Tina Wells Signs Publishing Deal with HarperCollins

HarperCollins Children's Books has acquired world rights to "Mackenzie Blue" by Tina Wells, CEO of Buzz Marketing Group. Mackenzie, aka Zee, is the charismatic, fashionable and down-to-earth star of this fresh new tween fiction series that chronicles the adventures of a diverse crew of friends who try to survive middle school at the prestigious BrookdaleAcademy.

The ground-breaking deal, which will include dynamic corporate partnerships with an international recording company and a Fortune 500 marketing firm, was negotiated by Kate Jackson, SVP/Associate Publisher, Editor-in-Chief of HarperCollins Children's Books with agent Kate Lee of International Creative Management and Andre Des Rochers, Attorney at Law for Gray Krauss LLP.

Tina Wells, the creative mastermind behind Mackenzie Blue, was inspired to write the series because she felt it was important for girls to have positive books to read and to encourage them to make good choices. In Mackenzie Blue, tweens will discover more about going "green," learn about the "global" landscape, and be motivated to achieve their goals. Fun and eco-conscious, Mackenzie Blue is an upbeat break from mean-girl culture and is a breath of fresh air for the youth of today.

Ben Templesmith and Antony Johnston Collaborate on Dead Space

Electronic Arts Inc. and Image Comics will launch a new comic book series based upon the upcoming original survival horror video game; Dead Space. This new six book series set in the Dead Space universe will be written and illustrated by Ben Templesmith and written by Antony Johnston.

The Dead Space comic is the prequel story for the game. This series tells the gut-wrenching tale of a deep space mining colony that unexpectedly pulls an ancient and vicious alien life force from the dark rock.

The first issue will be on comic store shelves starting March 3rd for the regular price of $2.99 each. However, a limited edition version of issue #1 with exclusive cover art will be available at WonderCon.

Ben Templesmith is an Australian commercial artist best known for his work in the American comic book industry -- most notably Fell with writer Warren Ellis, published by Image Comics, and 30 Days of Night with writer Steve Niles published by IDW Publishing. The 30 Days of Night novel provoked a bidding war between film studios for the movie rights when the story was pitched a second time with Templesmith's artwork. Ben has been nominated for multiple Eisner Awards three years in a row for his comic work. He has also created book covers, movie posters, trading cards, and concept work for film.

Antony Johnston was born and raised in the Birmingham, England area and is the author of thirteen graphic novels, including Stormbreaker and Point Blanc (adapted from Anthony Horowitz' best-selling Alex Rider novels), The Long Haul, Julius and Three Days in Europe. He writes two ongoing serials, the sci-fi epic Wasteland and the children's fantasy Texas Strangers. He has adapted many of Alan Moore's prose stories to comics, written for the Texas Chainsaw Massacre comics license, and is the only other writer to have penned a story for Greg Rucka's award-winning Queen & Country series. He also writes novels; his debut Frightening Curves won the 2002 American Independent Publishing Award for Best Horror. His second novel, Stealing Life, was published in 2007.

Random House to Publish Novel by Alastair Campbell

All In The Mind, a novel by Alastair Campbell, will be published in November 2008 by Random House.

Set mainly over a long weekend it is the compelling story of a psychiatrist, his patients and family, and the pressures they bring to bear upon each other.

Random House imprint Hutchinson has acquired UK and Commonwealth Rights to All In The Mind from Campbell's literary agent Ed Victor.

Last year Alastair Campbell published The Blair Years: Extracts from the Alastair Campbell Diaries which was a Sunday Times No 1 bestseller, winner of Channel 4's Political Book of the Year award, and the bestselling political book of 2007. So far, 150,000 copies have been sold by Hutchinson. The paperback of The Blair Years will be published by Arrow in May and the full diaries will be published in a set of chronological volumes in the coming years.

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing to Produce Raggedy Adventures Movies

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing has partnered with Starz Media to develop and produce a series of "Raggedy Adventures" movies. The movies, based on the publisher's "Raggedy Ann and Me!" books, will unveil a new and updated look that will target young children, exposing this new generation to characters ready to go on countless adventures and who will share the magic and power of imagination.

Starz Media is a full-service production and distribution company whose Film Roman unit produces such popular animated programs as "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!," the Emmy(R)-winning "Eloise," as well as "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill." The company has hired writer Joe Ansolabehere ("Recess," "Hey Arnold," "Rugrats") to create an updated "Raggedy Adventures" story that has the excitement that will appeal to today's young audiences, while retaining the characters' core values of friendliness, imagination and giving. The animated movies will be produced at Film Roman, with TV sales handled by Starz Media and DVD releases going out via Starz Media's Anchor Bay Entertainment.

Along with the "Raggedy Ann and Me!" books and the "Raggedy Adventures" movies, Russ Berrie will create a new doll based on the updated look. United Media is currently building a licensing program in support of Raggedy Ann and Me! and will release merchandise in conjunction with the videos, dolls and books this fall.

