Publishers Weekly

"Rights Alert"

 January 10, 2003

Psychic's Stories Bought for HarperEntertainment

Senior editor Josh Behar won an auction among five publishers to take Lysa Mateu's "The Psychic Diaries" for six figures from agent Noah Lukeman, back on his own as Lukeman Literary Management.

Mateu, who self-published her first book, "Conversations with the Spirit World," and did extensive bookstore and media publicity for it, will star in the forthcoming MTV show "Breakthrough," which she is producing with her husband. In her new book, she will tell stories from her life as a psychic, including her readings with widows and widowers of the September 11 attacks, and her correct prediction that murdered D.C. intern Chandra Levy would be found in Rock Creek Park. She will also show how everyone has some degree of psychic power they can learn to use.

Behar bought world rights, and plans to publish next fall.