I, Trixie Who Is Dog, a children’s book by bestselling author Dean Koontz, wonderfully illustrated by Janet Cleland, is being released today as an iPad app. With its trademark leading animation and revolutionary digital storytelling style, Auryn has taken the uplifting and inspiration story of Trixie and created an innovative app that Koontz fans – both children and adults of all ages – will truly enjoy. The app is available first for the iPad starting today at the iTunes at http://bit.ly/vWnpd3. Koontz will be donating his proceeds from the app to Canine Companions, a charity he has long supported.

“Partnering with one of the most popular authors on the planet to bring his treasured children’s books to digital readers for generations to come is an honor for us,” said Umesh Shukla, Founder and CCO of Auryn. “We’re introducing Dean Koontz fans and readers to a new and innovative way to experience his books – through our groundbreaking storybook apps that educate and entertain both children and families.”

In I, Trixie Who Is Dog app, Auryn and Koontz give readers a fun, lighthearted glimpse into the imagination of Trixie, the beloved golden retriever whose quirky narration and irrepressible spirit has delighted readers both young and old.

2. Auryn and Nomad in the Washington Post

Technology and digital art leaders Auryn and Nomad are featured in the Washington Post’s Holiday Gift Guide! Both fine choices if we do say so ourselves. Here is what Washington Post had to say:

There is also a charming new picture-book app for the iPad called Van Gogh and the Sunflowers (Auryn, $1 through Dec. 31, $2 after), which introduces children to van Gogh and to art. It’s based on Laurence Anholt’s book of the same name. If you also give the Nomad Play paintbrush stylus to your child, she can use it to draw on any art app, or any touchscreen device (Nomad Brush, $18).

More about Auryn

Auryn Inc. is a premiere digital publisher focused on creating award-winning interactive children’s stories for the iPad and other tablet devices. The company collaborates with authors, illustrators and publishers to turn their stories into educational, engaging and entertaining experiences. Auryn’s apps are based on their patented technology and two technology platforms – Auryn and Auracle.

More about Nomad

They love art and creating art.  The company is a testament to this love and our dedication to finding innovative ways to help you create in your daily life, whether you’re an artist by training, a doodler by nature or picking up an iPad for the very first time. Nomad believes that the tools you use directly impact what you create.  They aim to develop revolutionary products for the professional digital artist, as well as making digital art creation accessible, fun and intuitive for the novice.

3. J’Adore The Holiday Giveaway!  

Looking to check the fashionistas off your shopping list this season? Or just indulge in a good read with the chance of scoring some awesome shopping at the same time? Look no further – Isabelle LaFleche is having a J’ADORE NEW YORK HOLIDAY giveaway in honor of the novel and you can win some fabulous prizes, including a $100 Shopbop giftcard and bottle of J’adore by Dior perfume! Check out all the deets here on the Pink Lemonade Blog.

More on J’ADORE NEW YORK

When Catherine Lambert, an effortlessly chic Parisian lawyer, receives an offer to transfer to the New York office of her prestigious firm, she unhesitatingly accepts. A dedicated follower of fashion and everything stylish, she is determined to conquer the high-flying world of Manhattan law-and love. Catherine’s daydreams of glamour quickly fizzle, however, when she is faced with her new job’s hard realities. Between the pressure of billable hours, the demands of Catherine’s impossible bosses, the conspiracies of two malicious secretaries and the advances of a lecherous client, New York is more of a nightmare than a dream. Then she meets Jeffrey Richardson, a powerful and handsome client, and her life takes on the romance she’d hoped it would. Candlelit dinners and trips to the Hamptons make even the most outrageous assignments bearable-until an unexpected request brings her new world crashing down around her.

With its insider’s perspective on the dirty deals and intrigue that have darkened Wall Street’s reputation, J’adore New York is a bright and funny take on the lives and laws of Manhattan’s most powerful players.

4. Jon Reiner in LA Times and on NPR Sound Medicine

It’s officially safe to say BookSparksPR clients are blowing up holiday gift guides across the country. Jon Reiner  and his award-winning memoir THE MAN WHO COULDN’T EAT were featured in the LA Times as a good pick for the readers on your list. Check out THE MAN WHO COULDN’T EAT and all of the LA Times other suggestions here.

Jon Reiner was also a guest on NPR Sound Medicine in Indianapolis! Check out Jon’s awesome segment here

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 hot dog 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.

5. BookSparks Holiday Gift Guide!