Book Deals for the Book Publishing Industry

Amazon Publishing Acquires 47 Books from Award-Winning Mystery Author Ed McBain

2011-08-30T16:59:00.000-07:00

Amazon Publishing has acquired the publication rights of 35 titles in the 87th Precinct Series-including "The Con Man" and "The Mugger"-by author Ed McBain. These books will be published by the Thomas & Mercer imprint in print, digital and audio formats starting in Fall 2011. In addition to the 87th Precinct titles, Thomas & Mercer will publish 12 titles in McBain's Matthew Hope series starting in Spring 2012. These 12 books will be published in digital and audio format, with most of the 12 available in print format. This is the first time any of these books have been available digitally for readers. Jane Gelfman of Gelfman Schneider Literary Agents, Inc. represented the estate of Ed McBain in this deal.

Ed McBain was a pseudonym of Evan Hunter, who passed away in 2005. McBain won the Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement from the Mystery Writers of America in 1986, and he was the first American to receive the Crime Writers Association of Great Britain's Cartier Diamond Dagger award. He is the author of the popular 87th Precinct and Matthew Hope series. With more than 100 million books sold worldwide, McBain was praised by critics and fellow writers. "The wit, the pacing, his relish for the drama of human diversity [are] what you remember about the McBain novels," the Philadelphia Inquirer once said of his writing. People Magazine simply observed that "Ed McBain is, by far, the best at what he does. Case closed."

Samhain Horror Signs Additional Authors for New Line

2011-08-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

Samhain Horror has signed several horror authors--both established authors and exciting new voices--to its line, launching October, 2011. Following a launch list that includes Horror Master Ramsey Campbell, David Searls and Maynard Sims will release new books in January, 2012.

Samhain Publishing is an international publisher of ebook and traditional print fiction. One of the most prominent voices of original ebook fiction, Samhain represents some of today's brightest authors of romance and horror fiction. To learn why at Samhain "it's all about the story...", visit Samhain Publishing online at http://www.samhainpublishing.com.

Sports Writer Mike Lupica to Publish New Middle-Grade Sports Book Series with Scholastic

2011-08-18T12:27:00.001-07:00

Scholastic has acquired world rights to Game Changers, a series of hardcover novels for middle-grade readers written by prominent sports columnist Mike Lupica, to launch in May 2012. Lupica brings his expertise, signature style and New York Times bestselling success to a younger audience with an exciting series that follows reoccurring characters and spans three different sports kids love, football, basketball and baseball. The deal was negotiated by Esther Newberg from International Creative Management for Mike Lupica and Debra Dorfman, Vice President Publisher for Paperbacks, Non-fiction and Licensing, from Scholastic.

Record-Setting Sales for Jaycee Dugard’s Memoir

2011-08-18T12:26:00.000-07:00

Simon and Schuster announced that Jaycee Dugard’s memoir, "A Stolen Life," sold a combined total of 175,000 copies on Tuesday, July 12, the first day it went on sale. This includes print books, audio books and nearly 100,000 eBooks, a new company record for one-day eBook sales. Simon and Schuster has already gone back on press five times for a total of 425,000 copies in print.

Big Screen Entertainment Group Options New Screenplay by Award Winning Author and Filmmakers

2011-08-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

Big Screen Entertainment Group has optioned the rights to a motion picture screenplay titled GIRL ZERO, devised by husband-and-wife filmmaking partners Eric Shapiro and Rhoda Jordan of Wildlight Entertainment, LLC.

The screenplay, which depicts an apocalyptic scenario in which the Earth's women are being destroyed, was penned by Shapiro from a story created by him and Jordan. The filmmakers' debut picture, a time-bending psycho thriller called RULE OF THREE, is being distributed by BSEG worldwide.

Buyer Group International Obtains Motion Picture Rights for Multiple Screenplays by Alex Weis

2011-07-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

Buyer Group International, Inc. announced their most recent venture, collaborating with up and coming fiction writer Alexandrea Weis on two screenplays, "Blood Will Tell" and "Treasures in Hiding." Additionally, Buyer Group International, Inc. has obtained the motion picture rights for Weis second novel, the romantic thriller "Recovery" (ISBN 453875700). Buyer Group International, Inc. is hoping to secure future screenplays by seeking options on this up and coming writer's fiction novel.

Weis offers a fresh perspective with charismatic characters and unique, edgy story lines that fill the void of interesting content that the Motion Picture Industry lacks in the current market.

Ms. Weis' first novel in the Nicci Beauvoir series, "To My Senses," and third novel, "Sacrifice," due out later this year, are also currently under review. Both screenplays are currently in pre-production

Disney Publishing Worldwide Grabs Three-Book Deal with Internationally Best-Selling Author Eoin Colfer

2011-07-06T16:54:00.000-07:00

Disney-Hyperion Books, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide, has acquired the eighth and final installment of internationally best-selling author Eoin Colfer's hit Artemis Fowl series. Colfer will also helm a new series for the publisher in an additional two-book deal. The agreement for North American rights was negotiated by Stephanie Owens Lurie, Editorial Director, Disney-Hyperion, and Sophie Hicks, Ed Victor, Ltd.

The final Artemis Fowl book—The Last Guardian—will be published in Summer 2012. The first book in the brand-new W.A.R.P series, The Reluctant Assassin, will be published in Winter 2013. The assassin of the title is young Riley, who has fallen into the FBI's W.A.R.P.—Witness Anonymous Relocation Program—after a murderous escapade with a Victorian illusionist. Riley is transported to modern-day London, where he must both evade the illusionist and keep him from returning to Victorian times, where, with his new knowledge of all things scientific and technological, he could literally change the world. Additional W.A.R.P. books will follow every year.

Mercury Radio Arts and Simon & Schuster extend and expand publishing deal

2011-06-30T06:36:00.000-07:00

Glenn Beck's multi-media production company Mercury Radio Arts and Simon and Schuster, Inc., are are extending their global multi-book, multi-imprint co-publishing agreement. The renewal builds on the incredible success and many milestones the two companies have enjoyed since the 2003 publication of THE REAL AMERICA, including Beck's joining the select group of authors who have placed #1 New York Times bestsellers on both the fiction and non-fiction lists.

Beck, the author of seven consecutive #1 bestsellers spanning multiple genres and formats-- including fiction, non-fiction, self-help, and children's picture books, trade paperback and audio originals-- will continue to write numerous books every year. As in the past, Beck and Mercury's focus will be on creating a robust publishing program that offers readers a broad selection of titles in a wide range of categories. The first title under the renewed agreement, a trade paperback non-fiction title, The Original Argument: The Federalists' Case for the Constitution, Adapted for the 21st Century, goes on sale June 14, 2011. A new novel by Beck, THE SNOW ANGEL, will be published in October.

Beck's titles will continue to be published internationally by Simon and Schuster's publishing companies in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, and in audio from Simon and Schuster Audio.

Mercury is also launching Mercury Ink, a new division that will discover, publish and promote books and authors that Glenn is passionate about across a variety of genres. The division will be run by Kevin Balfe, Mercury's SVP of Publishing, who will acquire titles for the imprint. Mercury Ink titles will be co-published with Simon & Schuster.

Mercury Ink's first title is Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25, a young adult novel by #1 New York Timesbestselling author Richard Paul Evans.

Brighton Publishing acquires "Jest" manuscript from author David Warren

2011-06-09T06:10:00.000-07:00

Brighton Publishing announced the signing of author David Warren for his new book "Jest."

Writing in a style reminiscent of the early Stephen King masterpieces, David Warren establishes his own unique voice and striking originality, giving Mr. King a worthy competitor. As the story builds, it takes a number of sharp turns, heading off in unexpected and fearsome directions. Providing old-fashioned page turning suspense, and concluding with a totally unexpected ending, it doles out fear in ample portions.

The story is about Nicole Carzon who is an average, young college student, trying to cope with everyday life and an alcoholic father. Her life has not been easy since her mother left; in reality, it was the source of the problem. Nevertheless, everything changed the day she received the letter. Her grandfather, having been estranged with his own son for years, shocks everyone when he bypasses her father and names Nicole as heir to his castle in England.

With an angry father and the summer off, Nicole and her friends decide now is the perfect time to fly overseas and visit the castle. Once they arrive, they are overwhelmed with the history and nostalgia pulsating from the 600-year-old Bodlum Castle. However, as Nicole and her friends soon come to realize, this castle has an ancient occupant. One that has been lying dormant and patiently waiting for hundreds of years…but waits no longer.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to Publish Early Life Memoir of Late Nobel Prize Winning Author José Saramago

2011-06-01T05:20:00.000-07:00

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Trade and Reference Division will publish Small Memories, the early life memoir of the late José Saramago, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998. The book comes out just a month before the one-year anniversary of the author's death.

The Independent (UK) praises Saramago's memoir of his early life, calling it an "homage to [his] family and homeland, but also…the endlessly renewable life of the mind." The Business Post (Ireland) calls the book, "Small memories, perhaps, but a small masterpiece, too."

Born in Portugal in 1922 in the tiny village of Azinhaga, Saramago was only eighteen months old when he moved with his father and mother to live in a series of cramped lodgings in a working-class neighborhood of Lisbon. He returned to Azinhaga throughout his youth to stay with his illiterate but world-wise grandparents.

Shifting back and forth between the village and the city, Small Memories is a mosaic of Saramago's family memories and earliest encounters with literature--from the tragic death of his older brother at the age of four, to the first novel that made an impression on him, the melodramatic Maria, Fairy of the Forest. Small Memories traces the formation of an individual who emerged, against all odds, from a car mechanic in Lisbon to one of the world's most respected writers.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is also offering The Collected Novels of José Saramago exclusively in e-book form. This collection, which includes twelve novels and one novella along with an introductory essay by Ursula K. Le Guin, showcases the range and depth of Saramago's career.

José Saramago was the author of many novels, among them Blindness, All the Names, Baltasar and Blimunda, and The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis. He died at his home in the Canary Islands in 2010.

HarperCollins Publishers Signs Lauren Conrad For New Series

2011-04-24T06:35:00.001-07:00

HarperCollins Children's Books announced today that it has acquired world rights to THE FAME GAME, a new series by Lauren Conrad--television star, fashion designer and author of the #1 New York Timesbestselling L.A. Candy. THE FAME GAME takes place in the world of reality TV and its fashionable starlets, and features a favorite character from L.A. Candy.

Madison Parker made a name for herself as best frenemy of girl-next-door-turned-reality-celeb Jane Roberts in the L.A. Candy books. Now she's ready for her turn in the spotlight and she'll stop at nothing to get it. But with backstabbing friends and family, relentless paparazzi, and tabloid scandals she can't control, Madison is going to have her work cut out for her.

The deal was negotiated by Farrin Jacobs, Editorial Director at HarperCollins Children's Books and Literary Agent Matthew Elblonk of DeFiore & Company, with Max Stubblefield at UTA. The first book in the three-book series will be published in Winter 2012.

Filled with characters both familiar (producer Trevor Lord and sister-from-hell Sophia) and new (Carmen, daughter ofHollywood royalty, and Jill, a struggling musician), Lauren Conrad's THE FAME GAME dishes gossip and drama at every turn.

In 2009, Lauren made her authorial debut with L.A. Candy, the behind-the-scenes story of a young girl who moves to L.A. and becomes the star of a reality television show. The first in the series, L.A. Candy was a #1 New York Times bestseller. The follow-up book, Sweet Little Lies, was also a #1 New York Times bestseller. The paperback of Sugar and Spice goes on sale this week, and contains a sneak peek at Conrad's new series, THE FAME GAME.

HarperCollins Publishers Signs Candace Bushnell for Two Young Adult Novels

2011-04-17T06:19:00.000-07:00

HarperCollins Publishers announced today a new two-book deal with Candace Bushnell, author of Sex and the City and The Carrie Diaries. The deal was negotiated by Alessandra Balzer, Vice President and Co-Publisher of the Balzer + Bray imprint at HarperCollins, with Heather Schroder at ICM. UK and Commonwealth rights along with translation rights were acquired by Rachel Denwood, Publishing Director at HarperCollins Children's Books UK.

In April 2010, Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Children's Books, published Candace Bushnell's first young adult novel, The Carrie Diaries, which told the story of iconic character Carrie Bradshaw during her high school years. The Carrie Diaries garnered rave reviews worldwide, debuting at #1 on the New York Times Bestsellers List. It has been translated into 34 different international languages.

The Second Carrie Diaries novel, Summer and the City, will be published on April 26, 2011 (April 28, 2011 in the UK). Summer and the City explores Carrie Bradshaw's first summer in Manhattan and reveals the irresistible story of how Carrie met Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte.

Candace Bushnell is the critically acclaimed, international best-selling author of Sex and the City, The Carrie Diaries, One Fifth Avenue, Lipstick Jungle, Trading Up, Four Blondes and the upcoming Summer and the City (A Carrie Diaries Book, on-sale April 26, 2011/April 28, 2011 in the UK)–the coming-of-age story of one of her most famous creations – Carrie Bradshaw. Sex and the City, published in 1996, was the basis for the HBO hit series and two subsequent blockbuster movies. Lipstick Jungle became a popular television series on NBC in the US.

CMG Holdings, Inc. Negotiates Successful Book Publishing With Rodale Press

2011-04-17T06:18:00.000-07:00

CMG Holdings, Inc. announced that New York-based Rodale Press, (www.rodalepress.com) (www.rodale.com), has agreed to publish "Is This Normal" authored by John Whyte, M.D., Chief Medical Expert for Discovery Communications. Dr. Whyte is an Agency client of the Company's Subsidiary Creative Management Group, Inc. The book is scheduled for release in August of this year.

The Company plans to complement Rodale Press marketing for Dr. Whyte through its wholly owned subsidiary XA Event Agency for the book tour and AudioEye, utilizing its e-Learning platform and digital technology.

CMG Holdings Inc. Chairman CEO Alan Morell, who negotiated the literary arrangement for Dr. Whyte, commented about the signing, "We are honored to represent John, who has pioneered medical and patient education programming at Discovery Communications. John is clearly one of the most highly respected Network Medical Experts, with his innovative, professional expertise, integrity and dedication to detail and a perfect fit for Rodale Press and the fine work they do in this sector."

