Monday, November 09, 2009

Iceberg Interactive Acquires UK Publishing Rights for Dark Fall: Lights Out - The Director's Cut Edition

Premier videogame publisher Iceberg Interactive has signed the UK publishing rights to the re-mastered The Director's Cut version of Darkling Room's horror adventure for PC 'Dark Fall: Lights Out', the 2nd adventure in the Dark Fall saga. The agreement follows earlier agreements between the companies on Iceberg publishing the 3rd Dark Fall volume Lost Souls and the bundle Adventures in Terror. All three games are set for a November 2009 release.

Lights Out received a lot of acclaim upon its original release in 2004. Dark Fall series creator Jonathan Boakes, who also wrote the successful ghost-hunting title The Lost Crown, has been adding content to the original Lights Out adventure ever since its release, resulting in a much boosted Director's Cut edition to be re-released shortly. The new version includes many additional features such as new graphics and effects, new puzzles and an enhanced story, new spooks and thrills with more ghostly encounters, as well as new additional music and sound to bring the game world even more to life.

Erik Schreuder, CEO of Iceberg Interactive says: "'Lights Out is a great adventure, based on a real life event of people who vanished from a lighthouse about 100 years ago. We are proud to be re-releasing this eerie adventure's final cut, boosted to perform under modern Windows versions and using many upgrades to satisfy both curious newcomers as well as collectors of the Dark Fall series who want to delve deeper into the story and enjoy fresh new parts and puzzles in the game."

DreamWorks Studios Acquires Rights to Young Adult Book Series "Wicked"



DreamWorks Studios has acquired the rights to the young adult book series "Wicked" it was announced today by Mark Sourian and Holly Bario, Co-Presidents of Production for the studio. Aaron and Matthew Benay have signed on to write the adaptation based on their own pitch. The Gotham Group will produce.

A New York Times bestselling series and published by Simon & Schuster, "Wicked" is a five book series written by Nancy Holder and Debbie ViguiƩ. The first two books, "Witch" and "Curse," were published in 2002, followed by "Legacy" and "Spellbound" in 2003. The fifth book, "Resurrection," was published this past summer.

Story follows the journey of a young woman who learns she is a descendent of a powerful coven of witches. Complications arise when she falls in love with a boy who turns out to be a member of a rival coven sworn to destroy her family.

"'Wicked' has all the elements for a great movie--adventure, mystery, star-crossed lovers, bitter enemies, and the supernatural," said Mark Sourian. "Aaron and Matthew came in with an intriguing take on the books and a story that we feel will really speak to all audiences."

Aaron and Matthew Benay, who are brothers, wrote the script for "1906," which Pixar, Warner Brothers, and director Brad Bird are readying for release in 2012.

Best-selling author Nancy Holder has published sixty books and more than two hundred short stories. She has received four Bram Stoker awards for fiction from the Horror Writers Association, and her books have been translated into more than two dozen languages. She has written or co-written twenty Buffy and Angel projects based on the characters from the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" film and television series.

Debbie ViguiƩ is author of the Once upon a Time novels "Scarlet Moon" and "Midnight Pearls," as well as the Sweet Seasons novels "The Summer of Cotton Candy," "The Fall of Candy Corn," "The Winter of Candy Canes," and "The Spring of Candy Apples."

Monday, November 02, 2009

Thomas Nelson Partners with Author Solutions to Launch Self-Publishing Imprint, WestBow Press

Thomas Nelson, the world's leading Christian publisher, is partnering with the world's leading self-publishing company, Author Solutions, Inc. (ASI), to launch WestBow Press--a Christian self-publishing imprint. The alliance will allow authors to benefit from the market leadership of Thomas Nelson, while taking advantage of ASI's technology and services that make publishing easy, affordable, and available to anyone.

Long regarded as an industry innovator, Nelson's creation of WestBow Press provides new and emerging authors the opportunity to publish with the global leader in Christian publishing. Thomas Nelson will monitor WestBow Press titles for the purpose of entering into a traditional publishing contract for those that perform well.

