Minstrel's Alley Acquires Kindle and eBook Rights to The Constant Travellers

Online, August 12, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Minstrel's Alley has just acquired the Kindle, Smashwords, and other eBook publishing rights to "The Constant Travellers," a novel written by Gordon Basichis The ad copy refers to itself as the West That Never Was and tells a comic, but metaphysical Western tale involving a journey between a young Civil War veteran and an Indian Shaman. The two meet in the middle of the desert, and as they embark on a journey where they encounter endless colorful characters, they discover their destinies have long been intertwined.
"We are thrilled to be offering "The Constant Travelers," in a Kindle, Smashwords, and other ebook versions, " said M.J. Hammond, president of independent publisher and media company, Minstrel's Alley. It is part of our program where we bought all electronic rights to Gordon's books. Film rights for "The Constants Travellers" had been optioned by two different film studios, Twentieth Century Fox, and MGM. But at that time special effects technology could not fully render the scope and texture of this wonderfully funny epic Western."
"The book was first published in hardback by G.P. Putnam's, but it was so quirky and psychedelic, mixing genres, that it was way ahead of its time. It was then published as a trade paperback when Basichis and iUniverse published it as part of the Author's Guild "Back in Print" program.
"The Constant Travellers," we believe, is an unsung classic, a story set in the old West but told in the modern idiom. The novel is fresh and relevant and should appeal especially to a younger audience as well as the Boomer set"
Hammond maintained that the steady flow of sales in trade paperbacks inspired Minstrel's Alley to acquire the E-rights to the book and publish it through Kindle and Smashwords. It will soon also be available through other electronic books platforms, including the Barnes and Noble's Nook, Sony Reader, and Apple's iBooks.
Minstrel's Alley recently published "The Guys Who Spied for China," its first publishing effort. "The Guys Who Spied for China," also written by Gordon Basichis, is based on his real life experiences uncovering Chinese Espionage Networks operating in the United States in the eighties and nineties. Basichis is now the Co-Founder of Corra Group, which specializes in background checks and corporate research and investigation.
"We look forward to treating the world to "The Constant Travellers." The book is like nothing else on the market. It is irreverent, philosophical, and very funny. It is a joy to read."
M.J. Hammond is a former entertainment industry executive who founded Minstrel's Alley to publish popular books not found in mainstream publishing.
"Mainstream publishing has its purpose," said Hammond. But the industry's focus on celebrity and genre based books has left readers wanting. We hope to help bring a sense of adventure back to books and publishing."

Background: Minstrel's Alley is a Los Angeles based independent publisher that seeks to bring adventure back into the publishing industry by publishing books that have popular appeal but with more complexity than the standard mainstream fare. The new publishing group distributes its books through Amazon, Kindle, and assorted Internet outlets as well as through bookstores around the country. You can view Minstrel's Alley at www.minstrelsalley.com.