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

"No Kill Date"

Venture Literary Sells Legendary Basketball Star Lisa Leslie’s Memoir to Dafina/Kensington
On June 7, 2007, Frank R. Scatoni of Venture Literary sold the North American rights for Lisa Leslie’s memoir, written with Larry Burnett, to Selena James at Dafina, an imprint of Kensington Books. Translation rights are being handled by Whitney Lee, wlee@fieldingagency.com.

Lisa Leslie was the first woman ever to dunk in a professional basketball game. She is a three-time Olympics gold medal winner, three-time MVP of the WNBA, and two-time world champion with the Los Angeles Sparks. In her memoir, Leslie will describe how she was able to overcome a lifetime of adversity to become such a happy and successful person—in large part because of her mom’s positive outlook. The story starts with her childhood in South Central Los Angeles and continues through the birth of her first child in June 2007, detailing the peaks and valleys of her personal and professional life.

She’ll talk about that adversity—being teased for wearing high-water men’s pants because she was so tall; having to live with her abusive aunt while her mom was working as a truck-driver and constantly on the road; helping her mother overcome a breast cancer scare; and getting her life back in order after her older sister stole her identity. But she’ll also share the triumphs—from scoring 101 points in the first half of a high-school game to traveling the world as an Olympic athlete and fashion model, to marrying the man of her dreams and having her first child.

Lisa Leslie owns a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. She has modeled professionally, works as a commentator for ESPN, is a spokesperson for the National Awareness Breast Cancer Organization, and has been honored for her work with foster children. She has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Sister, Sister, The Late, Late Show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, The Weakest Link, Martin, and The Simpsons. She got “Punk’d” on Ashton Kutcher’s show, and appeared on the covers of Sports Illustrated for Women, L.A. Times Magazine, Courtside, and Women’s Sports and Fitness. Her L.A. Sparks (#9) jersey is the WNBA’s top seller, and her dunk against the Miami Sol was voted by fans as the “Greatest Moment” in the WNBA’s first decade.

Larry Burnett is an Emmy-award winner who has anchored SportsCenter, Olympic coverage, and The NBA Today Show for ESPN. He has covered the Los Angeles Lakers for Prime Sports and Fox Sports Net and has hosted the Lakers’ radio broadcasts and The Phil Jackson Show on AM- 570 KLAC. He has known Leslie for the past fifteen years and has been the radio and television play-by-play announcer for Leslie’s L.A. Sparks’ games for the past nine seasons on FSN-West television and AM-1150 radio.

Hall of Fame player and national television sportscaster Bill Walton said it best: “Lisa Leslie is absolutely one of the best players ever to play the game. She is a leader who works hard, plays hard, and carries herself with incredible poise, grace, and dignity. She is an icon and a perfect role model.”






To learn more about Venture Literary, visit: www.ventureliterary.com.
To learn more about To learn more about Dafina/Kensington, visit: http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/
To learn more about Lisa Leslie, visit: http://www.wnba.com/playerfile/lisa_leslie/bio.html.