BREAKING BAD's Bryan Cranston Breaks Into Publishing

The hit television show "Breaking Bad" was all the rage in the States a few years ago, spreading just in the past six months or so across the pond to the UK. And now, the craze seems to be shifting mediums as lead actor Bryan Cranston signs a deal with Simon & Schuster to pen a memoir about his time on the show.

The Los Angeles Times tells us more:

“With this book, I want to tell the stories of my life and reveal the secrets and lies that I lived with for six years shooting ‘Breaking Bad,’ ” Bryan Cranston said in the press release announcing his upcoming memoir. The as-yet-untitled book will be published by Scribner in 2015. 

Cranston won three best actor Emmy Awards portraying Walter White, the cancer-stricken chemistry teacher who turns to making methamphetamine to support his family. In the show's five seasons, White -- who in a desperate moment came up with the pseudonym Heisenberg -- went from everyman to drug kingpin. 

The role has become iconic -- Heisenberg T-shirts are available just about everywhere, including Wal-Mart. But Cranston, 58, has had a long career as an actor whose skills allowed him to play all kinds of roles. 

He was the father in the goofy TV comedy "Malcolm in the Middle," quietly appeared in the Oscar-winning drama "Argo" and is currently portraying Lyndon Johnson on Broadway. 

As he told Terry Gross in a recent interview on NPR's "Fresh Air," he had a difficult childhood as his parents' marriage dissolved. His father was a frustrated actor and alcoholic, and his mother also struggled with alcohol. For a time he and his brother lived with their grandparents, where they learned to slaughter chickens. 

The publisher promises that Cranston's book will be "a deeply candid work" and "offer fascinating insights into his early years, the craft of acting, and his experiences on the landmark series 'Breaking Bad.' ”

See the original post HERE

I'm not even halfway through watching the series myself (thank you, Netflix), but it's clear from just the very first few episodes how impactful a role like Walter White must have been on Cranston. Many of the actors involved (Aaron Paul, anyone?), in fact, surely have much worth sharing regarding the intensely emotional and suspenseful--and sometimes terrifying--show. I will definitely be snatching myself a copy of this baby when it hits the shelves!

Costner Co-writes New Adventure Series for S&S

Today's SHOCKING news: another celebrity has landed a book deal.

This time, Atria Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) has inked an agreement with actor Kevin Costner for a adventure series, according to GalleyCat:

Actor Kevin Costner has signed a book deal with Simon & Schuster’s Atria Books imprint for an adventure series. It begins with The Explorers Guild, Volume One: Passage to Shambhala in 2014. The book is aimed at a broad group of readers, ranging from “young adult to more mature mystery and adventure enthusiasts.”

Writer and art director Jon Baird (pictured, left) also worked on the project with Costner (middle), which will be illustrated by Rick Ross (middle). Rob Weisbach and Fonda Snyder at Rob Weisbach Creative Management negotiated the deal with publisher Judith Curr. Atria senior editor Sarah Durand and assistant editor Daniel Loedel will edit the book.

Here’s more from the release: “Behind the staid rooms of an old world gentlemen’s club operates a darker, more mysterious organization: The Explorers Guild, a clandestine group of adventurers who seek out the places where light gives way to shadow and reason is usurped by myth … Set against the backdrop of World War I, with Western Civilization spiraling into chaos, the first installment in The Explorers Guild series, A Passage to Shambhala, concerns the Guild’s quest to find Shambhala, the golden city of Buddhist myth. Each member is driven toward the City for a different reason: one believes that finding it will save his brother’s life; another hopes that it will reveal a path to spiritual enlightenment. Some believe the power of the city can be used to restore peace, while others are certain that Shambhala is responsible for bringing mankind to the brink of apocalypse.”

See the original post HERE

While the market seems to be more and more inundated with celeb authors, it's nice to see that Costner chose to co-write his book--and to publicly acknowledge it. What a strange concept for a celeb novelist! And while the plot sounds a little all over the place to me--and with way too broad a targeted audience--I'm somewhat intrigued.

Other celebs with book deals this week? Musician Carlos Santana and actress Jessica Lange.

Celeb Steps Up with New Book to Help Prevent Bullying

Though there are a number of headlines that swept the publishing blogs today--eBook release controversies, self-publishing successes, etc.--I want to talk about 50 Cent.

Yes, that's right. The rapper.

I've never been much a hip-hop/rap fan, truth be told, and I can't really even think of a single song by 50 Cent that I would recognize. But when I saw on Galley Cat today that he just signed a contract for a book about bullying, I wanted to applaud:

Hip-hop artist Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson will write a semi-autobiographical novel called Playground. The young-adult book stars “a thirteen-year-old schoolyard bully who finds redemption as he faces what he’s done.”

