Sharon Osbourne to Publish Children's Book Called Mama Hook Knows Best
Sharon Osbourne is publishing a children's for Disney Publishing called Mama Hook Knows Best: A Pirate Parent's Favorite Fables. The character is an extension of Osbourne's character from the hit Disney Junior series Jake and the Never Land Pirates. It will arrive in stores in fall 2013 and will be soldwith an audio CD featuring original narration by Sharon Osbourne. It will also be available in ebook form.
The book follows Mama Hook as she reminisces about her great adventures sailing the Never Sea and the stories she told her son Captain Hook when he was a young boy.
Sharon said in a statement, "I have such a wonderful time playing Mama Hook on 'Jake and the Never Land Pirates. To be able to take that role to the book world and share Mama Hook’s stories with families around the world is an honor. I hope kids enjoy reading Mama Hook’s pirate tales and continue to fall in love with her, just as I have."
2013 Children’s Choice Book Award Winners Announced
The winners of the 2013 Children's Choice Book Awards have been announced by the Children's Book Council and Every Child a Reader. The winners were announced a charity gala benefitting Every Child a Reader in New York City. This was the sixth annual CCBAs. Here is a list of the winners:
Author of the Year: Jeff Kinney for Diary of a Wimpy Kid 7: The Third Wheel (Amulet Books/Abrams)
Illustrator of the Year: Robin Preiss Glasser for Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year: Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta, illustrated by Ed Young (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year: Bad Kitty for President by Nick Bruel (Roaring Brook/Macmillan)
Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year: Dork Diaries 4: Tales from a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess by Rachel Renee Russell (Aladdin/Simon & Schuster)
Teen Book of the Year: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Dutton/Penguin)
Martin Short to Publish Memoir With Harper
Comedian and actor Martin Short has announced plans to publish his memoir with Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. The memoir will be published in 2014. The autobiography is Martin's first book.
Short will discuss his life and his forty-plus years in show business. It will cover his childhood in Hamilton, Canada. It will also cover his early years at SCTV and Saturday Night Live. Short will also discuss his films, including The Three Amigos and Father of the Bride.
Short said in a statement, "Although I've never read a book all the way through, I'm sure excited to write one. And my hope and dream is that in my propensity for honesty and my tendency to reveal raw sexual moments, I will create a hell of a 37 page page-turner. I haven't named my book yet, but I'm toying with the title, If I'd Saved, I Wouldn't Be Writing This."
Zendaya, the star of Disney's Shake It Up!, has signed a book deals with Disney-Hyperion. She will pen an advice book, called Between U and Me: How to Rock Your Tween Years with Style and Confidence, which will arrive in bookstores in August. The book was co-written with Sheryl Berk.
Between U and Me will will provide advice for navigating the tween years. It will also include personal photos, anecdotes, recipes, playlists, doodles, and advice from Zendaya's team of experts.
Zendaya says, "The tween years can be really fun and exciting, but they can also be a tough time in a girl's life. You're just finding your voice and personal style. There's a lot of drama in relationships with other girls, parents, siblings, teachers, and boys. I hope this book will help girls through the tougher parts of the tween years and help them appreciate the fun parts."
Eoin Colfer, the bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series, has launched a new series, called WARP. The first book in the series, WARP Book 1: The Reluctant Assassin, debuted May 7 with a 750,000 first printing. The series is published by Disney-Hyperion. Colfer is going on a nine-city tour in the U.S. later this month to promote the book.
Colfer said in a statement, "WARP, which stands for 'Witness Anonymous Relocation Program,' is an action-adventure series full of mayhem, magic, and murder - with a villain to die for. I think of this series as Oliver Twist meets The Matrix."
In the first book, Eoin Colfer introduces a new character named Riley, a teen-aged orphan boy living in Victorian London. Riley is being apprenticed by Albert Garrick, an illusionist who has fallen on difficult times and now uses his unique conjuring skills to gain access to victims' dwellings. On one murderous escapade, Garrick brings his reluctant apprentice along for his first killing. Riley is saved from having to commit murder when the intended victim turns out to be a scientist from the future, part of the FBI's WARP program. Riley is transported to modern-day London, followed closely by Albert Garrick.
