HarperCollins ceo Brian Murray spoke at length Thursday morning at Digital Book World on the company’s recent acquisitions of Thomas Nelson and Harlequin, looking for other opportunities for global growth, and the encouraging signs from independent bookstore sales over the holiday period. “We’re happy with the integration of Thomas Nelson into the new HarperCollins Christian,” Murray said. “We see lots of opportunities for growth in Latin America and beyond the Americas.” Because that acquisition “exceeded expectations” it made HarperCollins more bullish on Harlequin, where a “similar strategy” could work with romance readers — especially as Harlequin is present in territories […]