Tyndale House Publishers to Launch 7-Story Digital First Fiction Project
Carol Stream, Ill.—In July 2011 Tyndale House Publishers announced its new Digital First program, which provides consumers original direct-to-e-book titles. In May 2012, Tyndale will take a revolutionary new step with its 7 Hours project. A digital-only venture, this collection of seven full-length novellas will be released simultaneously on May 15 but sold individually ($2.99 each). An omnibus edition collecting all seven stories will be released in July.
Each story, from seven up-and-coming voices in Christian publishing, is approximately 25,000 words on the following topic: Death comes for everyone, but what would you do if you were given seven more hours? Would you go back and relive a previous time in your life? Or would you live seven additional hours, starting now? Viewers of suspense and supernatural programs such as LOST, It’s a Wonderful Life, Doctor Who, and Fringe will be drawn to 7 Hours.
Much as iTunes has allowed music lovers to buy “singles” rather than entire albums, the 7 Hours concept will afford busy readers the ability to read a compelling story quickly, without a big commitment of time or money. If they are compelled by one of these novellas, they will be driven to purchase the accompanying tales. In addition to the $2.99 retail price for each story, a $1.99 Amazon.com promotion will commence on the May 15, 2012, launch date.
“We were hooked from the start by this fabulous concept,” said Karen Watson, Associate Publisher. “It wrestles with the great human equalizer—how we respond to our own mortality. The creativity that these new voices bring to the project offers something from every genre.”
7 Hours will explore the reality of brevity and value of life through the lens of seven stories told by seven different authors: James Andrew Wilson, Travis Thrasher, Rene Gutteridge, Tom Pawlik, Mike Dellosso, Ronie Kendig, and Robin Parrish. Every author writes in a different genre such as military, romance, suspense, humor, and thriller and will provide a unique take on the concept. The stories are tied together through the same character—Thomas Constant, who appears in all seven stories. The enigmatic Constant makes a heart-stopping statement in each story: “You are about to die. But you may choose from one of three options: Live seven more hours, travel back in time and relive seven hours, or accept the inevitable and die now.”
7 Hours will include a comprehensive marketing, social-media, and public-relations campaign, including a 7 Hours Facebook page, blog tour, e-blasts, banner advertising, trade advertising, and an Amazon.com promotion.
Related link: Watch the book trailer!
Here is more information on the 7 Hours authors:
Mike Dellosso
(7 Hours: Rearview)
Mike Dellosso is the author of five novels of suspense: The Hunted, Scream, Darlington Woods, Frantic and Darkness Follows. Mike is also a newspaper columnist and feature writer for the ACFW’s e-zine Afictionado.
More about the book here.
Rene Gutteridge
(7 Hours: Escapement)
Rene Gutteridge is the author of seventeen novels, including Possession, Listen, the Storm series, the Boo series, the Occupational Hazards series, and the novelization of the movie The Ultimate Gift.
More about the book here.
Ronie Kendig
(7 Hours: Whole Pieces)
Ronie Kendig is the author of seven novels, including Dead Reckoning, The Discarded Heroes, Nightshade, Digitalis, Wolfsbane, and Firethorn.
More about the book here.
Robin Parrish
(7 Hours: The Last Night of Alton Webber)
Robin Parrish is the author of six novels including Relentless, Merciless, Offworld, Nightmare, Vigilante, and YA novel Corridor. As a journalist, Robin has worked for About.com, INFUZEmag.com, PopCultureGeek.com, b5media, SplashPress Media, and many others.
More about the book here.
Tom Pawlik
(7 Hours: Recollection)
Tom Pawlik is the Christy Award–winning author of Vanish, which also won first place in the 2006 Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel Contest. The sequel, Valley of the Shadow, was a Christy Award finalist.
More about the book here.
Travis Thrasher
(7 Hours: Teardrop)
Travis Thrasher is the author of eighteen critically acclaimed novels in a variety of genres, including Isolation, Ghostwriter, and the Solitary Tales series. He has also collaborated on two novels: Letters from War with Mark Schultz and Paper Angels with Jimmy Wayne.
More about the book here.
James Andrew Wilson
(7 Hours: All of Our Dreams)
James Andrew Wilson has written four novels. He has directed and edited a handful of short films, one of which was published at the online magazine INFUZEmag.com.
More about the book here.