NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING FANTASY AUTHOR, R.A. SALVATORE TO PRODUCE SERIES OF EVERQUEST NOVELS

- CDS Books and Sony Online Entertainment Inc. Partner to Bring The EverQuest Universe Alive In Print -

NEW YORK, (March 15, 2004) – CDS Books, and Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online gaming, today announced that the two companies have signed a deal to bring the EverQuest universe to print in a series of novels edited by New York Times bestselling novelist R.A. Salvatore. The novels will be published several times a year (beginning with Summer 2004) using a selection of characters and settings from the award-winning game.

Salvatore and his group of talented fantasy writers will create a rich fictional world with new story lines and unexpected adventures for gamers to deeply explore the EverQuest world. Throughout the novels, EverQuest players will also discover game-enhancing strategies built into the plot twists, enhancing their online gaming experience.

“I first walked into the EverQuest universe more than four years ago, and I quickly realized that this was a world with countless stories to tell,” said Bob Salvatore. “Now I get to explore Norrath all over again, through the eyes of other great storytellers, and I can't wait!”

“These novels will enrich the gameplay experience for EverQuest players by adding new dimensions to popular characters across the EverQuest world,” said Steve Black, publisher of CDS Books. “Our goal is to have standalone books that compliment and enhance the games and we couldn't have conceived of better partners to help achieve our goal than Bob Salvatore and Sony Online Entertainment.”

“R.A. Salvatore is an icon in the fantasy genre, having penned dozens of novels that bring readers into distant worlds that otherwise only appear in one's imagination,” said Michael Lustenberger, director of product marketing, Sony Online Entertainment Inc. “Working with Salvatore and CDS Books ensures that these EverQuest novels will bring the magic of the EverQuest universe to life in an entirely new medium.”

Salvatore, Sony Online Entertainment and CDS will select writers for the project, and Salvatore will act as the executive editor for the book series. EverQuest game designers will work with the authors as well to maintain a strong connection between the game and the books.

For more than 15 years, fans and critics alike have praised Salvatore for his stirring battle scenes, inventive story lines, and extraordinary characters. He is the author of 13 New York Times bestsellers, including The Halfing's Gem, Sojourn and the immensely popular novelization of the latest Star Wars film, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Salvatore has had his books published by Wizards of the Coast, Warner Books, Ace Books, Penguin, and Del Rey in the past, and his new novel, The Highwayman, has been published by CDS in March 2004. Over seven million R.A. Salvatore novels have been sold with many translated into different languages and audio versions.