March 2009 Archives

The Photography.Book.Now International Juried Competition today announced a prestigious panel of jurors for its photography book competition. Lead Judge Darius Himes, co-founder of Radius Books, will chair the panel for the second year. Photography.Book.Now celebrates the finest, most creative, and most innovative self-published photography books - and the people behind them.

Himes has hand-picked a group of internationally renowned photographers, photography editors, directors, and gallery curators to select the most creative and innovative photography books in three categories - Fine Art, Editorial, and Commercial - and one $25,000 Grand Prize winner. Juror biographies and full category descriptions are available at www.photographybooknow.com.

Lead Judge:

• Darius Himes, co-founder, Radius Books

Jurors:

• Vice Aletti, Photography critic
• Anthony Bannon, Director, George Eastman House
• Dana Faconti, Blind Spot
• Karen Hangsen, Rizzoli
• William Hunt, Hasted Hunt Gallery
• Jodi Peckman, Rolling Stone
• Platon, Photographer
• Kira Pollack, NY Times Magazine

"To have one's work reviewed by this prestigious group of photography professionals is an honor and a privilege for any photographer," Himes said. "We're very pleased to have this level of commitment and support from such a distinguished group. Last year's submissions set the bar high, and our jurors are looking forward to seeing even more amazing work this year."

Photography.Book.Now also announced its lineup of sponsors, led by Grand Prize sponsor Hewlett-Packard. Other sponsors include American Photo, British Journal of Photography, CENTER, Maine Media Workshops, NewPage, and Virgin America. Photography.Book.Now has enlisted several supporters in the photography community. The complete list is available at www.photographybooknow.com.

Hundreds of photography books have already been submitted to the 2009 competition, and are available to browse and to buy in the Photography.Book.Now Bookstore at www.blurb.com/bookstore/pbn.

Submissions will be accepted through 12:00 pm PDT on July 16, 2009, at http://www.photographybooknow.com. The Photography.Book.Now International Juried Competition is presented by Blurb(R), the creative publishing and marketing platform that enables anyone to design, publish, share and sell bookstore-quality books.

SOURCE Blurb

Largest Author Focused Online Directory Provides Innovative Marketing Platform for All Authors

FiledBy, Inc. today announced the Beta launch of filedbyauthor at http://www.filedby.com. The site is the first large-scale author-centric promotional platform to provide every author that has been published in the U.S. or Canada a free, hosted, ecommerce enabled web page ready to be claimed and enhanced. With more than 1.8 million pre-assembled author web pages and over 7 million book titles, filedbyauthor is the most complete site for finding and engaging with authors and their work.

"All authors, regardless of publishing category are encouraged to visit the site, claim their page, make corrections, and enrich them in a variety of ways," says Founder, President & C.E.O. Peter Clifton.

Any published author or co-author can easily and immediately update their author page which is linked to individual work pages. In addition to the free level, FiledBy announced two new membership levels designed to make additional web marketing tools available at low cost. These additional levels include blog tools, additional linking and media postings, event listings, online press kits and banner customization.

And, any reader can join the filedbyauthor community and start connecting with authors. Readers can fill in their own pages, collect favorite authors and books, write reviews, rate works and authors, and comment through wall postings.

"We hope to level the web marketing playing field for all authors, eliminate some of the challenges authors face when designing their online presence, and help every author become more easily discoverable through a highly optimized site," added Clifton.

SOURCE FiledBy, Inc.

Chantal's life was ideal. She lived in the romantic city of Paris during the 60's, had a job that she adored and a man that she loved madly. Everything was picture perfect; that is until the day that her lover Alex was arrested for murder. "The Maghreb Amulet" (published by iUniverse) by Vera Beaumont follows the harrowing adventure of Chantal de Betancourt in her desperate quest to free herself and her lover from the cruel grip of circumstance and intrigue.

Chantal's life was turned upside down on the evening she approached her lover Alex's apartment only to discover that he had been accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend. Believing unshakably that Alex was innocent, she became desperate to exonerate him. As if on queue, a dark and mysterious man named Guy appeared and offered to help her -- for a price. He explains that he is part of the French military and if she aides them in their covert operations in Algiers, he will secure Alex's release. Seeing no other choice, Chantal complies and embarks on her mission.

Once in Algiers, Chantal quickly realizes that she is not cut out for the clandestine life. A trusting and forthright person by nature, she struggles to adjust to her appointed task: a courier for the French military, or so she believes.

"You failed your mission. You should be sent back with shame. How could you be so stupid?"

"What do you mean? I delivered the package you gave me."

Cassis rose and crossed her office with quick steps.

"What's wrong, Monsieur Cassis? Didn't my ..."

He held his hand up to silence her, rose to open the door and looked up and down the hallway. Chantal stared at his rumpled suit and dusty shoes while he closed the door again. Deep furrows cut across his forehead.

"Didn't anybody teach you the basic rules? You don't take a taxi, you don't attract attention. Your purpose is to stay unnoticed and find the designated person. All deliveries are to be made to that person only, nobody else. If you cannot find them, you keep the package and wait for further orders. You always make sure that nobody sees you. Didn't anybody tell you that? You were lucky that your taxi wasn't followed. I checked."

As her adventure unfolds, Chantal encounters many more people, both nefarious and honorable, and comes to realize that she has become embroiled in an affair that is far more insidious than she could have ever imagined.

