Carter Bays, co-creator of 'How I Met Your Mother' set to release debut novel

Washington [US], April 20 : Carter Bays, who is the co-creator of the Emmy-winning series 'How I Met Your Mother', is all set to release his debut novel after inking a deal with the US publisher Dutton Books.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, his upcoming book, 'The Mutual Friend', will be centered on an ensemble of twenty-something New Yorkers over the course of one summer as they navigate love, loss, ambition, and faith.
Bays will tell the story of aspiring doctor Alice who must face a list of potential suitors vying for her attention, including toxic bachelor Bob, online ethicist Grover and registered nurse Felix. Meanwhile, Alice's chaotic roommate Roxy finds herself caught up in a citywide sex scandal. Roxy's tech millionaire brother Bill has a religious awakening that sends his wife into a breakdown.
The publisher described the book as "an epic romantic comedy of manners set in New York City, exploring how technology has changed the way we connect to the world and each other".
Speaking about the book's plot, Bays said, "I wanted to tell a story about the place we go when we are lying in bed or sitting on the subway, the place where so much of life happens now."
He added, "We fall in love there, we buy socks there, we fight wars there, and we meet some pretty cute animals there too. We're even there right now, me writing this and you reading it. I asked myself what kind of novel Jane Austen would write about all this stuff, and the result is The Mutual Friend."
As per The Hollywood Reporter, executive editor, Maya Ziv from the Dutton imprint of Penguin Random House acquired North American rights from Daniel Greenberg at the Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency.
Ziv said, "Carter Bays knows how to tell a story and build an unforgettable cast, and in his first novel he completely captures the choreography of navigating life and love in the smartphone age."
"This novel is warm and relatable with characters who feel real and encounter universal themes and broader societal questions...including their relationship with their phones. We are so proud to be publishing Carter's debut at Dutton," she concluded.