Vol. 7, No. 10   October 2009

Index (scroll down for stories) 

  1. Attendance up at Great American Bargain Book Show in Boston
  2. ‘Vampire’ stars jailed in Georgia for baring bosoms to passing traffic
  3. Breaking news from the book barons
  4. Tyndale to publish ‘Why I Stayed’ by fallen evangelical pastor’s wife
  5. Atlanta author has advice for reducing your financial literacy deficit  
  6. Ted Kennedy dies at 77, on eve of publication of his final memoir
  7. News about bookstores, publishing, marketing and promotion
  8. Cecil Murphey honored with second Retailers Choice Award
  9. Disney buys Marvel; Time Warner revamps DC comics brand
10. How bad is it – and what is the book business doing to cope?
11. AAP publishers report sales gain of 21.5 percent in June
12. Reader's Digest Assn. files for Ch. 11; Ripplewood's stake wiped out
13. Canada’s Kunati Books goes out of business
14. Update journalism: Latest skinny on past Southern Review stories
15. Georgia is setting for British author’s novel about serial killings
16. The publishing revolution: News of e-books and other new media
17. Google adopts ePub digital book format for public domain books
18. Sony will sell wireless e-reader for $399
19. Twitter posts lead to book offers for Justin Halpern
20. Massachusetts prep school library ditching books, going all digital
21. Sony begins offering e-content, readers to independent bookstores
22. News about self-publishing and vanity presses
23. Milestones: Records and news of note in book publishing
24. 2009 Hugo Awards winners for science-fiction writing announced
25. News of chicanery, dishonesty and tort-feasing in the book business
26. Chuckles: Finding humor amid the stacks and shelves
27. Zack Steele touts novel at Decatur Book Festival in Atlanta suburbs
28. Major upcoming trade shows, book fairs and book festivals
 

1. Attendance up at Great American Bargain Book Show in Boston

While attendance at most book industry trade shows in 2009 has been down, sometimes precipitously, that was not the case with the Great American Bargain Book Show (GABBS) held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston on Aug. 21-22.

“We had 268 remainder buyers in attendance representing 189 companies,” said show co-owner Larry May of L.B. May and Associates of Knoxville, Tenn. “This was an approximate 35 percent increase over last year's attendance. Of those 189 companies, 81 (43 percent) had never attended one of our shows.”

Exhibitors who sell remainders and other bargain books bought over 400 spaces to show their wares to buyers, up 100 tables from the count at the Atlanta show in 2008.

Gayle Shanks, co-owner of Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Ariz., and outgoing president of the American Booksellers Association, was the keynote speaker at an educational seminar for booksellers. “This is going to be a boom time for remainders,” she told her audience. At her store, the remainder inventory has been built up 35 percent, and together with used books, comprises 15 percent of sales.

Remainders are a growth business, concurred Julia Halpryn, buyer for TJX, parent company of TJ Maxx and Marshall’s, who came early to buy cookbooks and nonfiction for her outlets.

In a story for Publishers Weekly, correspondent Judith Rosen interviewed Daniel Goldin of Boswell Book Co. of Milwaukee, Wis. “He attended GABBS to fill the categories that tend to have high-priced books like art and academic titles and to find journals and bookmarks,” wrote Rosen.

Among the first-time show attendees interviewed by Rosen was buyer Lorna Ruby of Wellesley Booksmith in Wellesley, Mass., who want to add remainders to the store’s inventory mix. Rosen also talked with Ken Kozick, who will open a new and used bookstore, Sheafe Street Books, in Portsmouth, N.H., later this fall, and Ida Arrington, with Word Alive, a church bookstore in Rocky Mount, N.C.

In a story for Shelf Awareness newsletter, Sean Concannon of book rep firm Parson Weems, said “GABBS was a fantastic show for us and for our core remainder house, Symposium Books Wholesale. Keynote speaker Gayle Shanks of Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe, Ariz., attracted some of our New England customers who are interested in exploring the bargain book business. Bargain books are a proven traffic generator, and that is precisely what all of trade stores need at this point.