Penguin Group (USA)’s Razorbill imprint will release the title in January 2012. Laura Arnold will edit the book. Agency Group agent Marc Gerald brokered the deal.

The rapper (pictured, via) had this statement: “I wanted to explore how a kid becomes a bully. I drew on events from my own childhood and adolescence, but was excited to see the story take on its own life. This book would have been very helpful for me growing up and now that I have a teenage son, it is my goal that this will have a positive influence on all teenagers.”

See the original post HERE

I love the fact that one of today's celebs is taking such an active approach to helping reduce such a prominent problem. It's so refreshing.

It's Official: Hocking Signs with SMP

The New York Times announced this morning that Amanda Hocking has officially been snapped up by St. Martin's Press, an imprint of Macmillan (my first publishing home, but that's neither here nor there haha). The deal occurred after a heated auction (with a number of the Big 6 publishers, I might add) sky-rocketed the bids into the 7 figures.

The final result? A four-book deal for $2 million, reports Julie Bosman from the NYT:

Amanda Hocking, the 26-year-old author who shot to fame by selling more than one million copies of her self-published books, has signed up with a traditional publisher for her next series.

St. Martin’s Press, part of Macmillan, will publish Ms. Hocking’s “Watersong” series, four books in the young-adult paranormal genre.

A heated auction for the rights to publish her books began early last week, and several major publishers, including Random House, Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins, dropped out as the price climbed into the seven figures.

The bidding eventually rose beyond $2 million for world English rights, said one publishing executive familiar with the negotiations. (St. Martin’s declined to comment.) Ms. Hocking was represented by the literary agent Steven Axelrod.

The first book in the series will be released in fall 2012, a spokeswoman for St. Martin’s said.

Ms. Hocking, who lives in Austin, Minn., began self-publishing her books last year, selling them through online retailers like Amazon.com and BN.com. In doing so, she became a reluctant spokeswoman for the practice of self-publishing, which allows authors to sell their books directly to readers without the help of a traditional publisher.

Writing on her blog on Tuesday, the day after it was reported that Ms. Hocking was shopping her series to traditional publishers, she explained herself to her readers.

“I want to be a writer,” she said. “I do not want to spend 40 hours a week handling e-mails, formatting covers, finding editors, etc. Right now, being me is a full time corporation.”

See the original post HERE

Hocking Likely to Get Traditional Publishing Power

It's interesting to me that for all the support and success Amanda Hocking has given to the self-publishing world, news has now hit that she's shopping around her four-book series to a traditional publisher. With major publishers bidding over $1 million for World English rights, it's quite the turn of events.

The New York Times tells us more:

Amanda Hocking, the darling of the self-publishing world, has been shopping a four-book series to major publishers, attracting bids of well over $1 million for world English rights, two publishing executives said.

Ms. Hocking, a 26-year-old Minnesota native who writes young-adult paranormal and dystopian novels, began self-publishing her books last year. Since then, she has sold more than 900,000 copies of nine books, mostly in electronic form, she wrote on her blog.

On Amazon.com, her e-books sell for $2.99 or $.99, well below the price of a typical newly released book from a major publisher. It is a lucrative model for the author: for a book priced at $2.99, Ms. Hocking keeps 70 percent of the revenue, and 30 percent goes to the online retailer.

She is represented by the literary agent Steven Axelrod, who declined to comment. The auction could be completed by the end of Monday or Tuesday, one person close to the bidding said.

Ms. Hocking has been held up as an example of an author who has shrewdly circumvented the established publishing industry, selling her novels through retailers like Amazon.com and BN.com and promoting them on her Facebook page and Twitter feed. Her books have landed on the USA Today best-seller list.

But she has dismissed suggestions that her success is easily replicated.

“Self-publishing and traditional publishing really aren’t that different,” she wrote in a widely circulated blog post early this month. “One is easier to get into but harder to maintain. But neither come with guarantees. Some books will sell, some won’t.”

Read the original article HERE

Celebs, Celebs, Everywhere

This week, Boldtype and Flavorwire just had too many hilarious and/or interesting articles to choose from! But after much deliberation, I've decided to share with you a little something called "The Year in Disturbing Celebrity Book Deals."

As the year winds down, I can think of several celeb memoirs or novels that lack literary merit, if you will. I can also think of another dozen-plus number of celeb proposals that were nixed by the editorial board at my last job. Weekly meetings at publishing houses all throughout New York get the frequent proposal claiming to be the next celeb bestseller.

Some of these ideas percolate in-house where an editor then reaches out to a manager or an agent, and some come from the celeb directly. Some are hits, some are massive bombs. And some, you just can't believe ever made it through the grueling acquisitions process.