Zondervan to Publish Book by 'The Pastor' of the Chilean Miners

2011-04-17T06:16:00.001-07:00

For 69 days, 33 miners from Mina San José, Chile were trapped 2,300 feet below the earth's surface, surrounded by more than 700,000 tons of unstable rock. They were trapped underground longer than anyone in recorded history, and the world had no insight into their survival for 17 days following the August 5 cave-in. As the last rescued Chilean miner came above ground, the world watched in awe. Editorial Vida, the Spanish-language division of Zondervan, a world leader in Christian communications, has signed a publishing agreement with José Henríquez, one of the miners rescued last year and regarded as "the pastor" of the group, for a book titled "Miracle in the Mine," in which he will tell his spiritual journey leading up to the mine collapse and following the heroic rescue--a faith which kept the miners alive.

"I'm eager to share how our faith in God helped me and my friends to survive this experience," said Henríquez. "Although, I have not fully embraced our so-called ‘celebrity' status, if writing this book will serve to bring others to know the truth of God's Word, then my experience will have been for good."

The book will highlight aspects of Henríquez's spiritual background and speak to the events which followed the 69 days he was trapped underground. This includes Henriquez's collaboration with Marcelo Leiva, a Baptist pastor above ground, who helped him create custom Bible studies for the miners to share in together during their ordeal. The book will also highlight aspects of the spiritual leadership Henríquez provided, which helped them to make use of their faith in God as a means to survive.

Editorial Vida, will publish "Miracle in the Mine" in all Spanish-speaking countries, while Zondervan will publish the book in English in the United States and Canada. The contract with Henríquez was signed in Talca, Chile, his hometown, approximately 257 km (160 miles) south of Santiago.

"The experience of the Chilean miners captivated the attention of the entire world for more than two months and we are absolutely thrilled to help tell this awe-inspiring true story of faith and recovery," said Lucas Leys, Publisher at Vida. "Jose's steadfast faith in God played a key role in helping these men survive this remarkable ordeal and we hope the experience of these men will touch the hearts and inspire everyone who reads their story," added Verne Kenney, EVP at Zondervan.

The book will release worldwide on October 12, 2011, the anniversary of the rescue, for $11.99 (Spanish), $19.99 (English) with announced first printing of 250,000 copies.

Penguin Acquires Rights to Non-Fiction Janet Frame Book

2011-04-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

Penguin NZ has acquired the rights to publish the first non-fiction book by Janet Frame for 25 years, as well as two new works of fiction.

For the first time ever, all of Janet Frame's published short non-fiction will be brought together in a new collected volume. Published essays, reviews and reports will feature alongside speeches and extracts from interviews. The work also includes published letters spanning 50 years of Frame's life and passages from her personal correspondence.

Penguin will publish the non-fiction collection at the end of 2011, and has acquired the rights also to publish two new fiction titles.

The first fiction work will be a volume of previously uncollected short stories, as well as some unpublished stories. The second work is an adult fable written by Frame in Ibiza during the 1950s. It is the first publication of material written by Frame when she lived on Ibiza, where she had her first profound romantic encounter.

Odyssey Press Launches Self Publishing Press Division

2011-03-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Writers who want to have their books published have a new option, Self Publishing Press (www.SelfPublishingPress.com). The new company has been created as a division of Odyssey Press, which has a 22-year history of digitally printing books, journals and article reprints.

The new venture's aim is to provide a cost-effective way for authors to self publish their books, explained Kevin E. Pirkey, publisher of Self Publishing Press.

Pirkey, who has spent the last 25 years in the printing and publishing industry, said today's technologies enable authors to do for themselves that which took entire staffs just a few years ago.

"With Self Publishing Press' support, authors can match the services of large commercial publishers and publish their books the way the want," he said, "but with the quality and professionalism their creative works deserve. Just because they have never written a book before or don't have the name recognition of a Stephen King doesn't mean they shouldn't get the same access to readers and bookstores all over the country."

Pirkey explained he was motivated to begin Self Publishing Press by his love of books and publishing. "I love to share in and encourage the passion of a new author for their work and the subject that they are interested in," he said. "There is great satisfaction in seeing an author receive the first copy of their newly published work."

Self Publishing Press will offer its authors several publishing packages from which to choose. Writers can select services from its Gold Deluxe, Silver Premier or Bronze packages, which include editorial and marketing services. Also available is a Family Memories plan, which is designed for those publishing family genealogy books, cookbooks or similar works with limited distribution.

Additional copies always can be ordered from Self Publishing Press. The packages include an author Website to more easily allow for ordering reprint, and a variety of a la carte services also are available to our authors.

Joining Pirkey at Self Publishing Press is Teresa M. Melcher. She will help edit and serve as a guide for authors in the publishing process. Melcher has been writing and editing professionally for 26 years, including seven years as an editor of several newspapers in Ohio. Her mother introduced her to a love of reading and she's hooked.

"I love books. This is a great opportunity to help authors publish their books, to share their stories," she said. "I'm looking forward to reading a lot of great books and meeting interesting people along the way."

New eBook Imprint: Avon Impulse

2011-03-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

Avon Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced the debut of Avon Impulse, a new imprint dedicated to digital publishing. The new imprint will feature e-books and print-to-order novels and novellas by existing Avon authors, and will seek new talent to nurture in an e-book marketplace that finds romance experiencing expansive growth.

"Romance readers have been among the first to embrace books digitally," says Liate Stehlik, senior vice president and publisher of William Morrow and Avon Books. "Their passion has encouraged us to introduce a line of romance e-books, which empowers Avon to publish more quickly, with an eye to what's trending in fiction."

The new imprint is looking to publish multiple titles each month, eventually releasing new content on a weekly basis. The Avon Impulse brand has grown organically from Avon’s existing publishing program and offers authors all the strengths of Avon's widely respected team. Books will be acquired by Avon editors, and will benefit by targeted marketing and publicity plans, as well as powerful sales platforms.

"What sets Avon Impulse apart," affirms Stehlik, "is that authors are signing to work alongside the Avon team, and will benefit from the same platforms that Avon authors have always enjoyed."

As part of the imprint’s publishing strategy, each Avon Impulse e-book will benefit from a dedicated "five-point" marketing and publicity platform, helping build awareness in the competitive marketplace. Plans include cross promotion, digital marketing and publicity, social media outreach, interactive assets and coaching, as well as targeted online retail placement strategies.

"Without traditional printing constraints, we can edit, market and release e-books more quickly, allowing unprecedented speed to market," says Carrie Feron, Morrow/Avon Vice President and Editorial Director. "The Avon Impulse imprint also allows us greater flexibility in the length of books we can publish—from novella to full-length fiction, and enables us to explore new themes in romance."

"There is so much opportunity right now within the romance genre," Stehlik says. "Readers have found a rich array of fresh content using digital and e-reading devices. It's crystal clear that we can nurture great talent via Avon Impulse's e-book publishing platform - and that there is already a very dedicated fan base of savvy digital readers."

The line launches with "A Lady's Wish," an original e-novella by Katharine Ashe; on-sale March 15; and then features "Royal Wedding," a historical romance short fiction anthology by Stephanie Laurens, Gaelen Foley and Loretta Chase, timed to coincide with the nuptials of Britain's most beloved young couple. Later in the season bring four releases from Lavinia Kent and a prelude to Karina Cooper’s Avon debut, "Blood of the Wicked." Jaime Rush launches a brand new series with a digital short; and a full-length paranormal romance novel by author Kristin Miller will be released in the summer.

Avon Impulse is currently in the acquisition and production process for e-books to be published in 2011 and 2012. "We are actively looking to acquire for Avon Impulse," says Feron.

Authors looking to submit to Avon Impulse can find guidelines and an online submission portal at www.avonimpulse.com. "We are looking for quality submissions across every romance subgenre," adds Feron.

Avon Impulse e-books will be made available at all online retailers, everywhere in the world where English-language e-books are sold. For those seeking a hard copy of individual Avon Impulse titles, print-to-order books will be available from online book retailers.

For more information on Avon Impulse, and a detailed FAQ, visit www.avonimpulse.com.

Brown Books to Publish Ziglar Book for a New Generation

2011-03-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

Brown Books will publish Zig Ziglar's new book, Born to Win: Prepare Yourself. Expect Success. Change the World.

With Born to Win, best selling author and motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, hopes to introduce a new generation of success-minded readers to his messages of humor, hope, and encouragement. Recognized by his peers as the quintessential motivational genius of our times, Ziglar's powerful messages have earned him many honors, and today he is considered one of the most versatile authorities on the science of human potential.

"I am very excited about my new book, Born To Win," said Ziglar. "In the book, readers will find the core principles and action steps that have transformed the lives of many thousands of people over the past 40 years. I've put the most important things I've taught in a concise, easy-to-read format. I feel that Born to Win provides a clear direction on how to be successful in every area of your life."

Tom Ziglar, CEO of Ziglar, Inc. and Zig's son, comments that this book speaks to both loyal Ziglar followers, as well as to those who are new to his motivational philosophies, while asking, "We are all born to win, the question is – 'are you winning?"

"Ziglar is thrilled to partner with Brown Books in the release of our newest book Born To Win. Brown has already made significant contributions to the project and we believe this book will impact thousands of people around the world," said Tom Ziglar.

The book will be edited by New York Times best selling author Michael Levin. "I owe much of my success to the wisdom of Zig Ziglar. To contribute to a book of Mr. Ziglar's gives me goose bumps. It's my way of saying thank you for helping me become the man I am today," said Levin.

Born to Win is scheduled to be released September 2011.

To learn more about Zig Ziglar and Born to Win, please visit http://www.ziglar.com , or contact Brown Books Publishing Group at 972.381.0009.

Professor Emeritus Wil Denson signs with Hollywood literary agent

2011-03-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

Lucky for Dr. Wil Denson, Hollywood loves guys with beards and Ph.D.s.

That's what literary agent Caren Bohrman, a prominent figure in the Hollywood film industry, jokingly told the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire professor emeritus of theatre arts when he recently signed with her agency.

Joking aside, Denson caught the agent's attention -- and that of about 35 other agencies, producers and managers -- when his screenplay "Feral" in January was named the overall winner in trackingb.com's 2010 international Feature Script Contest. Denson's work was selected for the top honor from a field of about 1,000 competing entries by a panel of 15 film industry literary judges.

Denson's hopes after "Feral" won the tracking.com contest were that he'd "be signed by an 'effective' literary agent, that 'Feral' will be produced and that I'll be made one of the film production team," he said shortly before signing with Bohrman.

"The odds of production are daunting, but I have hopes," he said.

Denson went with Bohrman based on what he'd learned about her from others in the industry. Bohrman has sold numerous screenplays that have subsequently gotten produced, including the scripts for the films "The Fugitive," "Warlock," "Crazy/Beautiful," "Buckaroo Banzai" and "The United States of Leland."

"Ms. Bohrman was my first choice to represent me," Denson said. "She's generally known as a 'boutique' agent specializing in working intensely with a small number of writers. From what I've learned she is one of the best/better LA industry people/human beings. The organizer of [the trackingb.com contest] advised me from the very beginning that she was the one to hope for, the perfect match for me."

Denson retired in 1999 from UW-Eau Claire after 30 years on the university's theatre arts faculty. He taught acting, stage directing, theater literature and criticism, musical comedy, performance for the camera, playwriting and theater management. For years he was the director of University Theatre and Summer Theatre. During his time at UW-Eau Claire, many of his play scripts were published and produced.

Denson's writing continued following his retirement and expanded to include screenplays.

"Feral," about a man "beyond psychotic," can accurately be categorized as a thriller, Denson said.

"Some agents have also labeled it 'thriller/horror,'" Denson said. "I'm not clear on the distinction. I do want to make it clear that it is not a 'slasher film.'"

Denson, who said he constantly changes and rewrites his works that have not yet been published, estimated he began writing "Feral" about five years ago.

His "dream cast" would include Chris Cooper or Tommy Lee Jones in the lead, a county sheriff, with John Malcovich as Ray, the psychotic villain.

"It's very unusual for first-time screenwriters to score A-team actors, but I can dream," Denson said.

The trackingb.com honor is not the first screenwriting contest success for Denson. Earlier versions of "Feral" were a top-10 finisher in the 2007 Script Savvy competition and a semi-finalist in the Hollywood Nexus Screenwriting Contest. Another of Denson's screenplays, "Brantner," was a finalist several years ago in the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Competition, a prestigious contest sponsored by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

As he waits to see whether his new agent will be the key to getting "Feral" produced for the big screen, Denson directs his attention to doing what he loves. While "Brantner" had success in the Nicholl Competition, it's never been produced, and he continues to refine it. He's also recently returned to playwriting. His one-act play, "It Ate Houston," was awarded second place in the Lourdes College Drama Society's 2010 One-Act Playwriting Competition and will premiere in Lourdes College's Festival of One Acts this spring.

A new piece, called "Going Long," also is in the works. Whether it's a play or a film script and what it's about, however, Denson is not yet willing to share.

"I hesitate to say more about it at this point except I think it's a good idea," Denson said.

"Poke the Box" to be published in English worldwide as print, audio and Kindle editions

2011-02-21T13:07:00.000-08:00

In December, international-bestselling author Seth Godin and Amazon announced a new publishing imprint, The Domino Project--the first to use Amazon's new "Powered by Amazon" publishing program. Now Godin and Amazon are unveiling the first book--written by Godin--from The Domino Project, "Poke the Box," which will be published worldwide on March 1.

"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to break ground and help define what publishing can become," said Godin. "We all know that ideas that spread win, and this publishing house will enable my colleagues and I to create, write and spread ideas that matter. A book that isn't read doesn't do anyone any good, and too often, the book publishing industry gets in the way of books reaching people who can benefit from them. Amazon knows what to do to help these books get read."

"Poke the Box" is about producing something that's scarce, and thus valuable: initiative. It demands that you stop waiting for a road map and start drawing one instead. It's a call to action - in your job or in your life - to leap, commit, make something happen. Godin knows that the scarcest resource in most organizations (and most careers) is the spark provided by an initiator - the person with the guts to say, "I want to start stuff." In Godin's words: "Life is a buzzer box. Poke it."

