Simon West attached to direct Andy Briggs and Paul Finch's WAR WOLF

Veteran action director Simon West has been set to helm “War Wolf,” with shooting set for Italy in November. West’s directing credits include “Con Air,” “The Expendables 2” and “The Mechanic.”

Simon West

Producers are Ileen Maisel, Lawrence Elman and Jib Polhemus. West will direct from a script by Blake Friedmann clients:  Andy Briggs and Paul Finch. Julian Friedmann is Executive Producer. 

“War Wolf” is set in 1356, after decades of war between the French and English armies, with English solider Earl Hugo awarded the castle of his enemy, the French assassin Mauchet. But in the walls of the castle and the lands that surround it, someone has reawakened the Loup de Guerre, the ferocious War Wolf of French legend and the nightmarish creature is now on a killing spree.

The special effects makeup and costuming for the project will be created by Dave Elsey and Lou Elsey, co-founders of the Igor Studios. The Elseys have worked on “Mission: Impossible,” “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” and “Wolves.” Dave Elsey and Rick Baker shared an Academy Award for the 2010 “The Wolfman.”

Maisel’s credits include “The Golden Compass” and “Inkheart.” Elman produced “Romeo and Juliet,” starring Douglas Booth and Hailee Steinfeld.

PIATKUS ACQUIRES THE MIND WORKOUT: TWENTY STEPS TO EMOTIONAL FITNESS BY MARK FREEMAN

Piatkus, an imprint of the Little, Brown Book Group has acquired THE MIND WORKOUT: TWENTY STEPS TO EMOTIONAL FITNESS by mental health coach Mark Freeman. Combining mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, THE MIND WORKOUT outlines a ground-breaking new method for overcoming compulsions, developing your focus and building better mental health and fitness.

 Editorial director Zoe Bohm acquired UK & Commonwealth rights from Hattie Grunewald at Blake Friedmann for publication in TPB, ebook and audio in Spring 2017.

 Zoe Bohm said: ‘I am thrilled to be publishing Mark Freeman’s timely and important book. So many of us have embraced healthy eating and exercise as a means of living well, but it’s crucial to recognise the importance of improving our mental fitness too. THE MIND WORKOUT will provide anyone struggling with the pressures of everyday life with a proactive, preventative approach to overcoming mental health challenges. I hope this book will inspire readers to devote time and energy to building their mental fitness as well as keeping their bodies in shape.’

Hattie Grunewald said: ‘I’m so glad that Piatkus will be publishing Mark Freeman - from the moment I first read Mark’s writing I knew his was a special voice to add to the growing conversation around mental health. Mark provides a unique combination of practical advice, personal experience and a warm sense of humour which makes THE MIND WORKOUT irresistible.’

Mark Freeman said: ‘It's a pleasure to be working with Hattie and Zoe on bringing simple, evidence-based tools to a broad audience in a way that makes better mental health and fitness accessible. THE MIND WORKOUT is the book that I wish existed when I was struggling with mental illness and I am so happy that it now has a home amongst the great titles at Piatkus.’ 

IRON FIST BY ANDY BRIGGS PUBLISHED BY SCHOLASTIC!

IRON FIST by Andy Briggs, author of TARZAN and HERO.COM, is published by Scholastic this week. IRON FIST is the first in the INVENTORY series,  which centres around a collection of the most incredible technology the world has NEVER seen.

Hidden under a small suburban town, the Inventory contains invisible camouflage, HoverBoots, indestructible metals, and the deadly war robot Iron Fist.

Dev's uncle, Charlie Parker, is the Inventory's mild-mannered curator, with security provided by Eema, a beyond-state-of-the-art artificial intelligence system. But security is catastrophically breached when Lot and Mason from school turn up unexpectedly and, hot on their heels, a ruthless gang of thieves working for the Collector and the Shadow Helix organization.

If the thieves succeed in their goal to seize the Iron Fist, Dev, his friends, and the world are in a whole heap of trouble. 

About the author

Successful scriptwriter with scripts sold to Hollywood and in Europe, including FOREVERMAN which was commissioned by Paramount Pictures (producers: Stan Lee and Robert Evans), Andy Briggs collaborated with the Edgar Rice Burroughs Estate on young adult trilogy based on the adventures of Tarzan. HERO.COM and VILLAIN.NET are Andy's dual series of books - the series and the anti-series - which reinvent the superhero genre for a young-adult audience. Either series stands alone - but are perfect companion pieces - occasionally interweaving plot and character, and providing an exciting new take on an established genre, thrusting it into the present for the Playstation Generation.

