When I look back on 2013 I’m a bit stunned by the amount of work I and my compatriots, Robert Runte and Jeff Minkevics, have accomplished. We’ve managed to put out a book a month in the past year. There were a few moments I thought I’d broken both Robert and Jeff. In fact, I was certain of it with Jeff toward the end of the year. But bless their wee cotton socks, they hung in there, overcame exhaustion and pressing deadlines, and joined me in completing the year’s docket for this blissful insanity called Five Rivers Publishing.

What’s ahead? Apparently an equivalent. We have four books scheduled to release March 1.

• The Runner and the Saint, by Dave Duncan. This is the second installment in the Ivor Series of YA novelettes.
• The Legend of Sarah, by Leslie Gadallah, which is a revised reprint of The Loremasters.
• Old Growth, by Matt Hughes, the second installment of his Sid Rafferty Mystery series. 
• Cloudbearer’s Shadow: Book 4, The Rune Blades of Celi, by Ann Marston. The saga of the plight of the Celi continues.

May 1, we’ll release:

Shakespeare for Slackers: Romeo and Juliet, by Aaron Kite, Audrey Evans and Jade Brooke. The book is a screamingly funny, modern interpretation of The Bard’s much-beloved romantic tragedy, which would stitch seamlessly into any secondary school English literature or drama curriculum. It’s also a perfect companion for John Poulsen’s Shakespeare for Readers’ Theatre: Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Midsummer Night’s Dream.

August 1, we’ll release:

• My Life as a Troll, by Susan Bohnet, a madcap YA jaunt from this new Canadian author.
• The Runner and the Kelpie, by Dave Duncan, which is the third book in the Ivor Series of YA fantasy novelettes, chock-a-block full of adventure, wry humour and historical detail.
• King of Shadows: Book 5, The Rune Blades of Celi, by Ann Marston, a revised reprint of this acclaimed and beloved series.
• A Touch of Poison, by Aaron Kite. The film rights for this Wattie Award winning novel have recently been picked up and the screenplay is presently being written. This is fresh, engaging YA fantasy fiction.
• Mik Murdoch: The Power Within, by Michell Plested. Our 2013 Aurora Award nominee author, Michell Plested returns with the second book in the Mik Murdoch series, exploring Mik’s struggle with the reality of his super powers.

And finally October 1 we’ll release:

• Shakespeare for Readers’ Theatre, Book 2: Shakespeare’s Greatest Villains (The Merry Wives of Windsor; Othello, The Moor of Venice; Richard III, and King Lear), by John Poulsen. As he did in the first installment of the Readers’ Theatre series, Poulsen offers several abridgements of Shakespeare’s timeless plays, retaining all the beauty and elegance of the language, but allowing students and teachers to prepare and perform within the time constraints of the class setting.

There are a few other titles in the wings, but details have not as yet been confirmed. Still and all, looks to be another fabulous year here at Five Rivers.