“Friday had a brisk business feel to it,” May said. “Saturday was slower, but not as slow as most trade show Sundays. “My guess is that 90 percent of the vendors will be back and we'll add new vendors next year to keep the total table count close to where it was this year.”

May said he is strongly considering Boston for a repeat performance in 2010. He attributed the strong attendance at the show to the current economy. Bookstores are finding that remainders and bargain books are a profitable way to stay liquid when consumers, strapped for cash, are cutting back on purchases of new hardbacks and trade paperbacks.

“I had a great show,” said national sales manager Wren Franklin of Thomas Nelson Bargain Books in Nashville, Tenn., cited by Publishers Weekly. “I had five appointments set up prior to coming to the show, worked through lunch and was very pleased with the size of my orders.”

2. ‘Vampire’ stars jailed in Georgia for baring bosoms to passing traffic

Five stars from the CW network’s “The Vampire Diaries” were arrested in August in Middle Georgia following reports that they were dangling from the side of a bridge over I-75 and flashing their bared bosoms at passing motorists.

The starlets told police said they were just filming for the show, but the sheriff’s deputies said they were a safety hazard.

Dozens of drivers called 911 on Aug. 22 to say they saw the women hanging from the side of a bridge over the Interstate near Macon, Ga. Drivers also reported that the women were exposing their breasts, police said. Film from cameraman Tyler Shields’ camera confirmed the motorists’ accounts.

Deputies arrested Shields and actresses  Nina Dobrev, 20, Sara Canning, 22, Kayla Ewell, 24, Krystal Vayda, 23, and Candice Accola, 22.

The CW series, which airs on Sunday evenings, is based on the Vampire Diaries, a series of novels written by L.J. Smith. The story line centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991. However, pressure from readers led the author to write a fourth volume, Dark Reunion, released in 1992.

After taking a hiatus from writing for several years, Smith in 2008 announced a new spin-off trilogy entitled The Vampire Diaries: The Return, continuing the series, with Damon being the main protagonist. The first installment, The Return: Nightfall, was released in February 2009. The Return: Shadow Souls and The Return: Midnight are tentatively slated for release in April 2010 and 2011 respectively.

3. Breaking news from the book barons

The movie “Julie & Julia,” based on the book by Julie Powell, has made Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking a best-seller. Publisher Knopf noted that the book, originally published in 1961 and a backlist seller ever since, has sold more than a million copies since 1961. Last year, some 25,000 copies of the hardcover and trade paperback editions were sold. After four reprintings this year because of the movie, three of which were in the last week, more than 225,000 new copies have been added to the mix, and many bookstores report they’re still sold out. The book made its debut at No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list of Aug. 30 in the advice and how-to category. The book Julie & Julia, which was written by the blogger Julie Powell and was the basis for the movie, has been reprinted 13 times this year in movie tie-in versions by publisher Little, Brown. The movie editions of My Life in France, the 2006 book that chronicles Ms. Child’s years there and provided biographical material for the movie, have been reprinted nine times by Knopf… Mobil Travel Guides will become Forbes Travel Guides effective Oct. 1, according to an exclusive licensing agreement between Forbes Media LLC and Mobile Travel Guide. In a joint news release, the companies said the transition from the ExxonMobil to the Forbes brand includes the creation of a new "Forbes Four and Five Star Award" designation for hotels, restaurants and spas beginning with the 2010 ratings announcements.

4. Tyndale to publish ‘Why I Stayed’ by fallen evangelical pastor’s wife

Tyndale House Publishers has announced an agreement with Gayle Haggard to publish her memoir, Why I Stayed, in January 2010.
On Nov. 2, 2006, Haggard’s life changed forever. That was the day her husband, Ted Haggard, founder and senior pastor of the mega New Life Church in Colorado Springs and the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, confessed to her the truth - he had been involved in homosexual immorality. The Haggard family, their church and the evangelical community shook as revelations unfolded.

Gayle and Ted Haggard have been guests on numerous network, nationally syndicated shows and cable programs; and the HBO documentary, “The Trials of Ted Haggard,” has aired 40 times. The couple has shared about their experience and the faith that sustained them, and interviewers have frequently asked Gayle: Why did you stay?

