Sunday, June 27, 2010

CelebrityPress Signs Publishing Deals with Leading Entrepreneurs

A select group of America's leading entrepreneurs and businesspeople have joined together to collaborate and co-write the forthcoming business and marketing book titled, "Game Changers: America's Leading Entrepreneurs and How They're Changing The Game, and You Can Too!" Nick Nanton, Esq. along with business partner, JW Dicks, Esq., of Dicks + Nanton Agency, LLC, recently signed a publishing deal with each of these authors to contribute their expertise to the book, which will be released under their CelebrityPress label.

The group of businesspeople and entrepreneurs authoring the new book include:

Genevieve M. Lynott; Paul Davey; Thomas W. Clark, MS, MD, FACS; Alec Day; Dr. Arif Balagam; Dr. Chris Colloca; Justin C. Carter; Clifford Jones; Jennifer Bryden; Martha Fouts, Dan McCabe; C. Richard Triola; Brewa Kennedy; Scott Schumann, DDS; Garrett J. White; Pam Moore; Chuck Boyce; Charles D. Oliver; Amy Remmele; Fletcher M. Johnson, Jr.; Joseph Lam; Courtney Barnette; William R. Benner, Jr.; Anolia Orfrecio Facun; Tony Greco; Philip D. Bennett; John Bejarano; Mike Chaet; Clate Mask; Robert Reedy; Nick Nanton; JW Dicks; and Lindsay Dicks.

The forthcoming book, "Game Changers" will feature anecdotes, business strategies and real-life solutions to many of the challenges faced by small and large businesses across the country, in a rapidly changing economy.

Other books soon to be released by CelebrityPress include The Relationship Age featuring social media expert, Mari Smith; The New Masters of Real Estate: Getting Deals Done in the New Economy featuring real estate investment expert and mentor, Ron LeGrand; and Power Principles for Success featuring America's PremierExperts along with Brian Tracy.

To learn more about CelebrityPress, please visit http://www.celebritypresspublishing.com/

Virtual Tales Acquires Her Dark Depths from Portland, Oregon Author Wendy Wagner

Virtual Tales, a privately held publisher of general and genre fiction in print and e-formats, announced the acquisition of the worldwide print and electronic publishing rights for the fantasy novel Her Dark Depths from Portland, Oregon author Wendy Wagner. This thrilling fantasy novel will take the reader deep into the heart of the political and personal intrigues of Imholt, where the Dinan have controlled all power within their nation for more than a millennium. But now a dying prince stands to challenge that rule, and only one woman can protect him from the Dinan's wrath. But first, she has to remember who she is.

Her Dark Depths is Wendy Wagner's first novel. It has been assigned to Virtual Tales staff editor Ti Locke of Decatur Island, Washington. Publication in both print and eBook formats is anticipated for the second half of 2011. Interested readers can sign up to preview the first four chapters of Her Dark Depths for free by visiting the Virtual Tales website, or by sending an email to her-dark-depths(.)virtualtales.com.

Virtual Tales (http://www.virtualtales.com/) is a privately held partnership founded in 2006 to publish original works of general and genre fiction in multiple formats, including print, eBooks and eSerials.

Optioning Of 'Shadow Warrior' By Filmmaker Ryan Craig

Author Solutions, Inc. announced that the film rights to "Shadow Warrior: A Thriller" (AuthorHouse, 2005) by Dr. John Mayer have been optioned by filmmaker Ryan Craig to be adapted into a feature film. Craig, the writer and director of the recently released Lionsgate film "Small Town Saturday Night" discovered "Shadow Warrior" earlier this year.

"Mayer tells an emotionally complex story that examines the psychological turmoil of a fiercely independent American hero, torn between the covert operations of the CIA and a simpler way of life, while also exploring the themes of love, loss, honor, betrayal, and ultimately vengeance," Craig said. "I believe audiences are hungry for characters like John Stryker - he's a guy's guy with heart. It's stories like these that made me want to get into this business in the first place."

