Publishers Weekly

"Rights Alert"

March 11, 2003

Harcourt Gets Praised Author's Second Novel

Kati Hesford at Harcourt, who has become an active buyer in recent weeks, bought a second novel by Kent Meyers, a Midwestern author whose previous work, including a first novel, a memoir and stories, have been widely admired.

She bought North American and translation rights from agent Noah Lukeman, who retained U.K.

The new novel is "The Work of Wolves," and is about a horse trainer in South Dakota who falls for the wife of a wealthy rancher whose horses he is training, and the violent events that follow. It will appear in spring 2004.

Meyers's first novel, "The River Warren," was published by a small press, Ruminator, and he had a volume of stories, "Light in the Crossing," at SMP. His first book, a farm memoir called "The Witness of Combines," was published by the University of Minnesota Press five years ago. He has twice had New York Times Notables, has been in the B&N Discover program, had an NEA grant, and won endorsements from Sam Shepard and Peter Mathiessen.