Boldtype/Flavorwire present what they deem the worst celeb books of 2010:

Celebrity book deals practically exist to piss us off. While there are certainly exceptions to the rule (such as the recent, glowingly reviewed tomes by Jay-Z and Steve Martin, as well as Patti Smith’s National Book Award-winning memoir), most stars just aren’t writers. And few things are more annoying — especially for those of us who write for a living, or have aspirations of doing so — than the news that a functionally illiterate reality TV star is preparing to “write” a memoir, children’s book, or novel. After the jump, we take a look at the year’s most irritating examples, from the Salahis to Snooki.

Susan Boyle

Curious about what Boyle, who rose to fame as the frumpy 47-year-old virgin with a beautiful voice, has been doing all her life? We aren’t, but that didn’t stop British publisher Transworld from handing the singer a deal to write the memoir The Woman I Was Born to Be about the making of an unlikely diva. As she said in a statement, “When I strutted on to the stage for that audition, I was a scared wee lassie, still grieving for my mother, not caring how I looked. I think I’ve grown up a lot in the last year, become more of a lady, and I’m not so frightened anymore.” Okay, we stopped reading after “wee lassie,” but — “wee lassie”! There is someone in the world who actually talks like this! Sold.

Tyra Banks

Because she thinks she’s Oprah, Tyra Banks is trying to conquer all spheres of media as quickly as possible. So, back in May, she signed a deal with Random House to write a trilogy of YA books, beginning with Modelland, about “a fantastical place you’ve never seen, or heard about, or read about before … Where dreams come true and life can change in the blink of a smoky eye.” This sounds like it’s going to be really great for teen girls’ self esteem!

Michaele and Tareq Salahi

Apparently, being stupid enough to crash a state dinner at the White House will now win you a book deal. In June, we learned that the pair would be writing a memoir about the stunt — because that will surely provide hundreds of pages worth of material — with the help of investigative reporter Diane Diamond. The resulting book, Cirque du Salahi, came out in September and was credited solely to Dimond. It currently has a whopping 1.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.

The Situation

You might ask, “How is it possible to write a book when you’ve never read a book?” It’s a good question, and one that Sitch’s “co-author” Chris Millis might be in the best position to answer. Back in July, welearned about the book deal, and less than four months later, publisher Gotham crapped out Here’s the Situation: A Guide to Creeping on Chicks, Avoiding Grenades, and Getting in Your GTL on the Jersey Shore. If nothing else, it would make a good Christmas present for someone you secretly hate.

Paul the Octopus

Yes, the octopus who accurately predicted the outcome of every single German World Cup game landed a book deal for his trouble. Unfortunately, the two-and-a-half-year-old sea creature died back in October. Perhaps he’ll be releasing material posthumously, like Biggie and Tupac?

Snooki

Not only is TV’s favorite pickle-loving Oompah-Loompah the second Jersey Shore cast member to break into publishing, but she’s writing what she might call “a friggin’ novel.” Titled A Shore Thing, the book, which was announced in September, is supposedly coming out in January and “will revolve around a girl looking for love on the boardwalk (one full of big hair, dark tans, and fights galore).” Hey, write what you know, right?

Christine O’Donnell

The year’s final insult is one of its worst: instead of disappearing forever after losing the election, the tea party Senate candidate from Delaware is going to write a book. According to Politico, the book will recount her experience in the 2010 election — because, you know, we didn’t hear enough about it while it was happening. “I plan on making my book one of the revolution’s catalysts,” O’Donnell said. So… goody. Look for it in August of next year. Or, you know, don’t.

See the original piece HERE

I'm pleased to see the two, why-the-heck-are-they-famous-they're-so-freakin-annoying "Jersey Shore" disasters on there, I must admit. Those were the first two I thought of when I saw the headline for the piece.

What do YOU think are the biggest celeb book mistakes of the year?

Historically Accurate Vulgarity? Sign Me Up!

My dear author Allison Pang wrote a blog post earlier this week about a hilarious--but supremely useful for some--book: 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue:

Just a little nod in the direction of a great resource for world-building and historical accuracy. If you're don't own this book and you write Steam Punk, Historical fiction, Time-travel, Fantasy, whatever - you totally should.

Essentially it's a compilation of slang used by actual people, back in the day - circa 1790 to 1820. You'll find bits of peasant cant, Romany and just the conversational words used by the average everyday Joe of the moment.

And yes, some of the words *are* vulgar, but it's just so interesting to see the history of the English language and how much of it is still used today (and with the same connotations.)