HarperCollins to Publish Manuscript Discovered on Teen Writing Site inkpop

2011-02-07T08:33:00.000-08:00

HarperCollins Publishers announced today the first acquisition from inkpop (www.inkpop.com), its interactive website for teen writing. Slated for Fall 2011, THE CARRIER OF THE MARK, by debut author Leigh Fallon, is a fresh and thrilling paranormal romance linking two teens to a supernatural destiny.

Fallon, a native of Cork, Ireland, tried to get her manuscript published through conventional channels. She started by contacting agents and eventually took a less traditional route. She heard about inkpop through a writing group and decided to upload her manuscript. Within weeks her manuscript was voted into the coveted "Top Five" by the inkpop community and was reviewed by an editor at HarperCollins. A few emails later, she signed her first book deal with HarperCollins for World English rights.

"For many people the rise to 'Top Five' on inkpop is a long process, but for Leigh, THE CARRIER OF THE MARK shot to the top of the list. This was one of our first key indications that it was an outstanding project," said Susan Katz, President and Publisher of HarperCollins Children's Books.

Inkpop combines community publishing, user-generated content, and social networking to connect rising stars in teen literature with talent-spotting readers and publishing professionals. In just over a year, inkpop traffic has grown by nearly 500%. With over 60,000 projects uploaded, the highly engaged members spend an average of over 20 minutes per visit on the site.

Katz added, "The opinions of our readers matter to us. Inkpop is HarperCollins Children's Books' first site (and not the last) to really put the users' voice and ideas in the forefront. Social media is incredibly empowering if used correctly, and HarperCollins recognizes this and is gearing up to make social media the cornerstone of all of its digital endeavors."

In the coming months, inkpop will be announcing more acquisitions. Budding writers will have more opportunities to get their ideas in front of editors at HarperCollins Children's Books and will be offered more ways to get published.

Writer's Digest Launches Self-Publishing Division-Abbott Press

2011-02-07T08:32:00.000-08:00

Writer's Digest, the oldest and most respected media company dedicated to the advancement of writers, announced today it is partnering with the leading self-publishing company, Author Solutions, Inc., (ASI), to launch Abbott Press-a self-publishing division. Named in honor of Richard K. Abbott, the legendary Writer's Digest editor, Abbott Press is devoted to helping writers improve their work and realize their dreams of getting published.

"In keeping with the mission of Writer's Digest, and in order to provide our consumers with the most complete information, inspiration, products and services to further their craft, we are proud to expand our portfolio to address a real desire of aspiring writers-to get published, be it by indie publishing or by traditional means," said Sara Domville, president, F+W Media. "Fully supported by the trusted experts at Writer's Digest, Abbott Press brings the same respectability, integrity, and commitment to editorial excellence as our Writer's Digest brand, while maintaining a unique identity of its own, for the benefit of our authors."

Through this strategic partnership, Author Solutions will manage Abbott Press on behalf of Writer's Digest, taking responsibility for sales and publishing activities, while delivering a comprehensive array of publishing, marketing, and book-selling services, designed specifically for Abbott Press authors. The educational and editorial services provided to authors fall under the respected Writer's Digest brand umbrella of Writer's Digest Books, Writer's Digest University, The Writer's Digest Conference, and Writer's Market.

UNC Wilmington's New Lookout Books Imprint Garnering Rave Reviews with Debut Volume

2011-01-31T07:44:00.000-08:00

The debut volume from Lookout Books, the new literary imprint of the Department of Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, has been greeted with glowing reviews this week by the New York Times and LA Times. The book, Binocular Vision: New & Selected Stories, by Edith Pearlman, was featured on the cover of the NYT Book Review's Jan. 16 edition. All of this attention is happily overwhelming for members of the Creative Writing faculty, who have nurtured the idea of a literary imprint at UNCW since 2007.

Smith founded Lookout Books with Ben George, editor of Ecotone--the Creative Writing department's award-winning literary magazine--and now editorial director of Lookout. The imprint grew out of the university's decade-old Publishing Lab, a teaching press that offers students the opportunity to learn the publishing process through apprenticeship. Students were involved in every step of publishing Binocular Vision, including discussions about the selection and order of the stories, as well as researching the cover design and typesetting.

Lookout Books publishes trade paperback originals and seeks "emerging and historically underrepresented voices, as well as works by established writers overlooked by commercial houses." George said Pearlman, who has had two stories published in Ecotone, was the perfect choice for the imprint's debut author. At age 74, Pearlman has won three O. Henry Prizes, her stories have appeared in Best American Short Stories and The Pushcart Prize anthology, and she has published three previous collections. Still, her writing had not achieved widespread recognition.

Pearlman will visit UNC Wilmington in March for the official launch of Lookout Books. She will read at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 3 in Morton Hall Auditorium, with the reading followed by a reception and book signing. Pearlman will also speak Wednesday, March 2 at 7 p.m. at B'Nai Israel Synagogue, 2601 Chestnut Street, on her identity as a Jewish writer and what that has meant to her.

Lookout Books is currently working on its second short story collection, Steve Almond's God Bless America, which will appear this fall.For more information about Lookout Books, go to http://www.lookout.org/index.html.

Loud Crow Interactive Partners with Bestselling Children's Author Sandra Boynton

2011-01-31T07:41:00.000-08:00

Loud Crow Interactive Inc. is extremely pleased to announce that it has partnered with bestselling children's author and illustrator, Sandra Boynton, to develop and publish digital interactive versions of Boynton's popular children's books. Boynton has written over fifty books including four that reached the New York Times best sellers list, and has sold over 30 million copies worldwide.

The partnership will see Loud Crow develop and publish interactive digital books under a new imprint, Boynton Moo Media. The digital books will be based on Boynton's titles, which include the popular Moo Baa La La La, The Going To Bed Book, and Barnyard Dance. The book apps will be produced for a variety of devices such as the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Boynton is also a Grammy-nominated songwriter and record producer, with three gold record albums, and future plans also include musical apps that will feature Boynton's well-known recordings

The first Boynton Moo Media title that will be produced is The Going To Bed Book which Publishers Weekly names as being one of the best selling children's books of all time. The digital book will feature innovative interactive elements including touch and gesture-based animations, audio, and narration. Like all of Loud Crow's books, The Going To Bed Book app will offer the educational read-to-me mode and word-repeat-by-touch functionality and will be narrated by British invasion singer, Billy J. Kramer. The Going to Bed Book app is currently scheduled for release in February of 2011.

Announcing a New Publishing Imprint -- Napoleon Hill on Brilliance Audio

2011-01-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

The Napoleon Hill Foundation and Brilliance Audio, Inc., today announced a new imprint, Napoleon Hill on Brilliance Audio, that has launched with the publication of an e-book and audio editions of a newly discovered work, "Napoleon Hill--The Road to Riches."

At the University of Virginia archives, Don M. Green, CEO of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, was doing a routine inventory when he discovered a box of 16 mm film canisters circa 1960. After restoring and digitizing the content, what was discovered was "pure gold"—Napoleon Hill and his longtime partner W. Clement Stone sharing their inspirational insights on the "master keys to success." The foundation commissioned Greg S. Reid, co-author with Sharon Lechter of "Three Feet from Gold," to take the archival film and create a new motivational program. The result is a one-of-a-kind audiobook, where you will not only hear the voice of Hill and Stone discussing the "master keys to success," but gain additional insights from some of today's top motivational speakers, including Bob Proctor, Brian Tracy, Les Brown and Mark Victor Hansen as they put a modern spin on Hill's classic principles of achievement. The 3-CD audiobook also includes a bonus DVD of the original film footage.

"We were searching for an audio publishing/e-book distribution that could leverage the future and propagate Napoleon Hill's message of prosperity well into the 21st century, and we believe we have achieved exactly that by working in concert with Brilliance Audio, Inc.," said Don M. Green, CEO of the Napoleon Hill Foundation.

In coming months, other releases under the Napoleon Hill on Brilliance Audio imprint will include the authorized edition of Hill's classic "Think and Grow Rich" with a new introduction by Lechter, Hill's "Keys to Success," "Selling You" and "Think and Grow Rich—Instant Motivator."

Best-Selling Author Steve Farber Signs Deal Repurchasing Rights to his Top 100 Business Book

2011-01-17T10:22:00.000-08:00

No Limit Publishing Group and best-selling author Steve Farber announced today a signed unprecedented deal following Farber's high five-figure repurchase of all rights to his best-selling leadership books Radical Leap and Radical Edge from Kaplan Publishing.

"We are extremely excited to sign such a prolific author to our thought Leader imprint and show the publishing industry that authors and publishers can truly partner in this world and that there is a third option that solves the economical injustice of traditional deals, while simultaneously solving the myriad of quality, marketing and distribution issues with authors who choose to self-publish," said Chris J. Snook, Editor-In-Chief of No Limit Publishing, following the deal signing on December 23 in San Diego, Calif.

"The Farber Deal" will consist of a co-investment by each party, a lucrative author-buyback provision, 50/50 split on net royalties for both digital and print formats and worldwide distribution rights for No Limit Publishing for a minimum of three years with renewals.

Farber has joined a growing list authors who are contracting with No Limit Publishing's proprietary Rising Author Modern Media Platform (RAMMP) program at an undisclosed sum. As part of RAMMP, No Limit Publishing Group will provide a complete multi-media, print and digital publishing and distribution plan estimated at a mid six-figure development level.

Scholastic to Re-Launch Animorphs Books by Bestselling Author K.A. Applegate

2011-01-17T10:20:00.000-08:00

Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, announced today that it will re-launch K.A. Applegate's bestselling "Animorphs" series in May 2011. Each book will be published with a lenticular cover that actually morphs.

Since the first Animorphs book was published in June 1996, the brand has grown to include 54 books, two spin-off series and ten companion books -- totaling more than 35 million books in print worldwide. In addition, the Scholastic Media-produced television series was sold to 35 countries globally and aired on Nickelodeon in the United States. The Animorphs series empowers kids with the desire, skills and supernatural abilities to achieve such noble virtues as heroism, loyalty and respect for nature's creatures -- all while engulfed in an urgent quest to save the world from evil.

K.A. Applegate is the author of the bestselling Animorphs series, as well as the Remnants and Everworld series, Home of The Brave, and the Roscoe Riley Rules series. She lives in Southern California.

Spencer Hill Press Has Signed Author Jennifer L. Armentrout

2010-12-06T07:36:00.000-08:00

Spencer Hill Press has signed author Jennifer L. Armentrout. Her debut novel, Half-Blood, will be released on September 15th, 2011.

Title: Half-Blood
Series: Covenant (Book 1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
ISBN: 978-0-9831572-0-5
Release Date: September 15, 2011
Pages: 308
Format(s): Trade Paper, e-book
Website: acovenantnovel.com

The Penguin Press Acquires New Novel From Sapphire

2010-12-06T07:35:00.000-08:00

Ann Godoff, President and Publisher of The Penguin Press, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), announced the acquisition of Sapphire's The Kid, the second novel by the bestselling author of Push.

The Company said The Kid tells the electrifying story of Abdul Jones, the son of Push's unforgettable heroine, Precious. The deal, for North American rights, was made between Godoff, who serves as editor, and Melanie Jackson of the Melanie Jackson Agency. Publication is slated for Summer 2011.

Amazon Acquires the Literary Fiction List of The Toby Press

2010-11-29T06:59:00.000-08:00

Amazon and The Toby Press today announced that Amazon plans to acquire the publication rights of up to 121 books currently published by The Toby Press. The books represent the works of 61 authors and include diverse fiction titles and works in translation.

Amazon's publishing imprints, AmazonEncore and AmazonCrossing, will re-publish the works as print editions and Kindle editions in the United States and globally in cases where authors choose to make their works available. Kindle editions will be available for Kindle devices and Kindle apps, and print editions will be available on www.amazon.com and its websites worldwide, as well as in bookstores throughout the United States, United Kingdom and Germany.

For more information on AmazonEncore and AmazonCrossing upcoming titles, visit www.amazon.com/encore or www.amazon.com/crossing.

HarperOne To Publish The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho's International Bestseller

2010-11-21T13:15:00.001-08:00

HarperOne announced the December 2010 publication of The Alchemist: A Graphic Novel (Hardcover; $22.99; ISBN 9780062024329). A beautiful interpretation of a beloved classic that continues to inspire readers worldwide, The Alchemist: A Graphic Novel will be available just in time for the 2010 holiday season.

The Alchemist has established itself as a modern classic. An international bestseller, it has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over two years and is regularly cited in interviews as the favorite of celebrities ranging from Russell Crowe to Will Smith to Joe Jonas. Now, for the first time, the phenomenal bestseller has been rendered as a graphic novel that will appeal to the millions of existing fans while also attracting a new generation of readers.

According to author Paulo Coelho, "It was an old dream of mine to have The Alchemist as a graphic novel. This version exceeds my expectations and is a beautiful manifestation of what I originally imagined while crafting this story."

The Penguin Press to Publish Second Novel From Sapphire

2010-11-21T13:14:00.001-08:00

Ann Godoff, President and Publisher of The Penguin Press, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), announced the acquisition of Sapphire's The Kid, the second novel by the bestselling author of Push. The Kid tells the electrifying story of Abdul Jones, the son of Push's unforgettable heroine, Precious. The deal, for North American rights, was made between Godoff, who serves as editor, and Melanie Jackson of the Melanie Jackson Agency. Publication is slated for Summer 2011.

"Sapphire never fails to render the hardest material comprehensible by coming from a place of love," Ann Godoff said of the acquisition. "In her second novel, she fearlessly explores the young life of an African American boy as he approaches manhood; alone, brutalized and with the soul of an artist. It is an honor for The Penguin Press to have the opportunity to publish this extraordinary book."

Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. member of the internationally renowned Penguin Group. Penguin Group (USA) is one of the leading U.S. adult and children's trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Berkeley Books, Dutton, Frederick Warne, G.P. Putnam's Sons, Grosset & Dunlap, New American Library, Penguin, Philomel, Plume, Puffin, Riverhead Books and Viking, among others. The Penguin Group is part of Pearson plc, the international media company.

Book Publisher Rosenthal to Launch Penguin Imprint

2010-11-21T13:13:00.000-08:00

David Rosenthal, the former publisher of CBS Corp.'s Simon & Schuster imprint, is launching his own imprint at Pearson PLC's Penguin Group (USA).

