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Twin sisters are faced with the beauties and perils of the Arizona desert in the "Wild Horse Creek" series by Sharon Siamon (Walrus Books/Whitecap). The series launches with The Mystery Stallion, and follows with Coyote Canyon in Winter 2010. Siamon has sold more than a million copies of her internationally-loved horse series, which include the ten-book Mustang Mountain series and the Saddle Island trilogy.

In The Mystery Stallion, Sophie and Liv spend spring break on their grandparents' ranch in Arizona and encounter more adventure than they'd anticipated. Their grandfather's prize stallion is badly injured, the rest of the herd of horses disappears, and the twins are thrown into a dangerous mystery. The Arizona desert comes alive in this fast-paced, engrossing horse adventure for kids ages 9-12. The twins survive snakebite, fight off wild pig-like javelinas, and confront bandits.

Enthusiastic Liv faces challenges head-on while anxious Sophie plays it safe, but as the story progresses, they develop, as individuals and in relation to one another. Unlike series where the protagonists remain the same throughout, these girls grow and change, just as their tween readers are doing.

"Girls love horse stories and horses, especially wild horses," says Siamon. "As J. Edward Chamberlin says in his wonderful book, Horse, wild horses give us 'a way of imagining what it would be like to be free and to wander with the herd in the field of our dreams.'"

Coyote Canyon, the second book in the "Wild Horse Creek" series, finds the twins on the ranch in Arizona for several months. The excitement focuses on the desperate search for a beautiful and precious foal.

Sharon Siamon http://www.sharonsiamon.com/ has sold more than a million copies of her novels worldwide. She is the author of the best-selling Mustang Mountain series, and has published fourteen novels in Canada, two series in England, and a series in Norway.

As a child, Siamon had a passion for horses, mountains, and books. She grew up in rural Ontario, Canada, and first went to the Mojave Desert as a young teenager. She says the Wild Horse Creek series "echoes the thrill of her first ride across the desert, galloping hard into the sunset."

SOURCE Sharon Siamon

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.