders for Katherine’s ear are gathered in a rusting WWII submarine off the coast of Virginia Beach where the truth of her life is, quite literally, submerged. Will they surface with it? Will they protect her from it, or deliver it to her? 

This unforgettable chorus of charming selves, battling over Katherine’s well-being, is unified by their hope for her future, as they collaborate to shape a personal narrative like no other we’ve experienced in fiction.

Check out The Daughter Ship by Boo Trundle, out today!

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A very happy paperback pub day to Sarai Walker's THE CHERRY ROBBERS!!!

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Exciting Promotions at JVNLA!!!

Alice Tasman and Ariana Philips Join as Partners at JVNLA

Cole Hildebrand is Promoted to Junior Agent

As JVNLA celebrates its 45th Anniversary, owner Jennifer Weltz is thrilled to announce that agents Alice Tasman and Ariana Philips have joined as Partners in the company.

Alice Tasman has been an agent at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency for over 25 years. She represents a wide range of award-winning writers with an emphasis on commercial and literary fiction, young adult and middle grade. Her clients have earned numerous awards, honors, and fellowships, including the Calvino Prize, the C. Hugh Holman Award, the Henfield/Transatlantic Review Award, the Mary Roberts Rinehart Award, the O. Henry Prize, the Saint Francis College Literary Prize, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Her clients' writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Los Angeles Times, Best American Short Stories, McSweeney's, Salon, A Public Space and elsewhere. Awards and honors for her children's writers include a Caldecott Medal Honor, Newbery Medal nominee, Midwestern Booksellers Association Award, Texas Bluebonnet Award, Edgar Finalist and International Thriller Writers Finalist.  Alice earned her BA from Brown University and her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College.

Ariana Philips has been at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency for over 10 years. Starting as an intern at the company, she now represents a wide range of award-winning fiction and non-fiction for both adults and children. In addition to being a full-time agent, she is the office manager, royalties manager and heads up audio and permission rights for the agency. Ariana attended Iona College, where she graduated with honors in English and Communications.

Additionally, Cole Hildebrand has been promoted to Junior Agent, representing literary and upmarket fiction as well as narrative non-fiction and poetry, while handling the Australia/New Zealand market.

Cole Hildebrand joined JVNLA in 2021 as an assistant, working alongside Jennifer Weltz in international rights, film rights, and contracts. Prior to joining the agency, he was Managing Editor at YesYes Books, working on manuscript acquisitions, event planning, website design, and publicity. He earned his B.A. from Lewis & Clark College and his M.A. from New York University.

“JVNLA’s mission statement sums up the core precepts of our agency,” says Jennifer Weltz, “We are a locus of guidance, support and partnership for our many authors. With Alice and Ariana joining as partners and Cole joining our roster of accomplished agents, I look forward to an exciting future where championing our authors’ literary careers is our passion and highest priority.”

Along with Agent Alicia Brooks, JVNLA looks forward to celebrating this milestone in the Fall in New York City.

JVNLA was started by Jean Naggar in 1978. Headed by Jennifer Weltz since 2013, current President of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA), JVNLA has grown tremendously over the past 45 years. The agency represents bestselling and critically acclaimed authors including Jean M. Auel, Maud Casey, Erica Cirino, Boyah J. Farah, Matt Goldman, CW Gortner, Bonnie Kistler, Phillip Margolin, Mary McGarry Morris, Linda Pastan, Ellen Potter, Carl Safina, Timothy Schaffert, Nancy Springer, and Sarai Walker as well as numerous prestigious literary estates. The agency's titles have been published in over 50 countries; featured in short story anthologies, magazines, and webzines; adapted for audio and showcased on big screen, small screen, and stage. As is stated on the website - “Our collaborative team redefines commitment and passion and our ideas seek out publishing's cutting edge with a bold business philosophy that has proved its worth.”

To learn more about JVNLA visit www.jvnla.com.

Contact jweltz@jvnla.com.

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Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency

216 E 75th St., Ste. 1E

New York, NY 10021

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Four AMAZING New Books Out This Week!!!!!

