Janet Evanovich Tears The Sheets With Cannell

I'm posting tomorrow's blog early because I'm spending the weekend in Austin and won't be back at my computer until late in the day on Sunday.

Today's Publishers Lunch (PL) had an item about Janet Evanovich. The hugely popular writer of the humorous Stephanie Plum mystery series now has thirteen novels in print starring the lingerie buyer turned bounty hunter. Each book has a number in the title with the first being One For the Money and the 13th, Lean Mean Thirteen.

Evanovich has been experimenting with collaborative efforts with another writer since the re-release of her book Full House in an expanded version in 2002. She and writing partner Charlotte Hughes have now produced six "Full" novels.

In 2004, fellow writer Jennifer Crusie decided to collaborate with adventure/thriller writer Bob Mayer on a novel written from both the hero and heroine's point of view. Crusie wrote the female POV while Mayer wrote the male POV. The huge buzz over that novel, Don't Look Down, which was released in 2006, may have prompted Evanovich's decision to collaborate with a male partner.

Evanovich agreed to write a book jointly with Stephen J. Cannell, the television producer/novelist. Cannell created mostly crime dramas including the hugely successful Adam-12, 21 Jump Street and The Rockford Files. He has also written more than a dozen crime novels.

Evanovich and Cannell's collaborative effort was to be called No Chance and was to be the first of a series. The novel, starring Special Forces veteran Benjamin Cannon, was set to be released by Grand Central Books in October, 2007.

October came and went without the book being released.

Friday's Publishers Lunch reports that the book AND the collaboration has been cancelled due to "creative differences" between the two writers.

Friday's New York Post reports that "the resulting fallout may have caused a rupture in the relationship between Evanovich and her longtime agent Robert Gottlieb at Trident Media."

PL indicates that, two months ago, Gottlieb represented Evanovich during the signing of a new four-book deal with St. Martin's Press reputed to be worth more than $40 million. However, it seems likely that Evanovich's son Peter will represent her on a go-forward basis.