Oprah's New Book Selection, Book Club Will Continue On New Network

Today on her show, Oprah confirmed what had been rumored for days--her newest selection is Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom. Said Oprah, “I read it over the summer because the author sent me a galley with a note.” Finding the book “exquisite,” Oprah called Franzen to ask him whether he would like to be the next book club pick, because, she said with a smile, “as you all know we have a little history. After careful consideration, he said yes.” Freedom, said Oprah, is “a masterpiece that spans three decades…an epic family saga…it is everything you want in a book, and I’m betting it will end up being one of the best novels you’ve ever read.” Franzen will appear on a future show to discuss the book, Oprah said.

Freedom publisher Farrar, Straus & Giroux, said it has printed 600,000 Oprah Book Club-stickered copies to augment its printing of 355,000 regular-jacketed copies.

When Oprah selected Franzen’s The Corrections in 2001, the author was quoted as saying he had almost turned down the offer. He was subsequently uninvited from appearing to discuss the book, but has made both public and private apologies for his remarks.

Oprah also denied what she called "rumors that this will be my last book club pick." She said: "I’ll continue to pick books all season long, and the book club will go with me to the Oprah Network."

Priceless, new book by Nicole Richie

Nicole has already led a quite the life. And she’s only 29. A reality TV star, she’s long been a staple on the celebrity scene. The daughter of music legend Lionel Richie, she’s now a mother of two, a novelist, philanthropist and has recently launched both a line of signature jewelry and accessories (House of Harlow 1960) and (Winter Kate).

Craig Wilson of USA Today catches up with her as she looks forward to next Tuesday’s release of her second book, Priceless (Atria, $24.99), a riches-to-rags tale of a spoiled child whose life changes in ways she never imagined.

Q. Your new novel Priceless follows your bestseller The Truth About Diamonds, but it’s not a sequel right?
A. No, it’s not. I like to close one chapter and start fresh.

Q. What’s your writing routine? Early in the morning? Late at night?
A. I wake up at 5:45 and the rest of the family gets up at 7:00, so I have an hour in the morning. And then I have time after 7 at night to write and calm down.

Q. Do you work with anyone?
A. No I write all my own stories.

Q. What are you reading right now?
A. I wish I were reading something. Everyone tells me about a few books I should read, but I’m rereading Tuesdays with Morrie right now. It’s one of my favorites, and its comforting to read something I’ve already read.

Q. Who are your literary role models? Jackie Collins? Danielle Steel?
A. Danielle Steel has been a huge mentor of mine. I look up to her. I’m lucky just to have five minutes with her. She told me not to write a sequel. She told me writing takes time and I might not be in the same place in a few years.

Q. What’s next? Another novel?
A. I’m waiting to be done with my book tour first and then I can get into another creative chapter.

Q. You’re a Virgo. Is that how you can have so many balls in the air at once?
A. I’m very organized. I love a good list. It’s the nerd side of me. I like to be busy.

Q. Still a big Twitterer?
A. I am! It’s a great way to connect with those who support my dreams and to tell them what’s going on?

Q. Speaking of that, is there a sitcom in production? Will Diamonds be a TV series?
A. Not right now.

Q. Tell us about your Chuck episode which airs October 4th, Your back from last year! Still fighting?
A. We just wrapped that up. They had to up the ante this time around after last year’s fight scene. It’s longer and more intense this time. I even hurt my shoulder. It was amazing an experience.

Q. You have two fashion lines. Anything else coming down the pike?
A. We’re expanding into eyewear and handbags in the spring 2011.

Q. So , the world wants to know when you and your fiancée, singer, Joel Madden, are going to get married.
A. They’ll just have to wait and find out.

Q. How are the kids, daughter Harlow and son Sparrow?
A. They’re great. Wonderful.

Q. You’ve admitted you were given too much as a young child. Are you trying to not repeat that with your own children?
A. My parents were great and they gave me their heart and soul. I have to look up to them and hope to do the same, to be the best of me.

Q. Have you been in contact with your old pal and colleague, Paris Hilton?
A. I don’t speak about her.

Evanovich Leaves Longtime Publisher St. Martin's Press After Asking for $50 Million Book Deal

Is Janet Evanovich worth $50 million? That was the question we asked ourselves in this week's magazine. Although no numbers have been disclosed, Evanovich now has a new publisher, having signed a four book deal with Random House's Ballantine Bantam Dell division.

After Evanvoich's longtime house, St. Martin's Press, played down rumors that she might defect after asking for a pay day in the neighbohrood of $50 million for her next four books, the author indeed left. A Random House rep refused to comment on how much the deal was worth. Now BBD, which took world rights in the deal, is planning its first Evanovich title for mid-2011.

