New writer Jeff Carlson sold German rights for his debut novel Plague Year and its two sequels to Piper via the Donald Maass Literary Agency, in best bid auction, for a “significant deal” in high five figures. Included in the contract are bestseller bonuses, which, if attained, will make the overall deal worth six figures, plus royalties. Piper intends to publish the first volume in September 2008 as “part of a special marketing campaign aiming to link phantastic and mainstream novels in order to widen the range for ‘phantastic thrillers’ in both the mainstream and the science fiction/fantasy market,” including advertising, special pages in Piper catalogues, and cross-promotion in genre and non-genre media.

Spanish rights for Plague Year sold to Minotauro in a preemptive bid over Plaza / RHM. 

The first sequel, Plague War, is slated for release in North America in August 2008, with the next title set to follow in Summer 2009.

Readers can find the opening chapters of Plague Year at http://www.jverse.com along with tour dates, interviews, an author bio, and a mind-crogging sci fi trivia contest with top prizes being the chance to name a character after themselves or a friend in an upcoming Carlson novel.