Alex Morgan, Caroline Manzo score book deals
(CBS/AP) NEW YORK - Look for books next year from Olympic soccer star Alex Morgan, "Real Housewives" star Caroline Manzo and Jessica Buchanan, an American aid worker kidnapped by Somali prates.
All three book deals were announced by publishers on Monday.
Morgan, the gold medalist and key member of the U.S. Olympic soccer team, has signed a deal with Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for "The Kicks," a three-book series for middle schoolers about four friends - and yes, soccer will have a role in their lives.
The first novel will come next summer.
Morgan, 23, had three goals and four assists as the U.S. women's team won its third consecutive gold medal. In a statement released by Simon & Schuster, she said she wanted her books to "inspire young girls" and "celebrate" her love of soccer.
Manzo, the star of "Real Housewives of New Jersey," has a deal with It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, for "Let Me Tell You Something," a book of advice on family, friendship and long-term happiness. It will come out March 26, 2013.
Manzo, who turns 51 next week, has been married since 1984 to Albert Manzo, who runs The Brownstone, an event and catering facility in Paterson, N.J. They have three children.
Buchanan will write, with novelist and screenwriter Anthony Flacco, an as-yet-untitled memoir about her 2011 kidnapping and rescue by Navy Seals.
The book is to be published in the spring by Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.
Buchanan and a Danish colleague were abducted by pirates on Oct. 25, 2011. They were held for three months in harsh conditions before the Navy team freed them. Buchanan had received little to eat, and fears for her health were a factor in President Barack Obama's decision to approve the rescue attempt.
Simon & Schuster and CBS have the same parent company.