KELLY BROOK TO STAR IN COMEDY DRAMA, TAKING STOCK

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Kelly Brook will star in the independent movie, Taking Stock, written and directed by Maeve Murphy  - it is a Bonnie and Clyde inspired comedy drama, set in London and Paris. Filming will commence in London on July 1st.

Brook will play a beautiful up and coming actress with her whole life ahead of her. That is, until it comes crashing down. In a week from hell, Kate's boyfriend leaves her, the store she works at goes bust and much to her dismay, rent and gas bills have not been paid. With unemployment and homelessness looming, spurred on by her bitter, selfish manager, and inspired by the movie, Bonnie and Clyde, Kate devises a plan to rob the store on its final day of trading. The plan becomes more than just a fantasy, with some unexpected consequences.

The film will be directed by the award winning writer and director, Maeve Murphy. Maeve's most recent film, the critically acclaimed, Beyond the Fire, won Best Feature at the London Independent Film Festival and Best Feature at New York's Garden State Film Festival.

The supporting cast include Scot Williams (Dead Man Running and The Crew), Georgia Groome (London to Brighton & Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging), Jay Brown (Youngers & The Hunted) and Femi Oyeniran (Anuvahood). The Director of Photography is Gerry Vasbenter (Summer in February and History Boys).

The film was developed by Northern Ireland Screen and is based on the short film, Sushi, also written and directed by Murphy, that won the prestigious Sub-Ti International Short Film Award at the Venice Film Festival in 2011. The film is co-financed by Prime Focus and will be produced by Geoff Austin and Maeve Murphy, with Frank Mannion of Swipe Films as executive producer.

Writer/Director Maeve Murphy states:

"I am really excited and looking forward to making this film, with the talented Kelly Brook and the great young cast. Lots of fun and skulduggery in central London!"

KELLY BROOK says:

"I am excited to start filming Taking Stock. It's a hilarious film full of twists and turns. It is so important that we continue to support British filmmaking and Maeve has written one of the best scripts I've read in a long time. I can't wait to get back to doing what I love, which is being on set and working with a hugely talented cast and crew."

Kelly Brook currently stars in ITV's award-winning hit show, Celebrity Juice. She previously appeared in Lionsgate's breakout hit movie Keith Lemon: The Movie, as well as Piranha 3D (which grossed over $100m worldwide).

Swipe Films has come on board as the worldwide sales agent. Swipe's sales successes include the Golden Globe winner, Osama, the Sundance hit, In Prison My Whole Life with Colin Firth and Love Live Long, directed by the Oscar nominated director, Mike Figgis.

Frank Mannion of Swipe Films says:

"Kelly Brook has that elusive quality that movie marketeers dream of - an x factor that appeals equally to men and women of all ages. International distributors and audiences alike are actively seeking out original, commercial British independent cinema, so we think that Taking Stock will prove irresistible to those looking for a heart-felt romantic movie."

Peter James' DEAD MAN’S TIME released with a special interactive cover

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Peter James' DEAD MAN'S TIME is released with an interactive cover, allowing readers access to extra content.

The cover of DEAD MAN'S TIME  can be scanned using the Blippar smartphone app, turning the cover image into an animation. On James' title it leads on to an exclusive interview with the author discussing the Brighton underworld that forms the background to his books.

The Blippar app is available for free on both iOS and Android platforms. Other brands which have used the technology include Tesco, Nike, Sony and Cadbury.

Pan Macmillan digital and communications director Sara Lloyd said the move would aid discoverability. 'Working with Blippar has allowed us to give our readers not only a fun and engaging experience, but also quick and easy access to the wealth of extra content that surrounds our books.'

Peter James said: 'I love that my readers can now dive into the Brighton underworld and access exciting material about the city and my research, simply by scanning the book. Blippar really brings my books to life for the reader.'

This is not the first time a Peter James book has embraced innovative technology. When Penguin published his novel HOST in paperback in 1994, they also issued it on 2 floppy discs -- a forerunner of the electronic book!

Praise for the Roy Grace series:
 
'Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business.' -- Karin Slaughter
 
'The rapid-fire suspense builds to a terrifying, graphic conclusion that leaves tantalizing room for future instalments in the series.' -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

'What makes his books better than other people's books I think is that the ordinary people in these books react in the way they would react.  They have absolute emotional credibility.' -- Jeff Park, 'Front Row' BBC Radio

'Exceptional, knock-your-socks-off.' -- Washington Post

Lucy Mangan wins Columnist of the Year at PPA Awards!

