Welcome to this week’s news post, and we have more news on the DOJ and publishers over agency pricing, Stephen King’s new book and more wtfery about authors behaving badly again.

The remaining two publishers, Penguin and Macmillan are facing a lawsuit with the Department of Justice in the US over alleged collusion about Agency pricing, have submitted more information about their defence. Both Penguin and Macmillan have stated that their meetings with other publishers were part of social gatherings and had nothing to do with collusion. Apple will also be facing a lawsuit with the DOJ – Random House is the only publisher who isn’t facing an investigation and a lawsuit since they never initially joined the other Big 5 publishers when they adopted Agency pricing.

Because of the ruling that this was deemed  unlawful, it looks like remaining 3 publishers who did settle with the DOJ, Simon and Schuster, Hachette and Harper Collins have agreed terminate Agency pricing and it looks like that June the 10th may be the date where discounts and point based coupons can be used by sites like Books on Board, Amazon and Kobo. However this hasn’t been clarified just yet but it does look like some ebooks from major publishers will be discounted so watch out for that!

I cant not help but be bemused with this next story but it feels fitting because it sums up the whole situation and attitudes about ebooks and publishing right now. An independent bookseller has decried that a literary festival in the UK has called out for a ban for all ereaders like the Kindle at the Hay Festivel. He claims that “You see people walking around with Kindles and they are like robots in another world. Books are sociable and people stop and talk to each other about them. Kindles are just a phase and they won’t last. They are our enemy.” – I think this says it all and sadly because of this closed minded view on ebooks and ereaders independent booksellers are struggling because of a lack of understanding and reluctance to adapt.

I wont go into great detail with this next item,  but it is another case of authors behaving badly number 938382728282 this year and I have to say this is the most disgusting and scariest example yet. A vanity/self published author has posted personal real life information of a reviewer  on her site and all of this is due to one negative review and it didn’t even involve her own book. This author has been caught up in previous kerfuffles in the past and was actually banned from Goodreads due to attacking reviewers because of negative reviews and sockpuppetry behaviour. I really feel for this reviewer because there is no damn good excuse that this author posted her details especially that of her family.  Cuddlebuggery has the full details because I refuse to link to the authors site because of this.

News in Brief:

Stephen King has announced that his next book Joyland which is scheduled for next year will debut only in paperback format – the ebook edition will be sometime later although King hasn’t stated when that will be.  I don’t think this will be a good idea and I got a funny feeling the book will be scanned and uploaded to pirated sites which has happened to print only popular books like the Harry Potter series. But it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Another movie adaptation! Max Berry’s thriller Lexicon has been picked up by Matthew Vaughn, the director of X-Men Origins  and Stardust plans to adapt and write the script this tale of a world which places power in words which can be dangerous and is run by mysterious groups.

And now for books to watch out for!

Sharon Shinn has a new book called Still Life with Shapeshifter, out later this year – and this looks pretty good!

 

For her entire life, Melanie Landon has hidden the fact that her half sister Ann is a shapeshifter—determined to protect Ann from a world that simply wouldn’t understand.

After months of no contact, Melanie fears the worst when a man shows up on her doortstep saying he’s there about her sister. A freelance writer, Brody Westerbrook intends to include Ann in a book about the existence of shapeshifters. While Melanie is immediately drawn to the stranger, she knows revealing Ann’s secret isn’t an option.

Protecting her sister has always been such an enormous part of Melanie’s life, but when Ann finally appears looking frail and sick, Melanie must come to grips with the fact that saving her may mean letting go..

I love Anne Marsh’s PNR series and I think this is her first contemporary romance, Burning Up and you got to love Firemen heroes!

 

It takes a special kind of hero to be a smoke jumper. To take the greatest risks. To live or die in the raging heat of the moment. And it takes a special kind of woman to love him. . .Where There’s Smoke. . .For Jack Donovan, smoke jumping is a way of life. He lives for the adrenaline rush–the thrill of flying over the burning California hills, the intensity of diving straight into the inferno, the glory of taming the forces of nature. Love is a distant ember compared to the feeling he gets fighting fires–until an emergency call from his hometown brings him face to face with the one woman he can’t forget. . .There’s FireLily never got over the handsome rogue who once kissed her senseless–and then left. She vowed she was done with love-’em-and-leave-’em men and small town life. Until a series of malicious fires set by a stalker has her running home to hide. Now, their summer is heating up as Jack fights to save her from the stalker’s fiery threats and to convince her to give the passion between them a second chance.

Days of Blood and Starlight – I really enjoyed the first book and definitely looking forward to the sequel.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed *Daughter of Smoke and Bone*, Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she’ll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, *Days of Blood and Starlight* brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas.

So what do you think of Stephen King’s announcement of delaying his ebook release? A good idea or a bad one?

About Has

Has is a bookaholic and feeds her addiction whenever she can. She usually can be found lost in a Romance or an Urban Fantasy novel. Her favourite sub genres are Paranormal, Fantasy and some Scifi. Her most treasured authors are, Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews, Ann Aguirre, Lisa Kleypas and Tamora Pierce. She loves that discovery of finding a brand new author and falling in love with their books. Has also blogs a The Book Pushers - Book chatter and reviews

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