Stacey Abrams has deal for 2 more political thrillers

NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly 20 years after her first novels were published, Stacey Abrams is hitting full stride as a writer.

The voting rights activist, grassroots organizer and former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate has a deal for two political thrillers, Doubleday and Anchor Books announced Thursday. The new novels will bring back the gifted and intrepid law clerk Avery Keene from Abrams’ current work, “While Justice Sleeps,” which came out last week and is already a No. 1 New York Times bestseller with more than 100,000 copies in print.

“I am thrilled to continue the story of Avery Keene – an exciting and brilliant protagonist – with Doubleday,” Abrams said in a statement. “Avery began her adventures in ‘While Justice Sleeps,’ and now we can follow her as she discovers what’s next for her and those she loves in the years ahead.”

Earlier this month, Berkley announced it was reissuing a trilogy of romance novels Abrams published through Harlequin in the early 2000s under the penname Selena Montgomery. Meanwhile, NBCUniversal International Studios has optioned the rights for a television series based on “While Justice Sleeps,” with Abrams serving as producer.

Abrams, 47, is also the author of the nonfiction books “Lead from the Outside” and “Our Time Is Now.”

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This story has been corrected to show that Abrams’ first three books were not self-published.

Hillel Italie, The Associated Press