Penguin Group (USA) Has Seven Debuts On This Week's New York Times Bestseller Lists, Lead By Four Berkley/NAL Titles

Penguin Group (USA) has seven debuts on the New York Times bestseller lists for the week of November 14th, lead by four Berkley/NAL titles.

Roc's #1 New York Times bestselling urban fantasy author Jim Butcher lands at #5 on the hardcover fiction list with Side Jobs: Stories from the Dresden Files. The book is an anthology of previously published short stories, and one brand new story, about Chicago's only wizard detective, Harry Dresden. Side Jobs is satiating Dresden Files fans for now, until Jim Butcher's newest book in the series, Ghost Story, comes out next year

Greg Mortenson's Stones into Schools debuts at #3 on the paperback nonfiction list. Mortenson continues to inspire fundraising activities in communities across the country. Most recently, Page & Palette bookstore in Fairhope, AL teamed up with the Fairhope Sunset Rotary in an attempt to beat the world record for the fastest mile of pennies. Community members gathered at the Fairhope High School track last Saturday, and laid thousands of pennies end-to-end. Though they did not break the world record, their efforts did help support Greg Mortenson's Pennies for Peace foundation. All the pennies used for the event were donated to the Central Asia Institute's efforts to support students in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Keys to Good Cooking by Harold McGee (The Penguin Press) debuts at #10 on the hardcover advice, how-to and miscellaneous list. Harold will appear on the "Martha Stewart" show on November 18th. His interview with American Public Media's "Splendid Table" will also air in the lead-up to Thanksgiving. In addition, his on-location interview with NPR's "Planet Money," taped in various New York restaurants and markets, will air on "Morning Edition," "All Things Considered," or "This American Life" sometime in November. An Associated Press feature will run on November 8th, and still to come are print features in the Chicago Tribune, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, New York Post, and more. Reviews will be included in upcoming issues of Cooking Light, Vogue, Details, and Parade. Online features in the weeks before Thanksgiving will include CNN.com's Eatocracy, iVillage.com, Serious Eats and more.

In addition, longtime bestselling authors Tami Hoag and Clive Cussler also land on the New York Times mass market bestsellers list this week. Hoag's Deeper Than Dead debuts at #9, while Cussler's The Wrecker debuts at #14.

On the young readers side, college history professor Andrea Cremer's young adult novel Nightshade debuts at #9 on the children's chapter book list. Critics are raving about the paranormal debut, calling it "A fantastical mash-up of religious warriors and witch hunts, of feminist will and societal oppression… historical fiction — with a modern, pop culture twist… a book for well-read hopeless romantics who like their heroines conflicted, their love interests smoldering and their passions triangulated and torrid, yet unfulfilled" (The Los Angeles Times). EntertainmentWeekly.com raved, "Yet another young adult novel filled with supernatural beasties, but this teen wolf tale is actually good and will keep you reading intently." And the Associated Press called it, "A clever young adult saga that leaves readers on the edge of their seats." The Wall Street Journal recently featured an essay by Andrea on censorship in teen literature, read it here. You can read a recent interview with Andrea and Galleycat here.

Ghost Town by Rachel Caine (NAL Hardcover) debuts at #6 on this week's children's series list. The Morganville Vampire series transports both young adult and adult readers to the Texas college town of Morganville, where humans and vampires coexist…but not always in peace. For the release of Ghost Town, the ninth book in the series and first to be published in hardcover, Rachel Caine went on a 10-city author tour where eager fans and screaming teenagers lined up get their books signed by their favorite author.

G. P. Putnam's Sons Acquires 33 Men, A Riveting New Book by Award-Winning Journalist Jonathan Franklin, the Story of the Chilean Miner Trapped 2,200 Feet Underground for Ten Weeks

G. P. Putnam's Sons has acquired a riveting new book, 33 Men, by Jonathan Franklin, an award-winning American journalist who has lived in Chile for 15 years. He had unprecedented access to the 33 Chilean miners trapped 2,200 feet below the earth for ten weeks, their families, and the emergency personnel who ultimately rescued all 33 men alive. This uplifting story of survival and endurance has captivated the world.

