BREAKOUT THRILLERS, a New Recommendation Program with the International Thriller Writers

Audible, Inc. has launched BREAKOUT THRILLERS, a new monthly co-marketing program with the International Thriller Writers (ITW), the world's leading organization of thriller writers. BREAKOUT THRILLERS is designed to introduce the best thrillers in audio as recommended by a rotating roster of best-selling writers.

The BREAKOUT THRILLERS program kicks off with three selections for May 2008:

JANET EVANOVICH, author of the beloved Stephanie Plum series, recommends Dead Ex by Harley Jane Kozak

TESS GERRITSEN, author of The Bone Garden and other best-selling medical thrillers, recommends Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger

STEVE BERRY, author of The Venetian Betrayal and other best-selling thrillers, recommends The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose

BREAKOUT THRILLERS is the latest effort in Audible's ongoing association with ITW. The previous project, the original serialized novel The Chopin Manuscript, has been nominated for two 2008 Audie Awards, including Audiobook of the Year, by the Audio Publishers Association. Each month’s recommendation and more about BREAKOUT THRILLERS selections can be found at www.audible.com/thriller.

Los Angeles Producer Acquires Film Rights for Adventure Novel

Producer Tony Eldridge has acquired the film right to The Samson Effect, the first in a series of action adventure novels by.......Tony Eldridge. No, that's not a typo just an amazing coincidence and fortuitous turn of events.

"I started getting emails congratulating me on my soon to be published first novel, interesting only because I hadn't written one," said Los Angeles based film producer Tony Eldridge. By doing some research, he discovered there was a Texas based writer also named Tony Eldridge. The premise of his upcoming book and some pre-publication reviews (one by best-selling author Clive Cussler) sounded interesting so the producer contact the author and requested a copy.

He was amazed by how good the story was. "I couldn't put it down, read it cover to cover in one evening and the next morning made a deal for the film rights. Finding great material is what it's all about. It's like panning for gold, you just never know when you're going to get lucky or where that nugget is going to come from."

How close did these two Tony Eldridges come to passing each other as two ships in the night? Author Tony Eldridge said, "When the time came to put my name on the book, I had it narrowed to three: Tony Eldridge, Robert Eldridge {Robert is his first name}, or the pen name of Benjamin Rytin."

Had the author chosen to go with Benjamin Rytin or Robert Eldridge instead of Tony Eldridge, it is unlikely that the producer Tony Eldridge would have ever come across The Samson Effect.

This isn't the first time that producer Eldridge has hit the Mother Load. He is currently producing the feature films, The Equalizer, with Mace Neufled, Harvey Weinstein and Michael Sloan, Patient Number One with Zucker Productions for HBO Pictures as well as The War Magician, Just Desserts and Old Dicks for his Lonetree Entertainment shingle.

Tony Eldridge, author, grew up in Westfield, IN and now lives in Forney, TX. The Samson Effect is currently available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, or at any bookstore.

Black Rose Writing Acquires Catalina Cristescu Geornoiu's Everchanging Seasons

Black Rose Writing has acquired the publishing rights to Catalina Cristescu Geornoiu's Everchanging Seasons. This poetry book is inspired by some of the tragic events in her life, sharing an intimate reflection on some of history's greatest stories and heroes.

Catalina Cristescu Geornoiu's Everchanging Seasons features a collection of poetry that touch the soul in four different seasons, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring.

So no matter the mood or temperature outside, her poetry has a special place in the readers' hearts.

She was born March 4, 1976, in Romania. In 1992, at the age of 16, Catalina traveled 10,000 miles to the United States to complete her studies. In 1998, she lost her father to cancer and was forced to return to Romania.

She traveled to the United States once again, in 2002, this time to dedicate herself and her work to those that lost loved ones in the World Trade Center attacks. She currently lives in Chicago, IL, with her mother and sister.

Website: http://www.blackrosewriting.com/

HarperCollins and Walden Media Launch Walden Pond Press

HarperCollins Children's Books and Walden Media, the film studio behind The Chronicles of Narnia and Bridge to Terabithia, will jointly establish a new children's book imprint called Walden Pond Press.

Under the multi-year agreement, Walden Pond Press will acquire and publish books for young readers; pair book properties with filmmakers and actors; and collaborate on the development and production of motion pictures based on select book titles. The joint venture follows a longstanding promotional partnership between Walden Media and HarperCollins supporting literacy, featuring books such as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, Bridge to Terabithia and Charlotte's Web that have been published by HarperCollins and adapted for the big screen by Walden.