Exclusive Distribution Deal With Author of Controversial New Bon Jovi Book

2010-11-14T06:06:00.001-08:00

Global Media Online, Inc. has signed an exclusive, one year distribution deal with Ritchie Bozzett, Author of "Sex, Drugs, and Bon Jovi," a tell all book about his life as the former road manager for the international sensation, the rock band Bon Jovi.

The agreement grants Global the exclusive third party rights as the "online retailer" of the book. The book will be offered to the public exclusively by Global Media Online, Inc. on Amazon.com, half.com and various online retail outlets. Recently the book has appeared in The NY Post, LA Times, The Daily News and several other large newspaper publications, due to the eye opening antics of the band, its front man Jon Bon Jovi, as well as revelations about bandmate Ritchie Sambora's role in Jon Bon Jovi's marriage issues.

"Sure, it's filled with sex, drugs, and crazy antics, but the real underlying story reveals the man behind the stage, his exploits and experiences on this fantastic rise to fame and how the large record companies left him out in the cold once the band reached its success," said company CEO Raymond Barton. "The book is simply captivating, and with the growing popularity and media exposure, I expect it to be a tremendous success for Mr. Bozzett and for Global. This endeavor also creates new opportunities for Global to expand into publishing and order fulfillment along with the online retail."

G. P. Putnam's Sons Acquires 33 Men

2010-11-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

G. P. Putnam's Sons President Ivan Held today announced the acquisition of a riveting new book, 33 Men, by Jonathan Franklin, an award-winning American journalist who has lived in Chile for 15 years. He had unprecedented access to the 33 Chilean miners trapped 2,200 feet below the earth for ten weeks, their families, and the emergency personnel who ultimately rescued all 33 men alive. This uplifting story of survival and endurance has captivated the world.

North American hardcover and paperback rights as well as audio and eBook rights to the book were acquired in a highly competitive auction by Marysue Rucci, Vice President, Editorial Director, G. P. Putnam's Sons, from literary agent George Lucas of InkWell Management LLC in association with Annabel Merullo at PFD in London. Putnam is planning to publish the book in hardcover in February 2011. Berkley will publish the paperback edition approximately one year later.

New Kindle Exclusive: Edward Burns--Actor, Writer, Director and Film Producer--Makes Electronic Edition of Screenplay

2010-10-31T08:01:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com announced that actor, writer, director and film producer Edward Burns has made the screenplay of his just-released film "Nice Guy Johnny" available in electronic format exclusively in the Kindle Store (www.amazon.com/kindlestore). Kindle customers can purchase this book for $7.99 and read it on their Kindle, Kindle 3G, Kindle DX, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry and Android-based devices. Amazon's Whispersync technology syncs your place across devices, so you can pick up where you left off. With Kindle Worry-Free Archive, books you purchase from the Kindle Store are automatically backed up online in your Kindle library on Amazon, where they can be re-downloaded wirelessly for free, anytime. The e-book edition of "Nice Guy Johnny" will be exclusive to the Kindle Store for one year.

The film "Nice Guy Johnny," written and directed by Edward Burns, introduces Johnny Rizzo, who is about to trade his dream job in talk radio for some snooze-ville gig that'll pay enough to please his fiancee. Enter Uncle Terry, a rascally womanizer set on turning a weekend in the Hamptons into an eye-opening fling for his nephew. Nice guy Johnny's not interested, of course, but then he meets the lovely Brooke, who challenges Johnny to make the toughest decision of his life.

The screenplay of "Nice Guy Johnny" was published using CreateSpace, part of the Amazon group of companies. The original soundtrack of "Nice Guy Johnny" is also being released today, available as a CD through CreateSpace, Amazon's Disc on Demand platform, exclusively on Amazon.com, and as an MP3 on Amazon.com. Viewers can also download "Nice Guy Johnny" at http://www.niceguyjohnnythemovie.com/ or http://www.edwardburns.net/, or through Amazon Video on Demand beginning Nov 2. The DVD of the movie is also now at Amazon.com.

THQ and Random House Sign Publishing Deal to Expand the World of Homefront

2010-10-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

THQ Inc. and the Random House Publishing Group today announced that a novel set in the Homefront universe and co-written by John Milius (Red Dawn and Oscar Award-winning Apocalypse Now) and New York Times bestselling author Raymond Benson (author of two Metal Gear Solid books and multiple James Bond novels) will be published by Random House's Del Rey imprint, and arrive in early 2011 to coincide with the release of the first Homefront game.

Homefront the videogame is a thrilling first person shooter set for release on the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system, PlayStation(R)3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC in March 2011. It tells the story of a stricken America, fallen to savage military occupation in the year 2027.

For more information on Homefront, visit the official site at DefendYourHomefront.com follow us at facebook.com/homefrontgame or twitter.com/homefrontgame.

The Library of Congress Revives Public Domain Works

2010-10-17T07:14:00.000-07:00

CreateSpace, part of the Amazon.com, Inc., today announced an agreement with The Library of Congress to make at least 50,000 public books available through www.amazon.com. The Library of Congress also reached an agreement with Amazon Europe to make tens of thousands of books in the public domain available around the world to customers on www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de and www.amazon.fr using print on-demand technology, an inventory-free, cost-efficient publishing solution that only manufactures titles as customers order them.

This announcement with The Library of Congress follows the announcement in February 2010 that The British Library would be bringing at least 65,000 public domain titles to market using print on-demand. From Victorian classics to "penny dreadfuls," readers now have access to The British Library's unique collection of historic content.

As part of their ongoing efforts to improve access to material through digitization, the libraries provide CreateSpace and Amazon Europe's print on-demand business with digital copies of scanned public domain books in their collections to be manufactured on-demand. Creating digital files from physical books preserves the integrity of the original works, and the new paperback editions available through CreateSpace and Amazon Europe distribution channels increase accessibility of those works to readers.

With CreateSpace Print on-Demand, these national libraries will make a large selection of content available quickly and easily via CreateSpace's host of U.S. distribution channels, including www.amazon.com, ensuring wide public access with little economic investment. Since titles are only manufactured in response to customer demand, no inventory is needed and the titles will never go out of stock, making print on-demand an economic, convenient, and environmentally responsible public access solution for libraries.

The Library of Congress and The British Library are the most recent organizations to work with CreateSpace Print on-Demand and Amazon Europe's print on-demand business to give readers access to rare or out-of-print titles. Other noteworthy institutions--such as The University of Michigan Library--have already made tens of thousands of titles available on Amazon's U.S. and European websites using CreateSpace Print on-Demand and Amazon Europe's print on-demand business.

"Libraries are adopting print on-demand to give the public access to more works globally that may previously only have been available in a single country or even just in their individual physical catalogs," said Dana LoPiccolo-Giles, managing director, CreateSpace. "We are looking forward to helping support The Library of Congress in its public access and preservation mission through our print on-demand solution."

For more information about CreateSpace Print on-Demand, please visit www.createspace.com/info/publisher.

Northern Rock Launches Penguin Book Share Scheme

2010-10-17T07:12:00.000-07:00

Northern Rock has partnered with Penguin books to offer customers free copies of classic editions available from many of its branches.

Some 25 high street branches across the country will be stocked with classic titles from the Penguin range including Moby Dick, The Thirty Nine Steps and Wind in the Willows.

Each paperback cover will feature the iconic Penguin logo, alongside the distinctive Northern Rock pink and black brand.

Northern Rock hopes that customers visiting participating bank branches will select a book from the specially designed stand, take it home, pass it on to friends or drop it into a branch for someone else to enjoy.

Anth Mooney, Marketing Director at Northern Rock said: "The Penguin book share scheme is a great way to get people talking about our brand. It also helps to make our branches interesting and stimulating places to visit and conduct business.

"To be associated with such a well-known name in the publishing world is a great honour and we are looking forward to generating lots of interest and hopefully introducing children to such classics as the Railway Children and Treasure Island, featuring Long John Silver - the original Pirate of the Caribbean."

Nicola Hill, Marketing Director at Penguin, said: "We're delighted with this collaboration and look forward to hearing from new readers as they discover Penguin Classics through Northern Rock."

If the pilot proves successful, Northern Rock aims to launch a virtual book club that allows people to post reviews and ask for Penguin books they have not read yet.

Movie interest in debut novel thanks to iTunes

2010-10-10T14:41:00.000-07:00

Mr Loaded's author, Kiaron Finnegan, didn't follow the traditional route of looking for an agent once his manuscript was finished. Instead he found a developer and eBook publisher (Andrews UK) who published it as an eBook across multiple formats and an App in return for a share of the profits. It was available on a range of platforms within three weeks including Apple's iBookstore and as a 'book App' in its own right.

Finnegan thinks that new breed of developers and publishers gives hope to new authors who might not otherwise have any."No matter how good your work may be, finding an agent or publisher willing to take you on is as rare as hen's teeth. Because of the latest mobile platforms and the wide range of e-book retailers out there, publishers have less cost exposure meaning they can be braver than traditional print publishers."

Now a movie production company have expressed an interest in purchasing the film rights of the book. The producer had seen the App on the iTunes store, but Finnegan's not going to hand the rights over straight away. "Of course I'd love to see the story on screen but I don't want to release the rights just for the film to sit in development for three years. That would be a bit hard to take after all the work I've put in."

The experience has left Finnegan in no doubt of his next move. "Although I still don't have a publisher for the physical book nor even an agent, I will definitely look to do the same again for my second novel."

Website: to http://www.kiaron.com/ or www.andrewsuk.com/

Professor Explores Legacy of Frankenstein Author

2010-10-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

Mary Shelley is best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein, but Salisbury University professor Lucy Morrison believes the British writer's legacy is broader.

In the 2010 collection of essays Mary Shelley: Her Circle and Her Contemporaries, Morrison rejects the characterization of Shelley as a "one-book author" and instead illustrates the full influence of the many works by the famed Romantic. In addition to being a novelist, Shelley was short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer and travel writer.

"This collection joins a conversation other scholars began in the 20th century--and leaves it with more remaining to be said in the decades to come," Morrison writes in the introduction.

The essays explore Shelley's place within the Romantic period. They illustrate her literary partnership with her husband, poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley. They consider the influence that her well-known parents, political philosopher William Godwin and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, had on her career. They also examine her texts alongside those of contemporaries, including Thomas Moore and John Polidori.

Co-authored and edited with Dr. L. Adam Mekler of Morgan State University, the book was printed by Cambridge Scholars Publishing in the United Kingdom. Previously, Morrison has co-authored A Mary Shelley Encyclopedia and has published articles on women writers of the Romantic period in the Keats-Shelley Journal, Philological Quarterly, Persuasions Online and Romanticism on the Net.

Morrison is an associate professor in SU's English Department and specializes in British Romantic literature. She also is associate director of SU's Bellavance Honors program.

UBC Press Grants World Rights to Entire Collection

2010-10-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

The University of British Columbia Press (UBC Press), one of the largest university presses in Canada, has entered into an agreement with Bookshare granting world rights to its collection. UBC Press offers a unique perspective through the generation and transfer of knowledge across many subject areas.

UBC Press is a leading publisher of books in political science, Aboriginal studies and law for postsecondary educational, professional and scholarly audiences. Other areas of particular strength in the collection include titles in Asian studies, history, environmental studies, health policy and sexuality studies. UBC Press currently has 1,000 titles in print and publishes 65 new books annually which will add significant value to the Bookshare international collection for Canadian members.

"University presses perform services that are of inestimable value to the academic community--researchers, teachers, librarians, and importantly, students," said Betsy Beaumon, Vice President and General Manager of the Literacy Program at Benetech, the nonprofit organization that operates Bookshare. "The generous support of a prestigious Canadian university press builds the collection for Canadian readers with print disabilities, as well as those around the world. Right now, the total number of books available in Canada has grown to over 22,000 thanks to the contributions of all publishers who have granted world rights."

Professor Explores Legacy of Frankenstein Author

2010-09-27T05:19:00.000-07:00

Mary Shelley is best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein, but Salisbury University professor Lucy Morrison believes the British writer's legacy is broader.

In the 2010 collection of essays Mary Shelley: Her Circle and Her Contemporaries, Morrison rejects the characterization of Shelley as a "one-book author" and instead illustrates the full influence of the many works by the famed Romantic. In addition to being a novelist, Shelley was short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer and travel writer.

"This collection joins a conversation other scholars began in the 20th century--and leaves it with more remaining to be said in the decades to come," Morrison writes in the introduction.

The essays explore Shelley's place within the Romantic period. They illustrate her literary partnership with her husband, poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley. They consider the influence that her well-known parents, political philosopher William Godwin and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, had on her career. They also examine her texts alongside those of contemporaries, including Thomas Moore and John Polidori.

Co-authored and edited with Dr. L. Adam Mekler of Morgan State University, the book was printed by Cambridge Scholars Publishing in the United Kingdom. Previously, Morrison has co-authored A Mary Shelley Encyclopedia and has published articles on women writers of the Romantic period in the Keats-Shelley Journal, Philological Quarterly, Persuasions Online and Romanticism on the Net.

Morrison is an associate professor in SU's English Department and specializes in British Romantic literature. She also is associate director of SU's Bellavance Honors program.

Child Author Gets Surprise Book Deal

2010-09-27T05:17:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer, 9-year old Luke Copas toured the new Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. with his mother and father, Sabrina and Robby Copas. The fourth grader at Northview Primary School in Kodak, Tenn. was no stranger to the world's most famous luxury liner; in fact, he had already written a book about it – but his visit to the museum would lead to a huge surprise for the young writer.

Last school year, then 8-year old Luke had been selected to participate in the "Child Authors' Conference." An avid reader who loved learning about the past, Luke wanted his book to create a passion in other children for history.

Sabrina Copas said, "Luke became a walking encyclopedia of all things Titanic. He was literally consumed by it. When it came time for him to actually write his book for the Child Authors' Conference, it took him less than one week to write it because he knew the subject matter so well."

Luke took his book to the Titanic Museum Attraction and showed it to co-owner Mary Kellogg-Joslyn. Impressed with the boy's talent and driven by his enthusiasm, Kellogg-Joslyn secretly made a few phone calls and landed the boy a book deal.

