Putnam announced that two series by bestselling mystery writer Robert B. Parker, who died in January 2010, will continue in the hands of new writers. Producer and screenwriter Michael Brandman will write the first new Parker brand book, ROBERT B. PARKER’S KILLING THE BLUES, which continues the Jesse Stone series and which will publish on September 13. Brandman already has considerable experience with the character as he co-wrote and co-produced the television movies featuring Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone. Ace Atkins, whose last few novels have been published by Putnam (and who begins a new series of his own with […]
Authors
eNews: e-Royalty Escalators; Sony Tablets On the Way; Product Placement; and More
Some UK agents claim to the Bookseller that they have negotiated e-royalty escalators and expect this move “will be the norm, not the exception” in the future, but it sounds more like an aspiration than a well-documented accomplishment. Blake Friedmann agent Oliver Munson is the only one saying on the record they’ve already done this: “We’ve certainly had e-book escalators in a number of contracts….. I can’t realistically envisage the much-trumpeted 25% net receipts remaining the benchmark for much longer either.” Piers Blofeld at Sheil Land also says “I have negotiated an escalator, but not with one of the big four. That would be […]
Today’s Mortenson: AG Investigates, Pakistani Threatens Suit
Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock’s has launched a preliminary inquiry into the practices of the Central Asia Institute, the charity established by Greg Mortenson to fund schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He said in a statement, “my office will not jump to any conclusions — but we have a responsibility to make sure charitable assets are used for their intended purposes.” (A spokesperson for the office told the AP it “has not reached the level of a full-scale investigation” yet.) AP Separately, Mansur Khan Mahsud, the man who works at a Pakistani think tank but was described in THREE CUPS […]
A Few More Servings of Controversy and Questions
The controversy surrounding Greg Mortenson, his book THREE CUPS OF TEA, and his charity the Central Asia Institute continues to grow and expand in unforseen ways. Author Jon Krakauer, whose accusations were the centerpiece of what was offered on Sunday night as 60 Minutes’ own investigation, has written a 75-page book on the same subject, THREE CUPS OF DECEIT: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way. It’s the launch ebook for Byliner.com, which is providing free PDFs through April 20 (and promises that all author proceeds will go, yes, to charity: the Stop Girl Trafficking Project). That provokes all […]
Author News: Book Club for Patterson, A Frey Quote to Save, and Much More
We finally have a major author trying the equivalent of a subscription model to enroll and regularly reach core readers. Direct Brands’ Book-of-the-Month Club is launching a James Patterson Library continuity program along with Little, Brown. Members “will automatically receive all new thrillers by James Patterson for $12.95 plus shipping and handling,” sent once a month. Patterson says in the release, “I’m delighted about my books being made available through Direct Brands, since I know that they are dedicated to giving readers direct access to their favorite authors and titles.”ReleaseJP Library A long Guardian piece on James Frey in connection […]
60 Minutes Charges Author Greg Mortenson Fabricated Key Stories and Misspent Charitable Funds
60 Minutes aired a report Sunday night on Greg Mortenson, author of the bestselling THREE CUPS OF TEA, questioning “whether some of the most dramatic stories in his books are even true” and raising “serious questions about how millions of dollars have been spent” by the charity he set up and “whether Mortenson is personally benefiting.” The most direct accuser was author Jon Krakauer, who says of the tale in the book about how Mortenson was inspired to build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, “It’s a beautiful story, and it’s a lie.” Mortenson’s central storyline is that he “stumbled into” […]