📚THE WITCH AND THR TSAR by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore 📚THE AMERICAN ADVENTURESS by C.W. Gornter 📚STARS IN YOUR HAND: A Guide to 3D Printing the Cosmos by Kimberly Arcand and Megan Watzke 📚A CHILD’S INTRODUCTION TO SPACE EXPLORATION by David J. Eicher and Michael E. Bakich

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UNRETOUCHABLE by Sofia Szamosi is out today!

A bold new voice tackles social media and image manipulation. Equally timely and thoughtful, Szamosi’s debut provides an unforgettable take on social media and our image-conscious society with an art style that recalls Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis.

“Unretouchable perfectly utilizes the form to talk about the consequences of images and how they can be manipulated.” -- Screenrant

“Szamosi employs witty narration and stark b&w ink to deliver a sincere, offbeat cautionary graphic novel of social media’s pitfalls, including its effect on mental health and body image.” --Publishers Weekly

“Soulful, playful, and full of heart, Unretouchable is a timeless coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of our modern, digital world. Szamosi has illustrated a narrative that is so visceral (and so relatable) that it invites a deeper understanding of readers' realities—past, present, and future.” --Aliza Kelly, author of This Is Your Destiny: Using Astrology to Manifest Your Best Life

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The Perfume Thief out in paperback TODAY!

The Perfume Thief by Timothy Schaffert is out in paperback today!

“Schaffert’s intoxicating blend of decadence and intrigue brings Nazi-occupied Paris vividly to life. Schaffert’s evocation of Paris and its wartime demimonde is sensual and alluring, but the heart of his novel is Clementine’s demonstration through her own adventures of how every life is its own heady perfume, distilled from the personal experiences of the individual. This is a rich and rewarding tale, as original and unique as the handiwork of its eponymous character.”

--Publishers Weekly, starred review, Summer 2021 Staff Pick 

“A hint of Moulin Rouge, a whiff of Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale, a little spritz of Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief—Schaffert's Paris-set page-turner is the exhilarating tale of a queer former criminal whose whims and wits just might help drive the Nazis out of the City of Lights. The Perfume Thief is a pulse-pounding thriller and a sensuous experience you'll want to savor.”

--Oprah Daily, Best LGBTQ Book of 2021

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Flying the Coop -- OUT NOW

“Roy packs a punch with this heart-wrenching sequel to The Freedom Race...As harrowing as it is gripping, this will leave readers anxiously awaiting the series finale.”--Publisher's Weekly

Dreams are promises your imagination makes to itself.

In the disunited states, no person of color—especially not a girl whose body reimagines flight—is safe. A quest for Freedom has brought former Muleseed Jellybean “Ji-ji” Silapu to D.C., aka Dream City, the site of monuments and memorials—where, long ago, the most famous Dreamer of all time marched for the same cause.

As Ji-ji struggles to come to terms with her shocking metamorphosis and her friends, Tiro and Afarra, battle formidable ghosts of their own, the former U.S. capital decides whose dreams it wants to invest in and whose dreams it will defer. The journeys the three friends take to liberate themselves and others will not simply defy the status quo, they will challenge the nature of reality itself.

“Every now and then a work comes along that makes you wonder whether you are reading or dreaming. And you’re not sure it matters which.”―Nikki Giovanni

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TOMATOES IN MY LUNCHBOX is out TODAY!

Check out Tomatoes in my Lunchbox by Costantia Manoli --- OUT TODAY!

"[A] beautifully told and illustrated story that expresses, with sensitivity and inspired use of figurative language, a child’s attempt to fit with the dominant culture―a common experience that will resonate with many readers and inspire empathy in others." ―Kirkus, starred review

A child, newly arrived in another country, feels displaced, lonely, and a little scared on her first day of school. Her name doesn't sound the way she's used to hearing it. She knows she doesn't fit in. And when she eats her whole tomato for lunch, she can feel her classmates observing her―and not quite understanding her.

But sometimes all it takes is one friend, one connection, to bring two worlds together, and gradually the girl, her tomato, and her full name, start to feel at home with her new friends and community.