"Shadow Warrior" tells the story of John Stryker, a CIA agent given the assignment of taking the war on drugs to a new level by disrupting the drug business in the U.S. Based on actual cases from federal law enforcement files, Stryker employs high-tech and old-fashioned bravado in an attempt to destroy the illicit business of an American business magnate and drug money launderer, Jerry Roth. Along the way, Stryker develops a relationship with Roth's wife, whom he views as a way to get closer to Roth, but a genuine romance develops between them, fueled by erotic and passionate encounters.

Mayer hopes "Shadow Warrior" will join several other titles published by ASI, including "September Dawn" and "Legally Blonde," in realizing success on the silver screen. Author Solutions president and CEO Kevin Weiss said he believes opportunities like this will increase for indie authors as studios search new sources for quality content.

Ryan Craig is represented by manager Brian Sher at Category 5 Entertainment.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Author Solutions, Inc. Launches Spanish-Language Self-Publishing Imprint Palibrio

Author Solutions, Inc. has launched Palibrio -- a new self-publishing imprint created exclusively for Spanish-speaking authors of all genres.

Palibrio will capitalize on the proven expertise of Author Solutions' English-language imprints. Prospective authors will receive a free publishing consultation, during which a professional publishing consultant will assess each author's publishing goals and find a solution to fit his or her needs. Throughout the process, Palibrio authors will work closely with a team of Spanish-speaking designers, consultants, marketing professionals, and customer service experts to transform their manuscripts to finished books efficiently, affordably, and professionally.

"For more than a decade, Author Solutions imprints have served the publishing, marketing, and book-selling needs of English-speaking authors worldwide. We thought it was important that we extend our industry-leading services to the expanding Spanish-speaking author community and provide them the opportunity to join the indie book publishing revolution," said Kevin Weiss, president and chief executive officer of Author Solutions.

Palibrio is Author Solutions' latest initiative to bring more opportunities to authors and more choice to readers. Since 2009, Author Solutions has entered groundbreaking self-publishing partnerships with four leading traditional publishers; begun offering its Xlibris service to authors in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom; and entered into distribution pacts with nearly a dozen eBook providers including the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble nook, and Apple.

In addition to providing professional publishing services, Palibrio will make available to authors a selection of integrated marketing and promotional services. As well, each Palibrio title will be made available for purchase through Author Solutions' extensive traditional and digital distribution channels.

For more information about Palibrio, please visit http://www.palibrio.com/. For a free publishing consultation, call 1-877-407-5847 today.

Harlequin Announces New Licensee in Russia

Harlequin Enterprises Limited (www.eHarlequin.com), a global leader in series romance and one of the world's leading publishers of books for women, announced today a new licensing deal in Russia with ZAO (Izdatelstvo Centrepolygraph), one of that country's foremost publishing houses.

"We are thrilled to be working with Centrepolygraph in Russia," said Donna Hayes, Publisher and CEO, Harlequin Enterprises Limited. "Russian readers are enthusiastic Harlequin readers and we're very excited to meet the country's growing appetite for women's fiction with as beloved and respected a publisher as Centrepolygraph in our corner."

"We are delighted to be partnered with a publisher of Harlequin's stature," said Nickolai Aleshin, General Director of Centrepolygraph. "Harlequin Russia is a unique endeavour, with books designed to entertain, enrich and inspire Russian readers."

Centrepolygraph will publish novels by international bestselling authors in both hardcover and paperback, as well as series romance in the mass-market paperback format. Centrepolygraph plans to release more than 170 titles in their first year, most under the Harlequin logo and trademark, and has worldwide rights to publish Harlequin titles in the Russian language.

Harlequin recognizes a rapidly growing market in Europe and Asia. In 2008, the publisher launched an office in Mumbai, India, to print and distribute books locally. In the first half of 2010, the women's publishing giant has already opened an office in Turkey and acquired full ownership of their German operation. In the past 18 months, Harlequin has also signed new licensing deals in Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand. Harlequin currently has licensees in 15 countries.

