Nora Roberts Kicks off an All-New Series This Week with Vision in White

Nora Roberts fans have been waiting for the launch of The Bride Quartet since Berkley first announced plans for the series last year. This week, Vision in White: Book One of The Bride Quartet went on sale. This is Nora’s first original trade paperback series and features beautifully designed packages, complete with rough-cut pages and French flaps. Berkley is also thrilled that Vision in White holds the record for the largest first printing—one million copies—for a trade paperback original in Penguin Group history.

The media is equally excited about Nora’s latest with some great early reviews. Publishers Weekly says, “...her gentle humor and likable cast will immediately endear this series to readers.” And Romantic Times says, “The always impressive Roberts returns to her traditional romantic roots with the first book in the Bride Quartet.” Nora has also written an essay for the May issue of Modern Bride in which she talks about her experiences as Mother of the Groom at both of her sons’ weddings, and how it inspired her to write The Bride Quartet.

As always, Nora is hard at work with four more books planned for this year, including the second Bride book, Bed of Roses, in December. For a full list of titles and more information on all things Nora, visit her website.

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He seduced me.  Resistance was completely beyond my power, I swear.  Those green eyes, those broad shoulders - and the magic!  What girl could resist?

I'm talking about Nick Wyatt, the hero of Guardian, the second book in the Time Hunters trilogy, which hit stores May 5.

Now, if you read the first book, you know I originally planned Enforcer as Book Two. That's the story of time-traveling warriors Alerio Dyami and Dona Astryr, a pair with more issues than National Geographic.  But that was before Nick stepped out of my surgery-induced dreams. Alerio's and Dona's story is now planned as the third book of the trilogy.  I think that will work better anyway.

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It popped up in my email inbox:

"I don't think you need to be a motorcycle enthusiast to lose yourself in this book.  It is an open-handed classic about living and love, with a heart as big as a Vincent V-twin engine."-Mark Knopfler.

For a moment I was stunned. It was another Saturday night with nowhere to go. Later, when I was outside in the cold putting trash away, the word "classic" hit home.  I had longed my whole life to hear that word used about my work.

Decades ago, when I wasn't old enough to drive but old enough to want to, I wasted so many Saturday nights falling asleep in front of the TV.  Most often it was the USA network's late night programming.  In heavy rotation then was a short film called Making Movies.  It was comprised of a soundtrack of three or four Dire Straits songs, all off the Making Movies album, paired with short silent movies.

These were the first music videos I remember. I loved them all-"Tunnel of Love," "Skateaway," but especially "Romeo and Juliet."  

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The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Listen to an audiobook excerpt here

Audiobook: CD Unabridged | 5.74 x 5.23in | 16 Hours; 13 CDs | ISBN 9780143144809 | 30 Apr 2009 | Penguin Audio | 14 - AND UP years

Also, view our reading group guide here

Church of the Dog by Kaya McLaren
Read by: Arthur Morey, Kirsten Potter, Kirby Heyborne, Kimberly Farr

Listen to an audiobook excerpt here

Audiobook: CD Unabridged | 5.74 x 5.23in | 6 Hours; 6 CDs | ISBN 9780143144700 | 30 Apr 2009 | Penguin Audio | 18 - AND UP

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Angela Knight is our guest blogger during the week of May 4th. If you have any questions for Angela Knight, add a comment to any of her posts.

Here is more information about Guardian:

View our feature on Angela Knight’s Guardian.

Riane Arvid is a Temporal Enforcer-a superhuman cop from the future sworn to protect the innocent from time traveling criminals. But when a group of murderous fanatics called the Xeran trap Riane in the year 2009, the only one she can turn to is a handsome twenty-first century warrior with mysterious origins...

Nick Wyatt has abilities that have made him a target of the Xeran for his entire life-preventing him from emotionally connecting with anyone. In Riane, he finally finds someone who can hold her own in his dangerous life, but he's not sure that the sexy time traveler is as open as she seems.