This emotionally sweeping debut picture book by Costantia Manoli, with vibrant art by Magdalena Mora, artfully captures feelings of displacement and the joy that comes from forging new friendships.

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Happy holidays from JVNLA!!

Art by Sean Chiki 

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Thicker Than Water: The Quest for Solutions to the Plastic Crisis - OUT NOW!

EXCITING NEWS: THICKER THAN WATER is out NOW!

In Thicker Than Water, Cirino brings readers on a globe-hopping journey to meet the scientists and activists telling the real story of the plastic crisis. New technologies and awareness bring some hope, but Cirino's book shows that we can only solve the problem if we reevaluate and shift away from our modern throwaway culture, and rectify longstanding injustices.

"Cirino is a talented, lyrical writer who gets her hands dirty...a much-needed reminder that the plastics crisis isn't an isolated problem that can be solved with reusable shopping bags or a natural body scrub." --Cool Green Science

"In this time of multiple environmental catastrophes, you can superficially Google and despair or you can dive deep, inform yourself, and find your point of entry into meaningful action. Erica Cirino's Thicker Than Water very much belongs in the latter camp. It really is the book you need to read if you want to understand ocean plastic pollution but also be part of the solution." --Paul Greenberg, New York Times bestselling author of Four Fish and The Climate Diet

“Thicker Than Water takes you on an engaging journey through the many challenges of plastic pollution and diverse emerging solutions. Told through Erica’s own personal experiences of epic sailing adventures at sea and connections made on land, it’s a comprehensive guide to the plastic problem and what can be done to tackle it.” --Emily Penn, director of eXXpedition

“As I travel around the world aboard SeaLegacy 1, I can see with my own eyes the crisis Cirino so eloquently describes in the pages of Thicker Than Water. The ocean plastic pollution problem is solvable and it will require us to understand how it came about and who the culprits are. Thicker Than Water is an engaging narrative exploration of an issue that affects us all.”--Cristina Mittermeier, cofounder of SeaLegacy

“Erica Cirino traveled 10,000 nautical miles to bring readers an up-close look at their full scope, from the open sea to communities protesting more plants and more pollution. Cirino compellingly narrates the complexities of plastics' unfolding history, as communities, states, and nations figure out how society might change its relationship to this enduring material.”--Rebecca Altman, PhD, writer and environmental sociologist

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Mary Sharratt has a new essay up on Literary Hub about women getting older and the importance of reading about it. Check it out!

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Mary Sharratt’s REVELATIONS is a must read! 

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GRACE AND BOX was featured on Imagination Soup’s blog. What a great way for kids to learn and to play with those old boxes laying around!

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EXCITING NEWS: BLOW YOUR HOUSE DOWN IS OUT April 6!

Blow Your House Down is a powerful testimony about the ways our culture seeks to cage women in traditional narratives of self-sacrifice and erasure. Frangello uses her personal story to examine the place of women in contemporary society: the violence they experience, the rage they suppress, the ways their bodies often reveal what they cannot say aloud, and finally, what it means to transgress "being good" in order to save your own life.

“In this searing memoir...Frangello charts the spectacular highs and devastating lows of her midlife with extraordinary candor...This unapologetic account both moves and fascinates.” --Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Searingly honest and compulsively readable...uncompromisingly fearless in its candor, this memoir/feminist manifesto isa powerful account of a woman’s self-acceptance that deserves a place among the best literary memoirs of the last decade. Frangello’s groundbreaking testimony sets itself apart.”--Library Journal, starred review

“My bet for breakout of the year. The Chicagoan’s memoir takes on gender expectations and marital affairs in such a brutal, lacerating candor wonder who should play her in the movie.” --ChicagoTribune, Most Anticipated Book of 2021

“Raw, red-hot memoir...In this gutsy, dramatic feminist manifesto, Frangello recounts the cost of eschewing security to choose the utter necessity of love, of being more tomorrow than she is today.” --Booklist

Find this captivating memoir on Chicago Review of Books’ Must-Read list for April! https://chireviewofbooks.com/2021/04/01/12-must-read-books-for-april/