Borders® and Michael Eisner’s Vuguru Join Forces to Offer Original Internet Series, ’Robin Cook’s Foreign Body: The Prequel,’ on Borders.com

ANN ARBOR, Mich.–Today Borders announced a new alliance with Michael Eisner’s independent media studio, Vuguru, to distribute the innovative Web series, “Robin Cook’s Foreign Body: The Prequel,” through the retailer’s newly launched Borders.com site and to members of the Borders Rewards® loyalty program, which now number over 26 million.

Borders, together with Vuguru, will offer its customers a series of 50 two-minute episodes that are the prequel to international best-selling author Robin Cook’s novel, “Foreign Body.” Cook’s “Foreign Body” follows two young Indian beauties that are coaxed into traveling to Southern California by a group of cunning, cutthroat medical entrepreneurs who promise to help cultivate their nursing training in the States by offering them the American dream. The plot delves into the world of medical tourism with twists and turns of seduction, murder and international intrigue.

Beginning today, customers can watch the first two episodes of the series at www.BordersMedia.com/foreignbody. New episodes can be viewed daily thereafter, culminating with the last installment airing Aug. 4. Cook’s new novel, “Foreign Body,” to be published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons, will be released nationwide Aug. 5. Borders is also the exclusive online book retailer for Vuguru’s official “Foreign Body” Web site. Customers interested in pre-ordering copies of Cook’s upcoming thriller can place their orders at www.BordersMedia.com/foreignbody.

“By teaming with Vuguru to offer our customers access to Body: The Prequel’ – exciting, high-quality digital programming – we are truly elevating the shopping experience for our customers and differentiating our company from our competitors,” said Borders Group Chief Executive Officer George Jones. “Now, customers can watch and learn the backstory to ‘Foreign Body’ via these Web episodes on Borders.com before ever reading the book. It’s a great way for readers to catch the excitement of a new release.”

“This unique marriage of offline and online content has created exciting new partnership opportunities for Vuguru around the ‘Foreign Body’ series,” said Michael Eisner. “We’re thrilled to be in business with Borders, a company that has truly embraced the emergence of digital media and continues to adapt to its evolving landscape.”

About Borders Group, Inc.
Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP) is a $3.8 billion retailer of books, music and movies. Through its subsidiaries it operates more than 1,100 stores and employs approximately 30,000 people worldwide. The company recently launched Borders.com for online shopping. More information on the company is available at www.borders.com.

About Vuguru
Vuguru is a new media studio for Michael Eisner’s The Tornante Company. The studio produces and distributes innovative story-driven content for current new media and emerging platforms.

Vuguru’s production of Prom Queen is the first of many shows developed and produced by the studio. Privately held, The Tornante Company makes investments in and incubates companies and opportunities in the media and entertainment space. Tornante, which recently acquired The Topps Company Inc., owns Team Baby Entertainment and has an ownership stake in Veoh Networks. More information on Vuguru is available at www.vuguru.com.

About Robin Cook
Dr. Robin Cook, who is widely credited with introducing the word “medical” to the thriller genre and 29 years after the publication of his breakthrough novel, “Coma,” continues to dominate the category he created. His most recent “The New York Times” best sellers include “Crisis,” “Critical,” “Marker,” “Seizure,” and “Shock.” Cook’s medical thrillers have successfully combined medical fact with fiction to produce a succession of 25 “The New York Times” best sellers that have been translated into 40 languages.