TODAY'S NEWS

Author Sues Booksellers for Selling His Books
By Rachel Deahl
A few weeks ago John Mitzel, proprietor of Calamus Books in Boston, was surprised to open his mail and discover he'd been named in a lawsuit filed by an author. The suit, filed by Larry Townsend's attorney for copyright infringement, stems from a dispute over unpaid fees allegedly owed the author by his distributor, the Oklahoma-based Nazca Plains Corp. Nonetheless, the suit charges that Mitzel, along with over 40 other booksellers (including Amazon and Barnes & Noble), infringed on Townsend's copyright by selling the author's books in their stores. Read on »

Borders and Eisner Offer Book Tie-In Series on Borders.com
By Lynn Andriani
Borders announced today it is teaming with former Disney honcho Michael Eisner’s independent media studio, Vuguru, to distribute a Web series. Robin Cook’s Foreign Body: The Prequel will run as 50 two-minute episodes on the newly launched Borders.com. Read on »

Olsson's Books Closing D.C. Store June 27
by Kevin Howell
After 15 years in business, the Penn Quarter/7th Street location of Olsson's Books & Records in Washington D.C. will close on Friday, June 27. The store sent out an e-mail to its customers Monday announcing the impending closing and a notification that everything in the store is now 50% to 75% off. Read on »

Laguna Beach Books Finds Its Place in the Sun
by Wendy Werris
Laguna Beach, the mid-point between Los Angeles and San Diego, is a small gem of a town that hugs the Pacific Ocean on one side and the mountains on the other. Nestled in the center of the shopping and dining district on Coast Highway is Laguna Beach Books, a charming and friendly independent bookstore that opened in September 2006 and is enjoying a sales increase of 18% as its second anniversary approaches. Read on »

On Sale Next Week: Danielle Steel and Catherine Coulter
Charlotte Abbott
Next week, two well-reviewed romance blockbusters face off. Category queen Steel spins a tale of a divorced woman torn between her new love and former husband with “a satisfying twist at book's end that most readers won't see coming,” according to the PW review. Meanwhile, romantic suspense master Catherine Coulter’s 12th FBI thriller, “exposes the cost of obsessive regard for family honor and family shame” with her usual flair. Read on »

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MORE STORIES

S&P Downgrades Haights Cross
Standard & Poor’s has lowered its corporate credit rating on Haights Cross, citing concerns that the supplemental publisher may not be able to repay its $124.5 million senior loan due August 15. Although Haights has been actively looking to sell at least part of the company, S&P said “we are concerned that current unfavorable credit market conditions will persist and may undermine the company’s efforts.” The company’s liquidity is further complicated, S&P said, “by downward pressure on industry asset sale multiples, which might require asset sales at less than desired prices.” Among the assets for sale is the audio publisher Recorded Books. Industry members had expected the sale of the company to move rapidly (possibly to Amazon), and have been puzzled by the length of time in getting a deal done. For the first quarter, Recorded Books managed to increase sales by 3%, to $21.3 million, in a tough market.

AUTHORS ON THE AIR

Authors on the Air: Isabel Allende; Sergio Ramirez; Darin Strauss
Today, Good Morning America hosted environmentalist Sophie Uliano, whose book is Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life (Collins, $16.95). After the jump: Isabel Allende, Don Rickles and Oprah Winfrey with Brian Weiss. Read on »

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Punking Out in NYC
On Friday June 13 a collection of punk rockers, and their fans, turned out at the KS Gallery for a book signing, followed by a concert at the Knitting Factory, to celebrate the release of No Wave: Post-Punk. Underground. New York. 1976-1980 (Abrams Image). Pictured here (l. to r.) at KS Gallery are co-author Byron Coley; editor Tamar Brazis; and co-author (and Sonic Youth frontman) Thurston Moore.
photo credit: Chad Beckerman. Submit your pictures here »

JOB OF THE DAY

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