The beauty of it is that the book was actually written in 1811, so copyrights don't really apply. You can find it over at the Gutenberg Project for a quick look through electronically, or buy one of the many versions out at the book store. (If you click the link you'll find it in both hard cover and paper back, and I think it's also out for the Kindle, as well.

See the original post on her blog Borrowing Heaven, Subletting Hell

or at her author site, Heart of the Dreaming

Given that I just this week I made an offer (and won!) on a 3-book historical romance series, I think I'll be tracking down a copy of this one!

The Victorian era novels about three sexy Scotland Yard inspectors by 2010 Golden Heart winner Jillian Stone are sure to need some historically accurate vulgar language ;)

So stoked about working with Jillian on this series. It's going to kick some serious ass.

The Capones: Not Such a Happy Family

Once and a while, I read book release news that makes me heave a sigh of relief. And not because it's exciting news and I'm just dying to read a book on whatever topic.

Instead, it's usually because something has exploded--or crashed and burned--with a recently contracted title that I saw by submission, a title that I thankfully put it in the ole "NO" column.

For example, this upcoming memoir by Deirdre Marie Capone, the great-niece of the notorious mobster Al Capone.

According to the Wall Street Journal, it seems the memoir is causing quite the stir:

Deirdre Marie Capone, a great niece of Al Capone, spent years concealing her connection to the legendary mobster. Like a lot of his relatives, she used a different last name. She even kept the family tie hidden from her children.

Now the 70-year-old Florida grandmother plans to reveal what it was like to grow up a Capone. Her book, "Uncle Al Capone," will be published in the fall, she says.

"I sat on his lap, I felt his scar," Ms. Capone says. "How many historians who wrote about him ever heard his voice?"

One potential audience isn't eager to read her opus: the other Capones.

"I wouldn't read it if somebody bought it for me," says Theresa Hall, a granddaughter of Al Capone. Katherine Seal, 43, a great-granddaughter, says, "What is the benefit to all this, you have to ask oneself? He's been dead for 60 or 70 years. Why keep rehashing it?"

The book isn't the only thing dividing the Capone clan these days. Some relatives are up in arms about another author, Chris Knight Capone, who claims to be a grandson of Al.

The 38-year-old New Yorker filed a lawsuit in Chicago last year to have the mobster's remains exhumed so he can obtain genetic proof of his ancestry. Mr. Capone hired a ghostwriter and self-published a book, "Son of Scarface," in 2008.

Members of the Capone family long tried to keep a low profile, forgoing the opportunity to cash in on their infamous relative's name. Most live modest, middle-class lives. No living relative has been linked to organized crime. Al Capone, who died in 1947, left no will and no inheritance, family members say.

Now that some Capones—authentic or not—are going public with their stories, relatives are bickering. And money may be at stake. Deirdre Marie Capone says she intends to work with other relatives to set up a company to license rights to the Capone name and likeness in California, where state laws are favorable for asserting publicity rights for dead celebrities. Chris Knight Capone says he, too, would like to assert publicity rights. "I want to get what my family deserves," he says.

"He has absolutely no proof of anything he says," says Deirdre Marie Capone.

Says Chris Knight Capone: "My proof is my blood."

[...]

[Dierdre Marie Capone] says the work will show a different side of Al Capone. "When you have Capone blood in you and you see him portrayed as an absolute monster on films, it really makes you angry," she says.

Ms. Hall, a Californian whose late father, Albert "Sonny" Capone, was Al Capone's son, says she won't read it because she is furious about revelations in another book. In Get Capone, published this year by Simon & Schuster, author and former Wall Street Journal reporter Jonathan Eig cites Deirdre Marie Capone as claiming that Sonny Capone was the son not of Al Capone's wife, Mae, but of a young woman who died during childbirth.

"You probably could have stuck a knife in my heart," says Ms. Hall, who is in her fifties and knew Mae Capone as her grandmother. "It is totally, completely false."

Deirdre Marie Capone says she feels bad that Ms. Hall is upset. "I thought this was something that everybody in the family knew about," she says. Mr. Eig says he attributed the information to Deirdre Marie Capone, and Ms. Hall didn't talk to him, so "I have nothing to add."

While Deirdre Marie Capone was polishing her manuscript in the last few years, Chris Knight Capone was working on his. [...]

Read the entire article HERE

I'm not sure what this kind of publicity will do for book sales exactly, but it will probably help up the numbers--even if the book isn't as interesting and well-written as some may think. I'm just happy not to be involved in some book-hate from the Capone family, or any potential lawsuits.

Dodged that bullet.

SMP Shoots Down Evanovich's $50 Million "Idea"

This just in...

St. Martin's Press has just let their biggest fiction author become a free agent--Janet Evanovich.

