Best-selling author Patricia Cornwell has agreed to a lucrative new two-book deal with her publisher, Penguin Putnam Inc., amid speculation that she would leave for rival Random House Inc.
Financial terms weren't disclosed, but Cornwell's agent, Esther Newberg, said Wednesday that "the deal was as good as any in recent years."
Former President Bill Clinton received a reported $10 million last year from Alfred A. Knopf to write his memoirs; Michael Crichton signed an eight-figure contract with HarperCollins.
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Random House had recently hired longtime Penguin Putnam head Phyllis Grann, one of the industry's most respected executives. Random House is the country's largest trade publisher, followed by Penguin Putnam.