Listening to Lisa Gardner

This past Friday, Amazon's Kindle blog pointed out a particularly fine ebook discount on Lisa Gardner's Alone. It's no coincidence that, with the discount, the book has made the top 10 best Kindle sellers. Lisa Gardner has been topping Nook sales lists recently as well - it's hard to pass up an ebook for $0.99.

Thankfully, Gardner's books are not just affordable; they're also good reads. She's a wise woman, too. We all remember her recent blurb for our favorite horror novelist: "So great to have a new book from legendary writing coach Mike Sirota. When he writes, you should listen!" Well, it's time to take her words seriously. Mike's newest book, Fire Dance, will be hitting shelves this February, but you can already download the ebook edition to your Nook or Kindle. Read it now, and you can be the first to review this paranormal thriller before its official print release. We are counting down the days...

Listening to Lisa Gardner

This past Friday, Amazon's Kindle blog pointed out a particularly fine ebook discount on Lisa Gardner's Alone. It's no coincidence that, with the discount, the book has made the top 10 best Kindle sellers. Lisa Gardner has been topping Nook sales lists recently as well - it's hard to pass up an ebook for $0.99.

Thankfully, Gardner's books are not just affordable; they're also good reads. She's a wise woman, too. We all remember her recent blurb for our favorite horror novelist: "So great to have a new book from legendary writing coach Mike Sirota. When he writes, you should listen!" Well, it's time to take her words seriously. Mike's newest book, Fire Dance, will be hitting shelves this February, but you can already download the ebook edition to your Nook or Kindle. Read it now, and you can be the first to review this paranormal thriller before its official print release. We are counting down the days...

Sequels

This past weekend, the LA Times had a conversation with actor and director Kevin Costner, looking back on the success of Dances With Wolves and the future of the man's career. It was a very different conversation between Costner and the film's screenwriter, our own Michael Blake, that inspired the writing of the novel Dances With Wolves in 1988, only a few years before the making of the epic film. Anyone who has seen the film, recently released on Blu-Ray, has asked the same question the article poses to Costner at the beginning of the interview: "What happens next?"

Well, there's a whole novel about what happens next that Blake wrote ten years ago. It's called The Holy Road, and Costner reminds readers of it right away. If you're interested in reading it, hold your proverbial horses. ZOVA will soon be re-releasing the paperback edition of the novel along with the first ebook edition, so you can complete your collection. We are proud, honored, and thrilled to bring Blake's work to a whole new generation of readers. So, be ready!

Bringing Back the Backlist

One of the things we've been looking forward to in this new year has been the opportunity to re-release the backlist of some of our favorite authors. We're currently working on preparing Jeff Sherratt's earlier Jimmy O'Brien novels to join the current catalog of his work we have in house: the excellent L.A. Noir mystery, Detour to Murder, and the exclusive ebook edition of Expectation of Murder from the same series.

Until then, we're thrilled to announce the e-book re-release of Teresa Burrell's debut novel, The Advocate, now available on both Kindle and Nook. The Advocate is a perfect introduction to Burrell's legal suspense series set in modern day San Diego. Her second novel, The Advocate's Betrayal, was our first book in print, and we are still as proud of it as ever. To have both books in one house is a delight, and we're looking forward to introducing the series to a whole new readership in the coming months.

Announcing...

If you've been following us at all in the last few weeks, you know that we've been prepping Michael Blake's masterpiece of historical fiction, Dances With Wolves for ebook publication. As of today, the title is now available for both Kindle and Nook users. We are so excited to be introducing this brilliant work to a new generation of readers, and have every hope that it will again receive the accolades and honor it deserves. Now with a new preface by the author, readers will learn the inspiring story behind the novel's creation. We cannot offer enough thanks to Michael Blake for his generosity in sharing his work with us, and look forward to bringing you many more works by this incredible author.



Our surprise release this week is a personal favorite. ZOVA Books welcomes Jenny Bellington's debut novel and the first in her Mapmaker series. East to Adonia (Kindle edition here) is a rip-roaring children's fantasy novel following the adventures of 12-year-old mapmaking genius, Mercator Robinson, as he finds himself dropped onto the fantastical island of Adonia. Our young hero must face the magic and mystery of this new world while trying to find a way home again - and to survive until he can. This is a book for brave children and grown-ups alike. With brilliant illustrations from Jenny and Trish Bellington, this is a perfect book for both reading aloud or curling up in a quiet corner. We are so excited to launch this, our first children's book, as a testament to the power of imagination and creativity. Thank you, Jenny.



On a very different note, our February release is gearing up for a big splash. If you enjoy a good shiver, a quaking in the boots, this one's for you. Mike Sirota returns to fiction with this paranormal thriller - Fire Dance. Recounting the mysterious haunting of a desert ruin, the novel explores the mind of a murderous spirit and the intrepid young woman who will do anything to stop it from killing again. Fire Dance is Sirota's first novel after a 20 year hiatus from his writing career. We look forward to rediscovering his past publications and unearthing yet-to-be-published manuscripts from his writing desk. Thank you, Mike. We are eager for your release.

Developments in the New Year: 2011

Anyone who's been following our social networks has already heard the news. ZOVA Books has signed two bestselling authors for the coming year.

We've been working with Anna Lee Waldo, author of the bestselling phenomenon Sacajawea, for several months now (all on the sly, of course). Anna Lee is bringing us a new epic historical piece on the discovery of the New World by Welsh hero and explorer, Madoc, a generation prior to the voyage of Columbus. Based on real legends still held strong both among the Welsh and in the American South, the novel challenges the traditional narrative of early American history while delving into the fascinating cultural remnants of early American people groups. We are thrilled to be a part of this new publishing endeavor, and look forward to the day we can share this beautiful masterpiece with you.


Most recently, we've met with the Academy Award winning writer of the novel and screenplay Dances With Wolves, Michael Blake. This week, we'll be releasing the first e-book edition of the historical novel that rocked the bestseller lists about 20 years ago. The timing couldn't be more appropriate, as this week sees the release of the 20th anniversary blu-ray of the epic film. We are delighted to be working with Michael, and are excited to share with you his upcoming work in the coming months.

There's more in store for ZOVA readers, so keep your eyes open for the other unspoken developments we've got up our sleeves in the next few weeks. We love what we do, and we do it all for you!