In Why I Stayed, Gayle walks readers through the choices she made. “This is my story of choosing to love my husband through some of the most difficult challenges any marriage could face,” she said. Out of this experience, she has discovered a newfound passion for the central message of the Bible - the message of forgiveness and love.

Tyndale House will launch Why I Stayed with a national promotional campaign, including an author tour.

5. Atlanta author has advice for reducing your financial literacy deficit

While parents seem focused on surviving financially in the current difficult economic times, they may be overlooking a pending crisis with the younger generation.

J. Steve Miller, an educator, financial researcher and author of Enjoy Your Money! How to Make It, Save It, Invest it, and Give It (Wisdom Creek Press, 2009, 256 pages, $15.99) proposes a new approach to personal finance for youth.

The problem:

Miller hopes to help decrease the financial literary deficit through his new book and his own work in the educational system. A former youth minister, pastor and missionary who attended Columbia Theological Seminary, Trinity Bible College and Southwestern Seminary, he is the founder of Legacy Educational Resources, which provides resources for teachers of life skills in public schools, churches, and service organizations. He collects wisdom from many fields and packages it for teachers and writers via his published books and the Web.

Miller, who has appeared on MSNBC.com and Atlanta CBS and Fox affiliates, says “I believe that personal finance is more about people than spreadsheets. When young adults hear stories of real people, like Warren Buffett, Joe Gibbs and even Led Zeppelin, they catch a vision for saving, investing and enjoying their money while living debt-free.

Enjoy Your Money! is a fictional story about four high school seniors who discover, while in detention, that they have a chance to turn around their lives which have been affected by their parents’ poor financial decisions. While the book is fiction, financial specialists appreciate the serious research and documentation of Enjoy Your Money! while the story allows the reader to learn without pouring over dozens of financial books.

6. Ted Kennedy dies at 77, on eve of publication of his final memoir

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) died at his home in Hyannis Port on Aug. 25 after a battle with brain cancer. He was 77 years old.

"We've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever," his family said in a statement. Kennedy's memoir True Compass, co-written with Ron Powers, was published by Twelve on Sept. 14, with a limited, leather-bound edition to come later in the month.

"We are deeply saddened by today's news," Twelve publisher Jonathan Karp said in a statement. "He worked valiantly to finish the book and make it the best it could be. As always, he was true to his word. The result is a great and inspiring legacy to readers everywhere, a case study in perseverance. We look forward to sharing it with the world."

7. News about bookstores, publishing, marketing and promotion According to Maggie Galehouse, who reviews books for the Houston Chronicle, the number of new books the Chronicle receives each month is stupefying. On average, 40 new titles enter the building every single weekday. “That's 200 packages to tear open each week and 200 decisions to make: Keep it? Review it? Donate it? Or - and this is what usually happens - put it in a pile to think about later,” she writes.

8. Cecil Murphey honored with second Retailers Choice Award

90 Minutes in Heaven, the New York Times bestseller written by Cecil Murphey for Don Piper, recently received the 2009 Retailers Choice Award for backlist books.

This was Murphey's second Retailers Choice Award. Touchdown Alexander, the book he wrote with Seattle Seahawk's Most Valuable Player Shaun Alexander, won in 2007 in the autobiography category.

According to a press release from Christian Retailing, the competition's sponsor, "Nominated products were judged on the impact they have had on staff and customers, including their ability to speak to hearts and evoke emotion."

Earlier this year, Murphey received the prestigious Extraordinary Service Award, given by the American Society of Journalists and Authors.

In 2007, the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association honored Murphey with its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award.

The author or co-author of more than 100 books, Murphey was recognized not only for his excellent writing but also for his selfless mentoring in the Christian writing community. He's won a number of other awards as well, including the Gold Medallion Award, the Blackboard Book of the Year Award, and two Silver Angel Awards. In addition, he's a three-time recipient of the Dixie Council of Authors and Journalists' Author of the Year Award.

Murphey began writing in 1971 while pastoring a church in metro Atlanta. After 13 years of doing both, he faced a crisis. "I had to decide if I was a preacher who wrote or a writer who preached." Writing won out, and he left the pastorate in 1984. He's been writing professionally ever since.

