Kindle, A New Way To Read

Friday, January 29, 2010

Beautiful Malice

Australian mother and small-business owner Rebecca James has sold world rights to her first two young adult novels for major bucks, going from mom to millionaire overnight after her manuscript was pulled out of the slush pile by a U.K. agent. The rights to Beautiful Malice and its sequel sold for $600,000 in the U.S. alone, according to the Wall Street Journal, who calls James the next J.K. Rowling.

Since the days of big advances for the heck of it seem to have disappeared with the recession, this signals that Bantam Dell expects a Rowling-sized payout once the books are published.

Beautiful Malice is a story of the friendship of two girls. One has lost her sister in a horrible murder; the other is a chilling and charming party girl. The series has been described as Twilight without the vampires ----and with the sex.

Kate Miciak, editorial director of Bantam Books, who won U.S. rights, said, “You had only to read the opening sentence ---“I did not go to Alice’s funeral’---to know that you had instantly fallen under the thrall of a strong narrative voice.” The book is scheduled for a September 2010 publication in the U.S.

From BookPage January 2010

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Amazon Kindle iPhone App

If you want to jump on the Amazon eBook store without forking out for a Kindle, or alternatively want another way of reading your Kindle’s books, Amazon has just launched its Kindle iPhone app in 60 markets around the world, including little old Australia.

It’s a free download, and lets you sync your bookmarks and notes across your devices. Well worth the download, even if you hate the idea of eBooks as much as he idea of spreading marmite over cinnamon toast. Or anything, for that matter.

France to Digitize Its Own Literary Works

President Nicolas Sarcozy pledged nearly $1.1 billion on Monday toward the computer scanning of French literary works, audiovisual archives and historical documents, an announcement that underscored his government’s desire to maintain control over France's cultural heritage in an era of digitization.

Real Housewives of New Jersey Star Writes Book

Real Housewives of New Jersey star, Teresa Giudice, has sold a cookbook, Skinny Italian: Eat It and Enjoy It—Live La Bella Vita and Look Great Too!, to Brenda Copeland at Hyperion. Susan Ginsberg at Writers House brokered the deal, for world rights, and Hyperion is planning a May 2010 pub. In the cookbook, Giudice offers recipes for healthy Italian meals. The book will also feature behind-the-scenes details about the show, as well as pictures of Giudice and her family.


Clara Cannucciari's New Book

St. Martin’s Press celebrated the release of Clara's Kitchen: Wisdom, Memories, and Recipes from the Great Depression over lunch at Carmine’s in Manhattan’s Theater District on December 7. Cannucciari garned a wide fan base with her YouTube videos on Depression-era cooking, which led to her book deal. Pictured here are executive editor Michael Flamini, Carmine’s executive chef Christian Ruiz, and Cannucciari.

Quote of the Day For the Writer

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great."

- Mark Twain