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Lucy Mangan is the winner of the prestigious Professional Publishers' Association Columnist of the Year Award for her Stylist column.

The PPA awards are highly regarded in the publishing world and permit winners and nominees to gain national recognition for their achievements.  The winners of the PPA Awards 2013 was announced on Thursday 19 June at Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London. A big congratulations to all the winners!

Please click here to view Lucy's Stylist page.

EXPLORE THE DARK SIDE OF BRIGHTON WITH PETER JAMES’ INTERACTIVE BRIGHTON MAP

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PAN MACMILLAN PRESS RELEASE: 19 June 2013

Pan Macmillan is launching Peter James' Brighton, a content-rich interactive online map of Brighton designed to engage visitors and those interested in the city with the world of Peter James' Roy Grace books.

The site, whose launch coincides with the publication of Peter James' ninth novel in his award-winning Roy Grace series, Dead Man's Time, includes a number of themed routes around the city, such as Brighton Landmarks and Crime Scenes, which users can walk themselves, either by downloading the directions as printouts or by using the GPS on their mobile devices. Users are also able to explore Brighton online from their desktops or mobile devices, while discovering exclusive extracts, video and audio content. Additional Brighton facts have also been supplied by VisitBrighton. As well as enhancing the Peter James brand, the interactive Brighton map will build a direct to reader relationship and develop insights and profiling data.

By downloading the Blippar smartphone application, Peter James' Brighton site can, in addition, be accessed directly from copies of Dead Man's Time by 'blipping' an image inside the book, bridging the gap between hard copy and digital experience.

INTERACTIVE MAP LAUNCH: Saturday 22 June, Brighton

To celebrate the launch of the site, Pan Macmillan and VisitBrighton are holding an experiential event on Saturday 22 June in Brighton, from 9am onwards.

On Saturday, people can follow the Peter James' Secret Brighton walk, starting at the clock in the train station. Floor stickers will be placed at key Brighton landmarks along the way, featuring codes that unlock exclusive local discounts and prizes. When all eight codes are collected, participants will be entered into a draw to win tickets to a money-can't-buy Peter James event at the Brighton Mayor's Parlour. The prize also includes a tour of the Old Police Cells Museum accompanied by Peter James himself.

Lee Dibble, Pan Macmillan's Marketing and Communities Director, said:
"The Brighton map was created as a new gateway into Peter James' Roy Grace series. We are working hand-in-glove with VisitBrighton, who provided the factual local detail and are helping us to find new Peter James readers so that we can build a direct relationship with them and develop insights and profiling data. Blippar activated images in every copy of the latest hardback, Dead Man's Time, allow us to get the map directly into the hands of his most ardent fans with a seamless on and offline experience."

The Secret Brighton walk can be downloaded at www.peterjamesbrighton.com

Further information can be found at www.panmacmillan.com/PJCodes

About Blippar
Blippar™ is a revolution for traditional media and advertising offering the power to turn every single piece of printed collateral or physical branding in the real world into an instantaneous, interactive experience.
For further information about VisitBrighton: http://www.visitbrighton.com/
VisitBrighton.com is the official destination marketing body for Brighton & Hove and it is part of Brighton and Hove City Council. VisitBrighton.com was established to provide tourists with details of where to stay, what to see and where to visit during their stay. The website offers comprehensive information on visiting the city, and also provides exclusive offers and discounted rates on attractions, entertainment and accommodation.

For further information, please contact Sandra Taylor in the Pan Macmillan press office on 020 7014 6093 or via email; s.taylor@macmillan.com.

Peter James shoots to number 2 on the bestsellers list

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DEAD MAN'S TIME, ninth in the Roy Grace series, has gone straight to number two in the bestsellers charts after just three days of sales.

DEAD MAN'S TIME was launched with a huge party given by Macmillan in Brighton's state of the art Amex Stadium last week. The Roy Grace series is published in 35 languages.

Mark Lawson's interview with Peter will be broadcast on Front Row on BBC Radio 4  this evening (Wednesday) between 7.15 - 7.45pm, and will be available on the BBC iPlayer later.

Praise for the Roy Grace series:
 
'Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business.' -- Karin Slaughter
 
'The rapid-fire suspense builds to a terrifying, graphic conclusion that leaves tantalizing room for future instalments in the series.' -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
 
'What makes his books better than other people's books I think is that the ordinary people in these books react in the way they would react.  They have absolute emotional credibility.' -- Jeff Park, 'Front Row' BBC Radio

'Exceptional, knock-your-socks-off.' -- Washington Post