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A lot of people have asked me why I wrote a second memoir, assuming it arose as part of a grand plan.  The truth is that I hadn't intended to write this book at all. 

The first hint of it arose in the summer of 2005.  My career had taken a leap forward that spring when my last book, the memoir Riding the Bus With My Sister, was adapted for a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, and after the fanfare died down, I felt at a loss about what to do next with my life.  I began contemplating what I call in this new book my "Search for Life Purpose 2.0".

As it turned out, that summer, I wasn't able to make Search 2.0 my priority.  My husband Hal, an architect, had convinced me to undertake a major renovation on our house, and that summer, as we were preparing to move out so the contractor could start the work, I found myself overwhelmed by the prospect of packing. 

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Donald Fauntelroy Duck turns 75 this year.

Wow.

That feathered treasure from my youth has aged a lot better then myself. Looking at the picture that graces the inside back cover of my books-I realize I'm out of date.

But Donald isn't.

What attracted me most to Donald in my younger years were two things: his voice (oh how I wished as a child I could mimic that voice!) and his differences to Mickey Mouse.

It's not that I didn't like Mickey-I just didn't like Mickey.

His voice caused my spine to cringe on many occasions-sounding more like the adolescent squeak of a child to a man during those cautionary pubescent years. And Mickey never seemed to get angry.

Whereas Donald? He had-and has-a temper and a personality all to his own.

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With fangirl apologies to the Beach Boys for my blog post title, I'd like to continue this week's discussion about how the immortal Spartans in my "Gods of Midnight" series might spend the lazy, hazy days of summer in their new home of Savannah. Of course, when do Spartans ever mix with the word lazy? Never, and definitely not in Red Kiss, the latest installment in my series about this band of warriors.

No, nothing about these alpha males could ever be slothful or indolent-which only makes our task of finding ways for them to unwind all the more crucial.  If not us, then who else will charge them with having a little bit of summertime love and madness? Right?

Lazy, hazy days of summer in Savannah.  I don't know about you, but my mind is instantly filled with images of time on the beach, long walks through Spanish moss-draped squares.  Side note: did you know that Savannah has an open container law? In other words, it's perfectly legal to stroll through the city carrying alcoholic beverages that locals term "travelers"? I'd say that said law reflects a certain loose and easy feeling that hovers over the town like ten days worth of humidity.

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The New York Times Bestseller Highlights for the Week of June 14th

Five new Penguin Group (USA) titles debut on The New York Times bestseller list for the week of June 14th: on the trade paperback fiction list, The Likeness by Tana French (Penguin) is #13, while The Beach House by Jane Green (Plume) is #16; on the mass market fiction list, The Front by Patricia Cornwell (Berkley) appears at #13, while Blood Noir by Laurell K. Hamilton (Jove) hits at #19. Finally, My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor (Plume) is #5 on the paperback nonfiction list.

Here are more New York Times bestseller highlights:

On the hardcover fiction list, Wicked Prey by John Sandford (Putnam) is #3 in its third week; Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris (Ace) is #6 in its fourth week; The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Amy Einhorn Books/ Putnam) is #11 in its ninth week; and The Sign by Raymond Khoury (Dutton) is #14 in its second week.

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Penguin Group (USA) Generates Big Buzz at BEA 2009 

Expanding on last week's Spotlight coverage, Penguin Group (USA) had a strong presence at BookExpo America 2009, held this past weekend at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. The Penguin Group (USA) BEA booth, which included blow-ups promoting many of the house's big fall titles, was constantly buzzing with activity, as booksellers, librarians and members of the press flowed through and lingered.  On Friday morning, lines wrapped around the Penguin booth to get a signed galley of Level 26 from Dutton author Anthony Zuiker while a powerful and chilling video preview of his "digi-novel" played on a 50-inch plasma TV screen. Friday afternoon, Three Cups of Tea author Greg Mortenson (pictured here with Viking publisher Paul Slovak) drew a huge crowd and signed adult and young readers editions for an endless line of BEA attendees.  Other galley giveaways in the Penguin booth included the highly anticipated Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby (Riverhead), Lev Grossman's The Magicians (Viking) and Jonathan Tropper's This is Where I Leave You (Dutton) - which got a double-dose of attention as Dutton Senior Editor Ben Sevier touted the title at the BEA Editors Buzz Forum, then the author participated in the Authors of the Editors Buzz Forum reading and discussion. Riverhead author Steven Johnson, Viking author Lev Grossman and Penguin Editor-in-Chief/Associate Publisher Stephen Morrison also were part of fascinating BEA panels on Friday.

The high-profile Saturday BEA Book & Author Luncheon was very much a Penguin Group affair. The lunch began with Penguin Group (USA) sales rep Tom Benton receiving the Publishers Weekly Sales Rep of the Year Award, with his family, Penguin colleagues, and more than 600 booksellers, librarians, media and publishing professionals applauding this well-deserved honor. Luncheon Master of Ceremonies Ken Auletta gave a sneak preview of this upcoming Penguin Press book, Googled: The End of the World as We Know It, then Dan Pink talked about the stories behind his next Riverhead book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Truly Motivates Us. And while Mary Karr concentrated mostly on her upcoming HarperCollins book, Lit, she also referenced two of her acclaimed backlist titles, The Liars Club and Cherry, both of which Penguin publishes.

David Shanks and Susan Petersen Kennedy spent a great deal of time on Friday and Saturday meeting with the press corps, which resulted in Penguin Group (USA) being prominently positioned in key stories on BEA in USA Today, The New York Times, The Associated Press, Reuters, Publishers Weekly, Publishers Lunch, and other publications.