New Kindle Exclusive: David Morrell, New York Times Bestselling Author

2010-09-21T05:01:00.001-07:00

Amazon.com announced that internationally bestselling author David Morrell is releasing a new, never-before-published, full-length thriller, "The Naked Edge," along with nine of his previously published books, in electronic book format exclusively in the Kindle Store. This is the first time any of these titles have been available electronically. These Kindle editions will offer additional content for many of the books, including new introductions and photographs that reveal insights into the making of these modern classics. All 10 of these Morrell books are available starting today for download exclusively from the Kindle Store (www.amazon.com/kindlestore).

Morrell is the co-founder of the International Thriller Writers organization, a three-time Bram Stoker award- winner, and recipient of ITW's ThrillerMaster award in recognition of his legendary career and outstanding contributions to the thriller genre. His first novel "First Blood," still in print after 38 years, became the successful Rambo film franchise.

Running Press Book Publishers and Seventeen Magazine Team Up for Unique Book Project

2010-09-12T15:10:00.001-07:00

Christopher Navratil, Publisher of Running Press Book Publishers, a member of The Perseus Books Group, has acquired world rights to Seventeen's Ultimate Style Guide by Ann Shoket and the Editors of Seventeen through Lia Ronnen at Melcher Media. Running Press will publish in July 2011; Melcher will package.

"We are excited to be working with Ann and her group in bringing this book to market. In working with the # 1 selling monthly teen magazine, our goal is to create an indispensable guide that readers will turn to for inspiration," says Navratil.

"This book represents an important part of our editorial strategy of 'Seventeen Everywhere' – we want to be everywhere teen girls are ... including bookstores!" says Seventeen Editor in Chief, Ann Shoket. "Running Press is a great fit for us because they understand how to reach the consumer through traditional and non-traditional book channels."

At its core, Seventeen's Ultimate Style Guide will teach teens and young women how to develop their own personal style and provide hundreds of ideas on how to maximize wardrobe options, stretch the dollar, and make everyday basics work in hundreds of ways. The book will be an essential and timeless guide for every girl just as the magazine is the iconic fashion and beauty bible for generations of teens.

Ron Morris, Inks Publishing Deal With CelebrityPress To Release "Counter-Attack"

2010-09-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

Ron Morris, author, CEO, and political consultant, has joined with CelebrityPress and noted business development expert, best-selling author and speaker, Brian Tracy, to publish a new book titled, "Counter-Attack: Business Strategies for Explosive Growth in the New Economy." Celebrity Press™, founded by JW Dicks, Esq. and Nick Nanton, Esq, is a business book publisher that publishes books from thought leaders around the world.

Ron Morris is an author, CEO, and political consultant. As a founder of both SaaS (Software as a Service) and localization companies, he is a recognized expert on doing business in Asia and international outsourcing. As creator of Intelligence Guidance, a political consulting firm, Ron is also an acclaimed analyst covering Southeast Asian politics, security and business issues. He is a regular contributor and onscreen analyst for news agencies in Asia, Europe, and the U.S. and advises clients worldwide.

Random House Children's Books Publishes Its First-Ever Exclusive E-Book Original

2010-09-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

For the first time in the publisher's history, today Random House Children's Books (www.randomhouse.com/kids) is releasing an e-book original, written by the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Michael Scott and entitled THE DEATH OF JOAN OF ARC: A Lost Story from the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel (Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers / $0.99).

The story is available exclusively in digital format and is the newest addition to Scott's series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, which has sold more than 1 million copies to date in North America. Following on the heels of the publication of The Necromancer (May, 2010), the e-book original is a short story that will fascinate fans.

"With the exception of the two teen characters, Michael Scott's series is based entirely on individuals transplanted from history, mythology, folklore, and legend," explains Beverly Horowitz, Delacorte publisher. "Michael's new e-book original is certain to entertain fans and satisfy them as they wait until the publication of the next book in the six-part series, The Warlock (2011)." For more information about Michael Scott and the series visit www.Facebook.com/SecretsofNicholasFlamel.

Penguin Books Announces Publication of New Lorien Legacies Series

2010-08-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

Penguin Books has announced it is to publish 'I Am Number Four' by Pittacus Lore, the first installment of The Lorien Legacies, a mind-blowing new thriller series.

I Am Number Four is a tale of John Smith (aka Number Four) as he desperately tries to outrun his past, escape his mortal enemies the Mogadorian, blend into normal student life and above all pray, his newly found powers, legacies from home; Planet Lorien, don't give him away before he can complete his destiny and protect his future.

In an unprecedented move for Penguin, I Am Number Four will be published simultaneously in two editions on 26 August 2010 - one for adults (Michael Joseph) and a second for Young Adult readers (Razorbill). It has already captured the imagination of publishers around the globe and translation rights have been snapped up by over 18 territories worldwide. The film rights for I Am Number Four have been snapped up by Spielberg for DreamWorks and the movie will be hitting screens in early 2011.

"It became clear after only a few chapters that I Am Number Four is far more than an exceptional thriller, it's a book to fall in love with," said Mari Evans, Fiction Publisher for Michael Joseph.

"I Am Number Four has everything you could wish for: a killer hook, fabulous compelling writing, thrills, tension and surprisingly tender moments. It's fantastic entertainment," commented Puffin Fiction Editor, Sarah Hughes.

Film rights have been acquired by Steven Spielberg for Dreamworks and the movie is due to be released in cinemas in early 2011. I Am Number Four the film will be directed by DJ Caruso and produced by Michael Bay, with an all-star cast including Alex Pettyfer and Glee's Dianna Agron.

New Catholic Children's Book Series Launched by Ignatius Press and Magnificat

2010-08-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

Ignatius Press and Magnificat have joined forces to launch a new line of beautifully illustrated, high quality, Catholic children's books. These charming books will capture the imagination of children of various ages through delightful full-color illustrations, exciting stories from the Bible and lives of the saints, and simple yet powerful prayers.

Books for children of this quality are hard to come by -- and when Ignatius Press discovered these books, published by Magnificat in France, they knew that they would be appreciated by parents in United States.

The first eight books of this series will be available in October 2010, featuring a variety of types of books for children of different ages. Three sturdy board books, "My First Prayers for My Family," "My First Prayers for Christmas," and "The Bible for Little Ones," are geared towards young children. Two beautiful hardcover books, "John Mary Vianney: The Holy Cure of Ars" and "Bernadette: The Little Girl from Lourdes," are perfect for older children and feature lovely watercolor illustrations and engaging text about these two treasured saints. Two other books, "The Adventures of Lupio, Volume 1: The Adventures and Other Stories," and "The Illustrated Gospel for Children," have fun, youthful but tasteful stories told in a comic book style. There is also the first volume in a series of coloring books entitled "Pictures from the Gospels: A Coloring Book."

When the books are available in October 2010, there will be several ways to purchase them. Ignatius Press will distribute the books to the general trade, through their catalogues and online at http://www.ignatius.com/

NBN Signs Writers of the Round Table Press for Distribution of SmarterComics

2010-08-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

The concept was simple: carefully select some of the best business, self-help and motivational books ever written and make them visually appealing to the Twitter generation of readers. Franco Arda, founder of SmarterComics teamed with book packager Corey Michael Blake and Writers of the Round Table Inc., to package the best selling books with authors such as sales guru Tom Hopkins, The Pitbull of Personal Development Larry Winget, performance psychologist Dr. John Eliot, and Latino sensation Robert Renteria.

With interest and enthusiasm building for this comic book series, Blake went on the hunt for a distribution partner who could deliver, and took an immediate liking to National Book Network (NBN) who has signed on to introduce the SmarterComics series and other Writers of the Round Table Press titles to the U.S. and international markets.

John Groton, NBN's VP of Sales, had this to say about their relationship with Writers of the Round Table Press: "We are always on the lookout to discover creative, well-organized and exciting new publishers. In this case, I can honestly say we have scored in a big way; and we particularly look forward to getting the SmarterComics series in the marketplace as quickly as possible."

NBN, one of the oldest independent book distributors in the United States, is a powerhouse among distributors, Blake says. Representing 85 publishers, NBN utilizes long-standing experience and relationships to promote books through multiple channels.

"They have made us feel like family and we appreciate the enthusiasm they have for our series and our authors," Blake added.

Gail Kump, NBN's Vice President of Business Development, shares Blake's enthusiasm. "In my 30 years of publishing, I have not seen anything this inventive, this fresh," Kump says.

One thing Kump and Blake both want to make clear: these business comic books are not children's cartoons. These are illustrated graphic novels that should be shelved in the business or self-help sections of the bookstore, right next to the original versions, Kump says. That way, a reader can choose a quick, illustrated, engaging summary, and follow up with the original version for more depth.

"I passionately believe we're on to some revolutionary work in the book business," Blake says. "SmarterComics has conceived of a brilliant idea and we’re proud to help package and publish the series. By adding NBN to the mix, we’re well positioned to dive in."

Writers of the Round Table Press is the publishing division of book packager Writers of the Round Table Inc., led by Corey Michael Blake. Visit http://www.roundtablepress.com/ and http://www.roundtablecompanies.com/.

Betty White to Write Two Books for G. P. Putnam's Sons

2010-08-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

Betty White, the Emmy Award-winning actress, whose singular talents and universal appeal have garnered her millions of fans around the world, will write two books for G. P. Putnam's Sons. The first book, titled Listen Up!, will draw upon life lessons learned during her incredibly varied, decades-long career in Hollywood, with an emphasis on the extraordinary past 15 years of the star's life.The second book, titled The Zoo and I: Betty and Her Friends, will be filled with stories and photographs capturing the daily life of her animal friends at the zoo.

North American hardcover and paperback rights as well as audio and eBook rights to the two titles were acquired in a highly competitive auction by Marysue Rucci, Vice President, Editorial Director, G. P. Putnam's Sons, from literary agent Loretta A. Barrett, President of Loretta Barrett Books, Inc. Putnam is planning to publish the first book in hardcover in Spring 2011 and the second book in hardcover in 2012. Berkley will publish the paperback editions thereafter.

Creator and Publisher of the 'For Dummies' Brand of Bestselling Books Joins FastPencil Board of Directors

2010-08-23T07:41:00.001-07:00

FastPencil (http://www.fastpencil.com/) revealed today that award-winning entrepreneur and publishing pioneer, John Kilcullen, has joined the company's Board of Directors. Kilcullen, the creator and publisher of the popular "For Dummies™" brand of how to book series that has sold more than 100 million copies, brings his creativity in brand-building and managing start up publishing companies to actively assist FastPencil in developing its new imprint, maximizing the flexible and lucrative publishing solutions offered by the next-generation publisher.

"The publishing industry is undergoing rapid changes driven by incredibly powerful and useful digital and social media technologies. Today, authors are eager to leverage those tools for more control, improved speed to market and real time transparency throughout the publishing process. FastPencil provides all of that as well as unparalleled simplicity and perhaps most importantly, a compelling percentage of gross revenues to offer a new path for proven and up and coming authors," said John Kilcullen.

Thomas Nelson Releases Best-Selling Canadian Memoir

2010-08-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

Thomas Nelson, Inc. announced the signing of Mary-Ann Kirkby and the release of her first U.S. title I Am Hutterite: The Fascinating True Story of a Young Woman's Journey to Reclaim Her Heritage.

Barnes & Noble has listed Kirkby in its Discover Great New Writers selection for I Am Hutterite. Kirkby's memoir was self-published in Canada in 2007 and released in the U.S. by Thomas Nelson in May 2010. The book has garnered rave reviews as readers react to Kirkby's honest and compelling story told in her charming style. I Am Hutterite won the Saskatchewan Book Award for Best Non-Fiction in 2007.

Mary-Ann Kirkby was born on a Canadian Hutterite colony near Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. One of nine children, Kirkby was raised in the Hutterite tradition, similar in some respects, to that of the Amish or Mennonites. At age 10 her parents abruptly made the decision to leave the comfort and security of the colony and relocated their family to the "English" world. Thrust into a foreign universe that she didn't understand, Kirkby worked hard to adapt to a new way of life and to reinvent herself by denying her Hutterite heritage in an attempt to avoid the stigma and cruelty associated with being different.

Kirkby spent years as a television journalist before penning her memoir. She was the senior reporter responsible for aboriginal issues at CTV in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and worked in Ottawa for several years as a freelance journalist and as Media Relations Consultant for the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. Kirkby received two Can-Pro Awards. She is a sought after speaker, and member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers.

Thomas Nelson has secured U.S. and World rights to I Am Hutterite.

First Enhanced eBooks/Apps Venture for Movies

2010-08-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

enkHouse, a new digital division under Brown Books Publishing Group, has launched its joint venture with KiwiTech, the world's leading enhanced eBook/app developer. Together they are taking the lead in the exploding market of enhanced eBooks and film-based apps. This launch comes within days of Penguin Publishing and Starz Entertainment releasing their first "amplified eBook", Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth".

Rakesh Gupta, CEO and Founder of KiwiTech, also founded and led Aptara Corporation, the largest eBook publishing services company in the world. "This alignment gives us tremendous opportunities to enter new markets, especially the film-to-enhanced-eBook market," says Gupta. "Our companies are a good team, sharing entrepreneurial spirits and decades of innovative work across the media spectrum."

EnkHouse is led by David Marlett, a film industry consultant, screenwriter and producer, who is himself an author. (His first novel will be published by Brown in the fall.) He comes to enkHouse as Transmedia Producer, a new designation of the Producers Guild of America. "The three keys to a successful enhanced eBook are content, content, content," says Marlett. Having been represented by William Morris Endeavor, he has over twenty years of experience writing and consulting on screenplays and productions for studios and producers such as DreamWorks, Arnold Kopelson and Michael Ovitz.

"This is an exciting time for writers, publishers, producers and developers alike," says Milli Brown, CEO of Brown Books, a publisher with fifteen years of growth in the traditional print industry, with thousands of books published. "We complement the digital team with a rich tradition of distinctive print books."

"Besides bringing print books alive in ways almost never before seen," says Marlett. "enkHouse and KiwiTech are uniquely positioned to provide film and television producers with fresh marketing and new distribution opportunities for content they already own. Similar to how interactive DVDs and 3D technology revolutionized storytelling in cinema, enhanced eBooks will revolutionize how we read a book and hear about upcoming movies."