According to deadline.com, Evanovich's requested $50 million advance was just too steep for the last privately owned major trade publisher to accept:

In a shocking development, bestselling author Janet Evanovich is leaving St. Martin's Press after 15 years. The publisher refused to pay her request for $50 million for her next four books -- so now her son/agent Peter Evanovich is
expected to shop the deal to other publishers shortly. I'm told Evanovich is St. Martin's biggest fiction author, best known for her novel series about bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. Katherine Heigl will play her in One for the Money, a Julie Anne Robinson-directed film for Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Lakeshore that Lionsgate will distribute.

The St. Martin's Press decision is the way that publishing business is going these days, with houses crunching the bottom line and not giving the kind of advances to franchise authors that were commonplace five years ago. Still, publishing industry insiders said Evanovich's ask was on the high side, despite her bestselling track record. Her latest novel, Sizzling Sixteen, has been near the top of the bestseller lists since its publication earlier this summer. Evanovich's longtime St. Martin's editor, Jennifer Enderlin, said, "I'm not
commenting on anything."

See the article HERE

I don't blame SMP for a second for not acquiescing to Evanovich's request. Word on the street is her last contract, with previous representation at Trident Media Group, ended up at $13 mil. Quite the jump she wants there! Sure, she's a bestselling author time and time again, but if the numbers don't work and they don't meet their margins with that hefty of an advance, they should let her go. I sure would've loved to get a look at those P&Ls though...

Macmillan's Secret "Unghosted" Acquisition

Today, a new Hollywood memoirist came out of the woodwork--actor Rob Lowe.

Henry Holt, an imprint of Macmillan, will be publishing the tome, said to be written by Lowe himself sans ghostwriter:

Macmillan is just now announcing an acquisition it made in the fall of 2009, when Steve Rubin, president and publisher of Henry Holt, bought Rob Lowe's memoir, Stories I Only Tell My Friends. The publisher said the manuscript came in as a "confidential submission" because Lowe is writing the book himself and all parties wanted to keep the work under wraps until the first chapters had come together. The title is now slated for May 2011, with Holt's Gillian Blake editing.

In the book, Lowe details his career as well as his personal life, including his experiences as a father and his battle to get sober. In chronicling his 40-year career, Lowe offers a glimpses from his days as a child actor in Ohio, his stint in Malibu in the 1970s, through his time as a teen idol in the 1980s. Holt took world rights from Jennifer Rudolph Walsh at William Morris Endeavor.

See the PW announcement HERE

When I first saw this deal, I was kind of stoked, I'm not going to lie--I was also kind of ADD.

As a big-time "Brothers & Sisters" fan, it first reminded me that I have a couple more episodes to watch before I'm done the most recent season.

Then the pop-culture-hungry teenager in me was like "Oooh, I wonder if he'll talk about his alleged 2008 "nanny-scandal"!?!?

Only after that inner-squeal did my brain settled down a little and reveal to me the true topic of this post: ghostwriters.

We all know what a ghostwriter is (and if you don't, click here--I won't tell.) But what we don't know--unless we're privy to the inner-workings of a big trade publishing house--is whether or not celebrity authors can really write or if someone else is doing it for them.

The cynic in me is always skeptical when a celeb, like Mr. Lowe here, claims that he/she will be writing every down him/herself. Yes, it's stereotypical and unfair, but I think the majority of the population also questions the truth of such statements.

On a practical level, with all these celebs do, when do they even find the time to write? I can't imagine they can actually juggle that much work/social butterfly-ing/political agenda-ing/etc. and have time left over to write a book. Then on a more embarassing level, I wonder if they're even capable of writing something clear, concise, and engaging enough to sell for any reason other than who they are? We know they can recite some lines in a reasonable numberof takes, but can they really write such clever lines?

I know for a fact that some authors are very hands-on with their approach to writing, whether it be as a memoir a la Born Standing Up by Steve Martin--or fiction like L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad. But more often than not, celebs get a little help from their friends the ghostwriters.

But perhaps more important than whether or not they have a ghostwriter is wheter or not it even matters. It's a celeb's name that sells a book, not the quality, accuracy, or truthfulness or the content.

Heck, sometimes, a celeb just needs to carry a book and it becomes an instant bestseller.

What do YOU think about ghostwriting for the rich and famous?

Do you have a favorite celeb memoir/novel to recommend?

(If not, Ben Kenber of AssociatedContent.com sure does! Check it out HERE)

You Go, Grandma!

Some sweet news from GalleyCat over the weekend--an 82-year-old British woman just signed a three-book deal with UK Publisher Honno Press, proving it's never too late to make your authorial dreams come true:

If the 20 Under 40 list has you spooked, never fear--82-year-old novelist Myrrha Stanford-Smith has landed a book deal for a trilogy about the relationship between the great writers William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. After working her whole life as an actor and acting teacher, Stanford-Smith wrote her first novel late in life.

