You can receive Featurettes by e-mail daily, weekly or monthly by request. We can e-mail by your choice of topic or all stories as you may prefer. To make it even more convenient for editors to use our stories, NAPS has added an RSS syndication feed to our Web site. Simply hit the RSS button on our site for automated updates on available content. Please contact us to arrange to receive Featurettes in the format that works best for you at (800) 222-5551 or e-mail your request to us at printmedia@napsnet.com. We can provide Featurettes on CD-ROM or you can download it online at www.napsnet.com. Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2552 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, 65th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110 Reanimating the Classics (NAPSA)—It could be a good thing if the thought of reading a literary classic sends a chill down your spine. That’s the idea behind a new set of “mash-up” novels that combine two of Jane Austen’s best-known works with some of the sci-fi and horror world’s most menacing—yet popular—monsters. Here’s a closer look: Sea Monsters Attack! A tale of romance, heartbreak and tentacled mayhem, the New York Times best seller “Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters” expands the original text of Austen’s beloved novel with all-new scenes of giant lobsters, rampaging octopi, two-headed sea serpents, swashbuckling pirates and other seaworthy creatures. Written by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters, the story opens as the Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. While sensible Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, her romantic sister Marianne is courted by both the handsome Willoughby and the hideous manmonster Colonel Brandon. Can the Dashwood sisters triumph over meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues to find true love? Or will they fall prey to the tentacles that are forever snapping at their heels? Brain Food “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.” So begins “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” a mash-up of the literary classic, by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. Already an international and New York Times best seller, this book is now available in a new hardcover edition boasting additional bonecrunching scenes with 30 percent more mayhem and new full-color artwork. “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Deluxe Heirloom Edition” tells the story of Elizabeth Bennet and her quest to rid the English village of Meryton of “unmentionables.” But upon the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy, she is soon distracted. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—and even more violent sparring on the battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating zombies. Both titles are published by Quirk Books and are available at your local bookstore. If you like these literary mash-ups, check out www.quirkclassics.com. At the newly created site, you can discuss the books, read author interviews, and receive breaking news and information about new titles in the series. Holiday Mailing Tips Managing Your Medicines (NAPSA)—Learning ways to manage your medicines could help protect your health. A new brochure by the Eldercare Locator and Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, outlines some simple steps to help make sound health care decisions concerning prescription drugs: • Maintain a medicine record • Share any change in side effects with your doctor Clearly labeling packages and cushioning contents with newspaper or packing material can help your holiday mailings arrive safely. Fifty percent of Americans over age 60 take more than three medications a day. • Keep your health care professionals informed of all the medicines you are taking • Find out about different options to pay for your medicines. To learn more, request the brochure “Prescription Drug Options for Older Adults: Managing Your Medicines” at Eldercare Locator at (800) 677-1116 or www.eldercare.gov. The Eldercare Locator is a free service of the U.S. Administration on Aging and is administered by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. (NAPSA)—Each year, Americans send millions of holiday packages to friends and family around the world. If you plan to ship some holiday gifts this season, following a few tips could help your packages arrive on time and intact. For instance, choose a box that is sturdy and cushion contents with shredded newspaper, packing material or foam peanuts. Fragile items may require double boxing with foam packing peanuts around both the item and inner box. The U.S. Postal Service, which has delivered the holidays for 234 years, has these suggestions: • Use tape that is designed for shipping. Nylon-reinforced, pressure-sensitive tape is ideal. Be sure to secure all box flaps. • Place clearly written delivery and return addresses on the outside of the box. Verify that the ZIP Codes are correct and legible. Including a second set of labels on the inside of the box is also a good idea. Remove or mark out any conflicting address information. • Remove batteries from toys or electronic devices. • Use the free Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes. If your item fits in the Priority Mail Flat Rate box, it ships for one price without being weighed. Express Mail offers premium shipping when time is short. Saving Time Any of the 36,000 post offices, stations, branches and contract postal units of the Postal Service can help with holiday mailing and shipping needs. You can visit the U.S. Postal Service Web site at www.usps.com to print postage and labels or find holiday mailing information 24 hours a day. New this year, you can go to usps.com on your Internet-capable cell phone or mobile device to find a post office, get a ZIP Code or track and confirm your shipment. Timely Stamps You can purchase stamps for holiday mailings without going to the post office. They’re available at more than 58,000 supermarkets, drugstores and other retailers, including ATM machines at about 18,000 banks and financial institutions. To find participating retailers or get more information, visit www.usps.com or call (800) ASK-USPS.