Showing posts with label Riley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Riley. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

A new bestseller, 20 years after publication

THE ORACLE GLASS by internationally beloved and critically acclaimed author Judith Merkle Riley was re-published in November by Sourcebooks. Now, almost twenty years since its original publication by Viking in 1994, the book has hit The New York Times bestseller list AND the USA Today bestseller list! The climb came just after THE ORACLE GLASS was featured as a Kindle Daily Deal and a Nook Daily Find on a Monday in early May.

As might be expected, the most significant impact appeared among e-book sales. In The New York Times rankings, THE ORACLE GLASS reached #7 on the E-Book Fiction list:


But e-book sales were most definitely not operating in an e-book bubble. THE ORACLE GLASS also hit #8 on The New York Times Combined Print and E-Book Fiction list:


On USA Today's overall bestseller list, THE ORACLE GLASS climbed to #16:


This bestseller success reflects the hard work and tactical strategy behind Sourcebooks's relaunch scheme. Sourcebooks bought rights to another Riley book at the same time as they bought rights to THE ORACLE GLASS.  This other book was THE MASTER OF ALL DESIRES, originally published by Viking in 1999.  It will be released in July, eight months after THE ORACLE GLASS's release.  Sourcebooks's two-part plan allows each book to capitalize on the promotions, sales, and successes of the other.

With THE ORACLE GLASS now a bestseller a month-and-a-half before Part II of Riley's Sourcebooks relaunch, THE MASTER OF ALL DESIRES is sure to reap much of the first book's success.

Sourcebooks also gave the books new, updated covers.  Below are the older covers so you can get a sense of the changes made:



And below are the two new covers!  Notice the commonalities: the font, layout, mystical tone, and the stars sprinkled throughout.  These commonalities brand the books as a pair. The print copy of THE ORACLE GLASS also has a lovely metallic sheen to it, with the title in raised lettering.  We're looking forward to seeing the print copy of THE MASTER OF ALL DESIRES when it arrives in July!



Furthermore, Sourcebooks paired new praise with the fabulous quotes the books had already garnered upon their original publication.  A sampling of the praise is below:

“Take a full cup of wit, two teaspoons of brimstone, and a dash of poison, and you have Judith Merkle Riley's mordant, compelling tale of an ambitious young woman who disguises herself as an ancient prophetess in order to gain entry into the dangerous, scheming glamour of the Sun King's court. Based on scandalous true events, THE ORACLE GLASS brims with our human foibles, passions, and eccentricities; it's a classic of the genre and unlike any historical novel you have ever read.” --C.W. Gortner, author of THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI, on THE ORACLE GLASS

“Open the pages and out comes a whiff of brimstone, as THE ORACLE GLASS transports you to the Paris of kings and witches, on a guided tour of corruption, love, and sorcery.” --Diana Gabaldon, bestselling author of OUTLANDER, on THE ORACLE GLASS

Absorbing and arresting.” --The New York Times, on THE ORACLE GLASS

Fascinating and factual.” --Los Angeles Times, on THE ORACLE GLASS

“Chilly, witty, and completely engrossing...Great, good fun.” --Kirkus, on THE ORACLE GLASS

A delicious, romantic romp.” --The Seattle Times, on THE MASTER OF ALL DESIRES

“[A] dazzling mix of history, romance, and the occult...Riley [is] a writer who excels at getting the background right and creating strong, intelligent heroines.” --Kirkus, on THE MASTER OF ALL DESIRES

Delightfully rich in history, humor, and imagination.” --San Jose Mercury News, on THE MASTER OF ALL DESIRES

“A tightly woven, suspenseful and fiendishly funny novel.” --Publishers Weekly, on THE MASTER OF ALL DESIRES

“A delightful blend of history, romance, and the supernatural, served with generous helpings of wit and humor.” --Booklist, on THE MASTER OF ALL DESIRES

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Paperback cover extravaganza!

Many of our books have just received beautiful new covers for their upcoming paperback releases, and we couldn't help ourselves from sharing!  Feast your eyes on the exciting covers below, and be sure to look out for the new editions in stores soon:

IF JACK'S IN LOVE by Stephen Wetta
Paperback: Berkley Trade, August 2012
Hardcover: Amy Einhorn Books, September 2011

"Deftly, Wetta illuminates the gulf between the innocence of age 12 and the realizations that arise at 13...At turns unsparing, tender, and disturbing...this is no typical bildungsroman....Intelligently, wonderfully conceived." --Publishers Weekly, starred review


THE COFFINS OF LITTLE HOPE by Timothy Schaffert
Paperback: Unbridled Books, April 2012
Hardcover: Unbridled Books, April 2011

"Memorably narrated by octogenarian obit writer Essie Myles, this is a witty, sometimes profound story about media, mortality, and rash acts undertaken in the name of love." --People, four stars


GRACE IN THE CITY by Victoria Brown
Paperback: Hyperion Voice, September 2012
Hardcover: Hyperion Voice, April 2011 (formerly titled MINDING BEN)

"Part of the novel's appeal lies in Grace's spirited voice, but the fascinating insider details on the nanny life add an extra dimension...A social satire...also a moving immigrant story.  Brown vividly depicts the vibrant and diverse West Indian communities...Fascinating, tender, and heartbreaking." --Library Journal, starred review and Editor's Pick


BEFORE VERSAILLES by Karleen Koen
Paperback: Sourcebooks Landmark, September 2012
Hardcover: Crown, June 2011

"A feast for the senses.  Readers will be swept back to the 1660s.  The atmosphere is electrifying, the liaisons are exhilarating, and the conversations and friendships are endlessly entertaining.  I was absorbed into the story on page one and couldn't put it down." --San Francisco Book Review


SECRETS OF THE WOLVES by Dorothy Hearst
Paperback: Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, TBD 2012
Hardcover: Simon and Schuster, August 2011

"Hearst writes convincingly and engagingly of lupine behavior, and the interactions among wolves and wolfpacks never fail to captivate." --Publishers Weekly


THE ORACLE GLASS by Judith Merkle Riley
Paperback: Sourcebooks Landmark, November 2012
Hardcover: Viking, 1994

The publication of THE ORACLE GLASS marks the return to print of beloved and internationally bestselling author Judith Merkle Riley's popular historical novels!  Sourcebooks will next be republishing Riley's THE MASTER OF ALL DESIRES.

"Intelligent, witty, and elegantly written." --San Francisco Chronicle

"Once again Riley has written an outstanding historical novel of 17th-century France, permeated by a feminist consciousness that enlivens her work...Based on a real-life scandal...this tale is riveting from start to finish." --Library Journal