"You'll not only read your favorite book on your ereader," adds Marlett, "but you will interact with it by bringing up images, music and videos—transforming the written story into a multi-dimensional experience." In addition, ereaders will get updates and news about film adaptations and more pushed right to their smart phones or tablet computers. "Basically, if a movie and a book hooked up, their love child would be an enhanced eBook," he says with a wry smile.

enkHouse (http://www.enkhouse.com/) is a transmedia company based in Los Angeles, CA and Dallas, TX.

HarperCollins Acquires Justin Bieber's Official Illustrated Memoir

2010-08-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

HarperCollins announced today the acquisition of the official illustrated memoir from multi-platinum selling superstar Justin Bieber. JUSTIN BIEBER: FIRST STEP 2 FOREVER: MY STORY will reveal Justin's amazing journey to superstardom. This beautifully designed hardcover book contains exclusive, never-before-seen photos -- a must-have for fans afflicted with Bieber-fever. The book will be published this October in both the United States ($21.99) and in the UK (16.99 pounds Sterling).

Cassandra Clare to Extend Her New York Times Bestselling Young Adult Fantasy Series

2010-08-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, has announced it will publish City of Lost Souls and City of Heavenly Fire, the fifth and sixth installments in Cassandra Clare's bestselling young adult fantasy series, The Mortal Instruments, which currently has more than 3 million books in print. City of Lost Souls will publish in hardcover in May 2012, and City of Heavenly Fire will publish in hardcover in September 2013. The deal, which is for U.S. rights, was negotiated by Karen Wojtyla, Editorial Director of Margaret K. McElderry Books, and Barry Goldblatt of Barry Goldblatt Literary LLC.

News of the extension to the series precedes the much-anticipated publication of the fourth series installment, City of Fallen Angels, due to hit stores in April 2011.

Cassandra Clare took the world of YA literature by storm in 2007 with her debut novel, City of Bones, which immediately became a New York Times bestseller. The Mortal Instruments series books—which include City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass— have gone on to become New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestsellers.

Beginning this August 31st, Cassandra will be touring in Princeton, NJ; Exton, PA; St. Louis, MO; Naperville, IL; and Decatur, GA, for Clockwork Angel, the debut title in The Mortal Instruments' prequel series, The Infernal Devices. She will also be participating in some of the stops for the "Smart Chicks Kick It" YA author group book tour in September. Her complete schedule and wildly popular blog can be found at http://www.cassandraclare.com/.

"Cassandra Clare is an incredibly talented writer and a master in the fantasy genre," said Jon Anderson, Executive Vice President of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. "Cassandra has a huge following of fans, not only of teens but adults as well, who I'm sure will be as thrilled as we are that she decided to add two additional titles to this bestselling series."

Says Clare, "I initially envisioned City of Fallen Angels as an ending to the story begun in City of Bones, but I soon realized that in fact where my pen was taking me was into a new trilogy, one even more epic, dark and passionate than the first. In the first three Mortal Instruments books the fate of the Shadowhunters hung in the balance; now it's the fate of the world. I can't wait to share this journey with my readers as familiar characters are deepened, new faces introduced and relationships tested like never before."

In Book 5: City of Lost Souls, the Shadowhunters struggle to piece together their shattered world after a betrayal by one of their own leaves them reeling. In Book 6: City of Heavenly Fire, Jace, Clary and their friends are drawn inexorably into a war that pits Heaven against Hell, angels against demons--a war that threatens to destroy our world entirely if the Shadowhunters can't end it first.

The film rights to The Mortal Instruments series have been optioned by Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne's Unique Features.

Harlot's Sauce Author's Blog Lands Her a Book Deal

2010-08-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

Award-winning author Patricia V. Davis writes a blog post that goes viral, grabbing the attention of agents and publishers

Patricia V. Davis says her aim is to leave her spot of the world "just a little bit better than it was before she got there." She focuses on that through her writing, teaching, philanthropic work, and the promoting of other people who she believes share that same goal.

This was why she wrote the blog post, "From an Older Woman to a Younger One" to support and encourage a 21-year-old reader of hers. That post (also titled on some sites, "Ten Things I'd Tell My Younger Self") struck a chord with many. Within weeks, it was picked up by hundreds of other blogs, and eventually sparked the interest of the producers of the nationally syndicated radio program, "Your Time with Kim Iverson", who asked Patricia to appear on the show to read her post. The day after the program aired, dozens of listeners befriended Patricia on Facebook, and retweeted the post. This in turn attracted a literary agent who asked Patricia if she'd be interested in expanding the post into a book. That book, now with the working title, "The Diva Doctrine" was picked up by Cedar Fort, (http://cedarfort.com/) and will be published in 2011.

Says Patricia, "I'm very pleased to be working with Cedar Fort. They have marvelous titles, and I'm proud that my work will be listed among them."

Patricia also wrote the award-winning "Harlot's Sauce: A Memoir of Food, Family, Love, Loss and Greece", with the hope that it would encourage young women not to make the same mistakes she made. Adelphi University adopted it as a reader for its Gender Studies program, Marin Independent Journal called it "delicious", The Greek Star called it "an inspiring, great read", and the Orange County Register called her a "Renaissance woman". (Read that interview here: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/stomach-243745-love-think.html)

Virtual Tales Acquires Historical Fiction Novel Desert Angels from Author Patrick Simpson

2010-08-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

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 historical fiction novel Desert Angels by Raleigh, North Carolina author Patrick Simpson. Desert Angels is Mr. Simpson's first fiction novel; his non-fiction novels include Wheelchair Around the World, Wheelchair Down Under, and Whither Thou Goest, winner of the 2004 Nonfiction Book of the Year award from JADA Press.

This gripping tale was inspired by actual events during the Bannock Indian War of 1878, and Sarah Winnemucca, the Paiute princess who helped end it. Her life-sized statue was recently unveiled in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda -- only the second Native American woman to be granted that honor (Sacagawea was the first). When young Eva Beardsley wanders lost in the hot eastern Oregon desert looking for her cavalry boyfriend and is discovered by Paiute princess Sarah Winnemucca, their destinies change forever in the last great Indian war.

Desert Angels has been assigned to Virtual Tales staff editor Jake George of Cocoa Beach, Florida, who is himself a Native American. 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 Desert Angels for free by visiting the Virtual Tales website, or by sending an empty email request to desert-angels(a)virtualtales.com.

Suspense Magazine announces the opening of Suspense Publishing

2010-08-02T09:23:00.000-07:00

Suspense Magazine opened up a new division called Suspense Publishing. This new venture for Suspense Magazine will better help authors publish and market their books.

This new division will operate under the same management staff as Suspense Magazine. "We see an increased need in helping authors market and publish their book" says John Raab CEO of Suspense Magazine. "Our focus is bringing on new authors and giving them the platform to succeed in their writing"

Suspense Magazine is a monthly publication that has been in business since 2008. Suspense Magazine is located at 26500 Agoura Rd. #102-474, Calabasas, CA 91302. Phone number 877-667-9105 or email at editor@suspensemagazine.com http://www.suspensemagazine.com/publishing.html

Amazon's Kindle Store now exclusively offering 20 books from The Wylie Agency's new Odyssey Editions imprint

2010-08-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com today announced that The Wylie Agency is publishing 20 books from some of literature's most influential authors through its new Odyssey Editions imprint (http://www.odysseyeditions.com/) and making them available for sale exclusively in the Kindle Store (www.amazon.com/kindlestore). This is the first time any of the titles--which include Norman Mailer's "The Naked and the Dead," Philip Roth's "Portnoy's Complaint" and Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man"--have been available electronically, and all of the books are exclusive to the Kindle Store for two years. Starting today, customers can download these books for $9.99 from the Kindle Store and read them everywhere--on their Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry, PC, Mac, iPad and Android devices.

Virtual Tales Acquires Here With You from UK Author Caroline Sherreard

2010-08-02T09:20:00.001-07:00

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 YA paranormal romance Here With You from UK author Caroline Sherreard.

Four weeks of painful silence -- no texts, no calls, no emails. Has 17-year-old Gabriel Grey been dumped in the cruelest possible way? It's what everyone's saying. It's what he's starting to believe... But when school starts, he learns that a cruel twist of fate has separated him from the girl he loves... maybe forever. What must he do to help the quirky red-head who's stolen his heart stay here with him?

Here With You is Ms. Sherreard's first novel. It has been assigned to Virtual Tales senior staff editor P. June Diehl of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Publication in both print and eBook formats is anticipated for the second half of 2011.

Virtual Tales Acquires HERE WITH YOU from UK author Caroline Sherreard

2010-07-26T06:11:00.002-07:00

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 YA paranormal romance HERE WITH YOU from UK author Caroline Sherreard.

HERE WITH YOU is Ms.Sherreard's first novel. It has been assigned to Virtual Tales senior staff editor P. June Diehl of Fredericksburg, Virginia. 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 HERE WITH YOU for free by visiting the Virtual Tales website, or by sending an empty email request to here-with-you@virtualtales.com.

Bestselling Author Melissa Marr Announces New YA Trilogy With HarperCollins

2010-07-26T06:11:00.000-07:00

HarperCollins Publishers announced they will publish a new three-book series with Melissa Marr, author of the New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series. Marr's new trilogy revolves around a girl assassin, a demon with a soul, and a world where myth and science meet. The first book is tentatively scheduled for a fall 2013 release. World Rights were acquired from Marr's agent, Merrilee Heifetz of Writer's House, by Anne Hoppe, the editor of the Wicked Lovely series.

Melissa Marr burst onto the Young Adult literature scene in June 2007. Her debut novel, WICKED LOVELY, instantly became a New York Times bestseller, as well as a Los Angeles Times bestseller, and Marr was selected as a Publishers Weekly Flying Starts author. WICKED LOVELY also won the Romance Writers of America RITA award for Young Adult books and was named a finalist for Borders Original Voices award. Each of her subsequent novels has been a New York Times bestseller, and the Wicked Lovely series concludes in February 2011 with DARKEST MERCY, the fifth and final installment.

ShoulderHill Films Options Ghost Huntress Young Adult Book Series

2010-07-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

ShoulderHill Films, a subsidiary of ShoulderHill Entertainment has optioned Marley Gibson's Ghost Huntress. The teen supernatural thriller/romance series features 16-year old Kendall Moorehead who discovers her psychic abilities when she moves with her family to a small southern town. Together with new friends, Kendall forms a tech-savvy ghost hunting team to match wits against troubled spirits, high school and teenage boys.

The deal includes all three books currently published in the series, Ghost Huntress Book 1: The Awakening, Ghost Huntress Book 2: The Guidance and Ghost Huntress Book 3: The Reason. The Ghost Huntress series is published by Graphia Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's young adult division. ShoulderHill Films acquired the film rights from Sean Daily at Hotchkiss and Associates, on behalf of Deidre Knight at The Knight Agency.

Marley Gibson's previous works include the 2008 books The New Sisters (Sorority 101) and Zeta or Omega? (Sorority 101) written under pen name Kate Harmon. She is also co-author of The Other Side: A Teen's Guide to Ghost Hunting and Christmas Miracles in 2009.

ShoulderHill optioned best-selling author and screenwriter Andrew Klavan's screenplay Bury The Dead earlier this year.

'Roundup!,' Latest Collection of Western Fiction, Nonfiction and Poetry

2010-07-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

Roundup!, the latest collection of Western fiction and nonfiction short stories and poetry presented by the Western Writers of America and written by some of today's top Western writers, is now available in bookstores and online at Amazon.com.

Roundup! (ISBN: 978-0-9785634-7-9) is published by La Frontera Publishing (http://www.lafronterapublishing.com/) and distributed through the University of New Mexico Press (http://www.unmpress.com/).rel="nofollow" target="_blank"

From Native Americans, famed frontiersmen, cowboys and outlaws, to contemporary tales of ranching, lost treasure, and urban challenges, the WWA presents the full range of the American West in this anthology.

"These are not your granddad's Western stories, but rather a fresh and enlightening look at the West and its people--past, present and future," said Roundup! editor Paul Andrew Hutton.

Hutton is the Distinguished Professor of American History at the University of New Mexico and also serves as the Executive Director of the Western Writers of America.

Enjoy the works of WWA Wister-award-winning authors such as Elmer Kelton (in his final WWA publication), Robert M. Utley, Matthew Braun (over 40 million books in print), and Richard Wheeler. They join many WWA Spur-award-winning authors along with several fresh, young writers in this exciting anthology.

The collection includes a bonus feature: A special Western novella--a rip-roarin' tale of the Old West written by television icon (he wrote and produced the John Wayne film Chisum) and WWA Wister Prize-winner for Lifetime Achievement, Andrew J. Fenady.

Stewart St. John Light Media/Publishing Collaborates with Illustrator Joan Perrin-Falquet

2010-07-11T07:20:00.000-07:00

Stewart St. John Light Media/Publishing, a rising star in the children and family publishing and multimedia market creating innovative content across all platforms, announced today it is collaborating with world-renowned illustrator Joan Perrin-Falquet to create new products for the company. Perrin-Falquet, whose work with Hay House Publishing has appeared in Louise L. Hay's best-selling book You Can Heal Your Life as well as calendars, cards, gift bags, note pads and other products, will now provide exclusive designs for Stewart St. John Light.

"Joan is one of the most talented, divinely inspired artists I've ever worked with," said Stewart St. John, co-founder and CEO of Stewart St. John Light Media Publishing. "Todd and I are thrilled to welcome this exciting, leading-edge visionary to the company as we continue to build a brand that is synonymous with the things we all believe in: living your best life, doing your best work, and respecting the spirit within." St. John added, "We are the next-generation company reaching for a higher consciousness in everything we create, targeting family-friendly projects for everyone to enjoy, and having Joan as part of the team helps solidify that vision."

“Stewart St. John and Todd Fisher are truly gifted creative visionaries," said Joan Perrin-Falquet. “It is a real joy and honor to be working with them. Everything they touch has such quality and integrity created in an environment of kindness. It is exciting and inspiring to be part of a team that will offer people so much."

Todd Fisher, co-founder of Stewart St. John Light, is delighted Joan has come on board during the expansion phase of the boutique media publishing company. "She's a superstar and the timing feels right as we take the company to the next level."

