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News 26 November 2004
Mainstream is delighted to have acquired the rights to ROCK
AND ROLL MOUNTAINS by Graham Forbes. Forbes was a guitarist
with a world famous rock group but, like so many others, he enjoyed
the lifestyle too much: the gigs, groupies and booze. At the
age of 27, he found himself more than a little bewildered, ears
ringing, completely unemployable, with an empty bottle of tequila
in one hand and a huge overdraft in the other. The party was
over.
Just when it looked like there could be only one outcome, Forbes noticed there were hills nearby and decided to go for a walk. It began a journey that transformed him totally. It took him from poverty to building a successful small company and bluffing his way onto the Board of Directors of a national public limited company, hoping that the next meeting wouldn't be in a hotel he had wrecked. ROCK AND ROLL MOUNTAINS weaves in and out of wild sex, drugs and rock tours to glowing sunsets on some of the most beautiful summits in the world. There has never been another book like this about mountains and their power to heal, and how lessons learned clinging to frozen ice faces can be used in running a company and winning a battle against alcoholism.
Graham Forbes was a member of the Incredible String Band, whose peak period was between 1967 and 1972. He now divides his time between Glasgow and Florida. Mainstream acquired world rights from agent, David Fletcher. If you would like to see further material when it is available please contact Fiona.brownlee@Mainstreampublishing.com
It has been a buoyant week for rights sales. We have just sold three books to an Indian publisher, all health titles by naturopath Jan de Vries. Shubhi Publications will be publishing HOW TO LIVE A HEALTHY LIFE, THE PHARMACY GUIDE TO HERBAL MEDICINE and TRADITIONAL HOME AND HERBAL REMEDIES.
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We
have also sold extract rights to DAYS LIKE THESE by
Jamie Reid to The Irish Examiner and an extract from 
COLOURS by
Henry McDonald to The Belfast Telegraph.
Our web site is updated regularly and this week there is a new bestseller list for our general titles with WE ARE TOTTENHAM at the No.1 spot well ahead of the other books. Our sports bestseller list is usually only updated every quarter but given that the top three in our general bestseller list - WE ARE TOTTENHAM, THE REAL MACKAY and LEEDS UNITED: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS - are sports books we will be releasing an updated sport list and newsletter next week.
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One of the last sports books to be published this season is THE FASHION OF FOOTBALL by Paolo Hewitt and Mark Baxter. There has been a huge amount of media interest with features confirmed in The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Independent and magazines Ice, Lads Mag, Front and Four Four Two. It also looks as if it could be contending for the No.1 spot on our bestseller list - it is already at No.3 in the sports bestseller list in the Independent.
DRAGONS
AND ALL BLACKS is also getting some good coverage. Reviews
are confirmed in The Independent, The Guardian and The Times,
and Rugby World said of it, 'You know you've enjoyed a book when
you don't want it to end. This look at the men who played in
Wales' last win over New Zealand is one such example.'
The following signing sessions have just been confirmed:
Steve
Black will be signing BLACKIE at BORDERS, Silverlink
Retail Park, Coast Road, Wallsend, Newcastle-upon-tyne on Thursday
2nd Dec from 7.30 till 9.00pm
Tony
Book will be signing MAINE MAN at W H SMITH, Trafford
Centre,Manchester, Thursday 25th Nov.from 7.00- 8.30pm
Alan
Kennedy will be signing KENNEDY'S WAY at:
W H SMITH 13 Church St. St Helens, Merseyside, Wed. 24th Nov. from
12.00 - -2.00pm
BORDERS 34 Coliseum Way, Cheshire Oaks, Ellsmere Port, Cheshire,
Wed 24th Nov. from 8.30 - 10.00p.m.
W H SMITH 10 Church St. Liverpool, Thurs 25th Nov from 2.00 - 3.30p.m.
PRITCHARDS 42 Liverpool Road, Crosby, Merseyside. Thurs 2nd Dec
from 12.30 - 1.30p.m
SMITHS BOOKS 41 Mesnes St. Wigan Mon 6th Dec from 12.00 - 2.00p.m.
WHSMITH 22 Chapel St Southport Thurs 9th Dec from 12.00 - 2.00p.m.
LIVERPOOL F.C. Official Store t.b.a.
Roy
Evans will be signing GHOST ON THE WALL at WHSMITH
22 Chapel St. Southport, Fri 3rd Dec from 12.00 - 2.00p.m.
However
the most glamorous signing session of the season has to be Carolyn
Soutar, author of THE REAL NUREYEV, who has been invited to do
a signing of the French edition of her book near Cannes with the
Mayoress of Cannet on the Cote d'Azur. Without wishing to sound
like Boris Johnson, it beats Liverpool!
And Finally...
Last week I mentioned that an Ottakar's bestseller list gave the lead singer of the Bay City Rollers as the author of an academic history book which prompted another author to let me know that in another moment of aberration Ottakar's had placed his sports book about the race horse Rock of Gibraltar in the animals section alongside 'How to care for your pet hamster'. However I am glad to hear that he can laugh about such things - strange bookshop categorisations can send the most balanced authors over the edge. Let me know if you have found books tucked in weird and wonderful categories of bookshops.