Johnny Gruelle's RAGGEDY ANN & ANDY stories have warmed the hearts of children for decades. While Johnny, a talented cartoonist, illustrator, and storyteller, began writing stories about Raggedy Ann as a way to entertain his ailing daughter Marcella, those stories published in memoriam went on to become an American classic. Cherished through many generations, the adventures of Raggedy Ann, a mop-headed rag doll found in a grandmother's attic, have been shared for generations between parents and children and grandparents and grandchildren and continue to delight children of all ages.

Jim Pattison Entertainment Acquires Guinness World Records

Jim Pattison Entertainment Ltd. has acquired Guinness World Records from HIT Entertainment. Details of the sale will not be made public.

Guinness World Records (http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/) is the universally recognized authority on record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, Guinness World Records has developed its annual book into an international phenomenon published in more than 100 countries and 37 languages. The book has gone on to become a record breaker in its own right, Guinness World Records(TM) is the world's best ever selling copyright book.

Jim Pattison Entertainment Acquires Guinness World Records

Jim Pattison Entertainment Ltd. has acquired Guinness World Records from HIT Entertainment. Details of the sale will not be made public.

Guinness World Records (http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/) is the universally recognized authority on record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, Guinness World Records has developed its annual book into an international phenomenon published in more than 100 countries and 37 languages. The book has gone on to become a record breaker in its own right, Guinness World Records(TM) is the world's best ever selling copyright book.

CBS Films Options Rights with Vince Flynn

CBS Films and Simon & Schuster/Atria Books -- both divisions of CBS Corporation -- have reached film and publishing agreements with best-selling author Vince Flynn for upcoming projects.

Flynn is the author of nine best-selling novels, eight of which feature the popular character, counter-terrorism operative Mitch Rapp. There are over 10 million copies of Flynn's books in print in the U.S., and with his most recent book, Protect and Defend, he joined the ranks of those select few authors who can immediately claim the Number One spot on hardcover bestseller lists in their first week on sale.

CBS Films has optioned the rights for Flynn's Mitch Rapp character with the intention of creating a character-based, action-thriller movie franchise. Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who produced two of last summer's hits — "Transformers" and Stephen King's "1408" — and Nick Wechsler ("We Own The Night") are in negotiations to produce the films.

Flynn's new agreement with Atria and Simon & Schuster is a four book global publishing deal for all world rights, including translation and audio. The worldwide simultaneous English language publication of the first book in the agreement by Atria and Simon & Schuster companies in the U.K., Canada and Australia will take place in 2010. Flynn will be published under the direction of Atria Executive Vice President and Publisher Judith Curr, and Vice President and Executive Editorial Director Emily Bestler, who made the acquisition.

Hyperion to Publish New Book by Marian Wright Edelman

Hyperion plans to publish Marian Wright Edelman's THE SEA IS SO WIDE AND MY BOAT IS SO SMALL, a series of letters to her grandchildren, our leaders, women around the world and to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. among others.

Edelman is the founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund and the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, The Measure of Our Success: A Letter to My Children and Yours. She has written eight books and edited numerous others, and is the winner of many awards for her work including a MacArthur Prize Fellowship, the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award and Heinz and Neibuhr Awards. In 2000, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Robert F. Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award for her writings.

Hyperion President, Robert S. Miller negotiated the deal with Timothy Seldes at Russell & Volkening. Executive editor, Gretchen Young, will edit it for publication scheduled September 2008. Hyperion retains World rights, including book club, first serial, and audio.

Book and Author of the Year Announced by Police-Writers.com

Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. Police-Writers.com announced the 2008 Book of the Year and 2008 Author of the Year.

What Every Chief Executive Should Know: Using Data to Measure Police Performance, (Looseleaf Law Publications, 2007) by Captain Jon M. Shane (ret.), was selected as the 2008 Police-Writers.com Book of the Year. In December 1985, Jon Shane Joined the Newark Police Department (New Jersey) and was assigned to the South Police District. During his 20 year law enforcement career, he worked a variety of assignments and worked his way through the ranks of detective, sergeant and lieutenant, eventually reaching the rank of Captain.

Jon Shane's book stood out among the entrants because it significantly advances management decision making in the field of law enforcement. The book provides models and mathematical approaches to management questions like: "How many officers do we need? Are we efficiently using the ones we have? Is there a relationship between the number of officers we have and our crime rate? What is the status of our patrol car fleet? Are citizens satisfied with our work? What is the cost of our special programs and what are the actual benefits?"

James H. Lilley was selected as the 2008 Police-Writers.com Author of the Year. The author of the year selection was based in part on writing ability and in part on career and community service.

James H. Lilley began his lifetime as a United States Marine in 1961. Shortly after his discharge, he joined the Howard County Police Department (Maryland), graduating first in his class. During his career his received numerous honors such as Medal of Valor, four Bronze Stars, four Unit Citations and the Governor's Citation. James H. Lilley has published six novels, articles in Police Chief Magazine and authored an International Association of Chiefs of Police training key. Moreover, he began studying Martial Arts in the early 1960s and is a 8th Degree Black Belt in Shorin Ryu Karate; the first American to achieve this recognition and honor from Sensei Takeshi Miyagi.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 839 police officers (representing 382 police departments) and their 1772 law enforcement books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books. Website: http://www.police-writers.com/