Alister McGrath to Write C. S. Lewis Biography for Tyndale House Publishers

Definitive Work will Release in 2013, the Fiftieth Anniversary of Lewis's Death
Carol Stream, Illinois--Alister McGrath, internationally-known apologist, educator and bestselling author, is writing a definitive biography of C. S. Lewis, coming from Tyndale House Publishers in 2013, the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Lewis.

"We are honored to be working with Dr. McGrath; not only is he one of the world's most respected Christian theologians of this century; he is also a champion of C. S. Lewis's importance for Christian apologetics and understands the academic culture within which Lewis developed his ideas," said Ron Beers, senior vice president, group publisher. "He is ideally placed to write this biography."

Alister McGrath, a former atheist who grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, studied at Oxford University, where he became a Christian. McGrath subsequently served as Professor of Historical Theology at Oxford University until 2008, before taking up the newly-established chair of Theology, Religion, and Culture at King's College, London.

Dr. McGrath has a special interest in Christian apologetics. He has debated leading atheists, including Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens.

He is the author of numerous notable books, including A Life of John Calvin; Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought; Knowing Christ; The Twilight of Atheism: The Rise and Fall of Disbelief in the Modern World; and many more.

Tyndale House plans to launch the biography in 2013 correlating with the fiftieth anniversary observance of the death of C. S. Lewis (which occurred on November 22, 1963.)

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Glamour and Hyperion Announce Three Book Deal

Ellen Archer, President and Publisher of Hyperion, and Cindi Leive, Editor-in-Chief of Glamour magazine, today announced a publishing partnership. This collaboration begins with three books to be published in 2011 and 2012. This deal marks a strategic partnership that draws on each company's promotional and marketing strengths to reach and cater to women readers. Both Hyperion and Glamour will support the books with multi-tiered publicity and marketing campaigns. Glamour, which has a readership of 12.2 million, was just selected Magazine of the Year at the National Magazine Awards, given by the American Society of Magazine Editors. The website Glamour.com has an online monthly readership of three million unique visitors and is the #1 women's magazine website in the country. Hyperion is known for its innovative digital outreach, exemplary publicity campaigns, and strategic ability to build upon platforms and leverage partnerships.

The first book, ENGAGEMENT CHICKEN and 99 Other Recipes to Get Everything You Want Out of Life by Cindi Leive, Editor-in-Chief of Glamour, and the Glamour team will be published in hardcover on Valentine's Day, 2011. ENGAGEMENT CHICKEN earned its title after a young Glamour editor was proposed to by her boyfriend the week after she used the magazine's recipe for a simple roast chicken and wrote about it in Glamour. Since then the magazine's editors have heard from many readers who have become engaged soon after trying the recipe. Hyperion Editor-in-Chief Elisabeth Dyssegaard acquired World English rights via auction, negotiating with David Kuhn at Kuhn Projects.

The second book, JAKE'S LAWS, will be published in May 2011. For more than 50 years, Glamour's Jake columnist has served as dating consigliere for millions of American women, explaining why single men act the way they do and how to use that knowledge to female advantage.

The third title, a gift book called 30 THINGS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD HAVE AND SHOULD KNOW BY THE TIME SHE'S 30, is scheduled for publication in Spring 2012. Originally penned by a Glamour columnist and published in the magazine 13 years ago, it found a second life when women began to forward it to one another all over the web. It became a viral sensation, mis-attributed to everyone from Maya Angelou to Hillary Clinton -- but there's only one original, and it stands the test of time.

Hyperion and Glamour plan to promote the books with targeted campaigns, utilizing both traditional and new media and marketing methods including national media, regional tours, strategic partnerships, advertising, contests, videos, social networking, and other digital initiatives.

