Author News - Charlaine Harris - NY Times Bestseller List

An Unprecedented Nine Titles - Eight Paperbacks and One Hardcover - On List Simultaneously

New York, NY (August 5, 2009) - Berkley Publishing Group author Charlaine Harris, the bestselling writer of the Sookie Stackhouse novels that are the basis for HBO's hit television show True Blood, makes an impressive showing on the August 9th, 2009 New York Times Bestseller List with each of the nine books in her series appearing on the list simultaneously.

Eight of the Sookie Stackhouse titles are currently available in paperback and will appear on this Sunday's mass market fiction bestseller list in the following positions:

#5 Dead Until Dark (Ace Books, 2008)
#6 From Dead to Worse (Ace Books, 2009)
#8 Club Dead (Ace Books, 2003)
#9 Living Dead in Dallas (Ace Books, 2002)
#11 Dead to the World (Ace Books, 2005)
#12 Dead as a Doornail (Ace Books, 2006)
#13 Definitely Dead (Ace Books, 2007)
#15 All Together Dead (Ace Books, 2008)

Dead and Gone (Ace Books, 2009), the ninth and most recent book in the series, will hold the #11 slot on this weekend's New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list. The hardcover debuted at #1 on the May 24th bestseller list and has spent a total of 12 weeks (and counting) on the list.

This unprecedented showing comes on the heels of Harris's recent appearance at Comic-Con International in San Diego, CA where she met fans and signed hundreds of books. About 800 fans showed up in hopes of scoring one of 150 tickets to Charlaine's afternoon autographing session on July 24th. The excitement continued the next day when Harris participated in a panel discussion with the cast and creator of True Blood. Harris answered several fan questions and thrilled the audience of 5,000 with the announcement of a new three book contract, promising that Sookie Stackhouse's adventures will continue into 2014.

About the Sookie Stackhouse seies:
The Sookie Stackhouse series began in 2001 with the publication of Dead Until Dark. Not a traditional mystery, nor pure fantasy or romance, Dead Until Dark and its sequels broke genre boundaries to appeal to a wide audience of readers. Each subsequent book about the telepathic barmaid and friend to vampires, werewolves, and various other odd creatures, has drawn more readers. There are currently more than 10 million copies of the nine-book series in print in the U.S.- a number that is growing exponentially each week.

About the Author:
Charlaine Harris has been a published novelist for over twenty-five years. A native of the Mississippi Delta, she now lives in southern Arkansas with her husband and family. In addition to the Sookie Stackhouse series, Harris also wrote the Aurora Teagarden and Lily Bard mysteries and is currently working on the Harper Connolly mystery series.

For more information about Charlaine Harris, visit her website at www.charlaineharris.com.

For more on HBO's True Blood series, visit www.hbo.com/trueblood.

Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. member of the internationally renowned Penguin Group. Penguin Group (USA) is one of the leading U.S. adult and children's trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Berkley Books, Dutton, Frederick Warne, G.P. Putnam's Sons, Grosset & Dunlap, New American Library, Penguin, Philomel, Riverhead Books and Viking, among others. The Penguin Group is part of Pearson plc, the international media company.
http://www.penguin.compenguin/

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Promo - Berkley and NAL - Project Paranormal

THE BERKLEY AND NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY PUBLISHING GROUPS LAUNCH “PROJECT PARANORMAL,” AN ORIGINAL ONLINE VIDEO SERIES FEATURING BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Part of Penguin Group (USA)’s Just-Announced Online Network, the Series will Offer a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Popular Paranormal/Fantasy Authors and Novels


New York, New York, June 17, 2009 … Yesterday, Penguin Group (USA) launched its own online network called “From the Publisher’s Office,” with nine series featuring book entertainment for adults, young adults and children, it was announced by Penguin Group (USA) President Susan Petersen Kennedy. The network will feature several episodic online series, including “Project Paranormal,” which will give viewers a revealing and entertaining look at the popular paranormal romance and urban fantasy genres. The “From the Publisher’s Office” programming is original and customized for a wide range of audiences, and new episodes will be produced each publishing season. The network is now live on the Penguin Group (USA) website at http://www.penguin.com/thepublishersoffice.

Completely written, produced, and hosted by Penguin Group (USA) employees, “Project Paranormal” will feature bestselling star authors and fast-rising newcomers from Berkley and NAL, two of the leading publishers of paranormal fiction in the country. The series opens a window into the world of vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, fallen angels, and other creatures of the night.

“Readers of paranormal romance and urban fantasy are dedicated and passionate fans,” said Leslie Gelbman, President and Publisher, The Berkley Publishing Group. “With Project Paranormal, we’re able to give them a closer look at their favorite authors and books.”

In addition to candid interviews with the authors themselves, regular segments on “Project Paranormal” will include: Editor’s Corner in which the editors who specialize in paranormal and urban fantasy discuss their bestselling authors, the hot trends in the genre, and what they look for in a great read; irreverent man-on-the-street interviews; an insider’s look at how Berkley/NAL’s paranormal books get their distinctive looks in Under the Covers; and our editors’ tips on What’s Next in the genre.

“We are thrilled to be part of this exciting new program,” said Kara Welsh, Publisher of New American Library. “Our readers are very internet savvy and we think they will really enjoy this behind-the-scenes look.”

The debut episode of “Project Paranormal” is now available for viewing at Penguin.com and features an in-depth look at #1 New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward and her Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Ward discusses the popularity of her series, the vampire warriors who are at the center of the novels, and the women who love them. Executive Editor Kara Cesare —Ward’s long-time editor — will also take viewers behind-the-scenes of the novels, offering fans a peek at the editorial process in the Editor’s Corner segment. J.R. Ward’s latest novel is Lover Avenged (NAL, May 2009).

Upcoming episodes of “Project Paranormal” will feature bestselling authors Laurell K. Hamilton—whose latest Anita Blake novel Skin Trade (Berkley, May 2009) currently holds the #1 spot on the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list—and Christine Feehan, whose most recent novel Burning Wild (Jove, May 2009) also debuted at the top of the bestsellers list. There is also a special comics-themed episode in the works, with a tour of Comic-Con in San Diego and an interview with author Marjorie M. Liu, who recently became the first woman to head up the writing for a major Marvel Comics series.

About Penguin Group:
Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. member of the internationally renowned Penguin Group. Penguin Group (USA) is one of the leading U.S. adult and children's trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Viking, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, The Penguin Press, Riverhead Books, Dutton, Penguin Books, Berkley Books, Gotham Books, Portfolio, New American Library, Plume, Tarcher, Philomel, Grosset & Dunlap, Puffin, and Frederick Warne, among others. The Penguin Group (http://www.penguin.com) is part of Pearson plc, the international media company.

You can visit Penguin Group’s website: HERE

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com