'The Color Purple' finally released as an e-book

(AP) — Alice Walker's "The Color Purple," a Pulitzer Prize winner in 1983 and still a widely taught and talked about novel, is finally coming out as an e-book.

But not through a traditional publisher.

Open Road Integrated Media, the digital company co-founded two years ago by former HarperCollins CEO Jane Friedman, has reached an agreement with Walker to release the electronic version of "The Color Purple" and most of her other work.

New editions of "The Color Purple" and the novels "The Temple of My Familiar" and "Possessing the Secret of Joy" were released Tuesday. On Nov. 22, eight more books will be published. The e-books will include author interviews, photographs and personal documents.

Walker is best known for "The Color Purple," set in rural Georgia in the 1930s. It was adapted into a 1985 Steven Spielberg film of the same name and more recently into a Broadway musical.

"I love reading a good book while flying through the air," Walker said in a statement. "I've traveled all my life and have visited many of the faraway places I dreamed of as a child: India, Australia, Bali, South Africa, Iceland, etc. On each journey I've carried books. Books that taught me a lot, while engaging my sense of wonder, but that got heavier and heavier! Open Road promises to be a way for my books to accompany travelers on their own journeys of exploration and learning."

Open Road has previously acquired e-rights to such best-sellers as Pat Conroy's "The Prince of Tides" and William Styron's "Darkness Visible" by offering royalty rates of 50 percent, double what traditional publishers usually offer, and by promising aggressive promotion.

"Open Road has the best technical know-how and best forward-moving energy. I love the way all the people I've worked with express and carry themselves: with confidence and enthusiasm but also with a sense of experience. They have a track record," Walker said.

"If this were not enough, there is a sense, lacking often in publishing, of connectedness with the author, of all of us being in this adventure together, wanting it to be the best."

Walker's agent, Wendy Weil, wrote in an email that "with e-book publishing bursting into popularity during the last two years, this seemed to be the perfect time and e-publisher to market her backlist successfully."

As the digital market rapidly grows, agents and publishers have disagreed over older books, with agents saying that the contracts did not cover e-books because the format didn't yet exist and publishers saying such rights were implicit.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, which originally published "The Color Purple" and the other works being issued electronically by Open Road, did not immediately return phone and email requests for comment Monday.



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Sarah Palin threatens to sue author of "Rogue" book

(Reuters) - Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin threatened on Monday to sue the author and publisher of an unflattering biography she said was filled with "lies and rumors presented as fact."

The book by veteran political writer Joe McGinniss, "The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin," was published last week as speculation mounted about whether the Republican conservative firebrand would launch a late bid for her party's presidential nomination in 2012.

A letter from Palin's lawyer said McGinniss and Crown Publishing faced possible legal action for defaming the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee.

The letter advises the author and Crown to refrain from destroying any e-mail correspondence that might serve as evidence in such a lawsuit. Crown is owned by German-based media conglomerate Bertelsmann AG.

"This book contains a series of lies and rumors presented as fact and combined with 'anonymous' sources," said the letter, sent by Palin attorney John Tiemessen.

As evidence of the malice a successful defamation suit would likely have to show, the letter cited an e-mail from McGinniss to an Alaska political blogger in which he expressed skepticism about unsubstantiated reports pertaining to Palin's personal life that Tiemessen said were included in the book.

"The final work that was published contains most of the stories that Mr. McGinniss complains were nothing more than 'tawdry gossip' that amounted to the wishful fantasies of disturbed individuals," Tiemessen's letter said.

Tiemessen, reached at his Fairbanks, Alaska, office, declined to discuss the subject further. McGinniss could not immediately be reached for comment.

Palin's husband, Todd, issued a statement about McGinniss and his book before it was released, saying the author had a "creepy obsession with my wife."

Among the more sensational allegations contained in the book is an account of a one-night stand Palin is purported to have had as a 23-year-old unmarried sports reporter with a future professional basketball player.