St. John and Fisher have long been pioneers of cross-platform entertainment since the early days of the internet when St. John was executive producer of the groundbreaking websoap The Spot. They were the first to introduce cross-platform storytelling from mobile to web with The Spot Wireless, a subscription-based mobile series developed for Sprint and narratively running from cell phone to broadband. "We produced thousands of videos for both web and mobile," said Fisher, "and even incorporated our fans into storylines with live events around the country."

St. John's work in traditional media began as a writer for the hit children's television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and ABC Television's Sabrina: The Animated Series, and the Disney Channel original film Seventeen Again. As a composer he worked closely with NY Times best-selling authors Jerry & Esther Hicks on their series of Hay House published children's books and adaptation of the novels for the big screen.

Perrin-Falquet, who designed the cover of St. John's instrumental album Cloudwalking, has been steadily working as a leading illustrator in the self-help publishing world for over a decade. Hay House founder Louise Hay chose Perrin-Falquet's beautiful artwork to breathe new life into her best-selling book, You Can Heal Your Life. "Joan Perrin-Falquet's art work is enchanting and heart warming," says Hay. "She is such a creative and original artist."

Stewart St. John Light will also begin selling originals and prints of Perrin-Falquet's work which has never before been available to the public. The web site, http://www.stewartstjohnlight.com will also showcase St. John and Perrin-Falquet's first children's book, Snookery And The Great Glowing Acorn, available this fall.

"It's just the beginning," teased Fisher. "We've got so many wonderful things going on... it's going to be a very exciting next few years."

Author Chris Weedin Accepts Offer to Option Movie Rights for Vampire-Horror-Comedy Novel

2010-07-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

Author Chris Weedin has accepted an offer from A Ferris Wheel Films to option the movie rights for his book "Midnight Snack." The book is a contemporary horror-comedy vampire novel and is intended to be the first in a trilogy of films.

Author Chris Weedin has accepted an offer from A Ferris Wheel Films to option the movie rights for his book "Midnight Snack (Graveyard Shift: the Adventures of Carson Dudley, Book 1)". The film production company, located in London, England, has stated its intention to produce a feature length film adaptation of "Midnight Snack" and plans to approach major film studios with the project. They have further announced plans for this to be the first in a film trilogy. Weedin has also accepted a separate offer to write the movie treatment for the book. The two parties are discussing the possibility that Weedin will continue on to write the script as well. The treatment is currently underway and both parties expect it will be completed by July of this year.

Themed as a vampire-horror-comedy, "Midnight Snack" is the story of a group of oddball vampire hunters who face off against a seductive vampiress in the fictional town of Las Calamas, CA. The plot centers around a mini-mart which the vampiress has chosen as her hunting grounds. The action in the book is fast-paced and tongue-in-cheek, elements which both Weedin and A Ferris Wheel Films have promised will be carried through to the movie. The book was released in 2009 and is available through major retailers such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble or in electronic format on the Kindle, Kobo or through Smashwords.com. It is available for distribution through Ingram.

New York Times Bestselling Series 'Vampire Academy' Staked by Preger Entertainment

2010-07-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

Preger Entertainment has acquired the motion picture Rights to Richelle Mead's New York Times best selling book series "Vampire Academy" (Penguin/Razorbill Books).

The deal was finalized by Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management representing the author and Larry Becsey of Intellectual Properties Group with legal representation through Wayne Alexander, of Alexander, Nau, Lawrence, Frumes & Labowitz representing Preger. In its first week of publication, "Spirit Bound", the fifth book in this series, achieved a New York Times and USA Today # 1 bestselling series ranking, while simultaneously debuting as the #1 best seller in Australia and New Zealand.

"Vampire Academy" debuted on the New York Times Bestsellers list in 2007 and continues to trend higher with readers and critics alike with each new book in the series. The series has sold well over 3.5 million copies domestically and 1 million copies internationally.

The "Vampire Academy" Book Series is a coming-of-age, action driven, "paranormal romance" fantasy. It is set in the present day against a hidden universe of vampires, half-humans, alchemy, and magic.

Smashwords and Wattpad Partner to Offer New Publishing Options for Indie Authors

2010-07-04T16:05:00.000-07:00

Wattpad, the world's most popular ebook community, and Smashwords, the leading ebook publishing and distribution platform, have announced a partnership that will open up new publishing opportunities for thousands of indie authors.

Under the terms of the agreement, Wattpad and Smashwords will cross-promote each other's services and have added integration so that Wattpad users can sell books via Smashwords and Smashwords authors can promote free works on Wattpad, including, works-in-progress, complete works, or serial ebooks on Wattpad.

Wattpad operates a social network for writers to connect with readers and share what they have written. Wattpad receives over 10 million visits a month and many of the stories on Wattpad have millions of reads.

Smashwords publishes and distributes over 13,000 original ebooks from 6,000 authors and hundreds of small independent publishers. To publish at Smashwords, Wattpad authors simply upload their finished manuscript to Smashwords as a Microsoft Word file, formatted to the requirements of the Smashwords Style Guide. Smashwords automatically converts the book into nine ebook formats, and makes it available for immediate sale online at a price set by the author. Smashwords then evaluates the book for inclusion in the Smashwords Premium Catalog, which is the catalog Smashwords distributes to major ebook retailers such as Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo and the Apple iPad iBookstore.

Both Smashwords and Wattpad are free for writers.

Cal Ripken Jr. Signs Middle Grade Book Deal With Disney Book Group

2010-07-04T16:02:00.001-07:00

Disney Book Group will publish a middle-grade baseball series written by National Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. and co-authored by Baltimore Sun sportswriter Kevin Cowherd. The series will feature characters from a Babe Ruth League team named the “Orioles”. The agreement for world rights was negotiated by Stephanie Owens Lurie, Editorial Director, Disney-Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book Group, and Ian Kleinert, of Objective Entertainment.

The first book in the series--Hothead--will be published in Winter 2011 under the Disney-Hyperion imprint. It centers on all-star third baseman Connor Sullivan, who has a big problem: his temper. The story was inspired by Cal’s own struggle with frustration as a young player. Additional books will follow every year.

MTP Gets 'Graphic' With Publishing for Feature Film Rights

2010-07-04T16:01:00.000-07:00

Mike the Pike Productions finalized a deal today with Ryan Colucci's Spoke Lane Entertainment to produce and publish a slate of no less than three complete graphic novels. The companies have agreed to place this partnership in a newly borne entity, SpokeFish, Inc. owned 50/50 by Mike the Pike Productions and Spoke Lane Entertainment.

SpokeFish will launch with three (3) novels hand selected by MTP and SL from Spoke Lane Entertainment's current offerings. The deal entitles Mike the Pike Productions to act as Executive Producer on the project with a Producer's Fee and 50% of the books' profits. As well, per the Agreement, Mike the Pike Productions will be entitled to 15% of Gross Film Rights Proceeds for any such adaptation. If any project on the slate is produced independently as a film, partners agree to negotiate mutually agreed terms for considerations to each party herein accordingly. The team plans to ensure that each novel is marketed for film rights sales or independent production.

Colucci, a producer on Mike the Pike's adaptation of George R.R. Martin's 'The Skin Trade,' is no stranger to graphic novels, nor to selling projects to Hollywood as evidenced by his screenplay, 'Lobo,' a werewolf action thriller set in Brazil with John Stockwell ('Blue Crush,' 'Turistas,' 'Into the Blue') set to direct; and 'Harbor Moon' (www.harbor-moon.com) to be launched at this year's Comic-Con (www.comic-con.org) with a release by Arcana Studios (www.arcanastudio.com) in August.

Details about the three books under this banner are forthcoming en tandem with the strategic launch of the SpokeFish website with links to Spoke Lane, MTP and each individual project under the SpokeFish banner. "We'll announce each book individually and release them online with continual updates on production all the while so as to keep fans and shareholders on the pulse of every phase of this exciting addition to the MTP universe," concludes Newbauer.

CelebrityPress Signs Publishing Deals with Leading Entrepreneurs

2010-06-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2010-06-21T05:39:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-21T05:38:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-21T05:37:00.000-07:00

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.)

Glamour and Hyperion Announce Three Book Deal

2010-06-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2010-06-06T07:11:00.001-07:00

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

2010-06-06T07:10:00.001-07:00

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

2010-06-06T07:09:00.000-07:00

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"

2010-06-06T07:08:00.000-07:00

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.

Hurts Poetry/Hurts Publishing Joint Venture Agreement

2010-05-30T15:30:00.000-07:00

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.

Baker and Taylor Signs Deals with Two Major Publishers

2010-05-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

Baker and Taylor Inc., the world's largest distributor of physical and digital books and entertainment products, at Book Expo America announced it has signed agreements to provide print-on-demand services -- via its TextStream Digital Print Service unit -- to Simon & Schuster and German academic publisher De Gruyter.

"These world-class publishers have put their trust in Baker & Taylor and TextStream, and that speaks volumes about our commitment to becoming the leader in digital services for our publishing partners," said Tom Morgan, CEO of Baker & Taylor.

The agreements with Simon & Schuster and De Gruyter illustrate Baker & Taylor's latest success in expanding TextStream's presence in the publishing community. Working with a combination of on-site and near-site facilities, TextStream provides publishers with a truly comprehensive suite of print-on-demand and print-to-order services and a wide variety of formats and trim sizes.

TextStream's flexibility and industry-leading customer reach, coupled with its capabilities in private label consumer direct fulfillment and Web hosting, make it especially advantageous to publishers by providing product to specialized audiences and academic libraries on an as-needed basis.

Mahogney Ink Publications is a new publishing house searching for raw and new talent

2010-05-23T17:13:00.001-07:00

Mahogney Ink Publications is currently seeking manuscripts for street lit, erotica, urban, poetry, romance, and Christian books.

Mahogney Ink Publications mission is to develop and to publish stories that inspire the average person to keep reading. In doing so, the company has started an annual book scholarship that is awarded every February to a deserving high school or college student.

Shaneisha Dodson, founder, commented: “Starting Mahogney Ink Publications is a dream come true. I have always had a passion for writing and look forward to helping others reach their publishing goals. Mahogney Ink Publications is a independent publishing company founded in 2009 after I successfully self published my novel Cheating On My Mistress.”

Mahogney Ink Publications pays royalties. The company’s goal is to focus on author development and marketing support. We are committed to giving our authors the support they need to make their literary work a success.

The company will initially release books in trade paperback and E-Book format. Books will be released in 2010. Submission guidelines are available on the company's website.

Members of the media requesting additional information are asked to contact Mahogney Ink Publications at mahogneyinkpublications@gmail.com or visit the website http://www.mahogneyinkpublication.com/.

Clarion to Publish Read for Your Life, New Serialized eBook

2010-05-16T07:00:00.001-07:00

Clarion Books, an imprint of the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, announces a new digital project with the Newbery medalist and National Book Award–winning author Katherine Paterson.

Clarion will publish a series of Ms. Paterson's essays on writing and literature for young people in digital format. Collectively entitled Read for Your Life: Speeches and Writings of Katherine Paterson, the essays will be available through all major online book retailers and will be compatible with a variety of different digital reading devices

HarperCollins Signs Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis for 'Wildwood' Series

2010-05-16T06:59:00.000-07:00

HarperCollins Publishers announced today that it has acquired North American rights to Wildwood, a middle-grade series by Colin Meloy, illustrated by acclaimed artist Carson Ellis. Wildwood is a classic tale of adventure, magic, and danger, set in an alternate version of modern-day Portland, Oregon. Meloy is the lead singer and songwriter of The Decemberists, the highly celebrated and uncommonly literary band.

The three-book deal was negotiated by Donna Bray, Co-Publisher of the Balzer & Bray imprint at HarperCollins, with Steven Malk of Writers House, after an auction involving five other publishers. The first book is scheduled for publication in Fall 2011.

Website Homepage Design Tips and Tools

2010-05-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

The Internet's reach grows every second. In order to compete with the mass of websites on the Web today, it is imperative to have a well designed website.

A website homepage should be designed with the user in mind. In most cases, users want an experience that is rewarding, one that engages them and does not waste their time.

Designers and online business owners always want their website to be aesthetically pleasing, but with that comes the risk of having a website that loads slowly.

Our 25-page Website Homepage Design Basics free white paper discusses ways of implementing a user-friendly website by giving tips, tools and mistakes to avoid while planning your website's design. The following information can be found within the free report:

-Website Homepage Design Basics Take-Away #1: When and how to test your website.
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To learn tips on how to design a user-friendly website start with our free white paper Website Homepage Design Basics.

To receive your free digital copy of Website Homepage Design Basics, visit http://www.mequoda.com/free-reports/website-homepage-design-basics/ now.

Mequoda Group constantly strives to help publishers succeed online by providing them with an array of services, including free daily tips, free reports, webinars, live events, consulting services and software services.

Howard, Grazer to adapt 'Dark Tower' books

2010-05-09T11:18:00.001-07:00

Hollywood director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman will try to bring Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" novels to the big screen.

The Hollywood Reporter said the rights to the seven-book fantasy Western series have reverted back to author King after J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot production company held them briefly and couldn't figure out how to adapt them.

Howard, Grazer and Goldsman are in talks to start the series as a film that could then lead into a television drama, the entertainment industry trade newspaper said.

The trio has previously worked on the movies "A Beautiful Mind," "Cinderella Man," "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons."

(Source: UPI )

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Acquires the Philip K. Dick Library

2010-05-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has acquired North American publishing rights to Philip K. Dick's two-volume unpublished masterwork, The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick. Edited by Jonathan Lethem and Pamela Jackson, The Exegesis "serves as the foundation for ideas and themes that would appear throughout the work of this visionary author," notes Bruce Nichols, Publisher of Adult Trade at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. HMH has also acquired rights to 39 titles from the author's backlist, which will be published in paperback under the Company's Mariner imprint beginning fall, 2011.

During his lifetime, Philip K. Dick won both the prestigious Hugo Award and the John W. Campbell Award, which honor excellence in science fiction. Inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2005 and with publication in three volumes in the Library of America in 2007, Dick's 45 novels and 120 short stories have been adapted into numerous films, including, most notably, "Minority Report" and "Blade Runner" (based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?). Other films based on his work are forthcoming.

To learn more about Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, visit http://www.hmhpub.com/.

