Author Events and Media, Penguin Group (USA) Weekly Update - 6/1:

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Strong Presence for Penguin Group (USA) at BookExpo America 2009 Breakthrough Novel Award 

 

BookExpo America 2009 is being held this weekend at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City and Penguin Group (USA) once again has a strong presence at the event. Yesterday, The AAP Librarian's Dinner was packed with librarians from all across the country and featured Kathryn Stockett, author of the debut Putnam novel, The Help, and five other authors talking about their favorite "librarian stories" and how libraries helped shape their careers as writers. The Editors Buzz Forum, an SRO event, featured Dutton Senior Editor, Ben Sevier and five other editors talking about the stories behind their "buzz books." Ben had the room enthralled speaking about Jonathan Tropper's upcoming Dutton novel, This Is Where I Leave You. In addition, Viking/Penguin's Greg Mortenson was featured at an off-site event at the 92nd St. Y.

Among the many Penguin authors who will do autographings this weekend, is Dutton's Anthony Zuiker, who is currently in the Penguin booth signing copies of his upcoming "digi-novel" Level 26: The Dark Chronicles to a large crowd that has turned out, while a chilling and exciting sample reel of corresponding motion picture footage plays on a plasma screen.

Other highlights include the Saturday luncheon, which will feature Dan Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Truly Motivates Us (Riverhead Books); and Mary Karr, author of The Liars Club, which Penguin publishes. Ken Auletta, author of Googled: The End of the World as We Know It (The Penguin Press), will be the Master of Ceremonies. Penguin Group (USA) sales rep Tom Benton will be attending to accept his Publishers Weekly Sales Rep of the Year Award. In addition, Penguin Young Readers' Tomie de Paola, author of Strega Nona's Harvest will be featured in tomorrow's CBC Breakfast, and Penguin Young Readers Group author Mike Lupica, nationally syndicated sports columnist, will participate in the "The ABC Not a Dinner and (Mostly) Silent Auction" event in Brooklyn tonight.

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Penguin Group (USA) and Amazon.com Announce Winner of the Second Annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award 

James King, author of Bill Warrington's Last Chance, was named the winner of the second annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, the contest sponsored by Penguin and Amazon that seeks to find the next popular novel. The announcement was made on Wednesday in New York. King will receive a publishing contract worth $25,000 from Penguin Group (USA). The book will be published by Viking next year.

An Ohio native and current resident of Wilton, Connecticut, James King has been a corporate communications specialist for the past 20 years, but dreamt of becoming a fiction writer since age six. In 2006, with the support and encouragement of his wife and two children, King decided to pursue his dream. He entered the Master of Arts program in creative writing at Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y., and when he completed his degree in May 2008, he had written most of what would become the novel Bill Warrington's Last Chance.

In Bill Warrington's Last Chance, the title character tries to reestablish ties with his estranged children after he is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. After several attempts at a reunion fail, he decides to kidnap his 15-year-old granddaughter, April, so that his children will be forced to talk to each other-and to him-as they attempt to "rescue" April.

Viking/Penguin author Sue Monk Kidd, a member of the contest's expert panel said: "One of the best things you can say about a novel is that the story lingers after you finish it. I have gone on thinking about this one without trying."

The 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition, which launched in February, drew several thousand entrants, representing all 50 U.S. states and 21 countries around the world.

Viking Acquires Design Book by Barbra Streisand, A Passion for Design 

Viking Books has acquired a design book by distinguished actress, singer, director, writer, composer, producer, collector, activist and philanthropist Barbra Streisand. The book, entitled A Passion for Design, will, for the first time, share Ms. Streisand's exquisite taste and style in a beautiful book format. The book will focus on the architecture and building of her newest home, the dream house and refuge Ms. Streisand says she has longed for since the days when she shared a small Brooklyn apartment with her mother, brother and grandparents. A Passion for Design will be the culmination and reflection of Barbra's love of American architecture from 1790-1904.   It will contain many of her own photographs of rooms she has decorated, furniture and art she has collected, and flowers and vegetables she grows in her glorious gardens.   

