New series to explore James Bond's youth

James Bond fans can now look forward to knowing more about the super spy's exploits in his teens - a time that has never been explored before.
Steve Cole, writer of "Doctor Who" and "Astrosaurs", has been selected by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd., the Fleming family-owned company, to author a new Young Bond series to be published by Random House Children's Publishers (RHCP).
These new titles will pick up where Charlie Higson - the writer of the previous wave of Young Bond titles - left off and will follow teenage James in the aftermath of his expulsion from Eton.
"This time in Bond's life has never been explored before and readers can expect all the thrills, action, glamour and tension that are the essential ingredients of a classic Bond adventure," the publishers said.

Cole's first novel in the series will launch in autumn 2014.
"I first encountered Bond in print as a teenager, when I ead 'From a View to a Kill'. Fleming's writing was so vivid and authentic, Bond and the world he inhabited seemed suddenly real to me - and the danger and glamour led me through book after book," said Cole.

"It's both a thrilling privilege and an exciting challenge now to be shaping a new era in the life of such an iconic character - with many firsts and surprises to come as James' life in the dangerous 1930s develops," he says.

Philippa Dickinson, managing director of RHCP is delighted to be working with Ian Fleming Publications to publish the new quartet of Young Bond adventures.
"The period when James Bond would have been a teenager was an extraordinary time - a perfect setting for thrilling storytelling for young adults. Steve Cole is an exceptional storyteller with a wonderful ability to connect with his readers. A winning combination," she said.
Corinne Turner, Managing Director of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd., terms Cole as an imaginative and engaging author whose plots are addictive and gripping.