Brian McLendon will join Twelve as associate publisher on March 7. He will be “responsible for orchestrating Twelve’s publicity and promotional strategies, and will have a vital role in evaluating projects for the imprint.” McLendon is currently deputy director of publicity at Ballantine Bantam Dell and an agent director of the Random House Speakers Bureau.
Harlequin has announced a number of changes to its editorial department. Editorial Director of Harlequin Mills & Boon UK Karin Stoecker will retire on April 1 after 32 years with the company. Effective March 1, Glenda Howard, Tessa Shapcott and Birgit Davis-Todd have been promoted to senior executive editors for New York, London and Toronto respectively, reporting to Dianne Moggy. In addition, Kelli Martin has been promoted to senior editor, Kimani Press.
Zareen Jaffery has joined the Simon & Schuster Children’s imprint as executive editor, reporting to Justin Chanda.
Penguin Australia announced that publishing director Bob Sessions will step down in April after 27 years with the company.
UK literary scout John McLay will be scout English language children’s and YA books for Editora Fundamento in Brazil and Egmont Eastern Europe.
Karina Mikhli will join Assouline as vp, publishing operations. She was most recently production manager of medicine/trade/academic/law at Oxford University Press.
Kathryn Stockett has responded to the recently-filed lawsuit from Ablene Cooper in an “exclusive statement” to USA TODAY: “The character Aibileen Clark’ in The Help is a fictional character and is not intended to depict Mrs. Cooper. I’ve met Mrs. Cooper only briefly. I used the name ‘Aibileen’ because it resonated with ‘Constantine,’ the beloved woman who took care of the book’s main character in her youth. As readers of The Help know, my Aibileen is a true heroine: she is intelligent, an author, a devoted servant of the Lord and a good mother.”
YA novelist L.K. Madigan, 47, died Wednesday from pancreatic cancer. Her book Flash Burnout won the William C. Morris Award for best debut novel by a young adult writer, and her second novel, The Mermaid’s Mirror, was published last year.
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