The first Walden Pond title will be The Will of Will Wolfkin, by Steven Knight, the Academy Award(R) nominated screenwriter of Dirty Pretty Things who also wrote the screenplays for Eastern Promises and Amazing Grace. In addition, Walden Media has hired Knight to be principal screenwriter of Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third installment of the Chronicles of Narnia series produced by Walden Media in association with the Walt Disney Company. The Will of Will Wolfkin, a sweeping epic fantasy set under a glacier in Iceland, is scheduled to be published by Walden Pond Press in Fall 2009.

Walden Pond Press is Walden Media's first dedicated publishing imprint. The deal was negotiated by Susan Katz of HarperCollins and Chip Flaherty, Executive Vice President of Publishing at Walden Media. The imprint will be led editorially at HarperCollins by Brenda Bowen, Vice President and Publisher, the Bowen Press, and at Walden Media by Deborah Kovacs, Senior Vice President of Publishing. The new entity will have offices at HarperCollins headquarters in New York and at Walden Media offices in Boston and be supported by its own dedicated editorial and marketing staff.

Simon & Schuster Signs Deal with Sean Covey

Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, has signed a deal to publish The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, the first picture book from Sean Covey in September 2008. Covey is the author of the multimillion copy best-selling The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, and The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make: A Guide for Teens. The book will include illustrations by artist Stacy Curtis. The deal, which is for world rights, including audio, was negotiated by Rubin Pfeffer, Senior Vice-President and Publisher of Simon & Schuster Children's Trade Publishing, and Shannon Miser-Marven of Dupree/Miller & Associates.

The book's publication in September will also coincide with the launch of FranklinCovey's comprehensive solution for elementary schools, The Leader in Me(TM): Developing Leaders One Child at a Time Through Great Schools. The program will integrate timeless leadership principles into elementary school curriculum and cultures, providing students with practical character and life skills relevant for today's 21st century challenges. The process has proven to build children's self confidence and interpersonal skills, elevate student achievement, and reduce school-wide discipline problems. The Leader in Me program will include age-appropriate materials such as a Student Activity Guide, Annotated Teacher's Edition, Classroom Poster Set, and Interactive Online Activities based on The 7 Habits of Happy Kids cast of characters.

Doubleday Canada To Publish The Long-Awaited New Book From Hockey Icon Don Cherry

Doubleday Canada has acquired the long-awaited new book from hockey icon Don Cherry. DON CHERRY'S HOCKEY STORIES AND STUFF, written with veteran sports journalist Al Strachan, will arrive in bookstores across Canada in late October, 2008.

This is the book that Canadian hockey fans have been waiting for," says Maya Mavjee, Publisher of Doubleday Canada. "Everybody here is thrilled to be working with Don Cherry on this book."

"Like any good Canadian, I've spent more Saturday nights with Don Cherry than I can count," says Martha Kanya-Forstner, editorial director of Doubleday Canada. "All the stories he has to tell are entertaining, and many of them are unexpected. Don's excitement at the prospect of sharing them with readers is infectious."

Don Cherry was named the National Hockey League's Coach of the Year in 1976 with a winning percentage of over .600, and was also a recipient of Coach of the Year honours in the American Hockey League. His comments on Hockey Night in Canada's "Coach's Corner" routinely make headlines as they entertain, educate, and sometimes enrage hockey fans throughout North America.

Hyperion Announces Plans to Publish KASEY TO THE RESCUE

Hyperion President, Ellen Archer, and Executive Editor, Brenda Copeland, have pre-empted North American rights to KASEY TO THE RESCUE: How a Capuchin Monkey Saved a Family in Despair by Ellen Rogers.

A single mother of five in her mid-fifties, Ellen Rogers has endured her fair share of tragedy having lost both her first husband and stepdaughter to cancer. But, nothing could have prepared Rogers for the June 2005 car accident that left her son, Ned Sullivan -- now 25 years old -- a quadriplegic with brain injury. When she heard about Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled, a non-profit group in Boston, MA, she immediately contacted them about receiving a monkey to help Ned cope with his disabilities. Enter Kasey -- the adorable, mischievous, fun-loving capuchin monkey who helped Ned see the world in a new way. This is a story about revival of the spirit and the courage to go on in the face of even the bleakest circumstances; about the near-miraculous healing effects of an animal's love; and a fascinating look into the highly developed minds of these affectionate, playful, very human-like creatures.

