NEWS: Mundania acquired Hard Shell

Those of you who have been around for a while will know that Hard Shell Word Factory was a pioneer of ebook publishing/retailing founded in the mid-90s. Hard Shell had gone decidedly quiet over the last few years and I was beginning to wonder if they would make a successful transition into the brave new work of epublishing that they had helped to create.

Now it seems that Mundania Press (parent company of Phaze) has acquired Hard Shell Word Factory. I will admit to personally having some mixed feelings about this. But this seems to be a period of industry consolidation. I hope that Hard Shell will remain as an imprint and continue the kind of business practice standards set by founder Teri Lea Chandler and long time owner Mary Z. Wolf. However one also hopes that their cover art might improve a little....

Press Release--veinglory

"Kathryn Struck, President of Awe-Struck eBooks, has made the announcement on the EPIC lists that Mundania Press LLC will acquire ownership of Awe-Struck eBooks as of January 1, 2009. Awe-Stuck will become an imprint of Mundania Press LLC, as is Phaze Books, Mundania Press, and New Classics, and continue to run as a separate company, yet be integrated into the Mundania Press LLC family.

The plans are for the existing staff, editors, and artists to keep doing their jobs for Awe-Struck. The only changes are that Kathryn and her partner Dick Claassen are retiring from publishing to pursue other interests, including writing and music. They both have agreed to be available for consulting through part of 2009.

Awe-Struck brings along a readership for many more genres of romance, especially regencies, along with non-fiction.

For Phaze and Mundania this will have little impact.

Phaze Books
www.Phaze.com
Exceptional Erotic Fiction"