Mystery Writers of America has announced the winners of the 2013 Edgar Allan Poe Awards. The annual awards for mystery fiction and nonfiction were presented at the organization's Gala Banquet at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City. Dennis Lehane won Best Novel for Live by Night. Here is the list of winners:
Best Novel: Live by Night by Dennis Lehane
Best First Novel: The Expats by Chris Pavone
Best Paperback Original: The Last Policeman: A Novel by Ben H. Winters
Best Fact Crime: Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China by Paul French
Best Critical/Biographical: The Scientific Sherlock Holmes: Cracking the Case with Science and Forensics by James O’Brien
Best Short Story: "The Unremarkable Heart" – Mystery Writers of America Presents: Vengeance by Karin Slaughter
Best Juvenile: The Quick Fix by Jack D. Ferraiolo
Best Young Adult: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Best Television Episode Teleplay: "A Scandal in Belgravia" - Sherlock, Teleplay by Steven Moffat
Robert L. Fish Memorial Award: "When They Are Done With Us" – Staten Island Noir by Patricia Smith
Grand Master: Ken Follett and Margaret Maron
Raven Awards: Oline Cogdill, Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, San Diego & Redondo Beach, CA
Ellery Queen Award: Akashic Books
Mary Higgins Clark Awards: The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Martha Stewart Shares Health Tips in Living the Good Long Life
Martha Stewart has a new book out about healthy living, The book, Living the Good Long Life, features advice, resources, charts and tips from doctors and wellness experts. The book is published by Clarkson Potter.
Martha received a blurb from former president Bill Clinton for the book. Clinton says, "In my Foundation's health initiatives—and in my own life - I've seen again and again how even small measures to improve your health can make a big difference. Living the Good Long Life is full of simple ideas that can be incorporated into daily routines to help you feel better and keep on doing what you love."
The book includes chapters about Martha's 10 Golden Rules for Successful Aging:
Healthy Eating: Stock a healthy pantry for your dietary needs.
Healthy Fitness: Stand strong on your feet by increasing your balance, endurance, and flexibility.
A Healthy Brain: Stimulate new brain activity to prevent memory loss.
A Healthy Outlook: Maintain a sense of daily purpose by strengthening social connections.
Healthy Living Every Day: Medicate wisely while paying attention to aches and pains.
Healthy Looks: Take care of your skin and match your makeup to your age.
Healthy Home: Create a home that is a reflection of how you want to live.
Healthy Living into the Future: Be your own wellness CEO to prevent future illness.
Healthy Caring: Prepare for helping others while caring for yourself.
Martha Stewart also frequently shares information about healthy living, food and entertainment on her Twitter account, @MarthaStewart. She also currently has two shows running on PBS.
Lauren Graham Talks First Novel, Someday, Someday, Maybe
Actress Lauren Graham (Parenthood) has written her first novel, Someday, Someday, Maybe. The novel tells the story of Franny Banks, a struggling actress trying to make it in New York City.
Lauren initially said the story changed for her throughout the writing process. At first she wanted her character to land a huge success, like a soap opera role, but she then decided it would be more interesting to capture the auditioning, not knowing and waiting involved in trying to make it in acting. Take a look:
Abrams to Publish Graphic Novel Based on Octavia E. Butler's Novel Kindred
Abrams has announced that it will publish a graphic novel based on Octavia E. Butler's novel, Kindred. The book was acquired from Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House and will be edited by Carol Burrell under the direction of Abrams ComicArts editorial director Charles Kochman. The graphic novel will be adapted by Damian Duffy and illustrated by John Jennings. It will be published in fall 2014.
Kindred, published in 1979, tells the story of Dana, a young African American woman who is suddenly transported from her home in modern day California to the antebellum South, where she finds herself in the frightening world of slavery. Each time Dana travels back in time her stay there gets longer. The novel has sold over half a million copies worldwide.
Little, Brown to Publish Paul McCartney Biography
Little, Brown will publish a Paul McCartney biography in 2015. The biography will be written with his approval by biographer Philip Norman. The deal was announced by Reagan Arthur, publisher of Little, Brown and Company.
Philip Norman is the bestselling biographer of Buddy Holly, the Rolling Stones, John Lennon, Elton John, and Mick Jagger, and the author of the classic Beatles biography Shout! Norman is also a novelist and playwright.
Norman said in a statement, "I am tremendously flattered that Sir Paul McCartney has given me approval to write his biography. His is a story as fascinating as the one I told in John Lennon: The Life - though, of course, with a happier ending."
Little, Brown says the biography tells the story of a man who was public property by the age of twenty-one, of the trajectory of the Beatles from beginning to breakup, and of Swinging London in the 1960s. It offers a first-hand insider's account of the life of a member of one of the most influential bands of all time, making it a fascinating fly-on-the-wall chronicle. The book also reveals the teenage Macca's realization that national service in the military, had it continued for just a few more weeks, would have left the Beatles stillborn.
