Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) is expanding its publishing business with a new line of romance books, with the new imprint Montlake Romance.

According to the giant online bookseller, Montlake Romance will publish in Kindle, print, and audio formats and will launch with New York Times bestselling author Connie Brockway's The Other Guy's Bride. The Other Guy's Bride is scheduled for release on Nov. 1.
"Our customers always love a good romance, so we're happy to introduce Montlake Romance," the Seattle, Washington-based company said in its Web site.

Jeff Belle, vice president of Amazon Publishing, said in an interview that the online retailer will eventually publish books in other genres, including thrillers, mysteries and science fiction. "Our customers are voracious readers of genre fiction, and romance is one of the biggest and fastest growing categories," he said.

Amazon's latest quest to add original content has raised concerns in the publishing industry. Among others, the move is likely to intensify fears among publishers that Amazon will use its marketing power to emphasize its own titles at the expense of traditional publishing houses. As to distribution, it is also unclear whether Amazon books will be sold in Barnes & Noble and other rival bookstores.

Amazon's plans for original content come as its Kindle electronic reader, which revolutionized the book market, is currently facing fierce competition. Apple Inc.'s iPad and Barnes & Noble Inc.'s Nook e-reader have recently increased market share in devices and e-book sales. Amazon though is set to release in the second half of this year a new tablet device that would rival the iPad.

Montlake Romance is Amazon Publishing's fourth imprint. he new imprint joins AmazonEncore, AmazonCrossing and Powered by Amazon as part of the Amazon Publishing family. In 2009, Amazon launched its publishing business through AmazonEncore, with Cayla Kluver's young-adult fantasy novel "Legacy."