For more information:
Frank R. Scatoni
619-807-1887
frank@ventureliterary.com

"No Kill Date"

Venture Literary Sells Iraq War Veteran’s Inspirational Memoir to Wiley

On August 15, 2007, Frank R. Scatoni of Venture Literary sold North American rights to Kortney Clemons’ (with Bill Briggs) memoir tentatively titled Soldiers First: A Chase for Gold in the Shadow of War to Stephen Power at Wiley.

Soldiers First is an inspirational memoir about the healing power of sports. In this dramatic tale, Kortney Clemons, a former college football player and Army medic, tells how he survived a devastating injury in Iraq while carrying a wounded soldier to a helicopter. A deadly bomb explosion maimed Clemons, and forced doctors to amputate his leg. From that point on, Clemons underwent a journey of self-discovery as he came to terms with his injury. Clemons eventually taught himself how to walk, then run, and is on the cusp of qualifying for the U.S. Paralympic track team, which will compete in Beijing in 2008. Soldiers First is a story rich with fiery tragedy and fierce resolve.

KORTNEY CLEMONS, twenty-six, grew up in Little Rock, Mississippi, and later played cornerback for East Mississippi Community College. He enlisted in the Army before the September 11, 2001, attacks, serving as a medic in Europe. After the United States invaded Iraq, he was assigned to the 1st Cavalry in Baghdad. Clemons was injured in February 2005 when a roadside bomb exploded near Baghdad as he was helping another soldier who had been hurt in a previous attack. Surgeons removed Clemons’ right leg above the knee. He has been profiled by CNN, USA Today, the Versus network, BET, MSNBC.com, the New York Times, and Essence magazine, along with many regional newspapers and television stations that have become fascinated by his story. In April 2007, ABC News named Clemons its “Person of the Week.”

BILL BRIGGS earned national sports writing honors for the Denver Post seven times between 2001 and 2006, including awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for investigative journalism, humor and feature writing. Currently Briggs works as a freelance writer and has sold sports and business stories to the Miami Herald, MSNBC.com, the Financial Times, and the Colorado Springs Gazette. He lives in Denver, one hour from the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, where many disabled athletes train for future summer and winter Paralympics.

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To learn more about about Wiley, visit http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/