America's Youth Expert and 'It' Social Anthropologist to Write 'Mackenzie
Blue,' a Multi-Platform Tween Series
NEW YORK, Feb. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- HarperCollins Children's Books
announced today that it has acquired world rights to "Mackenzie Blue" by
Tina Wells, CEO of Buzz Marketing Group. Mackenzie, aka Zee, is the
charismatic, fashionable and down-to-earth star of this fresh new tween
fiction series that chronicles the adventures of a diverse crew of friends
who try to survive middle school at the prestigious BrookdaleAcademy.
The ground-breaking deal, which will include dynamic corporate
partnerships with an international recording company and a Fortune 500
marketing firm, was negotiated by Kate Jackson, SVP/Associate Publisher,
Editor-in-Chief of HarperCollins Children's Books with agent Kate Lee of
International Creative Management and Andre Des Rochers, Attorney at Law
for Gray Krauss LLP.
Tina Wells, the creative mastermind behind Mackenzie Blue, was inspired
to write the series because she felt it was important for girls to have
positive books to read and to encourage them to make good choices. In
Mackenzie Blue, tweens will discover more about going "green," learn about
the "global" landscape, and be motivated to achieve their goals. Fun and
eco-conscious, Mackenzie Blue is an upbeat break from mean-girl culture and
is a breath of fresh air for the youth of today.
Tina Wells founded the Buzz Marketing Group, an innovative
for-youth-by-youth marketing agency when she was 16. With more than a
decade of marketing experience under her belt, and a network of over 9,000
teen consultants ("buzzSpotters(TM)") worldwide, Tina now joins
HarperCollins Publishers to open up a new world of multimedia publishing to
tweens using traditional and non-traditional marketing strategies.
Tina has been spotlighted in numerous national print media
publications. Her list of honors include: Essence 40 Under 40 Award,
Billboard's 30 Under 30 Award, the Voices Black Women Business Leaders Top
Ten List, and AOL's Black Voices Black Female Entrepreneurs Award.
Moreover, Tina has been recognized as an "Architect of Change" at the 19th
Annual Governor and First Lady's Conference on Women and Family, and named
as Youth Culture's "It" Social Anthropologist.
"We are thrilled to be at the helm of this fresh, new publishing
venture," said Susan Katz, President and Publisher of HarperCollins
Children's Books. "Middle-grade readers who are at the forefront of new
trends and consider themselves an authority on pop-culture, fashion, music
and books will love Mackenzie Blue and this fantastic series will serve as
a model and anchor of our new tween program. No one knows what matters to
Generation Z more than Tina Wells and we look forward to further embracing
that multimedia savvy market with her."
Tina Wells said, "I'm ecstatic to be working with HarperCollins. Given
their know-how, incredible vision and great ideas for 'Zee to Z marketing,'
I know the series will resonate in the hearts of young readers around the
world."
Says Andre Des Rochers, Attorney at Law for Gary Krauss LLP, "With a
property like Mackenzie Blue I think we're seeing another push towards
realizing the future in content creation that will ultimately populate
multiple media segments. Given Tina's extraordinary background in marketing
she is certainly well poised to effectively coordinate and capitalize on
the various multimedia opportunities presented in a brand like Mackenzie
Blue. Harper Collins is a great home for Mackenzie's life in print and is
certainly a terrific launching pad for a multi faceted brand like Mackenzie
Blue."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tina Wells, CEO, founded Buzz marketing Group in 1996 at age 16. She is
considered America's youth expert, whose trend forecasts are featured in
the Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and many other sources.
She earned her B.A. in Communication Arts graduating with honors from Hood
College in 2002. Currently a Wharton School of Business student for
marketing management, Tina continues to create innovative marketing
strategies for numerous clients within the beauty, entertainment, fashion,
financial, and lifestyle sectors. Tina, who was also named one of
Cosmopolitan's "Fun Fearless Phenoms," has worked with clients including:
SonyBMG, Sesame Workshop, Johnson & Johnson, Verizon Wireless and Procter +
Gamble. Tina resides in Southern New Jersey with her vast collection of
shoes.
ABOUT HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS:
HarperCollins Children's Books is one of the leading publishers of
children's books. Respected worldwide for its tradition of publishing
quality, award-winning books for young readers, HarperCollins is home to
many timeless treasures-Charlotte's Web, The Chronicles of Narnia,
Goodnight Moon, Where the Sidewalk Ends and Where the Wild Things Are; and
popular new classics-A Series of Unfortunate Events, Warriors and Fancy
Nancy. HarperCollins Children's Books is a division of HarperCollins
Publishers, one of the leading English language publishers in the world and
a subsidiary of News Corporation (NYSE: NWS, NWS.A; ASX: NCP, NCPDP).
Headquartered in New York, HarperCollins has publishing groups in the U.S.,
Canada, the U.K. and Australasia. You can visit HarperCollins Children's
Books at http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com and HarperCollins Publishers at
http://www.harpercollins.com.
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