RAB Assistant Publisher David Valentin Joins the L. Perkins Agency

 

Lori Perkins, founder and President of the L. Perkins Agency, a legacy literary agency with three decades of author representation, is pleased to announce that David Valentin has joined the agency as an agent specializing in fiction.

 

Valentin has been working as the assistant Publisher at Riverdale Avenue Books since 2019 after completing a publishing internship where he gained hands-on experience across the editorial, agenting, and publishing process. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in business from Manhattan University.

 

Valentin is currently building his list with a focus on LGBTQ+ romances, Paranormal Romance, Dark Romances, and Romantasy.

“I never thought I'd be neck deep in the publishing industry  as I am now, but here I am!” Said Valentin, “I am thrilled to be entering the agenting sphere of publishing where I can bring all that I’ve learned to helping authors get well-published. I am actively seeking romance projects, with a particular passion for LGBTQ+ stories, literary romance, gothic romance, romantasy, and paranormal romance as well as charming romcoms and cozy, seasonal reads.

He added, “As a lifelong reader of genre-bending and heartfelt fiction, my taste is shaped by authors such as V.E. Schwab, TJ Klune, Kai Butler, Cat Sebastian, and Romeo Alexander, just to name a few. I am especially drawn to stories that push boundaries while keeping love at their core.”

Founded in 1987 by Lori Perkins, the L. Perkins Agency is a New York-based literary agency known for representing a diverse range of fiction and non-fiction, with particular strength in romance, pop culture, and YA. It is recognized for being a pioneering digital-first agency, representing authors in both traditional and electronic publishing. The agency has sold more than 3,000 individual titles and has had 7 books on the New York Times best-seller list including How to Make Love Like a Porn Star by Jenna Jameson.

 

There are currently two agents at the L. Perkins Agency in addition to Perkins and Valentin, Max Ximenez, and Ben Grange. The agency has foreign agents throughout the world.

 

Visit their website at lperkinsagency.com.

Don Weise has Passed Away

 I am so sad to share this sad news with you.

 

Don was a passionate editor, for all, but especially the LGBTQ community.

 

He is missed.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/Obituary/article/99492-pioneering-gay-book-publisher-don-weise-dies-at-59.html

 

 

 

Riverdale Avenue Books Teams Up with Lizzie Borden House Bed & Breakfast In New Anthology on the Lizzie Borden Legacy

 

Murder. Mystery. Feminism. Fear. The Truth Behind Lizzie Borden Still Haunts Us—And This New Fiction Anthology Dares to Explore Why.

Riverdale Avenue Books is thrilled to unveil The Lizzie Borden House Anthology, a spine-tingling, officially licensed collection of original short fiction inspired by one of America’s most infamous unsolved crimes. Publishing mid-October, this groundbreaking anthology is produced in collaboration with the historic Lizzie Borden House Bed & Breakfast—the very site of the legendary 1892 axe murders that shocked a nation and birthed a cultural enigma.

Curated by acclaimed horror author and occultist Sèphera Girón, this collection dares to ask:
Who was Lizzie Borden—murderer, misunderstood woman, feminist icon, or something far more mysterious?

Featuring more than 25 chilling tales across genres—from historical fiction and true crime to speculative horror and the paranormal—the anthology reimagines Lizzie’s shadowy legacy through bold new lenses. Contributing authors include New York Times bestseller Heather Graham, and Bram Stoker Award-winners Linda Addison and Edo Van Belkom, alongside electrifying new voices that bring fresh blood to the story.

Each story is a dark mirror reflecting our enduring obsession with Lizzie Borden—some are terrifying, some strangely empowering, but all unforgettable.

To mark the 133rd anniversary of the brutal Borden murders, Riverdale Avenue Books launched a successful Kickstarter campaign this past August. The celebration will culminate in a hauntingly immersive book launch party at the Lizzie Borden House itself on November 9th, in Fall River, Massachusetts—where fact and fiction blur in the very rooms where the killings occurred.

On the 28th Anniversary of Princess Diana’s Death, JB Miller’s Novel DUCH Asks: What If She Never Left Us?

 

NEW YORK/PARIS/LONDON — On August 31st, the world marks 28 years since the tragic death of Princess Diana, the “People’s Princess” who captivated hearts with her humanity, vulnerability, and grace. But this year, a provocative new novel is stirring fresh questions—and even a little hope.

In Duch, author JB Miller spins a sharp, hilarious, and poignant tale that dares to imagine the unthinkable: What if Diana survived—and quietly returned to Paris, decades later?

Set in a swirling three-week romp through modern-day Paris and London, Duch centers on a mysterious silver-haired woman in her sixties found wandering outside a Paris hospital. She’s lost her memory. She wears a locket with photos of William and Harry. She speaks like a Windsor. And she insists her name is Diana.

 

Her old school friend from boarding days—who once called her Duch—recognizes her instantly. So do thousands of Britons who are suddenly, and possibly irrationally, convinced: Princess Diana is back.