Other books include POLYBIUS The Urban Myth – the first in a series of SpyQuest novels. Andy has also written several comics and graphic novels for Markosia, And he has been commissioned to write numerous thrillers for cinema and television.

Praise for Andy Briggs

‘Andy Briggs vision of a world with super-hero's and super-villain's is a very original one and has been very well realised. These books are superbly written, the story sets off at a high pace and never once slows down...' – Antony, ScienceFictionandfantasy.co.uk

‘Tweens and younger teens who have wished for super powers will be drawn to this interesting concept, and there will be plenty of action to keep them reading.’ – Booklist

‘You like stories with fights? Chases? Explosions? Heroes? Villains? Explosions? Spectacular hideouts? Sinister master plans? Gadgets? Missiles? Awesome powers and (oh, yeah) explosions?? Then these books have got THE LOT.’ – Sam Enthoven, author of THE BLACK TATOO and TIM

UNFINISHED BUSINESS by Conrad Williams published today!

UNFINISHED BUSINESS, Conrad Williams’ third novel, is published today by Bloomsbury Reader. Bloomsbury will be celebrating this highly-anticipated publication with a launch next week, and published this author Q&A today: read it here.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS is to the publishing industry what THE PLAYER is to the movie industry: an acute and involving novel about life, love and literature by an industry insider.

Mike is a literary agent with high standards and a passion for great writing. He is equally discriminating in matters of the heart and ready to fall in love. But when his best client sacks him and his hopes of marriage are dashed, Mike begins to fall apart. Emotionally reeling, he seeks respite in the beautiful wilderness of the Black Mountains, only to discover that his old flame, Madelin, and her husband now live there too. Drawn into the midst of their marital crisis, his humiliation is perfected as the superfluous middle man.

But when a top agent suggests a plot to restore his fortunes, Mike begins to come alive again. It looks like love and achievement might be his at last – if he is prepared to do the wrong thing, and do it ruthlessly.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS is a brilliantly entertaining novel about literary and romantic passion in work and marriage.

About the Author

Conrad Williams was born in Winnipeg and lives in Willesden Green. Educated at Bedales School and Trinity College, Cambridge, he qualified as a barrister before becoming a literary agent and author. As an agent, he represents screenwriters, directors and playwrights, and works closely with book agents. He is the author of two highly acclaimed previous novels, SEX & GENIUS and THE CONCERT PIANIST, published by Bloomsbury, and is a keen amateur pianist and chamber musician. His short stories have been broadcast on Radio 4 and published in You magazine, and he has written on musical matters for Pianist magazine. He is married with two daughters. See www.conradwilliams.co.uk for more.

Praise for Conrad Williams

‘Like Martin Amis at his funniest’ – Amanda Craig

‘Conrad Williams is a shrewd and gifted writer. I find him a great pleasure to read’ – Joseph O’Connor

‘Williams’ prose is spell binding’ - Irish Times

‘Williams writes with easy grace and an evocative turn of phrase… He is exceptionally perceptive’ – The Independent

‘Conrad Williams writes like a dream.’ - Publishing News

‘Williams is a delightfully eloquent observer’ – Time Out

‘Williams goes to the heart of the creative condition’ – Sunday Telegraph

JULIAN STOCKWIN’S TYGER NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK

The 16th novel in Julian Stockwin’s popular KYDD series, TYGER, is published in paperback today by Hodder & Stoughton. The novel was published in the US in October by McBooks.

In the latest instalment, the greatest naval trial in the Georgian period is underway at Portsmouth with the court martial of Sir Home Popham, Captain Sir Thomas Kydd's commanding officer in the doomed occupation of Buenos Aires. Kydd has some sympathy for Popham's unauthorised action but his support for his former commander leaves him athwart some very influential people in the Admiralty. Action-packed, and page-turning, as we follow Kydd and Renzi in another adventure.

At 14 Stockwin joined a tough sea-training school, followed by the Royal Navy, transferring to the Royal Australian Navy when his family emigrated.  He saw active service in the Far East, the Antarctic, the South Seas and Vietnam, and was on board the Melbourne at the time of its disastrous peace time collision with the Voyager.  His standalone novel THE SILK TREE is currently out in paperback from Allison & Busby. He’s currently writing another KYDD novel for Hodder and another standalone, THE POWDER OF DEATH, for Allison & Busby.

Praise for the KYDD series:

‘Pasha is a cracking read. The only downside of this new book is that there is the wait until the next story is published.’ - Firetrench

 ‘The story takes you on an explosive journey, which is full of unexpected turns … rich in action and full of interesting characters, this thrilling novel leaves you in awe of the 18th century seaman.’ -- Evening Telegraph