What’s on my iPod: “Starry Eyed” by Ellie Goulding
What I’m reading: Stay by Allie Larkin
The last person I followed on Twitter: @andersoncooper

 

1.  John Reiner on CNN

John Reiner, our fabulous new client, was featured on CNN this week with an exciting post about his book THE MAN WHO COULDN’T EAT. The article gives a snapshot of the book and Jon’s experience going without eating for three months.

More about THE MAN WHO COULDN’T EAT

Imagine not being able to eat or drink a single thing.  No lobster roll on the beach in Maine; no hotdog at the ballpark; no cool drink on a hot summer day; no birthday cake; nothing. In THE MAN WHO COULDN’T EAT (S&S/Gallery Books: September 6, 2011), Jon Reiner – a James Beard Foundation Award-winning writer –chronicles his three-month struggle to live without food. Based on Reiner’s acclaimed 2009 Esquire magazine article by the same name, the book reinvents the foodoir, telling what happens when a man obsessed with food is denied the taste of it.  A beautifully written chronicle of one man’s journey from plenty to deprivation and back again, THE MAN WHO COULDN’T EAT  will change the way you think about more than just your next meal.

2. Lisa Tucker on Writer Unboxed

Lisa Tucker was featured on Writer Unboxed this week discussing her new story AGORAPHOBICS IN LOVE. Here is a highlight from the article:

“When Atria, my publisher, decided to release my story, AGORAPHOBICS IN LOVE as an e-book, I was excited.  Their hope was that the story would generate interest in my latest novel, THE WINTERS IN BLOOM, which is coming on September 13.  To that end, they included teaser chapters of the new book and all of my other books, too.  But for me it was enough that my story was being released.  AGORAPHOBICS IN LOVE would have a chance to find readers, finally.”

More about AGORAPHOBICS IN LOVE

After the accidental death of her parents, Emily retreated to their home, where she freelances for an online greeting card company and tries to come up with words for feelings she can no longer feel. Jules climbed his way up to creative director of an advertising agency; he had power, a girlfriend, and a great apartment in New York, when he started having the panic attacks that would leave him in a tiny sublet, unemployed and alone. But when Emily and Jules both join an online board for agoraphobics, what begins as friendship quickly develops into something much more. Now if only they can find the courage to leave their “safety zones” and actually meet for the first time…

Witty, wistful, and deeply moving, “Agoraphobics in Love” is an O. Henry story for the twenty-first century. In sparkling prose, Lisa Tucker perfectly captures the miracle of two lonely people finding each other—and finding their way back to life.

Buy the short story for just $.99.

3. Dr. Andrea Bonior on Confidence Coalition

Dr. Andrea Bonior – author of THE FRIENDSHIP FIX -was a guest blogger on Confidence Coalition as part of International Friendship Month and shared some tips on how to improve your friendship. Here is one of her friendship-saving tips:

Embrace the little things. Taking six minutes to pick up your friend’s favorite candy when she’s feeling low, writing her a note on cool stationery just because, or remembering to ask about how her dad is doing after his retirement are all simple things that bring a spark to someone’s day, and to your own as well.

More about THE FRIENDSHIP FIX

Had enough of that bridezilla? Feeling alone in a new city? Dealing with the trauma of the worst breakup ever—with someone you never even made out with?

We’ve heard the path to fulfillment has much to do with relationships. But while it’s often thought that for young women, it’s all about finding the right man, real women beg to differ: It’s friendships that are at the heart of happiness. Unfortunately, they’re also at the heart of drama, stress, and sometimes not-so-great escapades after that fifth martini. And, technology, from texting to Facebook, has made all friendships more complicated than ever.

At last comes The Friendship Fix, jam-packed with practical ways to improve your life by improving your circle. From dealing with friends-with-benefits to coworkers from the dark side, from feeling alone to being desperate to defriend a few dozen people, Andrea Bonior, Ph.D. helps you make the most of your friendships, whether they be old, new, online, or in person.

 

4.  THE WINTERS IN BLOOM on A Reader of Fiction

Lisa Tucker‘s THE WINTERS IN BLOOM received a sensational blog review this week on A Reader of Fiction. Here is a highlight from the review:

“From the absolutely incredible first chapter, I was totally involved in the story.”

More about THE WINTERS IN BLOOM

Together for over a decade, Kyra and David Winter are happier than they ever thought they could be. They have a comfortable home, stable careers, and a young son, Michael, who they love more than anything. Yet because of their complicated histories, Kyra and David have always feared that this domestic bliss couldn’t last – that the life they created was destined to be disrupted. And on one perfectly ordinary summer day, it is: Michael disappears from his own backyard. The only question is whose past has finally caught up with them: David feels sure that Michael was taken by his troubled ex-wife, while Kyra believes the kidnapper must be someone from her estranged family, someone she betrayed years ago.

As the Winters embark on a journey of time and memory to find Michael, they will be forced to admit these suspicions, revealing secrets about themselves they’ve always kept hidden. But they will also have a chance to discover that it’s not too late to have the family they’ve dreamed of; that even if the world is full of risks, as long as they have hope, the future can bloom.

 

5. Sarah Pekkanan receives feedback from Jodi Picoult

Fabulous New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult gave an exciting shout out for Sarah Pekkanan‘s upcoming novel, THESE GIRLS. Here is what Jodi says of Sarah’s upcoming third novel:

“Sarah Pekkanen’s latest celebrates the healing power of female friendship for three very different young women sharing a NYC apartment. At turns bittersweet, laugh-out-loud funny, and painfully real, you’ll wish you could move in with these girls.”