Is this a long-lost royal miracle, or is the world suffering from a collective case of Diana Derangement Syndrome?

 

“At this very moment she's undoubtedly renting an apartment in Paris,”
— Prince Harry, Spare

 

JB Miller, known for his biting wit and tender insight, has crafted what critics are calling “a masterful dream,” a heartfelt social satire that explores grief, identity, power, and the myth of Diana in a post-truth age.

 

“Duch has pathos, joy and humor… It takes a masterful writer to create this complex and beautiful dream, and Miller is a master!”
— Jennifer Clement, author of Widow Basquiat and President Emerita of PEN International

 

“Farce, satire, page-turner, cultural commentary, counterfactual history… Duch rings true with all its implausible narratives.”
— John Donatich, author of Ambivalence, A Love Story

 

As Britain reflects on Princess Diana’s enduring legacy—and the monarchy’s evolving future—Duch offers a singular, spellbinding, and surprisingly affectionate lens into the royals’ most haunting question: What would happen if Diana came back?

RAB Teams Up with Lizzie Borden House Bed & Breakfast In New Anthology

 Who was Lizzie Borden—murderer, victim, feminist icon, or something far more mysterious? This chilling new anthology of short fiction delves deep.

Riverdale Avenue Books is proud to announce The Lizzie Borden House Anthology—a groundbreaking, officially licensed fiction collection inspired by the infamous Lizzie Borden murders in collaboration with the Lizzie Borden House Bed & Breakfast. Curated by acclaimed horror author and occultist Sèphera Girón, this genre-spanning anthology delves into the 1892  murders that have haunted the American imagination for over a century.

The anthology features over 20 original stories exploring Lizzie’s legacy through historical fiction, true crime, speculative fiction, and supernatural horror. Contributors include New York Times bestseller Heather Graham and Bram Stoker Award-winner Linda Addison, along with fresh new voices in the genre. Each story offers a fresh take—some chilling, some empowering, and all unforgettable.

To bring this haunting vision to life, the team is launching a Kickstarter campaign on August 4th, 2025—exactly 133 years after the infamous murders took place. Supporters of the campaign will not only help fund production, but also gain access to exclusive perks, bonus content, and special invites.

Backers may even be able to attend a publication party at the Lizzie Borden House on November 9th, and—if stretch goals are met—a midnight séance to channel the lingering spirits of Fall River. 

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/riverdaleavebooks/the-lizzie-borden-house-anthology?ref=discovery&term=lizzie%20borden&total_hits=12&category_id=47

Visit us at THE RAINBOW BOOK FAIR in NYC May 10th

 Thrilled to announce that Lori Perkins is moderating a panel on Protest for the RAINBOW BOOK FAIR, which is happening this SATURDAY, May 10, at 1:30.

The RAINBOW BOOK FAIR is FREE and takes place from 12 noon until 6 PM, at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center, 208 W. 13th Street, in the West Village, slighty west of 7th Ave.

RIVERDALE AVENUE BOOKS will be there with our a table.

The RBF is the largest LGBTQ book event in the US. Every year, approximately 100 exhibitors show books of all kinds appealing to our community—fiction, non-fiction, poetry, books for young people, for seniors, for every kind and corner of the queer world. This will be the 13th Rainbow Book Fair, and it’s sure to be as wonderful as ever. For more information go to rainbowbookfair.com.

Indie Publisher Releases FREE Essay Collection on Protest: THE BOOK OF EVERYDAY RESISTANCE

 Riverdale Avenue Books, the award-winning Bronx indie publisher, has collected essays, editorial cartoons, and poetry from best-selling authors, journalists, teachers, firefighters, and parents about how they are finding sanity and community through everyday acts of resistance.

Riverdale Avenue Books’ Publisher Lori Perkins, a former NYU professor of journalism, wondered how she could do more to resist the policies that were being enacted and the attitudes that were being expressed under the new regime. She realized that she was actively participating in resistance every day in both subtle and larger ways, and she was sure there were many just like her.

Said Perkins, “Hopefully, with this book we will inspire each other and give each other ideas about how to resist those forces that seek to shut down our efforts toward a more progressive, inclusive society. The purpose of this book is to let us all know we are not alone, and that we are part of a large community of common purpose.”

THE BOOK OF EVERYDAY RESISTANCE  is available FREE in digital form on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, Google+, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and wherever ebooks are uploaded (including your local library). A trade paperback edition will be available in bookstores and online for $20.99.

The book will be updated periodically. New essays and/or editorial cartoons can be sent to Perkins at lori@riverdaleavebooks.com.

 

About the Editor

Lori Perkins has been a newspaper editor, a literary agent, a book editor, a professor and an author for four decades. She considers herself a “word-slinger” because words are the ammunition that we all have.  She encourages you all to use your power and fight the good fight.