Kissena Park Press Announces Extended Two-Book Deal with Author W. William Winokur, Author of Forthcoming 'Marathon'

Kissena Park Press Announces Extended Two-Book Deal with Author W. William Winokur, Author of Forthcoming 'Marathon'

NEW YORK, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Kissena Park Press, an imprint of Starlight Runner Entertainment, Inc., today announced the signing of an extended two-book deal with W. William Winokur, author of the forthcoming 'Marathon' (Kissena Park Press, 2006). The second title, 'The Third Miracle,' is set for publication in early 2007 and a third as-yet-untitled novel is scheduled for 2008. Publisher Jeff Gomez negotiated the terms directly with the author.

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The advance enthusiasm for the novels within the book and film industries led to the decision to move on the book deal, according to Gomez. "We've got our distributor and several film companies knocking on the door wanting more from this author," Gomez says. "He's a master storyteller who has a knack for finding true stories and bringing them to life on the page, which has prompted this flurry of interest."

Client Distribution Services will spotlight 'Marathon' in its January 2006 Top 10 Recommended Books. At their urging, Gomez delayed publication of the book from Fall 2005 in order to support an anticipated surge in demand. "'Marathon' represents a literary quality that elevates it into a significant release," said David Wilk, Vice President of CDS. "The book has instantly raised Kissena Park Press in our esteem."

Mandalay Entertainment Group chairman and CEO Peter Guber has made a firm offer to option 'The Third Miracle,' for undisclosed terms, and has entered into a development deal with the author to develop further properties. 'The Third Miracle,' a novel, is based on the true story of a Mexican barrio Little League team that gets its big chance to participate in the playoffs in Texas. The team, wearing their uniforms and carrying a change of underwear in paper bags, journeys to Texas to play the one game they are expected to lose. Four weeks later, they are being congratulated by President Eisenhower in the White House Rose Garden after becoming the first foreign team to win the Little League World Series in a miraculous championship.

In addition to Mandalay Entertainment Group, several other film production studios have expressed serious interest in the forthcoming 'Marathon'; film rights acquisitions are handled by Creative Artists Agency for Kissena Park Press. Based on the true-life story of Horace Mann School Professor Ion Theodore, 'Marathon' traces his remarkable journey through the most catastrophic and triumphant events of the 20th century. The heart of the novel is the mystery of how Ion's life became entwined with that of Marianna Gardner, a disaffected New York City power broker who discovers his journals in a Greek monastery. These diaries hold a revelation for Marianna that is far deeper and more personal than she could have ever imagined.

Bill now lives in Malibu, California, with his wife and three children, where he is completing a screenplay adaptation of 'The Third Miracle.'

For further information, contact Christi Cassidy, +1-505-986-1142 or +1-917-217-4269. She can be reached during BEA at Booth #3709 (CDS).

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Source: Kissena Park Press

CONTACT: Christi Cassidy of Kissena Park Press, +1-505-986-1142 or +1-917-217-4269

Web site: http://www.mantrapublicrelations.com/

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