Sunday, June 06, 2010

Mind Candy Partners with Penguin Group to Publish a Range of Moshi Monsters Books

Mind Candy, developer of the popular children’s online game, Moshi Monsters, today announced its first major licensing deal with Penguin Group to publish a series of books based on the Moshi Monsters property. The online game allows children around the world to adopt their own free pet monster, play games, customize their homes, explore the virtual world and solve educational puzzles. More than 20 million players have registered to-date at http://www.moshimonsters.com/, making it one of the world fastest growing children’s games.

The first book to be published during the deal will explore one of the most popular elements of the game - Moshlings. These cute, colourful and collectible little creatures are pets of the Moshi Monsters and the book will delve into their back-story, habitats, quirks and provide other valuable information for dedicated Moshling hunters. The book will also contain a unique code to unlock a secret Moshling at the Moshi Monsters website. Two books are planned for release in 2010 globally and a further five to follow in 2011.

Hurts Poetry/Hurts Publishing Joint Venture Agreement

International acclaimed poet, speaker, and best-selling author Isiah Hurts has joined Hurts Publishing with a management and joint venture book agreement. Isiah will write under a newly formed joint venture with the company's premiere poetry-based book division, Hurts Poetry. His highly-anticipated book, Water For Your Soul, is scheduled for a 2011 fourth quarter release on Hurts Poetry/Hurts Publishing.

As a best-selling author, Isiah, has sold hundreds of thousands of groundbreaking books. His popular writings offer powerful leadership inspirations with hope, strength and spirituality. His innate charisma and enlightening sermons have drawn thousands to conferences and events around the world.

Fueled by a deep spirituality, Isiah Hurts delivers thought provoking and relevant messages in his writings, within the media and through his powerful and anointed voice in poetry. His writings has inspired multicultural and intergenerational audiences worldwide.

Author Solutions, Inc. Launches Spanish-language Self-publishing Imprint Palibrio

Author Solutions, Inc. announced the launch of Palibrio--a new self-publishing imprint created exclusively for Spanish-speaking authors of all genres.

Palibrio will capitalize on the proven expertise of Author Solutions' English-language imprints. Prospective authors will receive a free publishing consultation, during which a professional publishing consultant will assess each author's publishing goals and find a solution to fit his or her needs. Throughout the process, Palibrio authors will work closely with a team of Spanish-speaking designers, consultants, marketing professionals, and customer service experts to transform their manuscripts to finished books efficiently, affordably, and professionally.

Palibrio is Author Solutions' latest initiative to bring more opportunities to authors and more choice to readers. Since 2009, Author Solutions has entered groundbreaking self-publishing partnerships with four leading traditional publishers; begun offering its Xlibris service to authors in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom; and entered into distribution pacts with nearly a dozen eBook providers including the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble nook, and Apple.

In addition to providing professional publishing services, Palibrio will make available to authors a selection of integrated marketing and promotional services. As well, each Palibrio title will be made available for purchase through Author Solutions' extensive traditional and digital distribution channels.

For more information about Palibrio, please visit http://www.palibrio.com/.

Black Screen Pictures Acquires Kristin A. Ward's screenplay "HIDDEN AGENDA"

Newly founded Toronto based company Black Screen Pictures has acquired the movie rights to Kristin A. Ward's action thriller, "Hidden Agenda" it was announced today by Melissa Verwey, the head of development at the company.

Alex Hanna CEO and founder of Black Screen Pictures will produce and will potentially direct the film.

Pre-production will go underway April 2011 and principal photography will begin June 2011.

The producers and director on the film is already keeping an eye out for potential shooting locations and are also casting talent for the film.

The project centers on a convicted killer Jack Morgan who heads for the town where he was sentenced to life imprisonment. On his journey he meets Clair Kinsey, a once prominent author -- destroyed by fame -- wandering across the country, desperately hoping to rekindle an interest in living. But is Jack innocent or guilty? A justifiably, paranoid underdog, determined to overturn his conviction or a brilliant, devious psychopath, using Clair in a twisted plan of revenge.

A release date has not been set, but Black Screen Pictures is shooting for February 2012.