Something I Keep Upstairs – Released!

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SomethingIKeepUpstairs

New Release Spotlight: Something I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker

Bestselling thriller maestro J.D. Barker is back with a standalone novel that’s already sending shivers through early readers. Something I Keep Upstairs (Hampton Creek Press, May 13, 2025) drops us on a windswept New Hampshire island, where two friends discover that the past never stays locked away—especially when it’s waiting in the attic.

Blending the fearless nostalgia of It with the creeping dread of Mexican Gothic, Barker delivers 448 pages of pulse-pounding suspense: ancient secrets, razor-sharp twists, and a choice that could cost everything. Within the first week, the book hit Amazon’s #1 Ghost-Thriller slot and cracked Audible’s Top 25 Hot New Releases (Horror)—proof that readers were ready to open that attic door.

Rights momentum is strong: US/UK print and audio are sold, along with Belgium, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sri Lanka. Translation, film/TV, and ancillary rights remain available.

Whether you’re a long-time Barker fan or new to his brand of mind-bending terror, this is one summer trip you won’t forget.

Ready to brave the upstairs? Grab your copy today—or, if you’re a foreign publisher seeking a can’t-miss thriller, drop us a line for rights details.

— Terrie Wolf
Literary Agent & Rights Manager, AKA Literary Management

 

DYING CRY: Critics and Readers Are Raving About Margaret Mizushima’s Latest Timber Creek K-9 Mystery

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Dying Cry2025

Newlyweds Mattie and Cole Walker are teaching Cole’s daughters how to snowshoe in a remote canyon when a shattering scream pierces the air. They know that somewhere ahead, someone has been injured or worse. Cole takes the girls while Mattie and Robo go deeper into the canyon to search for the source of the scream.

Read more

Minneapolis Star Tribune Names Last One Seen by Rebecca Kanner a Must-Read

Last One Seen

Last One Seen (Crooked Lane)

“The latest thriller from the Twin Cities author of Esther (and Loft Literary Center teacher) begins with a bang. Narrator Hannah is in a car that’s speeding toward northern Minnesota with a possible maniac in the driver’s seat, severe memory issues and the fear that she has just committed a murder. Proceeding from that grabber of an opening, she eventually gets to Duluth and readers eventually find out whodunit (if it wasn’t her).”

–Star Tribune

Determination and Perseverance

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The Manipulator2025

https://jerriwilliams.com/366-thomas-larned-orion-bank-failure-vr-labs-wire-fraud/

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Get to know Tom Larned:

In this episode, retired agent Tom Larned reviews two fraud cases he investigated while assigned to the Fort Myers Resident Agency out of the Tampa Division, the VR Labs wire fraud investigation and the Orion Bank Failure. At the time of Tom’s investigation, Orion was the largest privately owned bank in the state of Florida. The failure of the bank cost the FDIC $884 million.

https://jerriwilliams.com/366-thomas-larned-orion-bank-failure-vr-labs-wire-fraud/

Client Spotlight: Braveship Takes Top Honors at Hollywood Independent Music Awards

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Matt Cook Braveship wins at 20250 HIMA2025

Client Spotlight: MATT COOK

Multimedia Franchise ‘BRAVESHIP’ Honored with Best Independent Album

August 1, 2025 

For Immediate Release – Los Angeles, CA  – multi-award-winning composer and bestselling author Matt Cook’s largest work, the Braveship Suite, was recently awarded Best Independent Album (All Genres), the most anticipated honor of the evening, and became a true cross-genre triumph at the 2025 Hollywood Independent Music Awards.

The collaborative project rose to the top of thousands of international submissions and was selected above entries in pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, country, and more. It features thirteen all-original orchestral movements accompanied by fantastical illustrations and on-screen animations.

This win is particularly meaningful as Braveship is rooted in classical composition, a genre not often spotlighted in such wide-open categories.

In a storytelling format reminiscent of Peter and the Wolf, the modern tale of courage, wonder, and belonging invites audiences of all ages on an adventure with an orphan boy who pilots a magical airship to distant lands, discovering the family he never had.

Since its premiere as a live show in 2022, Braveship has expanded into a full-scale entertainment universe and international entertainment franchise with:

  • A symphonic album recorded by a multi-GRAMMY-winning team at a Disney studio
  • A novelization  – currently on submission
  • A video game  – currently in development
  • A live show – premiered in Utah, with more shows booked across the country

Matt Cook is an economist, bestselling author, and executive film producer based in Los Angeles. His work has reached audiences in over 130 countries, and is inspired by his own travels to over 185 countries and territories. Known for a symphonic style that awakens a spirit of wonder and adventure, Dr. Cook lives by a motto: “Live great stories and tell great stories.”

This marks the second major award for Braveship and reflects Cook’s rare ability to move between creative arenas with precision and resonance. Literary agent Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary Management expressed excitement regarding the Colorado-based agency’s role in representing the novelized version of Braveship, which she calls “a rich and atmospheric piece that echoes the scope and intensity of his music.” She added, “If you’re an acquiring editor looking for smart, meaningful, multi-format storytelling, our Dr. Matt Cook belongs on your radar. His work sings – literally and figuratively – and it’s our honor to champion his journey.”

Media Contact: Neil Erickson, Business Manager, E: aka@AKALiterary.com/O: 646-846-2478

Tory Bunce Joins the Atlanta Writers Club Board

Client News: Tory Craig Bunce Joins the Atlanta Writers Club Board

At AKA Literary Management, we believe in the power of literary community—and few embody that spirit more fully than author and longtime AKA client Tory Craig Bunce.

We’re proud to share that the Atlanta Writers Club (AWC) has invited Tory to serve as an ad hoc member of its Board of Directors, a role created specifically to tap into her passion for writer advocacy and community growth. With more than a decade of volunteer experience with the organization, Tory will now contribute her insight to current and future AWC initiatives, helping shape the experience of nearly 1,500 active members and amplifying outreach to new voices.

This new appointment reflects not only Tory’s commitment to her craft, but also her deep investment in the literary ecosystem that nurtures so many aspiring writers. The Atlanta Writers Club has long played a role in Tory’s own creative journey, and she’s thrilled to give back in this meaningful new way.

Congratulations, Tory! We’re honored to represent such a dynamic force in the writing world.