Adult Fiction
Lambda finalist author of Camp Lev AC Rosen’s LAVENDER HOUSE, pitched as Knives Out meets Carol, following a police inspector in 1950s San Francisco, who after being caught in a raid on a gay bar and fired, is hired by a mysterious widow to investigate a death at a wealthy household with more than a few secrets to hide, to Kristin Sevick at Forge, at auction, in a two-book deal, by Joy Tutela at David Black Literary Agency.
Charlotte Anne Hamilton’s LITTLE LOSS OF INNOCENCE, in which a Scottish woman travels to America on the Titanic and unexpectedly falls for the exhilarating woman she has to share a cabin with, to Jen Bouvier at Entangled Embrace, for publication in summer 2021 (world).
Author of the Out in Portland series Karelia Stetz-Water‘s ADULTS ONLY, about a director of feminist adult films and her newly hired personal assistant who is looking for a change; as the two women sort out their past relationships and professional challenges, they find themselves falling for each other, to Madeleine Colavita at Forever Yours, by Jane Dystel at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret (NA).
University of Wisconsin-Madison MFA graduate Kathryn Harlan‘s FRUITING BODIES, comprising mostly queer, often genre-bending stories ranging from the fantastical to the Gothic to the eerily realistic, seeking to answer the call for a new age of storytelling in the face of insufficient myths and fairy tales, to Jill Bialosky at Norton, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, by Meredith Kaffel Simonoff at DeFiore and Company (NA).
K.D. Casey’s UNWRITTEN RULES, a contemporary male/male romance in which a struggling Jewish catcher and his superstar ex-boyfriend work to reconcile after they unexpectedly reunite at the MLB all-star game, to Stephanie Doig at Carina Press, in a nice deal, by Deidre Knight at The Knight Agency (world English).
Verity Lowell’s MEET ME IN MADRID, an #OwnVoices BIPOC f/f romantic comedy, in which a museum courier is unexpectedly reunited with her grad school crush, an art historian who provides shelter in a Spanish blizzard, and then ends up chasing her back to the States to try to solve the two-body problem of long distance life, love, and work, to Kerri Buckley at Carina Press Adores, for publication in November 2021, by Jessica Alvarez at BookEnds.
Electric Literature associate editor Alyssa Songsiridej’s LITTLE RABBIT, about a queer writer’s unexpectedly intense involvement with an older choreographer; a book about power, desire, and patronage, to Callie Garnett at Bloomsbury, in a good deal, at auction, by Kate Johnson at MacKenzie Wolf (NA).
Sid Karger’s BEST MEN, pitched as a gay spin on Bridesmaids or My Best Friend’s Wedding, about a man who thinks he has everything figured out, until his best friend announces her engagement, forcing him to navigate his shared wedding party duties with the groom’s charming, infuriating, and (really, really) hot gay brother, and not make his best friend’s wedding all about himself, to Cindy Hwang at Berkley, at auction, in a two-book deal, by Daniel Lazar at Writers House (NA).
Author of LET’S TALK ABOUT LOVE Claire Kann’s THE ROMANTIC AGENDA, her debut adult rom-com, about a young, Black, ace woman who decides to finally let her best friend know she is in love with him during a romantic weekend trip that goes awry, to Kristine Swartz at Berkley, in a good deal, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2022, by Carrie Pestritto at Laura Dail Literary Agency (world).
R.A. Frumkin’s CONFIDENCE, a humorous takedown of the American Dream, featuring two con men, lifelong friends and sometimes lovers, who attempt to pull off a major global scheme on the scale of Theranos or Herbalife, pitched in the vein of Succession meets Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley series; and BUGSY, a collection of transgressive, radical, and darkly humorous stories that are considerations of mental illness, sexuality, and Kimye, to Zachary Knoll at Simon & Schuster, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, by Ross Harris at Stuart Krichevsky Agency (world).
British Eritrean Ethiopian author of SILENCE IS MY MOTHER TONGUE and THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOVE Sulaiman Addonia’s THE SEERS, exploring an Eritrean unaccompanied minor refugee’s first weeks in London, giving a glimpse into the U.K. asylum system and what it does to the mental health of young refugees, and how the intergenerational history of colonization affects intimate relationships; also detailing the sexual conquests of young queer African immigrants in London, who are fluid, trans and androgynous, to Fiona McCrae and Steve Woodward at Graywolf, in a nice deal, in an exclusive submission, for publication in spring 2023, by Jessica Craig at Craig Literary (NA).
TJ Alexander’s CHEF’S KISS, an #OwnVoices LGBTQ+ rom-com starring a type-A pastry chef whose professional goals are interrupted by not only a career transition, but the introduction of her wildly attractive nonbinary kitchen manager, who happens to be undergoing a transition of their own, to Lara Jones at Emily Bestler Books, in a good deal, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2022, by Larissa Melo Pienkowski at Jill Grinberg Literary Management (world).