North American hardcover and paperback rights as well as audio and eBook rights to the book were acquired in a highly competitive auction by Marysue Rucci, Vice President, Editorial Director, G. P. Putnam's Sons. Putnam is planning to publish the book in hardcover in February 2011. Berkley will publish the paperback edition approximately one year later.

33 Men is an absorbing and authoritative account of one of the longest human entrapments ever, told by a journalist with unrivaled access. For a month, Mr. Franklin lived on a Chilean hillside that was the nerve center of the entire rescue operation. While the men were still underground, he interviewed them via a makeshift telephone from above ground. When the first miners were rescued on October 13th, Mr. Franklin had the first media contact with the recently released men in a series of interviews from inside the field hospital. Based on more than 75 interviews with miners, their families and the rescue team, Mr. Franklin combines an expert eye for detail and dialogue with the remarkable human interest story of these miners, struggling to survive in a savage environment.

The announcement of the acquisition received immediate national coverage, including a piece in The New York Times "Arts, Briefly" section which appeared online and in the paper and included a quote from Putnam Vice President and Editorial Director Marysue Rucci who says, "Putnam is proud to be publishing this book that will join the ranks of time honored titles that capture the human capacity for endurance under the most extreme conditions imaginable." Keith Kelly of the New York Post mentioned the book in his "Media Ink" column and includes a quote by Rucci, saying "He was at the mine from Day One of the disaster and had unparalleled access to the miners." In addition, the announcement was picked up nationally by Forbes.com, CNBC online, and ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX affiliates from across the country.

International Superstar Ricky Martin Launches Publicity Tour for ME With Major Media, Including an Appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and a Huge Crowd at NYC Event

Celebra kicked off the publication of international superstar singer Ricky Martin's memoir ME (simultaneously published in Spanish and entitled YO) with an incredible media lineup. On Tuesday, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" got things started with a full hour featuring Ricky and the book, followed by a one-hour special interview that aired on Univision that evening. The next day, Ricky appeared on NBC's "Today Show," ABC's "The View," and the nationally syndicated "Access Hollywood." Print coverage this week included a major feature and excerpt in People magazine, the cover story in the latest issue of People en Espanol, and interviews with USA Today and the Associated Press. Upcoming media includes interviews on "The Ellen Degeneres Show," CNN's "Larry King Live," and NBC's "Extra."

Almost 800 fans showed up at the Columbus Circle Borders for Ricky's first event this week, and the crowds should be just as big at Ricky's upcoming events in Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Riverhead Launches I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas by Comedian Lewis Black With Major Media Attention

In I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas, comedian, "Daily Show" regular, and New York Times-bestselling author Lewis Black sets his sights on the impending holiday season and lets loose on all things Yule. Black's packed media line-up includes appearances on "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," "CNN American Morning," "Countdown with Keith Olbermann," "The Joy Behar Show," "Talk of the Nation," and "Imus in the Morning," in addition to national television and radio satellite tours. Print and online features are set to appear in USA Weekend, USA Today, the Washington Post Magazine, the Associated Press, TIME.com, Vanity Fair.com, Maxim, Rolling Stone, New York Magazine's "Vulture," and the Wall Street Journal's "Marketwatch," among other outlets.

To launch the book on Tuesday, Black appeared in conversation with Craig Ferguson in front of a sold-out crowd at the El Rey Theatre, sponsored by Live Talks Los Angeles. On Wednesday, he participated in an on-stage discussion with Late Show writer, Bill Scheft at the Barnes & Noble Union Square, an event presented in conjunction with the New York Comedy Festival.

Watch Lewis Black sing an original Christmas carol and comment on the momentous holiday in these videos.

Penguin Young Readers Author Mike Lupica Kicks Off National Tour for Hero

Mike Lupica, #1 New York Times bestselling author and sports columnist for the New York Daily News is about to embark on a 9-city book tour to promote his newest middle grade novel, Hero. Lupica will visit schools and bookstores in Madison, CT; Boston, MA; Concord, NH; Detroit, MI; Flint, MI; Chicago, IL; Phoenix, AZ; Tampa, FL; and Sarasota, FL. Tune in to see Mike talk about Hero live on NBC's "Today Show" on November 12th.