In an attempt to discover the other's true intentions, both Riane and Nick decide seduction is the best tactic. But as the Xeran threaten both of their lives, their only chance at survival is to learn to trust each other...

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The Girls from Ames Debuts at #5 on the New York Times Bestseller List

The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow (Gotham) debuts on the New York Times bestseller list at #5. It was also #35 on the USA Today bestseller list, #14 on Indiebound, #4 on Publishers Weekly, and #1 on Ingram. The inspiring true story of eleven girls and the ten women they became has moved readers everywhere.

The media frenzy that sparked a national intrigue about the girls included: USA Weekend feature (4/26), People lead review (4/24), USA Today (4/16), More (May), Self (May), Wall Street Journal cover story in Arts Section (5/16), Ladies’ Home Journal (May), Good Housekeeping (June), New York Times/ Well with Tara Parker Pope (which was the most e-mailed article for the entire month of April), a national radio tour to 20 markets (4/20), Wall Street Journal online, a GoodReads.com campaign, events across the country, and much more.

Promotions for The Girls from Ames will continue throughout Mother’s Day and beyond, including a mention on BookReporter.com’s Mother’s Day Roundup, and Facebook “Visual Bookshelf” advertising and feature as a recommended book.

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New on the Penguin Website

The bestselling Sookie Stackhouse series and inspiration behind HBO's hit "True Blood" continues with the all new hardcover Dead and Gone. View our feature for the inside scoop on the new title.

In this week’s Penguin Podcast, Rickey Minor discusses his book, There's No Traffic on the Extra Mile, which takes an inspirational look at what it takes to achieve your dreams, and includes stories from his work on "American Idol." You can also read an excerpt from There’s No Traffic on the Extra Mile.

Next week, Andy Raskin will discuss his book, The Ramen King and I, which intertwines stories of his love life and his love for ramen noodles.

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Penguin Group at the Forefront of This Week's PEN World Voices Festival

The PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature kicked off this week in New York City and, as the Premier Sponsor, Penguin Group and Chairman and CEO John Makinson have been the "talk of the town." At the sold-out PEN Gala held at the Museum of Natural History on Tuesday night, the literati came out to support freedom of speech and the rights of writers worldwide. John Makinson was the Publisher Chair of the evening, and delivered one of the keynote addresses during the program. In his remarks, John declared that he is a believer in the values PEN embodies, and explained "why the role of PEN, as the guardian of free expression in hostile climates, is fundamental to the spread of tolerance and plurality around the world.” He stressed the critical importance and responsibility of international publishers to bring literature to countries around the world. He spoke of Penguin’s successful presence in such emerging markets as China, Korea and South Africa and plans to launch Penguin Arabia. John also added, “In order to promote the flow of reverse traffic, we must strive to enhance the quality of literary translation and to develop in our English language markets an audience for the writing that this festival does so much to promote.”

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Penguin Group (USA) Takes Home Two Edgar Awards

Last night, the 63rd Annual Edgar Awards Banquet took place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City and Penguin Group (USA) had two winners . In the “Best Paperback Original” category, China Lake by Meg Gardiner (NAL) was the winner and John Green’s Paper Towns (Dutton Children’s Books) won in the Best Young Adult category.

This year, 68 judges considered over 1,000 books, 500 short stories, many television programs, several movies, and a few plays. The awards, given by Mystery Writers of America, are widely acknowledged to be the most prestigious awards in the genre.
 

Penguin Group Canada Sweeps the 2009 CBA Libris Awards Shortlist

The Canadian Booksellers Association announced the finalists for the 2009 CBA Libris Awards last week, recognizing Penguin Group (Canada) in nine major categories including Author of the Year, Children’s Author of the Year, Fiction Book of the Year, Non-Fiction Book of the Year and Publisher of the Year, which Penguin Canada won last year.

Nominations for Penguin Group (Canada) in 2009 include:

• Joseph Boyden for Author of the Year
• Budge Wilson for Children’s Author of the Year
• Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden for Fiction Book of the Year