In addition to this extraordinary glimpse into her homes, Ms. Streisand will share memories of her childhood, the development of her taste and inspirations, and what collecting and style mean to her. A Passion for Design will also chronicle her previous residences, from her New York apartment to her Los Angeles townhouse and her homes along the California coast. The book will be edited by Rick Kot, executive editor at Viking, and will be published in Fall 2010.

NAL Caliber Acquires Companion Book to HBO Mini-series The Pacific

NAL Caliber announced this week the acquisition of the official companion book to the upcoming HBO mini-series produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, The Pacific. In the tradition of HBO's Band of Brothers, one of the most successful mini-series in the history of television, The Pacific will follow a group of soldiers in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

Written by Hugh Ambrose, the son of Band of Brothers author Stephen Ambrose, The Pacific was acquired by Claire Zion at auction from Brian Lipson of Intellectual Property Group Literary Management. Natalee Rosenstein will edit the book.

HBO will air the ten-part mini-series in March 2010.

 Eric Carle Nominated for 2010 Hans Christian Andersen Award 

Penguin Young Readers Group author Eric Carle (pictured) has been named a United States nominee for the 2010 Hans Christian Andersen Awards by the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY), the US National Section of The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY).

The Hans Christian Andersen Awards are presented every two years by IBBY to an author and an illustrator, nominated by any IBBY National Section, whose complete works have made an important and lasting contribution to children's literature worldwide. The Hans Christian Andersen Awards are among the most distinguished awards for children's books internationally, and are sometimes referred to as the "Nobel Prize" of children's literature. An international jury from eleven countries on four continents will select the final winners, which will be announced at a press conference at the Bologna Children's Bookfair on Monday, March 22, 2010.  The US member of the current Hans Christian Andersen International Jury is Ernest Bond of Salisbury University, Maryland. Past USBBY nominees who have won the Hans Christian Andersen Medal are Meindert DeJong (Author, 1962), Maurice Sendak (Illustrator, 1970), Scott O'Dell (Author, 1972), Paula Fox (Author, 1978), Virginia Hamilton (Author, 1992), and Katherine Paterson (Author, 1998).

View our feature page for more about Eric Carle and his work.

DK Eyewitness Travel launches DK Top 10 Travel Guides for iPhone 

DK Eyewitness Travel announced this week that its bestselling Top 10 Travel Guides are now available as easy-to-navigate digital guides for iPhone and iPod touch users on the Apple App Store. Users will be able to browse top sights, places to eat, maps, shopping, museums and many others things to do for each destination. There is also the added functionality of a "Favorites" tool and a currency converter. The 10 destinations covered are: New York City, London, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Paris, Rome, Dubai, Barcelona, Cancun and Bangkok.

The DK Top 10 Travel apps are available ($7.99) from Apple's App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or on the iTunes website. For more information, visit www.traveldk.com/iphone.

U.S. Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor Inspired by Grosset & Dunlap's Nancy Drew 

On announcing New York City's own Sonia Sotomayor for U.S. Supreme Court Justice, President Barack Obama said, "It's my understanding that Judge Sotomayor's interest in the law was sparked as a young girl by reading the Nancy Drew series." Nancy Drew, the seventy-nine years young girl detective, also has a fan in Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Sotomayor's love for The Nancy Drew Mystery Series (Grosset & Dunlap) received widespread media attention, including mentions on "Good Morning America" and CNN, and in The Washington Post, The New York Daily News, The Associated Press, and The New York Times.

Find all the books in The Nancy Drew Mystery Series here.

 

 The Soloist Selected as First-Year Common Read at California State University

California State University, Long Beach has adopted The Soloist by Steve Lopez (Berkley) for its first-year Common Read program. Approximately 3,500 freshmen will read the book as part of a first year-seminar course. In addition, the school will collaborate with the Long Beach Reads One Book Program, in order to get the entire city community involved in the program.

Explore the reading group guide to find an introduction to the book and discussion questions.

 

 

Hudson Street Press Author Carla Harris Continues Successful Tour for Expect to Win 

Expect to Win (Hudson Street Press, on sale now) author Carla A. Harris continues her 20-city tour with two very successful events this past weekend in Dallas, Texas, including one at The Potter's House Church, home of TD Jakes. She sold a total of 525 books at the two events.  Upcoming events in June include stops in New York, Austin, Baltimore, Miami and Honolulu.
 

 

 

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