In Random House's release about the deal, the company touted some impressive statistics, citing the fact that 75 million copies of Evanovich's 33 novels have sold worldwide. The house went on: "Her new titles are huge simultaneous e-book bestsellers, as is her backlist, and each of Ms.Evanovich's novels also are million-copy paperback bestsellers. Her foreign sales also are large and growing."

World rights for the new Evanovich novels were acquired by BBD editor-in-chief Jennifer Hershe. Two of the books will be Stephanie Plum novels, and the other two will be in the author's newer "Unmentionable" series.

From Publishers Weekly July 26, 2010

Quote of the Day for the Writer

“Just in time for my 50th birthday, I discovered that I could write fiction. My husband had urged me to try fiction for 15 years before I did…I believed that if I couldn’t write ‘literature’, I shouldn’t write at all…Now, I would say to young women, do something you have a true feeling for, no matter how little talent you may believe you have. Let no masterwork be your goal---a modest goal may lead you further than you dream.”

---- Judith Krantz speaking at her 40th Reunion. Judith graduated from the upscale Birch Wathen School in 1948. Barbara Walters is a childhood friend who also graduated from that school.

Judith Krantz wrote Scruples , I’ll Take Manhattan, & ‘Til We Meet Again

Waking the Subconscious

The subconscious: Can the unknown corridors of your mind be hidden pathways to creativity? Author and mental health counselor Kelly L. Stone (Grave Secret, Time to Write) thinks so, and with Thinking Write: The Secret to Freeing Your Creative Mind, he documents how she believes writers can channel their hidden halves to pump up their pages.

What’s a Key To Unlocking It?

One key is related to brain waves. Certain brain wave states are associated with the subconscious mind and creativity, specifically the alpha wave state. Alpha waves are responsible for causing people to get “into the zone” and are documented to be linked to creativity. Professional athletes have been capitalizing on the alpha wave state for decades to improve their performance.

Music is a good way for writers to get the brain into an alpha wave state. Many of the bestselling authors I interviewed for Thinking Write use music as a way to unlock their creativity. What you do is choose music that matches the theme, tone or message of what you are writing and then listen to the music only when you write. Over time, you set up what is called a conditioned response to that particular song or playlist, and when you hear it, you trigger the alpha wave state and are automatically in touch with your subconscious mind and deeper levels of creativity.
Do you have any advice to keep your creativity going strong once you’ve tapped into it?

Ride the wave for as long as you can. Also, be alert to messages from your subconscious throughout the day. It takes time to learn how your subconscious mind communicates with you; some people get hunches, others get dreams that offer an idea or solution, or ideas “pop” into their heads at odd times.

What’s the best craft advice you can offer?

Write on a schedule. Don’t wait “until you feel it.” Set aside time every week for writing (with a built-in time off if you need it) and then when that time arrives, sit down at your desk and write no matter what else is going on. That’s the only way to get words on the page—and, as many of the authors I have interviewed say, you might write crap, but you can edit crap. You can’t edit a blank page.

Writer's Digest

Lemony Snicket Moves On

Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket, has signed a new five-book deal with Little, Brown, leaving HarperCollins to follow editor Susan Rich.

The deal includes a new four-book series from Snicket (the first book is due out 2012), and a separate YA novel---written under the name Handler—due out in 2011.

From BookPage January 2010

Grand Valley alumnus collaborates on latest 50 Cent film script

Brian Miller, a 1999 graduate of the School of Communications at Grand Valley State University, has co-written a movie script with Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, currently being filmed in Grand Rapids.

With the working title of "Love Me, Love Me Not," the film tells the story of an all-star running back at the height of his football career, who is faced a sudden change-of-life event. Jackson plays the lead role and has been in Grand Rapids for a week filming scenes, on Grand Valley's campus and elsewhere, for a trailer to secure financial backing for the film. Other actors in the film include Lynn Whitfield and Mario Van Peebles. William Eubank is directing the film.

This is the third film collaboration between Miller and Jackson. Miller wrote and directed "Caught in the Crossfire," shot in Grand Rapids in May, and collaborated with Jackson on the script for the action thriller "Gun," which completed filming in Grand Rapids last month. Both films had Grand Valley alumni on their production crews.

Miller spoke with students in several classes during the past week, sharing his own road to Hollywood and encouraging them to take advantage of every opportunity to get involved and learn from the pros. Noting the Michigan film credit incentives and the new Hanger 42 studio in Walker, Miller told students they no longer need to move to Los Angeles to get started in the film industry. "You now have everything you need here and a growing number of opportunities," said Miller. "There's no other place like it."

From GVSU.edu