Through this strategic partnership, ASI will manage WestBow Press on behalf of Thomas Nelson, and be responsible for selling and delivering a rich array of publishing, marketing, and book-selling services, unique to WestBow Press. Kevin Weiss, ASI president and chief executive officer, believes the WestBow Press partnership will serve as a blueprint for other similar alliances.

ASI, the parent company of industry-leading self-publishing imprints AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Trafford Publishing, and Xlibris, brought to market more than 21,000 new titles in 2008. Since 1997, ASI imprints have published more than 120,000 titles by 85,000 authors worldwide.

To learn more about the publishing packages available through WestBow Press, visit http://www.westbowpress.com/.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Leading strategy game publisher signs multi-title digital distribution deal with Matrix Games

Matrix Games ( www.matrixgames.com ) and cdv Software Entertainment USA ( www.cdvusa.com ) have signed a publishing agreement to bring multiple acclaimed cdv Software Entertainment titles to the Matrix Games community. The deal marks the fruition of cooperation between the two publishing companies and stands as a tremendous opportunity for both companies to offer high-quality strategy games to fans of the genre.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said, "We're thrilled to be working with cdv and very pleased to be adding their titles to our catalog. It's been a pleasure working their great staff and we feel that this deal will bring more enjoyable, top-tier products to gamers around the world."

"Given our success in publishing strategy titles and Matrix Games' excellence in serving the strategy and wargaming communities, it's only natural for our companies to work together on making these great games available to a wider audience," added Tom Gross, CEO of cdv Software Entertainment USA. "We're thrilled to be working together and this deal is a great thing for both companies and consumers."

For more information about cdv Software Entertainment USA and their products, please visit - www.cdvusa.com

Monday, October 19, 2009

Benjamin Launches New E-Book Business Imprint

William A. Benjamin, founder of science publisher W. A. Benjamin, Inc. announced today the formation of TBG Publishing, LLC (TBG). The new e-book imprint will specialize initially in venture investment analysis and development books, directories, and databases for entrepreneurs and venture investors that are delivered from their website, http://www.venturecritical.com/.

Citing the increased interest and demand for venture industry information and instruction being delivered electronically to the investor's desktop, Benjamin explained that his new firm will capitalize on its founder's 40 years of venture development experience including nine startups, most of which were acquired by larger companies including McGraw-Hill, Pearson, and Thomson.

Benjamin said, "The new online paradigm in content aggregation and delivery is now being focused into - and delivered by - more formal, organized channels, which was the missing ingredient. We have designed a new online publishing model to fit this low-cost marketing opportunity, and intend to pursue aggressively one or two vertical markets where constant updating and resource referencing is crucial to the user." He added that "The mission of the new TBG imprint is to provide, via the internet, business model development data and expert instruction to entrepreneurs and investors that will improve the dismal rate of success for venture startups, which is now less than 40 percent."

TBG's first title, "SUCCESSFUL STARTUPS: An Essential Guide to Business Venture Analysis and Development," will be released October 1 and is considered a gateway publication and introduction to the more specialized series of e-books to follow. Benjamin indicated that his firm is in negotiations with several online distributors to deliver this first title over the internet and via an electronic reader. Print copies are also being stocked by Amazon, Google and the established chain of retail and wholesale distributors.

HarperCollins To Publish Dinosaur King Books

HarperCollins announced a licensing deal with 4Kids International for international publishing rights in the hugely popular children's animation series, Dinosaur King.

Targeted at boys aged 6+, Dinosaur King is transmitted daily on Disney XD and GMTV where it regularly reaches over 150,000 viewers. The series focuses on mysterious dinosaur cards which are scattered all over the world. Whoever finds and controls these cards can bring dinosaurs back to life and use them in battle. Max, the 12 year old son of a world famous palaeontologist, and his friends are in a race against time to collect these cards and battle the evil Alpha Gang who are also after the cards. The brand already has an established licensing portfolio that includes toys, trading cards, posters, apparel and video games.

The HarperCollins publishing programme will launch in April 2010 and will include story, activity, sticker activity, annuals and 3D formats. Territories covered in the deal include English language rights in the UK, Eire, ANZ and South Africa.

