The embargo on the Sarah Palin book was broken easily as the AP purchased an early copy yesterday. Among her claims that they cite: “Palin bitterly details how she was prevented from delivering a concession speech on election night, how she’d been kept “bottled up” from reporters during the campaign and prevented in many ways from just being herself. She also contends she was prepped to give non-answers during her debate with Joe Biden.” She calls Katie Couric “badgering” and “contends the anchor chose ‘gotcha’ moments while leaving the candidate’s more substantive remarks on the cutting room floor.” Also, “Palin […]
New Releases/Forthcoming
Swede Offers "A Mountain of Dirty Laundry" In Rare Tell-All About Ikea
Former Ikea executive Johan Stenebo (who also spent time as personal assistant to company founder Ingvar Kamprad) is among the first to challenge the furniture-retailer’s glossy public image from the inside. Spiegel Online says the tell-all book “has attracted much attention in Sweden. It is the first time in the more than 60-year history of Ikea that negative comments have been made by a senior staff member in public. It’s clear that the book is some sort of payback: a mountain of dirty laundry divided into 14 chapters.” They add “the book claims that common preconceptions about Ikea and Kamprad […]
Random House Expands Statement On Cancelled Ref Book
“After a close legal review of the final manuscript of Blowing the Whistle by Tim Donaghy, and our independent evaluation of some of the author’s sources and statements, Triumph Books and Random House have decided not to go forward with the book’s publication. Our decision is wholly our own and was made without consultation with any outside parties or individuals.”USAT
Convicted Former NBA Ref's Book Cancelled Just Before Publication
Random House’s Triumph Books imprint cancelled published for former NBA referee Tim Donaghy’s tell-all book BLOWING THE WHISTLE: The Culture of Fraud in the NBA, scheduled for November publication. Promotional copy indicated that Donaghy “was at the center of a mafia-run gambling scheme wherein he used his on-court authority to manipulate the score or even the outcome of games, including play-off contests.” He pled guilty to Federal charges and “in this confessional memoir, Donaghy details how he became involved with the mob, specifies his methods for controlling the score of a game, and claims that league officials routinely use deceitful […]
Short Stories
Two forthcoming books make the gossip columns. Andrew Morton’s book on Angelina Jolie alleges that she slept with her mom’s boyfriend when she was 16. And pre-release excerpts from Andre Agassi’s book indicate he says he “unwittingly” took crystal meth once in 1997 when he drank from a soda that his assistant had spiked with the substance (and lied to tennis authorities about it). In the face of speculation that an extension of the sale option granted to Lonely Planet founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler on their remaining 25 percent stake in the publisher means the BBC is preparing to […]
Fans Compete to Help Launch Gathering Storm
In a further twist on viral marketing, the folks at Tor have just launched THE GATHERING STORM, the much-anticipated first installment of the posthumous completion of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time books, with the help of an army of ardent fans. Through the official Jordan web site Dragonmount, a call went out for “Storm Leaders” across the country to lead community outreach and fan gatherings in the 26 tour cities. Over 500 people submitted applications for about 100 positions. As publicist Dot Lin explains, “Before the event, they do online and ground outreach (Facebook, fliers, etc.) and during the event, […]