Murphey's first collaborative effort was a book written for singer B. J. Thomas in 1981. Since that time he's written books with Chick-fil-A’s S. Truett Cathy, Dino Kartsonakis, Franklin Graham, Dr. Ben Carson, Salome Thomas-EL, Shaun Alexander, Don Piper, Bishop Eddie Long and many other celebrities.

Although he enjoys working with others and telling their stories, he's penning more of his own titles now. When Someone You Love Has Cancer: Comfort and Encouragement for Caregivers and Loved Ones (Harvest House) came out in January. When God Turned Off the Lights (Regal) debuted at ICRS in mid-July and will begin shipping to bookstores in August. Christmas Miracles (St. Martin's Press) is scheduled for an October release.

9. Disney buys Marvel; Time Warner revamps DC comics brand

Big changes in the comic book and graphic novels market in September included Disney buying Marvel and Time Warner revamping the DC comics and graphic novels brand.

The Walt Disney Company announced its acquisition of Marvel Entertainment in a stock and cash transaction for approximately $4 billion. Bloomberg News reported that the purchase "gives Disney, the world's largest media company, more than 5,000 Marvel characters to market in movies, theme parks, stores and on television. Spider-Man, Iron Man and Wolverine films have pulled in billions of dollars at the box office and offer Disney an opportunity to shore up profits at its four main businesses."

The New York Times observed that Marvel’s publishing business is strong: "The company was the top comics publisher in 2008, edging out its closest rival, DC Comics, in both unit market share (46 percent to 32 percent) and retail dollar share (41 percent to 30 percent). The comic book industry had about $715 million in sales last year, according to Milton Griepp, the publisher and founder of ICv2, an online trade publication that covers pop culture for retailers."

Facing even stronger competition with the Disney takeover of Marvel,

Burbank-based Warner Bros. studio unveiled a major restructuring of its DC Comics unit that will bring its operations under tighter control.

The move is an effort by Warner Bros. and corporate parent Time Warner Inc. to implement a new strategy for DC Comics.

Diane Nelson, a top brand manager who has overseen Warner's lucrative "Harry Potter" franchise since 1999, has been put in charge of the newly named DC Entertainment with a mandate to better exploit its properties across the studio's movie, television, interactive, digital and consumer products businesses.

For the four decades that Warner has owned DC, the publisher of such classic comics as "Superman," "Batman" and "Wonder Woman," the New York publisher has operated largely independently of the studio.

As superhero movies have become one of the most profitable genres in Hollywood, tensions between DC and Warner have contributed to the studio's inability to match the success of Marvel, which has scored on the big screen with such A-list characters as Spider-Man and lesser-known ones such as Iron Man and X-Men.

Numerous DC properties, including "Wonder Woman," "Justice League" and "The Flash," have languished in development at Warner Bros. for years, with little coordination among the studio's producers and executives and the comic-book publisher. The unit's top development executive had reported directly to DC Publisher Paul Levitz rather than to anyone at Warner.

The new DC chief has been Warner's point person for everything "Harry Potter" over the last 10 years. The franchise, adapted from the books by J.K. Rowling, has been the most successful in the studio's history, generating more than $5.4 billion in worldwide box office and billions more from DVDs, video games and other media.

Warner has had a mixed history with the DC properties it has adapted for other media. Its biggest success, 2008's "The Dark Knight," generated more than $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales and was a top DVD seller. The CW Network's "Smallville," based on the early life of Superman, is entering its ninth season. "Batman: Arkham Asylum," a recent video game co-published by Warner Bros. Interactive, has sold nearly two million units in less than a month, a major hit.

However, the studio's "Watchmen" movie released in March was a box-office disappointment, 2006's costly "Superman Returns" wasn't successful enough to merit another sequel, and 2004's "Catwoman" film was a major flop.

The next movie up is "Jonah Hex," a supernatural western that has just completed production. Currently filming is the military-commando tale "The Losers." Warner's next major superhero movie will be "The Green Lantern," starring Ryan Reynolds, which begins shooting March 15 for release in the spring of 2011. A third Nolan-directed Batman movie is in development.