Commenting on the deal, HarperCollins Category Manager, Richard Haines said "We are hugely excited about the acquisition of Dinosaur King. The ever popular subject of dinosaurs combined with a clever mix of fact, fiction and aspirational characters lends itself perfectly to a publishing programme with huge consumer appeal."

Monday, October 12, 2009

Wattpad Writer Signs Publishing Deal

Wattpad, the world's most popular ebook community, today congratulates popular writer Abbie-Alex Stobbart. Under the pen name Redflame, Abbie-Alex has signed a major publishing deal. Redflame first published her ebook "The Blind Truths About Vampires, Werewolves, Witches" on Wattpad in the Spring of 2009. Within 4 weeks, the ebook has been read by 200,000 people on Wattpad. Redflame had been approached by book publishers since and now the popular ebook is on its way to the print publishing world.

"Since its debut on Wattpad earlier this year, The Blind Truths has stayed on top of Wattpad's "What's Hot" list for a record-breaking 4 consecutive weeks," said Eva Lau, COO of Wattpad. "We would like to congratulate Redflame for signing her first print publishing deal."

The Blind Truths generated a significant buzz within the Wattpad community. As a result, Wattpad organized "The Blind Truth Cover Art Contest". The contest winning cover art, created by Caitlin Richardson, will be used in the print edition of The Blind Truths. More information about the contest is available at www.wattpad.com/contests.

Since founding in 2006, Wattpad has quickly become the destination of choice for writers to publish their works to millions of book lovers. Each month over 20,000 stories are published by thousands of emerging and established writers. More and more Wattpad writers are landing publishing deals that will be announced in the near future.

More information about Wattpad is available online at http://www.wattpad.com/.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Peace Arch Entertainment, Producer Barnet Bain Acquire Screen Rights to Children's Book

Peace Arch Entertainment Group Inc. has teamed with Emmy nominated producer Barnet Bain (What Dreams May Come, Homeless to Harvard) to acquire screen rights to Eckhart Tolle and Robert S. Friedman's children's book, Milton's Secret: An Adventure of Discovery through Then, When, and the Power of Now.

Tolle, a Canadian spiritual teacher and the best-selling author of The Power of Now and A New Earth, which have sold more than 11 million copies, wrote Milton's Secret with Friedman as his first work of fiction.

The story, being adapted as a live-action family film, centers on a boy who discovers that his obsession with pre-teen fears, shaky parental relationships, confidence issues and mistreatment by his schoolmates are preventing him from finding true happiness through living in the Now. Donald Martin (Dim Sum Funeral, The Christmas Choir) is writing the screenplay.

Bain, who most recently directed The Lost & Found Family, acquired by Sony for release this fall, says, "We get to tell this inspiring story and, at the same time, help as many people as we can-kids and parents-to stop stressing and start living."

"We're delighted to be able to bring to life this extraordinary first fiction work from Eckhart and Robert," Peace Arch Entertainment CEO John Flock says. "In this age of anxiety, its lessons will ring as true to movie-goers as they have to the countless fans of Eckhart's best-selling books."

Milton's Secret was co-authored by Friedman, president of Hampton Roads Publishing Company, and co-published by Hampton Roads and Namaste Publishing in Vancouver.

Peace Arch Entertainment and Barnet Bain Films will produce, with Tolle, Friedman and Constance Kellough serving as executive producers.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Byker Books Moves Into Full Length Crime Fiction With Danny King

Byker Books are pleased to announce that they have signed the latest novel from the hugely popular Danny King. 'More Burglar Diaries' Follows on from the critically acclaimed 'The Burglar Diaries' and is based on the BBC comedy series Thieves Like Us. Narrator Bex takes us on another tour of Tatley's rooftops and drainpipes, and through lock-ups, cock-ups and jobs as he recounts More Burglar Diaries. Featuring a full novelisation of all six episodes of the show, plus an all new and final adventure for literature's least favourite burglars.

With a release date in November '09 'More Burglar Diaries' is sure to be on everyone's Christmas wish list.

Also, Danny is well known for his witty take on life and the good copy he always gives so if you wish to interview or do a feature on him then he'd be happy to oblige. Please contact Ed at Byker Books for further details.