EXTRA, EXTRA, Read all about it! News release Monday!

It’s Monday! Time for the launch of a new week, as well as a new round of industry news! There has been a lot of action in the industry as the care-free summer has drawn to a close. We thought that these next couple of pieces would be of extra interest to many of our most faithful readers. Anyone have any other big word they want to pass on? Do Tell!

Proposed Plan for probe into Genesis Press
(**From the Agenda for the October 3, 2006 RWA Board Conference Call Meeting**)

Wilson moves, and Newman seconds, that, in light of widespread concern from RWA's membership and others that publisher Genesis Press is not fulfilling its contractual obligations to pay royalties to a sizable number of RWA members and other romance novelists, RWA fund an audit of Genesis Press' royalty obligations to and payment history for a representative Genesis author. This is an
important issue of great concern to a broad segment of RWA's membership and romance novelists generally. Funding for the audit would be taken from the advocacy reserves.
Rationale: There is widespread concern that Genesis is not fulfilling its contractual obligations to pay royalties to a sizable number of our members and to others. Moneys in the advocacy reserves are intended to be used by RWA to advocate for author rights.***

HSF, Avon to launch new Inspirational Line
by Daisy Maryles featured in PW daily newsbrief

It hasn't gone unnoticed by HarperCollins that inspirational fiction is doing very well, especially in the romance category. Karen Kingsbury, Beverly Cleary, Lori Wick and others—regular stars on the Christian bestseller charts—are enjoying increased sales at ABA stores and also at the big-box outlets Target, Wal-Mart and Costco.

HC has the right companies to be a player in this field—its mass market imprint Avon is one of the leaders in the women's fiction/romance category, and Harper San Francisco is one of the leaders in the religion/spirituality category. Now the two are collaborating on a new inspirational women's trade paper fiction line called Avon Inspire, with the first books to be published in spring 2007. HSF editor Cynthia DiTiberio will be in charge of acquisition and editing and Avon publisher Liate Stehlik will oversee production, marketing, promotion and advertising. Stehlik noted that Avon Inspire's goal is to publish "engaging stories that Christian readers can trust and love."

DiTiberio said Avon Inspire will include historical and contemporary romances by established and popular authors; she plans 10 titles annually. The first title, coming in May 2007, Defiant Heart by Tracey Bateman, is the first in the Westward Hearts series. The June title, Linda Windsor's Wedding Bell Blues, begins the Piper Cove Chronicles