Author and tabletop role-playing game (RPG) designer Daniel Fox joined Andrews McMeel Universal in the new position of executive creative director of games, reporting to president and publisher Kirsty Melville. He will create and acquire RPGs and related products, as well as work with AMU creators to help extend their brands into games.
Fox says in the announcement, “There are a growing number of RPG designers looking for the right partner to bring their games to life in the broader RPG market.
Gotham Ghostwriters has hired author and ghostwriter Jennifer Banash as director of its creative writing, and former Writer’s Digest content strategist and digital content director Jessica Zafarris as executive director of marketing and communications.
At Corvisiero Literary Agency, Kaitlyn Johnson has been promoted to associate agent and intern supervisor. Rudy Cecera joins as film & television sub-rights agent. Cecera was previously an Emmy Award-winning writer and producer.
Asharee Peters has been promoted to office manager at Holiday House.
Picks
Sarah Blake’s The Guest Book — previewed in our Buzz Books: Spring/Summer — is the Barnes & Noble Book Club pick for May. (It’s also the Indie Next No. 1 for the month, and made Amazon’s top 10.)
Joanne Ramos’ The Farm is Belletrist book club’s May pick.
Barack Obama shared some more book picks on Facebook: The Moment of Lift, by Melinda Gates; The Shadow of Sirius, by W. S. Merwin; and Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee
Obituaries
In a statement mourning the loss of Rachel Held Evans, HarperCollins says her last book, Wholehearted Faith is scheduled to release in October 2020.
Chuck Kinder, 76, author of Honeymooner and writing professor at the University of Pittsburgh, died on May 3.
Canadian author Wayson Choy, 80, who wrote The Jade Peony, died on April 28 at his home in Toronto.