My wonderful friend and agent-sister, Jessica Spotswood, was recently blurbed in Publishers Weekly:
Putnam Kids Ponies Up for YA Debut
In a high six-figure world rights deal, Arianne Lewin, executive editor at G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, bought three books by Jessica Spotswood, including the debut novel Born Wicked (formerly called Thrice Blessed). Agent Jim McCarthy at Dystel & Goderich brokered the deal for Spotswood. Born Wicked, set in what the publisher calls "a world of tea parties, engagements, and elegant dresses," follows the Cahill sisters, a trio of teen witches who must hide their powers in order to save themselves from being shipped off to prison or a mental ward. Spotswood, who is from a small Pennsylvania town, lives in Washington, D.C.
Aieeeeeee! Isn't that AMAZING?! Tea parties! Witches! High Six-Figures! When Jessica shared the news with me and our fellow agent-sister Robin Talley, I honestly squealed!
I met both Jessica and Robin back in September 2010 and we've been meeting every month to talk about--what else?!--books, writing, fashion, and everything else in between. In October, Jessica started telling us about a book she was working on called "Thrice-Blessed." It was about witches, she told us. And it sounded really, really cool.
Fast forward to February. Jess let us know that Thrice-Blessed was about to be blurbed in DGLM's YA/MG newsletter. Since I am quite sly, I put on my best innocent face and asked sweetly, "Um, could I perhaps read Thrice-Blessed if you wouldn't mind?" Aha! The innocent face worked! Jess sent me the manuscript via email...
And I pretty much inhaled the book. The characters, the pacing, the plotting, the intrigue, the KISSING, the underlying feminist message... *Happy sigh* It was so damn good!
So a big congrats to Jessica! I couldn't think of a kinder, lovelier person to deserve such wonderful news!
Congratulations, Jessica!
