LEWINSKY TO TELL STORY IN BOOK, TV INTERVIEW.

Byline: Doreen Carvajal and Lawrie Mifflin The New York Times

After months of angling for a lucrative book deal and a television forum, Monica Lewinsky finally has signed agreements for an interview with Barbara Walters of ABC News and for the publication of a book from St. Martin's Press tentatively titled ``Monica's Story.''

Lewinsky settled on a British and an American publisher to tell her side of the scandal over her affair with President Clinton, but at a price that is more modest than the millions once predicted: a $600,000 advance plus bonuses for best-seller rankings. The book, which will be published in February, will be written by Andrew Morton, the author of a best-selling book about Diana, Princess of Wales. Lewinsky's lawyer confirmed Monday that the book deal had been signed Friday.

Lewinsky also has signed an agreement to talk to Walters on the program ``20/20'' for which she will not be paid. The interview most likely will be broadcast in February.

Walters said she has met with Lewinsky twice, both times within the past couple of weeks. Their agreement, which Lewinsky also signed Friday, gives Walters exclusive rights to the first television interview and prohibits ABC from selling that interview outside North America, so that Lewinsky's representatives can negotiate interviews for her in other countries and grant exclusivity in those countries.

``Monica received offers of more than $5 million and turned them down,'' said her lawyer, Richard Hofstetter. He would not identify the companies that had made such offers, but there were reports that Lewinsky's representative had gone far in negotiations with the tabloid show ``Hard Copy,'' with talk show host Oprah Winfrey and with News Corp.'s Fox Broadcasting.

Wanted $2 million

Fox executives said she asked for $2 million and that they were willing to pay less than half that.

Walters said Lewinsky will reveal a side of herself that has not been apparent from the reams of grand jury testimony that was released by prosecutors.

``She is not silly. She is well-spoken. She is intelligent,'' Walters said. ``There's a lot not in the record - what this year has been like for her, what it felt like when the president made his statements, her reaction, her views on the various people involved, the jokes.''

Conditions not revealed

It's not clear whether there are any restrictions on Lewinsky that would limit her from speaking out. In an immunity deal she signed with prosecutors last summer, she agreed not to speak to any news organizations without the consent of the independent counsel while the inquiry into President Clinton's actions was proceeding. Recently Lewinsky, who has faced mounting legal bills, renewed her request to the Independent Counsel's Office for permission to grant interviews. Charles G. Bakaly III, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office, declined to comment Monday on whether Lewinsky would be allowed to speak now or under what conditions.

St. Martin's Press, which has paid more for books like ``The Arthritis Cure,'' reached an agreement with Lewinsky after a weeklong flurry of negotiations for the book.

The book's theme

``The general theme will be how a young woman comes to Washington, has a relationship with the president and then what she went through from there,'' said John Sargent, the chief executive of St. Martin's Press, who described Lewinsky as a pawn in Washington power games.

The book deal finally came together through the efforts of a British publisher, Michael O'Mara Books, which sold St. Martin's Press the rights to publish the book in the United States while retaining the rights to publish the title in the rest of the world. The company published Morton's book candidly describing Princess Diana's unraveling royal life.

Michael O'Mara, the publisher, said he initially was not interested in publishing a book about Lewinsky. He said he rejected the idea when first broached to him by British television executives wanting to package a television interview along with a book to be written by a ghost writer that he characterized as ``a nobody.'' O'Mara said Lewinsky's attorney, Hofstetter, called him about a week ago, and then the conversation shifted to other potential authors, such as Morton.

Early last week, Morton and O'Mara met Lewinsky at the offices of her lawyer in New York. O'Mara said Morton's meeting with Lewinsky went well.

``We had one terrific discussion, and we discussed that Monica Lewinsky as a human being is actually completely a different person: lively, intelligent, very well-spoken, a typical American girl,'' O'Mara said. ``They clicked, very loudly, and they were making progress on the book before he signed.''

At St. Martin's Press, the publisher will be rushing to produce the book as fast as it can, according to Sargent, who said the book essentially will be Morton's view of what happened to Lewinsky. Morton will be the sole author.

Walters made it clear that Lewinsky is not getting any form of compensation for her appearance.

``No money, no other deals,'' said Walters. ``No Disney movie, no show on Lifetime and not for putting out any videos. We were very meticulous because we knew we'd be scrutinized and we read all the rumors.'' She said there would be no hidden compensation for Lewinsky.

Walters said she believes Lewinsky spurned millions of dollars from Fox.

``No one is giving her credit for doing this interview out of desire to maintain her credibility and for turning down millions, millions, from Fox,'' she said.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

PHOTO (1) Andrew Morton, who wrote a 1994 book about Princess Diana, has signed a deal to write Monica Lewinsky's book.

Martin Keene/Associated Press

(2 -- color) LEWINSKY