Rodale Books to Publish Second Book by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz

2010-05-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

Rodale Books has acquired the second book by the chairman, president and CEO of Starbucks Coffee Company, Howard Schultz, for publication in March 2011. Executive Vice President, General Manager, and Publisher Karen Rinaldi and Vice President and Publishing Director Colin Dickerman acquired North American rights; Jennifer Rudolph Walsh of William Morris Endeavor made the sale. Schultz will share the story of the company's dramatic transformation under his leadership, revealing how Starbucks has achieved profitability and sustainability without sacrificing humanity during one of the most tumultuous economic times in history. Collaborating with former Forbes writer and five-time author Joanne Gordon, Schultz will tell the story in his conversational, inspiring voice--taking readers into the mind, office, and heart of one of the world's most admired business leaders. Schultz's proceeds from the book will be directed to the Starbucks Foundation and CUP Fund.

"In the years since I published my first book, Pour Your Heart into It, the world has changed in ways I couldn't have imagined, testing Starbucks as a company and challenging my own understanding of the responsibilities required of a leader," said Schultz. "My motivation is to chronicle Starbucks transformation and how we confronted these challenges by reaffirming our core values and reinventing our company from the bottom up. I hope the book will prove an insightful tool for anyone facing fundamental business and societal shifts, but I am also writing this for Starbucks partners (employees), to honor the work they do every day and the human connection they've formed with our many customers around the world."

Stephen King Publishes New Novella "Blockade Billy," Available in the Kindle Store

2010-05-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com announced that the new novella by bestselling author Stephen King, "Blockade Billy," is now available in Amazon's Kindle Store (www.amazon.com/kindlestore) for $7.99. The Kindle Store now includes over 480,000 books and the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read, including New York Times Bestsellers and New Releases. Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle, including titles such as "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," "Pride and Prejudice" and "Treasure Island."

"We're excited to be able to offer our customers Stephen King's new novella in the Kindle Store, especially after seeing customer enthusiasm for King's Kindle-exclusive novella ‘UR,'" said Melissa Kirmayer, Director, Kindle Content. "'Blockade Billy,' a shorter format book with a limited physical print run, is not only a great example of the publishing freedom Kindle allows writers, but also the rich content Kindle customers can find in the Kindle Store."

"Blockade Billy" tells the story of William "Blockade Billy" Blakely. He may have been the greatest baseball player the game has ever seen, but today no one remembers his name. He was the first—and only—player to have his existence completely removed from the record books. Even his team is long forgotten, barely a footnote in the game's history. Blockade Billy has a secret darker than any pill or injection that might cause a scandal in sports today. His secret was much, much worse… and only Stephen King can reveal the truth to the world, once and for all. Publishers Weekly writes of the book: "As King's fiction goes . . . a deftly executed suicide squeeze, with sharp spikes hoisted high and aimed at the jugular on the slide home."

The Kindle edition of "Blockade Billy" features both the cover illustration by Glen Orbik and the interior artwork of Alex McVey from the limited-edition hardcover published by Cemetery Dance Publications.

Stephen King has written more than 40 books, including "Misery," "The Green Mile," "Cujo," "IT" and "Carrie." He is the winner of numerous awards, including the Bram Stoker Award, O. Henry Award, Horror Guild Award and was the 2003 recipient of the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.

"Kindle is a great way for authors to make different lengths of their writing available and to reach diverse audiences with their work," said Stephen King. "I'm excited to be able to offer ‘Blockade Billy' in the Kindle Store."

Kindle is in stock and available for immediate shipment today at www.amazon.com/kindle.

Max Books Announces Children's Author Signs 11 Book Contracts

2010-05-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

Children's adventure and mystery author, Max Elliot Anderson, has signed contracts for 11 books to be published by two publishers.

Comfort Publishing, in Concord, North Carolina, will republish his first 7 titles after the original publisher could not withstand the economic pressures that have hurt so many small businesses.

The titles to be republished by Comfort Publishing include Newspaper Caper, Terror at Wolf Lake, North Woods Poachers, Mountain Cabin Mystery, Big Rig Rustlers, Secret of Abbott's Cave, and Legend of the White Wolf. A new book, Barney and the Runaway, will also be published.

Comfort Publishing has also contracted a first right of refusal option on another 16 titles and wants to pursue an extensive series with him. This could become a 24 book deal. "These books are already written," Anderson said, "although I'm doing a revision on each one to increase the word count."

"Over a period of 3 ½ years," Mr. Anderson added, "I wrote 35 manuscripts. Now I'm glad I did that." Each book has different characters, locations, and plots.

Mr. Anderson is also developing the Sam Cooper Adventure Series with Port Yonder Press in Shellsburg, Iowa. "It's a new step for me," Anderson said. "Writing a traditional series, in the same locations, with the same characters, requires a different set of writing skills."

Book # 1 in the Sam Cooper Adventure Series is Lost Island Smugglers which will be published in July/August, 2010. This book will be followed by Captain Jack's Treasure, and River Rampage. The plan calls for more titles to be written for this series in the future.

Further details can be found on Mr. Anderson's blog, Books for Boys, at http://booksandboys.blogspot.com/

Bestselling Author M.C. Beaton Makes Electronic Editions of Two Historical Romance Series

2010-04-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com announced that two historical romance series of six titles each from the bestselling author M.C. Beaton--also known by her real name Marion Chesney--are available exclusively in the Kindle Store (www.amazon.com/kindlestore). These books are from the previously out-of-print series "Six Sisters" and "The Traveling Matchmaker." This is the first time any of the titles have been available electronically, and the 12 books will be exclusive to the Kindle Store for one year. Rosetta Books is the publisher of the electronic editions. The Kindle Store now includes over 480,000 books and the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read, including New York Times Bestsellers and New Releases. Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle, including titles such as "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," "Pride and Prejudice" and "Treasure Island."

"For the first time ever, Marion Chesney's fans will be able to discover and read these previously out-of-print books and enjoy them not only on Kindle, but also on their iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry, PC, Mac and iPad," said Melissa Kirmayer, Director, Kindle Content. "With its light weight which makes it fit comfortably in one hand for hours, its e-ink display that is easy on the eyes even in bright daylight and two weeks of battery, Kindle is a great way to read an author as prolific as Marion Chesney--or M.C. Beaton as many know her."

M.C. Beaton is the most well-known pseudonym for author Marion Chesney, who is best known for her two most recent bestselling mystery series "Agatha Raisin" and "Hamish Macbeth," each of which have been published for several decades. While M.C. Beaton is the pseudonym she reserves for mystery novels, Marion Chesney has also written under the names Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, and Charlotte Ward. All names combined, the author has written over 100 books. These electronic books will be listed under the names M.C. Beaton and Marion Chesney in the Kindle Store.

Authentic, Paternoster Imprints Transition to Biblica Publishing

2010-04-25T07:18:00.001-07:00

Biblica, Inc. announces it is launching its refocused publishing ministry as Biblica Publishing. To clarify ministry and market purpose and refocus its publishing ministry, Biblica has folded its Authentic and Paternoster imprints into the Biblica Publishing division.

"We're thrilled to have this opportunity to refocus our publishing efforts for 21st century worldwide Christian readers," said Scott Bolinder, Biblica's President of Global Publishing. "This transition gives us a unique opportunity to reach the global Church with Bibles and biblical resources that challenge people to engage more deeply in God's Word for the purpose of transforming lives one person at a time."

Biblica Publishing will be central to the ministry of each of our areas throughout the world. Globally, we will focus our portfolio in the categories of Bible studies, spiritual formation, church leadership and ministry resources, popular reference, world mission, evangelism, biblical reconciliation, and practical theology. However, local areas will have some liberty to customize their lists based on their regional needs. Content will be published in print and electronic formats and will be available through multiple channels, including retail, churches, ministries, and consumers.

In North America, Biblica Book Publisher, Volney James remarked, "As Biblica Publishing, we will support our mission by publishing low-cost, outreach Bibles as well as books and content for the global community, missional in focus, transformational in intent, to help people fulfill their Kingdom calling. Our target audience around the world is the reader who desires to understand the Bible and how it relates to all of life." Biblica Bible Publisher Glenn Paauw added, "We are excited about the potential to engage Bible readers in fresh ways both with innovative resources and creative programs."

Later this year, Biblica Publishing will release the 2010 edition of Operation World, one of the most definitive compilations of information on world missions and global prayer. "This book really defines who Biblica is as a publisher," said Bolinder. "Like no other publication in existence, Operation World educates readers on the conditions that exist in every nation on earth, but it also encourages them to be an active, dynamic participant in praying for and reaching people globally." More than 4 million copies of Operation World have been used in multiple languages since it was originally published in the mid 1970s.

Authentic, Paternoster Imprints Transition to Biblica Publishing

2010-04-18T07:44:00.000-07:00

Biblica, Inc. will launch its refocused publishing ministry as Biblica Publishing. To clarify ministry and market purpose and refocus its publishing ministry, Biblica has folded its Authentic and Paternoster imprints into the Biblica Publishing division.

"We're thrilled to have this opportunity to refocus our publishing efforts for 21st century worldwide Christian readers," said Scott Bolinder, Biblica's President of Global Publishing. "This transition gives us a unique opportunity to reach the global Church with Bibles and biblical resources that challenge people to engage more deeply in God's Word for the purpose of transforming lives one person at a time."

Biblica Publishing will be central to the ministry of each of our areas throughout the world. Globally, we will focus our portfolio in the categories of Bible studies, spiritual formation, church leadership and ministry resources, popular reference, world mission, evangelism, biblical reconciliation, and practical theology. However, local areas will have some liberty to customize their lists based on their regional needs. Content will be published in print and electronic formats and will be available through multiple channels, including retail, churches, ministries, and consumers.

In North America, Biblica Book Publisher, Volney James remarked, "As Biblica Publishing, we will support our mission by publishing low-cost, outreach Bibles as well as books and content for the global community, missional in focus, transformational in intent, to help people fulfill their Kingdom calling. Our target audience around the world is the reader who desires to understand the Bible and how it relates to all of life." Biblica Bible Publisher Glenn Paauw added, "We are excited about the potential to engage Bible readers in fresh ways both with innovative resources and creative programs."

Later this year, Biblica Publishing will release the 2010 edition of Operation World, one of the most definitive compilations of information on world missions and global prayer. "This book really defines who Biblica is as a publisher," said Bolinder. "Like no other publication in existence, Operation World educates readers on the conditions that exist in every nation on earth, but it also encourages them to be an active, dynamic participant in praying for and reaching people globally." More than 4 million copies of Operation World have been used in multiple languages since it was originally published in the mid 1970s.

Publishers Weekly Acquired by Former PW Publisher George Slowik, Jr. and Partners

2010-04-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

New York City-based PWxyz, LLC announced today that it has acquired Publishers Weekly, publishersweekly.com and Publishers Weekly Show Daily from Reed Business Information-US (www.reedbusiness.com/us).

The new company will retain all of Publishers Weekly editorial, art and advertising employees and will maintain its headquarters in New York City’s publishing hub. Cevin Bryerman as publisher, and Jim Milliot and Michael Coffey as co-editors, will continue to lead the publication’s management team. According to Slowik, PWxyz will leverage Publishers Weekly brand equity and talent pool to extend the franchise to a wider electronic and international footprint.

PWxyz, LLC is a newly organized company led by President George W. Slowik, Jr. and created to acquire Publishers Weekly magazine, Publishers Weekly Show Daily, http://www.publishersweekly.com/ and all related assets.

Shoulderhill Films Options Screenplay By Bestselling Author Andrew Klavan

2010-04-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

ShoulderHill Films, a subsidiary of ShoulderHill Entertainment has optioned best-selling author and screenwriter Andrew Klavan's screenplay Bury The Dead. The supernatural thriller/horror film tells the story of a young couple who wanders into a strange village where they witness a bizarre ritual killing and realize they may be next in line. The film is scheduled to begin production in late 2010.

Andrew Klavan is the author of many internationally bestselling novels. Twice given the Edgar Award for mystery writing, he is the author of True Crime, which Academy Award-winning director Clint Eastwood turned into a major motion picture. Klavan also wrote the novel Don't Say A Word, which became a 20th Century Fox release starring Michael Douglas and Brittany Murphy. In March 2010, Summit Entertainment, makers of Hurt Locker and the Twilight movies, optioned Klavan's Homelanders series of young adult thriller novels. Klavan's previous screenplays include One Missed Call, which stars Ed Burns and Shannyn Sossamon and A Shock to the System, starring Michael Caine. Klavan is represented by Gersh.

ShoulderHill Entertainment is currently planning to shoot the film in the UK with Steven Addair attached to direct. ShoulderHill recently opened a new office in London with Jim Hall named as Managing Director. Created in 2005 as a full service production company with a commercial client roster, ShoulderHill moved into full-time feature production last October when it hired Susann Brinkley as Head of Development.

Tom Clancy, #1 International Bestselling Author, to be Published by Penguin Group

2010-04-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

Tom Clancy, #1 international bestselling author, bestselling videogame presenter and one of the preeminent and most prescient storytellers of our time, has written a modern-day techno-thriller like nothing he has ever done before called Dead or Alive. The eagerly-awaited novel will be published by G. P. Putnam's Sons in the U. S. and by Michael Joseph in the U.K. on December 7, 2010, it was announced today by David Shanks, CEO of Penguin Group (USA) and Tom Weldon, Deputy CEO of Penguin U.K. The publication of Dead or Alive will be a global publishing event, featuring, for the first time ever, many of his greatest characters, including Jack Ryan and John Clark, and brings readers inside the present-day war on terror. Berkley Books will publish the paperback edition of the title in the U.S. in 2011.

In Clancy's new novel, written in collaboration with U.S. Navy veteran Grant Blackwood, Jack Ryan, Jr. and his colleagues at the Campus, a secret U.S. counter-terrorism organization, have been waging an unofficial and highly effective campaign against the terrorists who threaten Western civilization. As Dead or Alive opens, the war on terror is far from won, but winning it doesn't appear to be a priority for President Kealty, Jack Ryan's successor in the Oval Office. The Emir, a sadistic killer who has masterminded the most vicious terrorist attacks on the West, has eluded capture by the world's armed forces and law enforcement agencies. Now the Campus is on his trail. Joined by their latest recruits, John Clark and Ding Chavez, Jack Ryan, Jr. and his cousins Dominick and Brian Caruso are ordered to catch the Emir and they will bring him in...dead or alive.