Here's the grandmother's reaction, from BBC News: "'I had to put the phone down and ring them back as I was so taken aback by the whole thing,' she said. 'I'd been waiting for the manuscript to be sent back really, rejected. It was such a wonderful surprise.'"

The Wales-based writer sent her first novel The Great Lie to Honno Press--unexpectedly landing a three-book deal. Her publisher generated a fair amount of press over the deal. The publisher of Welsh women authors recently posted this note: "we have been overwhelmed with manuscripts and are currently not accepting any more until October 1st, 2010."

See the article HERE

Yay! New Deal for Me!

From Publishers Marketplace this week. Woo!

Starr Ambrose's SILVER SPARKS, in which a major tabloid scandal hits a small Colorado resort town, reviving the "bad girl" reputation of a hometown beauty and pushing a visiting celebrity to dangerous lengths to keep his image clean, to Abby Zidle at Pocket, with Danielle Poiesz editing, in a two-book deal, for publication in December 2011, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency (World).

Make That THREE Deals in THREE Days!

Gallery Books just announced their deal with KISS guitarist Ace Frehley. The memoir, No Regrets, will be released next summer.

NEW YORK, June 8, 2010 – Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, announced today that it will publish legendary rocker and KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s memoir NO REGRETS. The book, to be published under the VH1 Books imprint, is scheduled for publication in Summer 2011, according to the press release:

Ace Frehley is known worldwide as the legendary original lead guitarist for the seminal rock band KISS and respected as a solo artist who has influenced generations of guitar players. KISS is known for its wild make-up, spectacular costumes, and theatrical live shows (not to mention their music)! Frehley will delve into his life as a kid growing up in the Bronx, his ups-and-downs and influences which catapulted him into a life of sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll, and reveal what is was like to be one of the founding members of one of the most influential bands in the world.

Ace Frehley said “ I think Sinatra said it best…‘regrets I’ve had a few, but then
again, too few to mention.’”

Jennifer Bergstrom, Vice President, Editor-in-Chief of Gallery Books, said " NO REGRETS is sure to be the next must-read rock-and-roll memoir.”

Gallery Books’ Senior Editor Jeremie Ruby-Strauss negotiated the deal with Frank Weimann, President of The Literary Group International, which includes world rights.

Two Exciting Deals in Two Days

Just some super quick--and exciting--deal news for all my loyal readers *cough* who need to start commenteing *cough*:

Monday from the AP Wire via CBSNews.com: Demi Moore has just signed a contract with HarperCollins for her first tell-all memoir to hit shelves in 2012.

Demi Moore, an actress famous for showing all, will now tell all.

HarperCollins announced Monday that it had acquired a "candid" memoir by the raspy-voiced star. The book will cover her life and career and is tentatively scheduled for release in 2012.

The book doesn't have a title yet.

Moore had shopped the book around with several publishers.The 47-year-old Moore has acknowledged a troubled upbringing. HarperCollins says the narrative will be "framed by her complicated relationship with her mother, Virginia King."

Moore is known for her work in such films as "Ghost" and "Indecent
Proposal." She appeared nude on the cover of Vanity Fair while pregnant and
married to Bruce Willis. She has been married to Ashton Kutcher since 2005.

Yesterday from EW.com: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers just snapped up the rights to the first 20th-Century-Fox authorized book for "Glee" (the hit new comedy series on Fox for those of you living in a hole =p).

After last night’s Glee finale, you probably thought some of the mania would die down for a bit? Not a chance. Shelf Life has learned that Little, Brown Books for Young Readers has struck a deal with Twentieth Century Fox to publish a line of official Glee-related books. (There are Glee books aplenty out there, but they are all unauthorized.) Little, Brown has multiple book projects in the works for its Glee program; the first to roll off the press will be an original novel called Glee: The Beginning. This prequel to the show, which includes a double-sided poster, will hit stores this August.

Berkley is Saved by the...Teen Self-Help Book?

When I first heard the below deal news from Associated Press yesterday, I thought there must be some mistake:

NEW YORK – Elizabeth Berkley is ready to take your question.

The actress will be writing "Ask Elizabeth," a "a self-esteem handbook for teen girls" based on questions she has been asked over the years.

G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers announced Tuesday that it expects to release the book next spring. It's an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group.

The 37-year-old Berkley is best known for the sitcom "Saved by the Bell" and for playing an exotic dancer in the movie "Showgirls." She also appeared in the films "The First Wives Club" and "Any Given Sunday."