Hyperion President Ellen Archer announced the deal saying: "This remarkable story of a mother's love for her son and the irresistible monkey who transforms their lives will leave readers laughing through their tears. It is one of those rare books that celebrates what it means to be a family in both the best and the worst of times."

Archer and Copeland negotiated the deal with Susan Golomb of The Susan Golomb Literary Agency. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Helping Hands: Monkeys for the Disabled, http://www.monkeyhelpers.org/

Paramount Pictures Buys Screen Rights to New York Times Bestsellers

Paramount Pictures has purchased the screen rights to the current New York Times non-fiction bestsellers Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction by David Sheff and Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff, for development and feature film production by Plan B.

The critically lauded Beautiful Boy, published by Houghton Mifflin Co., chronicles the teenage Nic Sheff's descent into methamphetamine abuse from the point of view of his father, journalist David Sheff, as he struggles to help his son overcome addiction. In Tweak, Nic Sheff himself details a harrowing summer during which he lapsed back into drugs and how he eventually recovered. Beautiful Boy and Tweak immediately became non-fiction bestsellers. Beautiful Boy is currently #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. The books were hailed for the unique approach of a father and son tackling the same experience from two different perspectives, and they are recognized as definitive books about a problem that is epidemic in American society.

Beautiful Boy is being sold in Starbucks stores around the country as part of the Starbucks Select book series. The film will be produced in association with Starbucks.

Audible Launches New Imprint

Audible, Inc. will launch a new science fiction and fantasy initiative that will give fans exclusive access to their favorite authors and deliver exclusive content.

Highlights of this new initiative include:

Audible Frontiers imprint and exclusive production agreements:

Audible is launching its original science fiction and fantasy audio imprint, Audible Frontiers, backed by a series of exclusive production agreements with today’s most-popular writers. The goal of Audible Frontiers is to expand greatly the number of audiobooks available to science fiction and fantasy fans. As a result, Audible is bringing to audio for the first time works by Jack Campbell, Harry Turtledove, Joe Haldeman, Robert J. Sawyer, Mike Resnick, Allen Steele, Connie Willis, Simon R. Green, Sean Williams, and other authors. These titles include more than a dozen Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novels and novellas.

"Science fiction is all about exploring strange new worlds -- and doing it in new ways! I'm excited to be part of Audible's initiative, and applaud them for recognizing what Hollywood has long known but few others seem to have grasped: the most popular entertainment today IS science fiction," said science fiction favorite Robert J. Sawyer.

Orson Scott Card Selects:

In an exclusive relationship, Audible is launching a monthly recommendation program with Hugo Award-winning Orson Scott Card, the author of the classic Ender’s Game, and one of the industry’s best-selling writers. Card will provide exclusive audio critiques of each selection.

"It's easy for great novels and novellas to get lost in the bookstore - not everything can get front-of-store display!" Card said. "That's what I'll be doing with ‘OSC Selects’ - moving new and classic sci-fi and fantasy right to the front, so fans will have a better chance of noticing terrific stories performed by first-rate readers."

"Orson Scott Card Selects" kicks off with the April selection, Star Born by Andre Norton.

Guest Editors:

Each month, a different prominent science fiction and fantasy writer will write an exclusive guest column for Audible customers, highlighting great listens in the Audible catalogue. Best-selling author Ben Bova will be the inaugural Guest Editor for April.

"Audiobooks have opened a new dimension to the enjoyment of good fiction, and I'm happy to be part of the Audible team that brings the best in science fiction (and other genres) to this new and growing audience," said Bova.

In addition, through content relationships with HarperCollins, Macmillan Audio, Recorded Books, Blackstone Audio, Harlequin, and Wonder Audio, Audible is pleased to offer digital exclusives from John Scalzi, Vernor Vinge, Jay Lake, Philip K. Dick, Philip Jose Farmer, Kim Stanley Robinson, Maria V. Snyder, and many more.

The Audible science fiction and fantasy catalogue now exceeds 1,500 titles. Visit www.audible.com/scifi for more than 100 exclusive and digital exclusive titles and more than 50 Hugo and Nebula Award winners.