Chris Columbus to Adapt Two New Books to Film

Chris Columbus’ 1492 Pictures has signed a five-year deal with Rise Entertainment, which will provide financial backing for several new projects, including a film adaptation of Christ the Lord by Anne Rice.

The bestseller is about a 7 year-old Jesus Christ. The story is described as “a sweeping tale of faith and fear, danger and discovery as the boy Jesus and his family return to the war-torn Holy Land.” The screenplay was written by Betsy and Cyrus Nowrasteh, the latter of which will direct. Filming will begin in March in Italy. Columbus has stated that they’re not looking to cast big stars and they hope to make it on a reasonable budget. (more…)

Order of Jeffrey Fuller Books

Jeffrey Fuller is the central character in a series of naval techno-thrillers by American novelist Joe Buff. The series is set in 2011-2012, focused on a group of Boer reactionaries that have performed a coup on the South African government. After they start sinking British and American merchant ships, NATO is quick to respond, igniting a battle at sea. (more…)

1978 U.S. Copyright Law to Shake Up Publishers’ Backlists

A U.S. copyright law that allows authors to break publishing contracts author 35 years have elapsed will take effect in January. Publishers will lose part of their backlists as authors use the Copyright Act to reclaim work that’s been locked up for years. (more…)

Order of Joe Buff Books

Joe Buff is an American author of naval techno-thrillers. Due to his father being the U.S. Navy and his uncle being a merchant mariner, he has always been interested in the Navy and the military. Before becoming a writer, he spent 20 years working as a financial risk analyst, working for companies such as Guardian Life, Morgan Stanley, Towers Perrin and Merrill Lynch. In 1997, he switched careers to become a full-time writer. At first, he wrote non-fiction papers before switching to fiction. (more…)

Bill Bryson Opens 11m GBP Library Wing

Former Durham University chancellor and non-fiction author Bill Bryson returned to the university in order to open an £11 million extension to its library.

The library has now been renamed after the author, who left his post as chancellor in 2011, which the author says is a “great honour.” (more…)

Order of Crank Books

Crank is a series of young adult novels by American author Ellen Hopkins. The series was based around her own daughter’s meth addiction. The novel Crank is required reading in several high schools and drug programs. The series follows Kristina, a bright high school junior, who is peer pressured into trying meth. (more…)

Simon & Schuster to Launch New Self-Publishing Service

Simon & Schuster has announced that it will start charging fees for authors to release, distribute and publicize their own self-published books in print and eBook formats. In turn, Archway Publishing (the name of the new service) will pay out a large share of the proceeds for the self-published titles.

This is the latest sign of a growing piece of the pie for self-published authors, with one of the largest publishers getting into providing these services to writers. Self-publishing has become one of the fastest growing aspects on the publishing industry. (more…)

Order of Ellen Hopkins Books

Ellen Hopkins is an American author of young adult novels and non-fiction books. She started writing her career writing non-fiction books for children about various topics such as Orcas and military subjects. Her YA novels are written in verse. She has written a couple of adult novels, including Triangles and Collateral. (more…)

Order of Asian Saga Books

The Asian Saga is a series of historical fiction by British author James Clavell. The series spans centuries all across Asia, starting in feudal Japan in the 17th century, to 19th century Hong Kong, World War II in Japan and Singapore and Iran in 1979. The idea of the story, according to Clavell, is to “tell the story of the Anglo-Saxon in Asia.” (more…)

Erotica Outselling Literary Classics by Vast Margin

Erotic fiction is still going strong, with books like Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James outselling classics like Charles Dickens and Jane Austen.

This news should come as no surprise, as Reflected in You by Sylvia Day sold 100,000 copies in its first week on the shelves and Fifty Shades of Grey has sold 40 million copies since it was first published. (more…)