But most of the book is devoted to Palin's actions as mayor of Wasilla and governor of Alaska, up to her abrupt resignation from that post in July 2009.

The book portrays Palin as fascinated with celebrity and self-advancement but disinterested in governing.



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Brad Paisley to release first book Nov. 1

(AP) — Country superstar Brad Paisley is set to release his first book on Nov. 1.

It's called "Diary of a Player" and shows how the guitar gods of country, blues and rock 'n' roll have shaped his life.

Paisley tells The Associated Press he can't imagine his life if he never learned to play the guitar. His grandfather gave him his first six-string at age 8.

Paisley is the reigning Country Music Association entertainer of the year. He has sold over 11 million albums and charted 20 No. 1 singles, including his most recent duet with Carrie Underwood, "Remind
Me."

The book is co-written with Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild and published by Howard Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

Scientology book author reveals church's inner workings

(TheWrap.com) - Scientology operates more as a business than as a church, relying on techniques perfected by car salesmen to attract new members and celebrities to its rolls.

That's just one of the takeaways from Janet Reitman's controversial book about the world's most controversial and secretive religion. "Inside Scientology" chronicles L. Ron Hubbard's creation of Scientology six decades ago and traces its development into the faith of choice for movie stars such as John Travolta and Tom Cruise.

In an interview with TheWrap, Reitman, a Rolling Stone contributing editor, addressed blackmail rumors and talked about why Kabbalah may represent a bigger threat to it than any "South Park" parody.

Q: Is Scientology still a big religion in celebrity circles?

Reitman: I totally think that celebrity Scientologists are hesitant to be public about it these days, but I don't think they've ever had as many celebrities as people think. There are really very few. Cruise is a big celebrity. Travolta is a long-time celebrity. Jenna Elfman had a TV show, but most of these people aren't huge celebrities. Kabbalah has gotten the superstars. Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Madonna -- those are big stars.

Q: How effective has Cruise been as the public face of Scientology?
A: I don't believe he's been an effective face in terms of getting new members, but he's been very effective in terms of getting the existing members excited. There was a specific strategy in place to make Cruise into the model Scientologist. It was a promotional strategy and it's been good and bad.

Existing members are not necessarily aware of how the church is perceived. They are told they should not read newspapers, they would not have watched the "South Park" episode that makes fun of them, and they would not have read the magazine article that became the basis for my book. So from their viewpoint, Cruise's behavior would be perceived completely differently than what we see. It would have made them really excited to see him jumping on Oprah's couch.

Q: There are all these rumors that celebrities like Cruise remain Scientologists because the church knows all their secrets and they fear blackmail. Any truth to that?
A: I didn't go into that too much in my book, but it seems obvious. They have the goods on everybody. A great part of the Scientology experience is the confession that happens in the auditing experience. You are constantly being asked to write up your transgressions, maybe even your unspoken transgressions. They know everything about you. They would know everything about Cruise in the same way that they would know everything about me if I were a member.

Q: How is the celebrity experience different than that of average Scientologists?
A: Basically to ensure that they have a happy experience, are shielded from anything negative. They have church appointed minders who guide them through the process. They have no idea the level of control they're under. If Scientology is a parallel universe than this is really a parallel universe.

There's been a celebrity strategy since the mid-'80s. They are seen as cash cows, as these amazing emotional tools. It's very savvy what's going on, so it's not surprising that celebrities are treated in a wonderful way, a way that's very different than an average member. They are often looked at as more important than the clergy. You have these people who have been serving the church for 35 years who have to salute Tom Cruise and call him sir.

Q: Why do you think Scientology remains so controversial?
A: I think it has to do with its history of secrecy and also its history of litigiousness. I do think that's changed slightly. In so many ways it tries to not be so secretive anymore. It tries to be less aggressive than it was in the past. You don't see them filing those giant lawsuits any longer. I think it's a residual effect. They pled guilt to conspiracy once. They conducted a domestic espionage operation. And you have all these people who left the church coming out about their experience.