Poet and co-editor of COLONIZE THIS: YOUNG WOMEN OF COLOR ON TODAY’S FEMINISM Bushra Rehman‘s ROSES IN THE MOUTH OF A LION, about female friendships and queer love within a Pakistani community in Corona, Queens, pitched as combining the structure of Sandra Cisneros’s A House on Mango Street with the lyricism of Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, to Caroline Bleeke at Flatiron Books, in a pre-empt, for publication in summer 2022, by Ayesha Pande at Ayesha Pande Literary (world).
Sondi Warner‘s debut LEAD ME ASTRAY, a LGBTQIA+ paranormal, polyamorous romance following a newly dead medium who can see her ghost and a P.I. werewolf who band together to solve the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death, all while falling for each other, to Deanna McFadden at Wattpad, in a nice deal, for publication in winter 2022 (world).
New Yorker fiction contributor Taymour Soomro’s OTHER NAMES FOR LOVE, on legacy, queerness, and violence in Pakistan, about a young man whose sexual and intellectual awakening in the feudal lands leads to an estrangement from his family and a difficult reunion after several decades, to Mitzi Angel at Farrar, Straus, at auction, by Adam Eaglin at The Cheney Agency, on behalf of Natasha Fairweather at Rogers, Coleridge & White (NA).
Tara Sim’s THE CITY OF DUSK, the first in an adult epic fantasy trilogy, in which the four heirs of four noble houses, each gifted with a divine power, must form a tenuous alliance to keep their kingdom from descending into a realm-shattering war, to Priyanka Krishnan at Orbit, in a three-book deal, for publication in spring of 2022, by Victoria Marini at Irene Goodman Agency (world).
Juno Dawson’s HER MAJESTY’S ROYAL COVEN, about a covert supernatural government department established by Queen Elizabeth I, as their oracle foretells the genocide of all witches, and conflict over how to tackle the prophecy threatens to tear apart a group of lifelong friends; exploring gender, feminism, the patriarchy, and the corrupting nature of power, to Margaux Weisman at Penguin, at auction, in a three-book deal, by Alyssa Reuben and Katelyn Dougherty at Paradigm, on behalf of Sallyanne Sweeney at MMB Creative (NA).
Children’s Fiction
Young Adult Fiction
Author of THE HENNA WARS and HANI AND ISHU’S GUIDE TO FAKE DATING Adiba Jaigirdar’s DONUT FALL FALL IN LOVE, about a Bangladeshi Irish girl still healing from a breakup with her ex-girlfriend, and who can think of nothing batter than to win the Junior Irish Baking Show, a Great British Bake Off-style reality competition; even if it means competing against her ex and another contestant that she may be falling for, to Foyinsi Adegbonmire at Feiwel and Friends, for publication in spring 2023, by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (NA).
SURRENDER YOUR SONS author Adam Sass‘s THE 99 BOYFRIENDS OF MICAH SUMMERS, in which an artsy teen who posts sketches of his imaginary boyfriends to Instagram finally has a meet cute with the much-anticipated Boy 100, but when it turns into a missed connection, he embarks on a Prince Charming-like quest throughout Chicago to find true love, to Kelsey Murphy at Philomel, in a six-figure deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2022 and fall 2023, by Chelsea Eberly at Greenhouse Literary Agency on behalf of Dovetail Fiction/Working Partners and Eric Smith at P.S. Literary Agency (NA).
Sonora Reyes’s debut THE LESBIANA’S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL, following a 16-year-old who has just started at a new Catholic school after being outed by her ex-best friend and crush at her old school; her new goals: make her mom proud, keep her brother out of trouble, and most importantly, don’t fall in love, but that’s not easy when the only openly queer girl at school is so funny, cute, and seems like she might be interested, to Alessandra Balzer at Balzer & Bray, in a good deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2022, by Alexandra Levick at Writers House (NA).
Author of THE HENNA WARS and HANI AND ISHU’S GUIDE TO FAKE DATING Adiba Jaigirdar’s A MILLION TO ONE, a high-stakes romantic heist novel set on the Titanic, in which four girls team up to steal a priceless jewel-encrusted book, to Claudia Gabel at Harper Children’s, for publication in spring 2022, by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (world).
Leslie Vedder’s debut THE BONE SPINDLE, an #OwnVoices LGBTQ fantasy pitched as a gender-flipped retelling of Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones, in which a cursed treasure hunter and an axe-wielding huntswoman must team up in the treasure hunt of a lifetime to save a lost prince, to Arianne Lewin at Putnam Children’s, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2022, by Carrie Hannigan and Ellen Goff at HG Literary (NA).