Vera Beaumont was born in Germany and attended University at the world famous Sorbonne in Paris. She eventually immigrated to the United States and earned a Ph.D. in psychology. She is now retired and lives in Florida. Dr. Beaumont based her novel on her experiences as a student in Algiers during the Algerian struggle for independence in the late 50's and early 60's. While she was not engaged in any type of clandestine activities, because she had come from Paris many people assumed she was. This became the impetus for "The Maghreb Amulet."

Source: iUniverse

Suspenseful New Book Captures Seeming Possibility of Nuclear Facility Sabotage in Iran

In the heart of Bushehr, Iran's nuclear reactor facility, a fire has broken out and a desperate CIA saboteur has barricaded the only alternative control room with access to the reactor's coolant system, threatening a political disaster for the West and nuclear Armageddon in Iran. In David Lucero's riveting new thriller, "The Sandman" (published by AuthorHouse), a deadly collision course is set in motion by three chaotic explosions.

The saboteur, working under the alias of The Sandman, has worked tirelessly for many years to become the best undercover agent that the CIA has ever produced, but now he wants out. Seeking to lead a different life, the Sandman takes on the mission in Iran with the assurance that it will be his last. But even if it is not his last, he and his US employers know that he will live and die by the principle ingrained into him: the mission always comes first. His mission is to destroy the reactor in such a way as to leave no doubt that the consequent meltdown was the fault of human error, and not calculated political reasoning. What has unfolded has gone against all of his experience.

The Sandman's explosives detonate prematurely, leaving him stranded in the facility to protect the goals of his mission. As the technicians and physicists on hand realize the dire nature of their situation, they begin to flee in panic, only to be arrested by the presence of the head of the military in command of protecting the nuclear reactor, Colonel Kharum Benghazi. Colonel Benghazi deploys soldiers to infiltrate the control room while brainstorming with the stupefied leading nuclear physicist, Dr. Kashir Balim, and the Russian nuclear physicist sent to advise the Iranians, Dr. Anatoly Pushkin.

When the soldiers fail to break into the control room after a devastating gunfight, Colonel Benghazi and the physicists must come up with other options. Little do they know that there are other forces and players secretly at work in the facility. Elena Netanyahu is an Israeli agent that has followed The Sandman in order to confirm the success of the mission, but if The Sandman is not successful she is under orders to signal an air strike. On the opposite side of that signal are Israeli operatives from the Mossad, including Eleazar, the ultra-secret Mossad agent who is impatient and passionate about his cause to the extent that he would disobey a direct order if need be.

As the clock ticks down to meltdown and the threat of political disaster becomes ever more imminent, these key players must engage in a dangerous, precarious battle of wits to determine the fate of Iran and the world. Full of plausible scenarios which lead to realistic suspense, "The Sandman" is an action-packed page-turner sure to keep readers guessing until the very last page.

David Lucero is a veteran of the United States Army and lives in San Diego with his wife, Martha, and son, Carlo. "The Sandman" is his first novel and he is currently working on his second. For more information, please visit: http://www.DavidLuceroSandman.com.

SOURCE AuthorHouse

Studio Acquires Worldwide Distribution Rights To Color Force's Film Version Of Suzanne Collins' Best Selling Futuristic Young Adult Novel

Collins To Pen Screenplay Based On First Novel In Her Projected Trilogy

LIONSGATE(R) (NYSE: LGF), the leading next generation studio, announced today that it has acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film version of Suzanne Collins' best selling futuristic young adult novel THE HUNGER GAMES. Collins will adapt the screenplay from her novel, the first in a trilogy. Nina Jacobson is producing through her Color Force shingle. The announcement was made by Joe Drake, Lionsgate President, Motion Picture Group, and Co-Chief Operating Officer.

"The Hunger Games" was published by Scholastic last year, and has been singled out for raves by "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer. The trilogy's eagerly anticipated second installment, "Catching Fire," is due out September 1, 2009.

Lionsgate President of Motion Picture Production, Alli Shearmur, will oversee the production for the studio, along with Lionsgate Senior Vice President of Motion Picture Production, Jim Miller.

Said Shearmur, "THE HUNGER GAMES is an incredible property and it is a thrill to bring it home to Lionsgate. This is exactly the kind of movie I came to Lionsgate to make: youthful, exciting, smart and edgy. We are looking forward to working with Nina and Suzanne to create a movie that satisfies audiences' hunger for high-quality entertainment."

Said Jacobson, "I am thrilled to have Lionsgate as a partner in THE HUNGER GAMES. The suspense of THE HUNGER GAMES is heightened by its spirit of moral inquiry, and Suzanne has entrusted Lionsgate and me to bring that moral perspective to the adaptation - a charge we fully intend to honor."

The deal was negotiated for Lionsgate by Miller and Robert Melnik, Lionsgate Executive Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs; and by Jason Dravis of Monteiro/Rose/Dravis, on behalf of Collins and Color Force.

SYNOPSIS

A dystopic Capitol requires its twelve subjugated districts to pay tribute in the form of a teenage boy and girl who are forced to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. When Katniss Everdeen's little sister is chosen in the lottery, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Although persevering through hardship is commonplace for Katniss, she must start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love in order to win the games and return home.

Since its publication in September 2008, Suzanne Collins's award-winning novel "The Hunger Games" has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for 25 consecutive weeks to date, and rights for 32 foreign-language editions have been licensed. "The Hunger Games" won the 2008-9 Cybils Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction. It was named a New York Times Notable Book of 2008; a 2008 Horn Book Fanfare Book; a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2008; a School Library Journal Best Book of 2008; a 2008 Booklist Editors' Choice; a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice; and a Kirkus Best Book of 2008.

SOURCE Lionsgate