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Excerpt from Meyer’s “Winter”

Marissa Meyer finishes up her epic Sci-Fi take on familiar fairy tales with her new novel Winter. And that fruit on the cover strongly hints at what iconic character next gets the spotlight.

Winter, the stepdaughter of the evil Queen Levana who runs the moon colony of Luna, is at the heart of a tweaked version of the Snow White legend in the finale of Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles series. It goes on sale Nov. 10 from Macmillan. (Read an exclusive excerpt below.)

via Read an excerpt from Meyer’s ‘Winter’.

“Girl on the Train” Tops 1 Million

Publisher Riverhead is tooting its horn over the latest hot news for the runaway hit The Girl on the Train, and why not?Paula Hawkins’ debut psychological thriller passed the 1 million-copies-sold mark this week, with impressive speed. It’s a phenomenal number for a novel by a previously unknown author.

The sales numbers are “very impressive,” says Carol Fitzgerald, president of the online Book Report Network. “In a sluggish market during a tough winter it’s a clear runaway winner.”

via ‘Girl on the Train’ sells 1 million copies.

Patterson Launches Library Grants

Having handed out more than $1 million to help independent bookstores, James Patterson is now sharing his wealth with some other vital but often struggling institutions: School libraries.

The best-selling author announced Monday that he was donating $1.25 million through a grant program administered with Scholastic Reading Club, a division of Scholastic, Inc. Libraries or supporters of libraries can seek donations $1,000 to $10,000. Scholastic will match each donation with “Bonus Points” that can be used to purchase classroom materials. According to Patterson, requests can be for anything from fixing a computer system to paying for a school reading project.

via James Patterson Launches Grant Program for Libraries – ABC News.

Canongate Creates Letters Live

Canongate has created a spin-off company to further develop its Letters Live series of events.

Five shows, which will feature actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Louise Brealey, will run at the Freemasons’ Hall from 31st March to 4th April 2015. The live events will celebrate the “enduring power of literary correspondence” and will support the literacy charities The Reading Agency, First Story, and Ministry of Stories.

Canongate has partnered with the film and television production company SunnyMarch to build Letters Live into what it described as a “far-reaching and ambitious business.” SunnyMarch is a UK based production company run by producers Adam Ackland, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Adam Selves. Writers Shaun Usher and Simon Garfield are also shareholders of the new Letters Live business.

via Canongate creates Letters Live company | The Bookseller.

Disney Publishing’s Star Wars Books

Disney Publishing Worldwide and Lucasfilm  revealed the global “Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens” publishing program slated for a fall 2015 rollout. The ambitious, multifaceted program will build excitement leading up to the December 18 theatrical release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and will include subtle hints and clues that will be only fully understood once the movie opens.

More than 20 titles—featuring new narrative stories for middle grade and young adults as well as comics, illustrated reference, Look and Find, and sticker book formats—will be released globally in 36 countries by participating publishers. Titles in the “Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens” program are set to publish in print and digital formats and will be available this fall wherever books and eBooks are sold.

via Disney Publishing Worldwide Announces ‘Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Publishing Program Set for Fall 2015 Global Rollout | Business Wire.

Investigators End Harper Lee Probe

Alabama investigators looked into whether the recent deal to publish Harper Lees “To Kill A Mockingbird” sequel involved financial fraud, but they have closed the inquiry, a state official said Thursday.Alabama Securities Commission Director Joseph Borg said his agency sent an investigator to speak with Lee at the request of the Alabama Department of Human Resources. Borg said the department, which handles complaints of elder abuse, asked his investigators to look into the situation because of their expertise in financial matters.

“We closed the file. Lets just say that she was able to answer questions we asked to our satisfaction from our point of view,” Borg said.The surprise news that the 88-year-old author would publish a second book prompted speculation over whether she is capable of giving consent to the publication.

via Agency Ends Probe Into Publication of Harper Lees New Novel – ABC News.

CNN Publishes O’Reilly Tape

CNN has published a recording of Fox News host Bill O’Reilly from the 1970s that indicates he was not present outside the Florida house where an associate of Lee Harvey Oswald committed suicide.In the taped telephone conversation conducted in March 1977 between O’Reilly, then a correspondent with Dallas television station WFAA-TV, and Gaeton Fonzi, an investigator on the House Select Committee on Assassinations, O’Reilly can be heard telling Fonzi he’s planning to travel to Florida to investigate the suicide of George de Mohrenschildt, an associate of Oswald who had killed himself that day. In the conversation, provided to CNN by Fonzi’s widow, Fonzi tells O’Reilly about the suicide. O’Reilly in turn replies hell travel to Florida the next day.

“I’m coming down there tomorrow,” O’Reilly tells Fonzi. “Im coming to Florida. … Now, OK, I’m gonna try to get a night flight out of here, if I can.”

via CNN publishes OReilly tape – POLITICO.com.

O’Reilly Lied about Suicide Of JFK Assassination Figure, Former Colleagues Say | Blog | Media Matters for America

Bill O’Reilly has repeatedly claimed he personally “heard” a shotgun blast that killed a figure in the investigation into President John F. Kennedys assassination while reporting for a Dallas television station in 1977. O’Reilly’s claim is implausible and contradicted by his former newsroom colleagues who denied the tale in interviews with Media Matters. A police report, contemporaneous reporting, and a congressional investigator who was probing Kennedys death further undermine O’Reilly’s story.

via OReilly Lied About Suicide Of JFK Assassination Figure, Former Colleagues Say | Blog | Media Matters for America.

The Key Differences Between Middle Grade vs Young AdultWritersDigest.com | WritersDigest.com

What’s the difference in writing between a Middle Grade (MG) book and a Young Adult (YA)? Author/Literary Agent  Marie Lamba explains.

MG At A Glance: Age of readers: 8–12.Length: Generally 30,000–50,000 words (although fantasy can run longer to allow for more complex world-building). Content restrictions: No profanity, graphic violence, or sexuality (romance, if any, is limited to a crush or a first kiss). Age of protagonist: Typically age 10 for a younger MG novel, and up to age 13 for older, more complex books. Mind-set: Focus on friends, family and the character’s immediate world and relationship to it; characters react to what happens to them, with minimal self-reflection. Voice: Often third person.

Ya At A Glance: Age of readers: 13–18. Length: Generally 50,000–75,000 words (although there’s also a length allowance for fantasy). Content restrictions: Profanity, graphic violence, romance, and sexuality (except for eroticism) are all allowable (though not required). Age of protagonist: Ages 14–15 for a younger YA with cleaner content aimed at the middle-school crowd; for older and more edgy YA, characters can be up to 18 (but not in college). Mind-set: YA heroes discover how they fit in the world beyond their friends and family; they spend more time reflecting on what happens and analyzing the meaning of things. Voice: Often first person.

via The Key Differences Between Middle Grade vs Young AdultWritersDigest.com | WritersDigest.com.