Non-Fiction
Advocate for LGBTQ+ issues and gun violence prevention, and survivor of the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting Brandon Wolf’s SAFE SPACE, recounting how the support of the greater Orlando community inspired him towards activism in the wake of that tragic night, and exploring the struggles he faced to find a sense of belonging, the resiliency required to maintain it in an increasingly chaotic and fearful world, and the essential role that community has in effecting positive social change during times of crisis, to Selena James at Little A, in a pre-empt, by Jud Laghi at Jud Laghi Agency (world).
Lambda Literary Fellow Lamya H’s MARYAM IS A DYKE, a memoir in essays about her experience as a queer hijabi Muslim immigrant seeking to make sense of herself, her faith, and her place in the world through the lens of radical, lyrical interpretations of the Quran, to Katy Nishimoto at Dial, at auction, by Julia Kardon at HG Literary (NA).
Author of the 2021 PEN Open Book Award finalist and NAACP Image Award-nominated poetry collection UN-AMERICAN, and literary agent at Janklow & Nesbit Hafizah Geter’s THE BLACK PERIOD: ON PERSONHOOD, RACE & ORIGIN, a genre-bending memoir that explores how the origin stories we inherit can be remade by delving into the author’s personal and political experiences with Blackness, queerness, Islamophobia, shame, and grief as they cross continents from Nigeria and Gambia to the U.S., to Jamia Wilson at Random House, at auction, by Ayesha Pande at Ayesha Pande Literary (NA).
Thirteen-year-old Ellen Katz feels most comfortable when her life is well planned out and people fit neatly into her predefined categories. She attends temple with Abba and Mom every Friday and Saturday. Ellen only gets crushes on girls, never boys, and she knows she can always rely on her best-and-only friend, Laurel, to help navigate social situations at their private Georgia middle school. Laurel has always made Ellen feel like being autistic is no big deal. But lately, Laurel has started making more friends, and cancelling more weekend plans with Ellen than she keeps. A school trip to Barcelona seems like the perfect place for Ellen to get their friendship back on track.
![The Flower Girl Wore Celery by [Meryl G. Gordon, Holly Clifton-Brown]](https://i0.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51OaNhVpmdL.jpg?resize=178%2C211&ssl=1)
Emma’s so excited to be a bridesmaid at her cousin Hannah’s wedding, but it sure does come with a lot of surprises! She did not expect to have to wear a dress the color of celery, or for the ring-bearer to be a bear, or for Alex, the person Hannah’s marrying, to be a girl, too! But it’s a beautiful day and a beautiful traditional Jewish wedding, even in a dress the color of celery.
Naomi Grant knows she’s more than qualified to lecture on sex positivity and her successful startup, but her past as a porn star keeps getting her blocked from opportunities. Enter Rabbi Ethan Cohen, who’s happy to take a chance on Naomi in order to draw interest to and expand his congregation. They are a most unlikely pair, but they’re certainly successful…a little too much so, maybe.
Controlling her food intake with restriction and ritual is about as religious as Rachel gets, which makes her instant connection with Orthodox, food-loving Miriam of the frozen yogurt shop both confusing and compelling. But while on a therapy-induced hiatus from communicating with her controlling mother, nothing feels better to Rachel than the way Miriam takes care of and nourishes her, even as both struggle with how far this relationship of opposites can possibly go.
B-List actress Lilah and makeup artist Noa need to work together to help both of them succeed and move up in their respective food chains in Hollywood. But the more time they spend together, the harder they fall, giving them the brand-new problem of how to handle love in the spotlight.
Dalia’s plans for a perfect amusement-park filled summer hit a snag when her blended family-to-be decides it’s the perfect opportunity for some quality time. Which sucks, until Dalia learns her future stepsister’s bringing her girlfriend on the trip, and realizes they have more in common than she thought…and she just might have feelings for her own roller coaster companion of choice, Rani.
When Noah seeks refuge during a hurricane, he immediately clicks with the other queer refugees, but not without concern that his also being Jewish and trans could put a target on his back. Support arrives in the most unlikely place: the form of his great-grandfather, German refugee Abe, who coaches Noah on how to survive and forces him to choose what he’s willing to sacrifice in order to live.
Zach Glasser looks like he has a dream life as a pro ball player, but truthfully, he’s miserable over the fact that he lost the love of his life, teammate Eugenio Morales, when he wouldn’t and couldn’t come out three years earlier. But now they’re being reunited for an all-star game, and Zach’s finally got another chance. Can he be who Eugenio needs him to be without giving up everything else in his life?
Zach Glasser has put up with a lot for the sport he loves. Endless days on the road, playing half-decent baseball in front of half-full stadiums and endless nights alone, pretending this is the life he’s always wanted.