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Demonata author Darren Shan has moved from HarperCollins to Simon & Schuster, which is paying a seven-figure sum for his new series.
Ingrid Selberg, director of children's publishing for S&S UK, bought UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, to 12 books in the Zom-B series from Christopher Little. The titles will be edited by fiction editorial director Venetia Gosling.
S&S will not go into details of the new series, apart from it being a zombie series targeted at teenagers. The books will be published quarterly from next autumn in hardback.
Shan said: "I am very excited to be taking my new zombie series to Simon & Schuster. The team impressed me greatly with their vision for the work and their enthusiasm, and I look forward to becoming part of the family there and unleashing a string of literary bone-chillers on the world."
Selberg said: "The Zom-B series combines classic Shan action and a fiendishly twisting plot with hard-hitting and thought-provoking moral questions. This is challenging material, which will captivate existing Shan fans and bring in many new ones."
Among the other series Shan wrote at HarperCollins are The Saga of Darren Shan and The Saga of Larten Crepsley.
Meanwhile, Orion has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights excluding Canada in a two-book deal for Shan's adult titles.
Deputy publisher Jon Wood acquired a dark supernatural thriller, Lady of the Shades, plus one other title from Christopher Little at the Christopher Little Agency. Orion will publish in September 2012.
Wood said: "It's incredibly exciting to welcome Darren back to our list. He has become one of the foremost writers of YA horror in the world, and these new adult projects are equally powerful. Lady of the Shades combines the best of dark thriller and supernatural writing into a brilliantly high-concept whole."
Shan added: "I am delighted to be returning to my original publishing home at Orion with my new adult novels. I was intrigued by their plans for my books, and can't wait for the unveiling of our first collaboration. My spine is already tingling and I hope we can cause many others to shiver too."