1) SFF author David Drake is releasing the ninth and final novel in his famous Isles series, The Gods Return, in the U.S. with Tor in November 2008. Also coming out from Drake is a paperback edition of his fantasy/horror short story collection, Balefires, in spring 2008 in the U.S. from Night Shade Books.

2) Editors Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link and Gavin Grant are reading material published in 2008 for reprint in the 22^nd edition of The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror (St. Martin's Press.) The submission deadline for stories is December 15^th, 2008. Horror submissions should be sent to Datlow, fantasy to Link or Grant. Submission by the magazine or anthology publisher who first released the work is preferred. Check Ellen Datlow’s blog for more details.

3) United Artists optioned Australian author John Flanagan’s seven book Ranger’s Apprentice fantasy series, following the adventures of an orphan named Will who learns how to become a guardian ranger. Two-time Oscar winner Paul Haggis, who has a non-exclusive deal with United, will be producing the film adaptation of the first novel, The Ruins of Gorlan, through his new production company Hwy61, co-writing the screenplay with his daughter, and likely directing the film as well.

4) Horror and fantasy author Clive Barker has teamed up with Matador Pictures and Midnight Picture Show to produce a film adaptation from his Books of Blood series for the first in what is hoped to be a new film franchise. The fiction series deals with a paranormal expert who discovers a house that is at the intersection of “highways” transporting souls to the afterlife. Sophie Ward and Jonas Armstrong are set to star in the film, and John Harrison will direct from a screenplay written by Harrison and Darin Silverman.

5) Solaris Books UK has acquired new novels from Conrad A. Williams and James Lovegrove. Williams’ fantasy novel, Decay Inevitable, is a dark thriller about the shadowline where death meets life. Williams is the winner of the International Horror Guild Award for Best Novel for his novel The Unblemished. He has also won the Littlewood Arc Prize and the British Fantasy Award. Solaris will bring out Decay Inevitable in both the U.K. and the U.S. in early 2009. James Lovegrove’s The Age of Ra sees Earth torn by warring factions who worship different ancient Egyptian deities. Lovegrove’s previous novels include Untied Kingdom, Imagined Slights, Worldstorm, and Gig. Solaris will release Lovegrove’s new novel in 2009 in a joint U.K./U.S publication.

6) New UK fantasy author Mark Charan Newton has made a two book deal with Macmillan/Tor UK. The first book, Nights of Villjamur, in which an impending Ice Age threatens an empire, will be released in early 2009. Newton’s debut novel, The Reef, is due out from Pendragon Press later this year.

7) Knopf Books for Young Readers pushed up the release date of the third novel in the Inheritance YA fantasy series from Christopher Paolini to September 20^th, so that kids can attend midnight book release parties at bookstores on a non-school night. The new novel, Brisingr, has a 2.5 million first printing, and the previous titles in the series, Eragon and Eldest, have sold 12.5 million copies worldwide. The new release date, however, is causing some scheduling conflicts in some U.S. regions for children’s booksellers, due to the New England Independent Booksellers Association and New Atlantic Independent Booksellers trade shows which are being held at the same time, forcing booksellers to miss those events in order to deal with large crowds for the Paolini launch.

8) Recent sales:

Greg van Eekhout has sold his first novel, Norse Code, to Bantam Dell.

Douglas Lain has sold his Winnie the Pooh connected fantasy thriller Billie Moon: 1968 to Tor, for publication in 2009.

William Dietz has sold At Empire’s Edge and its sequel Bones of Empire to Berkley Ace, about a cop who has to protect an official from a sadistic empath capable of shapeshifting.

Bestselling fantasy author Yasmine Galenorn has made a deal with Berkley Ace for three more books in her Otherworld series, about three half-human, half-Fae sisters trying to save two worlds.

Carole Nelson Douglas has sold Brimstone Kiss, the second in the Delilah Street fantasy series, to Juno, for publication in late 2008. The series follows psychic paranormal investigator Delilah Street in a post-millennium Las Vegas from Hell.