See the article on Yahoo! HERE

My initial reaction to the news was "she's not exactly the ideal role model" or as "The Doctor," a Yahoo commentor put it a little more vividly, "Her writing a self-help book is like Linsdey Lohan filming a commercial for Partnership for a Drug Free America!!"

But what do we know? All we do is associate her with her raunchy character in Showgirls and her bit part as a call girl in Any Given Sunday. I'll admit that. We all do it all the time. Actors in particular are often associated with their roles, whether it's a fair assessment or not. No one considers Berkley for her theatre accomplishments, which are many I was suprised to find out, or for her vast involvement in the fight for animal rights. (In '97 she was part of a the "Lettuce Be Lean" PETA campaign, right; she was more recently nominated for "Sexiest Vegetarian of the Year" in 2008 and 2009.)

Little did I know, she also volunteers regularly at working with teen girls in junior high and high schools all over the globe. She helps with outreach programs including dance classes for young teens, and volunteers with the elderly, as well as for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Look at her go!

But what about the allegations that surfaced in Dustin "Screech" Diamond's memoir, Behind the Bell, not too long ago? The ones that talk about her--and the other cast members'--less than angelic behavior on and off the set of "Saved By the Bell"? Diamond's claims of drugs, sex, and even rape on the set are scandalous to say the least, but who knows if they are founded in truth or just the bitter rantings of a sad man who thinks he's, pardon my language, "the shit."

As far as I can tell, Diamond hasn't been hit with any libel lawsuits from his SBtB castmates. They have openly denounced him though, leaving him out of a reunion photo shoot for People.com last year in addition to speaking out:

Mark-Paul Gosselaar, who played Zack Morris on the original series, openly slammed his on-screen bestie in an interview [in a past] issue of Newsweek.

“What is he going to say?” Gosselaar asked sarcastically. “We were (bleeping) groupies at 14? I can’t wait to read his book, because I don’t have a memory of a lot of the shows. Maybe it was because I was doing lines off of the audience members’ a—-. I’m sure he’s going to write something crazy like that. So he’s writing a book, I’m not really afraid of what he has to say. There are not too many skeletons in my closet.”

Read the full article HERE

All this hearsey (or not) just makes me beg the question: Is Berkely someone who should be writing a self-help book for teens? Maybe we'll never know. But I'm curious to see what reviewers think when Ask Elizabeth hits the shelves.

Hilary Duff Hits the Shelves in 2010

Just when you thought pop-star Hilary Duff had fallen off the radar, Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers announces a multi-book deal with the entertainer.

The publisher's press release hit the PR newswire yesterday:

Hilary Duff, film and television star, recording artist, clothing designer, and philanthropist, has signed a world rights deal with Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers to publish her first-ever young adult fiction series, it was announced today. The first novel in the multiple-book series, entitled Elixir, publishes in hardcover in October 2010. Also part of the deal are world rights for a nonfiction title to be published in spring 2012 concerning the challenges faced by children of divorce--an issue that has touched Duff's own life.

Duff's Elixir combines the overpowering allure of a dangerous love triangle with thrilling international adventure. Clea Raymond is a talented young photojournalist who has spent her entire life in the spotlight as the daughter of a Washington politician and a renowned surgeon. Haunted by the strange appearance of a mysterious young man in her photographs, Clea travels the globe with her best friends, Rayna and Ben, in a race against time to unravel a centuries-old mystery that could unlock the key to her soulmate's true identity and the secret of her father's disappearance--and ultimately save all their lives.

Says Duff, "I've always loved the escape of a great book, especially one that features a strong, inspiring female character you feel you really understand, someone who could be you, but living a more fascinating life. I'm hoping Elixir will be that kind of book--a novel that will transport readers and open new worlds for them."

Read the complete press release HERE

Following in the footsteps of L.A. Candy author and reality star Lauren Conrad, Duff will now add "author" to her list of accolades. Whether her novels will be as big a success as Conrad's, however, remains to be seen.

And I'll admit it--I'm kind of excited to find out. I like Hilary Duff.

There, I said it.

I'm sure I'll own up to more of my Hilary Duff vice when the book comes out, as I know now, I want to review it. ;-) But for now, that's all you get.

GalleyCat Announces "Kindle-rella" Story (Which Also Happens to be Some More Personal News!)

I just found out that GalleyCat announced some personal news of mine this past Wednesday, though no one would know it from the article:

Publishing's "Kindle-rella" story had a happy ending, as one indie author went from indie "bestseller" in the Kindle store to scoring a book deal with Simon & Schuster's new Gallery Books imprint.