Q: What shocked you the most about Scientology?

A: I didn't expect to find out how much of a business they were. They are almost like a multi-level marketing firm. They have a very shrewd marketing sense. They are drilled on how to sell. They use a book written by a car salesman that talks about sure-fire sales techniques and it shows you how to close the deal. It's an essential part of their training.

*This ladies and gentlemen is very interesting, as scientology is huge with celebrities. However, when it comes to "true" religion, I think we all know where "we" stand.*

Book Talk: Baldacci turns to family drama in new book

(Reuters) - Best-selling author David Baldacci is known for penning page-turners such as "The Simple Truth," "Split Second" and "The Sixth Man," in which he guides readers through mysteries at the highest levels of power.

His latest novel, "One Summer," is a family drama, a genre Baldacci explored in short stories before his debut novel "Absolute Power" made him a star in 1996.

"One Summer" follows Jack Armstrong, a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, as he tries to keep his family together following the sudden death of his wife and his own life-threatening battle with a mysterious illness.

Baldacci spoke with Reuters about the stylistic departure.

Q: How did you get the idea for this book?

A: "I was at church for my son's confirmation, and I'd gotten there early because my wife had asked me to save some seats for friends and family, so I had some time to think. I had a lot of things going on with my family at the time. My dad had passed away a year earlier. My mom was ill. My daughter was getting ready to head off to college. And I was thinking about my mortality, and this story hit me and unspooled before me -- the premise, the plot, the theme. I had to write it, and spent the next three months doing just that."

Q: "One Summer" is much different than the thrillers for which you're known. What types of challenges did you face in writing the book?

A: "In some ways it was liberating. I didn't have to lay out a lot of red herrings and clues. I could delve more deeply into the characters. Obviously, it's a different sort of genre. But those sorts of stories were what I started with. I wrote short stories for 10 years before I became a thriller writer, and their themes were more like the themes explored in 'One Summer.'"

Q: When do you know you have an idea worthy of a book?

A: "Usually, I rattle it around my head for a month. Earlier in my career I'd get an idea and say 'Great!' But when I'd start the next book I'd realize I didn't have enough material to justify a novel. As I'm thinking about the book, I need to layer the story to have plot and sub-plot, and then I have to think about the characters that could inhabit the story. And if all of that passes my litmus test, which is a feeling, an instinct in which I know I have enough material, I sit down and write it."

Q: What is it you hope readers feel when finished reading your books?
A: "Well, first of all, I hope they find it was an entertaining story that kept them engrossed as they went through the story with the characters. And I hope, with my thrillers especially, that they feel a little bit smarter than they were before they read the book. So if they feel smarter and feel like they've lived the story with the characters then I feel I've met all my goals as a writer."

Q: You're prolific. How often do you write?
A: "While I love to write, I don't write every day, because for me it's a waste of time. Some writers stare at the page or screen until it comes. For me, that means I haven't thought the story through enough. I don't have an official word count that I work with. Some days I'll write 100 words, and some days I'll write 5,000 words."

Q: Will novels survive?

A: "Oh, absolutely. The world is a story and people have been engaged by stories forever. That's how families swapped tales of each other. I think if books go away then humanity goes away, and I don't think anyone wants that."

C.J CALETT IS BACK WITH MORE BITCHITUDE!

Bestselling author C.J. Calett just released another book in the bitchitude series for the fat girls.  (fatitude)

However, we hear another version  for the "fat girls" is only dedicated to the fat girls. So watch out BBW C.J. is dedicating one solely to you. (fattitude)

Look out for "BEWARE OF MY "Fat Ass" BITCHITUDE: It's All About The Fatitude." and "BEWARE OF MY "Fat Ass" BITCHITUDE: It's All About The Fattitude."


Get them today at amazon.

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HAPPY "LITERARY 4TH" OF JULY!

We hope everyone has a fabulous 4th of July with love and fun!

It's about celebrating family, people, and honor.

Be safe.

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