In Hero, a major departure from his sports-themed novels, Lupica introduces a new kind of champion and pays tribute to his favorite comic book superheroes, while retaining all of the heart and soul of his adored young adult sports novels. Publishers Weekly praised the novel, saying "Lupica offers a change of pace from his previous sports stories for younger readers, deftly reworking the traditional superhero origin story into a moving tale of adolescent growth."

In addition to the "Today Show," media coverage includes "Imus in the Morning", Parenting, Family Circle, Boys Life, Scholastic News, New York Daily News, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, national radio interviews on ESPN and FOX Radio, and much more.

"The Situation," Star of MTV's "Jersey Shore," Draws Huge Crowds at First Bookstore Event

A "situation" developed in Staten Island last night as die-hard fans of MTV's popular "Jersey Shore" turned out in huge numbers to meet Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino (pictured here with a fan).

300-plus fist-pumping fans of "The Sitch" showed up at the Barnes & Noble on Richmond Avenue to pick up a signed copy of Sorrentino's 144-page self-help book, Here's the Situation: A Guide to Creeping on Chicks, Avoiding Grenades, and Getting Your GTL on the Jersey Shore, and to sneak a peek at the legend.

The crowd started forming at 5PM and lines snaked around both sides of the building. Fans stayed past 9PM to meet their favorite "Jersey Shore" star. It was a great first signing for Mike "The Situation". If you'd like to meet the star himself, come to the Border's Penn Station tonight for a signing!

Nine Penguin Group (USA) Titles Are Nominees for the 15th Annual Books for a Better Life Awards

The New York City - Southern New York Chapter of the National MS Society announced the finalists for the 15th annual Books for a Better Life Awards and nine PGI titles are finalists in six different categories:

• Geek Dad by Ken Denmead (Gotham Books) - Childcare/Parenting
• Mom by Dave Isay, editor (The Penguin Press) - Childcare/Parenting
• The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha (Amy Einhorn Books / Putnam) - First Book
• Losing My Cool by Thomas Chatterton Williams (The Penguin Press) - First Book
• Four Fish by Paul Greenberg (The Penguin Press) - Green
• Talking Dirt by Annie Spiegelman (Perigee) - Green
• Operation Beautiful by Caitlin Boyle (Gotham Books) - Motivational
• In the Neighborhood by Peter Lovenheim (Perigee) - Relationships
• Back to Life after a Heart Crisis by Marc Wallack, MD and Jamie Colby (Avery Books) - Wellness

Since its inception in 1996, Books for a Better Life has recognized more than 500 self-improvement authors and has raised more than $1.7 million for the New York City - Southern New York Chapter's comprehensive support services and educational programs for people living with MS, their friends and families. The winners will be announced during an awards ceremony at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York City on Monday, March 7, 2011.

To view the full list of nominees, click here.

Viking Author Cammie McGovern Wows Librarians at 2nd Annual Tri-State Library Book Buzz

Viking author Cammie McGovern was selected by the AAP library marketing committee to speak at the 2nd annual Tri-State Library Book Buzz event, which took place last week at the Random House offices. McGovern was selected for the event over a long list of submitted authors from other houses, partly because the main character in Neighborhood Watch is a librarian. She did not disappoint, wowing the audience of over 150 local librarians who attended the event with her moving talk.

McGovern was also featured on EarlyWord.com, a very popular librarian site. The feature includes a link to a speech that Cammie gave at the Book Buzz event and Nora Rawlinson, who runs EarlyWord.com, has promised to feature the speech again when Neighborhood Watch comes out in paperback.

View the Neighborhood Watch reading group guide and read an interview with Cammie McGovern.

NAL's Rooftop of Tehran Chosen for Earlham College 2011 FYE Program

Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana picked Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji (NAL) for their 2011 First Year Experience title. This is a direct result of the author speaking at the annual FYE conference last February. In 2009, Earlham College selected another Penguin Group (USA) title for their program - The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon (Riverhead) - and purchased 600 copies for their incoming freshman at that time.

Watch a video with author Mahbod Seraji and read an excerpt from Rooftops of Tehran.