In January, we reported how indie publisher Bell Bridge Books offered a free copy of "Murder Takes The Cake" as a temporary promotion in the Kindle Store. The free book by Gayle Trent (pictured) jumped to third place on the Kindle "bestseller" list and she attracted the attention of Robert Gottlieb from Trident Media Group. Currently selling for $8.00, her book is now ranked #590 in the Kindle Store.

Trent's editor from Bell Bridge Books, Deborah Smith, emailed us with a quick follow-up report, calling Trent a "Kindle-rella" story: "Gottlieb has sold the next book in Trent's mystery series, Killer Sweet Tooth to Lauren McKenna ... The publisher is also picking up subrights from us on one of Gayle's previous titles in the series." Smith also noted that the company will try again with the temporary free Kindle edition promotion in March. (Deal info via Publishers Marketplace)

See the article on GalleyCat HERE

Unfortunately, the PW announcement wasn't run by me this time before it was published, so 'm not listed here as the editor. But it's official--I am. I've already spoken to Gayle and she's fantastic. We, of course, bonded over cake. Yay!

But not only is this exciting for me personally--another great, fun series to edit and cake-related--but it's an interesting development in the e-book/print saga.

More and more self-published or small press e-books are climbing the lists, and as a result, are catching the attention of traditional publishers and getting book deals. Clearly, e-book-only authors are still looking to find a top publisher to get their printed books out in the marketplace, showing that e-books are not taking over, as the prestige and merit of being published in print is still plenty significant.

Thank goodness.

A Little Personal News...

Check it out!

From Publishers Marketplace Deals yesterday afternoon:

Debut author Allison Pang's SHADOW OF THE INCUBUS, the first book in a new urban fantasy series about a mortal woman serving as the Queen of Elfland's human touchstone; when her employer goes missing, she finds herself under suspicion and learns that the only way to find the truth is to forge a truce with a sexy demon who may or may not be setting her up to be the next victim, to Lauren McKenna at Pocket, with Danielle Poiesz to edit, in a three-book deal, at auction, by Colleen Lindsay at FinePrint Literary Management (World English).

WOOOOOO!!! So stoked!

Another book deal for Katie Crouch

I just found out that Katie Crouch's second novel, The Magnolia League, has been scooped up by Poppy over at Hachette Book Group for a Spring 2011 publication. This pleases me to no end as her first book, Girls in Trucks, was an incredibly engaging and hilarious read! The cover caught my attention first, but the meat of this well-crafted novel--which claims to be YA but, in my opinion is more women's fiction--held me in rapt attention for hours and hours until I was done.

If you haven't read it yet, pick it up. It's fantastic. Just be prepared for a quite cynical and imperfect heroine...so you know, someone relatable.

More from Elizabeth Gilbert? Really?

Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir Eat, Pray, Love spread across bestseller lists like wildfire. Critics loved it, calling it "engaging," "insightful," and "brilliant." Publishers Weekly went so far as to claim it as a "cultural and emotional tapestry." Readers went wild for it and booksellers ate up the profits. Even now, nearly two years later, EPL is poised to make another splash in 2011, this time on the silver screen, in an adaptation starring Julia Roberts, Billy Crudup, and Javier Bardem.

And it just keeps coming. Publishers Marketplace announced today that Viking is planning a 1 million copy print run for Gilbert's follow up, Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace With Marriage. Expected to be "a memoir of the "tumultuous year" that came after the mega-success of Eat, Pray, Love" (Publishers Marketplace), Committed is bound to hit the lists just by nature of the author's past success.

But do we really need to hear more from Elizabeth Gilbert?
Personally, I say NO (in capital letters no less, especially given her past history of adultry, but that's another story). I was underwhelmed and unimpressed with EPL, finding Gilbert to be a petty, self-involved protagonist with more than her fair share of luck (and money), and quite frankly, I don't think the world needs any more of her toxic energy. Don't get me wrong, I am all for the universal search for identity we all go through, and I am happy to know that Gilbert went on such a soul-searching adventure and hopefully truly did come out of it a changed woman. But we don't all need to shout it from the rooftops. And if we do, such experiences should be shared with tact and grace, with compassion and an understanding that there are people much worse off than you that you need to avoid trampling over with insignificant whining. While her imagery and experiences were unique and even lush at times, I felt Gilbert was lacking that very important quality, and I was unable to sympathize with her situation. Yes, her life wasn't perfect, but in a lot of ways it was pretty damn close, and instead of taking those imperfections and A) working on them, or B) having the self-regard and initiative to rid her life of them if she couldn't deal, she just cast aside the world and went off in her own little la-la land, thinking of no one but herself. As I read, I constantly felt like shaking her and telling her "You got yourself into it, chica, now get yourself out!" Not the reaction I want from an insightful and engaging memoir.

So, please. Keep me far, far away from Committed, or someone will need to commit me.