Press Releases

SEATTLE, Jan 19, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced that AmazonEncore will introduce 16 books this late spring and summer--all of them novels. AmazonEncore books are available in print format at www.amazon.com and national and independent booksellers, and as wireless digital downloads in less than 60 seconds from the Kindle Store (www.amazon.com/kindlestore) to Kindle devices and Kindle apps. For more information on AmazonEncore and upcoming titles, visit www.amazon.com/encore.

"Summer is about great reads, finding that perfect book for the beach or the backyard or wherever your travels may take you, so we are particularly pleased to offer 16 exceptional novels for readers to enjoy this summer," said Jeff Belle, Vice President, Amazon.com Books. "We're especially pleased to be publishing multiple titles by a number of our authors, including bestseller Karen McQuestion, reflecting our commitment to building long-term relationships with these compelling writers."

McQuestion's "Life on Hold" tells the story of teenager Rae Maddox, who has spent her entire life on the move thanks to her free-spirited mother's zest for adventure, and what happens when she finally settles in Wisconsin during high school. AmazonEncore will also be publishing McQuestion's "Favorite," a young-adult novel that straddles the line between thriller and coming-of-age novel. Readers began to discover McQuestion, who had written fiction for years, when she self-published her first novel "A Scattered Life" on Kindle. Since its release in August last year, "A Scattered Life" has sold more than 100,000 copies, reaching No. 5 in the Kindle Store, with over 150 days in the top 100. A movie option and a five-book publishing deal quickly followed. McQuestion lives in Hartland, Wis., with her husband and three children. "Life on Hold" and "Favorite" will both be published on April 1.

"Daughters of the River Huong" and "Mimi and her Mirror" are the first novels of Vietnam-born Uyen Nicole Duong. "Daughters of the River Huong" spans four generations of Vietnamese women, transporting the reader from the royal palaces of Violet City of Hue to the teeming streets of wartime Saigon, from the affluence of Paris' St. Germain-des-Pres to Manhattan. "Mimi and her Mirror" is a poetic, passionate and sometimes chilling novel about Mimi Suong Giang, a girl whose youth was destroyed by a brutal assault as she attempted to escape during the fall of Saigon. The author arrived in the United States at the age of 16, a political refugee from a country torn apart by war. She went on to study law at the University of Houston and Harvard, and now lives in Houston. "Daughters of the River Huong" will be published on April 1 and "Mimi and her Mirror" will be published on June 14.

James Polster has worked as a novelist, movie producer, screenwriter, explorer and journalist. He has explored the Amazon Rainforest, spent time in the jungles of Irian Jaya with cannibals in 1989 and both covered and played in the world championships of elephant polo for Sports Illustrated in Nepal in 1991. Polster lives in Los Angeles. His novels "A Guest in the Jungle" and "Brown" will be re-released by AmazonEncore on April 19 and May 17, respectively. "The Graduate Student," also by Polster, will be released for the first time in print on June 21.

Lynmar Brock Jr.'s "In This Hospitable Land" tells the story of the Severin family, who flees Belgium during World War II and lands in the center of the French Resistance. The author, who served in the U.S. Navy and was the elected president/CEO of Brock and Co., Inc., lives in Connecticut. "In This Hospitable Land" will be published on April 26.

Harold Taw's "Adventures of the Karaoke King" is a funny and affecting novel exploring people who struggle against themselves and each other as they chase elusive dreams in the bizarre world of competitive karaoke. Taw, who lives in Seattle, is a recognized screenwriter. "Adventures of the Karaoke King," his debut novel, will be published on April 26.

"Declaring Spinsterhood" is a funny and compassionate novel about 30-year-old Emma Bailey, who has earned the stigma "old maid" from her family and friends. Author Jamie Lynn Braziel is an English major currently working in the finance world in Texas, where she lives. "Declaring Spinsterhood" will be published on May 3.

In R.J. Keller's "Waiting for Spring," a recently divorced woman trudges out of one small Maine town into an even smaller one, hoping to escape her pain. Instead she finds herself surrounded by people who are also trying to put haunted memories behind them. Keller lives in central Maine. "Waiting for Spring," her first novel, will be published on May 10.

In "Deadfolk" by Charlie Williams, Royston Blake is the respected bouncer at Hoppers Wine Bar & Bistro in the English town of Mangel. When his reputation takes a hit, Blake squares off with a local crime family to regain his street credibility in this bloody, demented and utterly entertaining black comedy. Williams lives in Worcester, England. "Deadfolk" will be published on May 10. The sequel to "Deadfolk"--"Booze and Burn"--also featuring Royston Blake, will be published on June 14.

The first novel in Rex Kusler's Las Vegas Mystery Series, "Punctured" introduces former Las Vegas homicide detective Jim Snow, who is brought back to his work after his sister is accused of murdering her estranged husband. Kusler lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. "Punctured" will be published on May 31.

In "Why I Love Singlehood," a committed single woman navigates the dating scene to figure out exactly who--or what--is the true love of her life. Co-authored by the Kindle bestselling author of "Faking It" and "Ordinary World," Elisa Lorello, and physician/writer Sarah Girrell, "Why I Love Singlehood" is a funny insightful read for anyone who has been stymied by love. "Why I Love Singlehood" will be published on June 7. Lorello's "Ordinary World" will now be published on June 14.

Announced in May 2009, AmazonEncore identifies exceptional yet overlooked books and emerging authors using information on Amazon.com, such as customer reviews and sales data. Amazon then works with the authors to introduce or re-introduce their books to readers through marketing and distribution into multiple channels and formats, such as the Amazon Book Store, Amazon Kindle Store, and national and independent bookstores via third-party wholesalers. AmazonEncore is a brand for titles published by Amazon Content Services LLC.

Galleys of these titles are available for the media and can be obtained by e-mailing encore-pr@amazon.com.

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle, Kindle 3G and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle 3G and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Kindle is the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn and www.amazon.it. As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

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