Publishing Notes

Monday, April 13, 2009

Director of classic “Night of the Living Dead” film gets book deal

The director of the original horror flick “Night of the Living Dead” (1968), George A. Romero, is still very much into zombies and the mysterious undead. Romero’s new film “… Of the Dead” is scheduled for release this year. Also, he has signed a two-book deal with Grand Central Publishing, according to Publishers Weekly. Romero’s debut novel will focus on the origin of the zombies and is due […]
Friday, April 10, 2009

Romance novels hot sellers during the recession

  The recession is prompting a lot of folks to search for bargain escapes, and romance novels are at the top of the list. The struggles and disappointments of day-to-day living are apparently fueling the desire for entertainment with a happy ending, according to an article on the New York Times website.   While many categories of books are in a slump, romance novels are in demand. At Barnes & […]
Monday, April 6, 2009

A TV deal for popular vampire hunter Anita Blake

  Vampire Hunter Anita Blake is about to take her extraordinary skills and adventures to the small screen. New York Times Best selling author Laurell K. Hamilton has made a deal for her sexy paranormal series, featuring the Anita Blake character, with Independent Film Channel. The series is already the basis for a hugely popular graphic novel from Marvel Comics.  Hamilton’s series began with the […]
Saturday, April 4, 2009

New online newsletter focuses on the Southland social scene

A colleague from my days working at Channel 4 News, Dee Dee Brown, has a new online venture. This week, Dee Dee sent out the first edition of her colorful e-newsletter, “DEE DEE DA DA.” Front and center, a review by Dee Dee of Sky’s Gourmet Tacos, a Mexican restaurant with a splash of soul, on West Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles. Dee […]
Thursday, March 26, 2009

Comedian Steve Harvey’s relationship book still a hot topic

Comic/ radio D.J. and now best-selling author, Steve Harvey, is getting mucho attention on his promotional tour for his relationship book, “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, And Commitment.” Women everywhere are talking about this book. Harvey was on “Oprah” Monday, March 23, his second appearance in less than a month. If […]
Monday, March 23, 2009

Former Internet hacker gets a book deal

Doing time in the big house has not hurt the writing career of ex-Internet hacker, Kevin Poulsen. Publishers Weekly is reporting today that Poulsen has sold his book “Kingpin” to Crown. In the 1980s and 1990s, Poulsen had quite a colorful reputation as a cyber criminal and was once a fugitive on the run. In one of his notorious hacks, Poulsen reportedly engineered a […]
Wednesday, March 11, 2009

DC Comics launches new Watchmen website

“Watchmen” the movie stormed the Box Office over the weekend, grabbing the number one ranking and making around $55 million. Even though fans have not gushed and cheered the way they did for “The Dark Knight,” the “Watchmen” flick is still making barrels of money. DC Comics quickly moved to capitalize on the “Watchmen” movie success with a campaign called […]
Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Freelance writer/producer’s debut book gets a TV deal

                                     Los Angeles writer/producer Jessica Brody is celebrating one of those milestones that makes one do the happy dance. Last week, Brody got the word her novel, ” The Fidelity Files,” had been optioned for development as a television series by Marina Grasic, the executive producer of the Oscar-winning film, “Crash.” St. Martin’s Press released “The Fidelity Files,” Brody’s debut novel, last summer. The novel is about a young […]
Sunday, March 8, 2009

“Watchmen” win the Box Office derby

Superheroes ruled the Box Office over the weekend. The long awaited movie version of “Watchmen” debuted Friday and has been packing the theaters. So it’s no surprise the doomsday thriller killed the competition and racked up an estimated $55 million to become the number one film in the country. No doubt, a sequel is in the works. “Watchmen” is based on a popular comic book series […]