10. How bad is it – and what is the book business doing to cope?

A study by Chicago's Grant Thornton finds that 400 bookstores could close in 2009, which they calculate as a 500 percent increase over 2008… In the second quarter ended Aug. 1, total sales at Barnes & Noble dropped five percent to $1.2 billion compared to the same period last year and net earnings were $12.3 million. Without a $4 million insurance settlement, net earnings would be $8.3 million. Sales at B&N stores fell five percent to $1 billion, and sales at B&N stores open at least a year were down 6.9 percent, just within the company's prediction of a drop of five to seven percent. Sales at Barnes&Noble.com rose two percent to $102 million… For the second quarter ending Aug. 1, Books-A-Million's total sales decreased 0.7 percent to $122.4 million while comparable store sales were dropped 4.9 percent. The retailer still managed to post an increase in profits with net income rising to $1.5 million… Consolidated second quarter sales at the Borders chain  were $616.8 million, down 17.7 percent from a year ago. On an operating basis, Borders Group generated a second quarter loss of $12.7 million, compared to a loss of $10.5 million for the same period last year. On a GAAP basis, the second quarter loss was $45.6 million, compared to $11.3 million a year ago. The second quarter GAAP loss includes non-operating, after-tax charges - primarily non-cash - totaling $32.9 million. U.S. superstores, which comprised $513.6 million in sales, declined 17.9 percent on a same-store basis. At Waldenbooks, comp store sales decreased by 10.8 percent, with the number of stores at 370, down from 468 a year ago, with six stores closed in the second quarter… Second quarter sales at Hastings fell $8.5 million, or 6.7 percent, to $117 million, while net earnings dropped to $396,000, compared to net earnings of $660,000 in last year's second quarter. Same-store sales for books also fell 1.7 percent for the quarter, primarily as a result of lower sales of new hardcovers, new trade paperbacks and magazines, partially offset by strong sales of used and value books… Sales fell in the first six months of the fiscal year at Random House by four percent, declining 32 million euros to 734 million euros. The company blamed the decline on "the continued distressed economic environment and the reduction in inventory levels by major bookstores in the U.S." In a letter to employees, Random House CEO Markus Dohle said "With the decline in consumer spending we had to fight harder for every sale, as did our competitors. Our customers implemented tighter inventory controls, resulting in significantly higher returns and fewer copies ordered, on both initials and reorders, which hurt frontlist as well as backlist sales." Companywide sales fell 6.5 percent for Random House parent Bertelsmann, with a net loss of 368 million euros… HarperCollins swung from a profit of $28 million a year ago to an operating loss of $4 million for their fiscal fourth quarter, finishing the year with an operating loss of $16 million, compared to $160 million in operating income a year ago. News Corp. says the deterioration is "largely due to the weak retail market." Sales for the fourth quarter fell $72 million at Harper, down 20.5 percent, at $278 million. Full-year sales for the publisher were $1.141 billion, down $247 million from a year ago, or almost 18 percent… Sales fell 2.5 percent at CBS-owned Simon & Schuster in their fiscal second quarter, down $4.6 million at $181 million for the period. S&S said the sales decline was "principally reflecting the unfavorable impact of foreign exchange rate changes," while the earnings hit was "largely driven by higher author royalties and restructuring charges of $2.2 million related to headcount reductions partially offset by lower employee-related expenses resulting from cost-savings initiatives." CEO Carolyn Reidy said of the decline in profits, "Even though we had nice sales, a lot of it is the mix of more frontlist and less backlist." Reidy notes they recorded lower distribution fees, lower rights sales and higher returns, "all due to the economy," which also affected earnings… Lagardere SCA, which owns Hachette Book Group, said that while net sales for the entire company in the first six months of 2009 were down 2.2 percent, it had "very strong growth" - more than 11 percent - in its publishing unit. The strong growth was "driven by a surge in net sales in the United States on the back of the Stephenie Meyer "Twilight" series. The company also reported that its earnings before interest and taxes increased more than 61 percent to 112 million euros, or about $160.5 million. Lagardere attributed the profit gain to Meyer's series, "not only in the United States, but also in France, the United Kingdom and Australia."

11. AAP publishers report sales gain of 21.5 percent in June

Net book sales rose 21.5 percent in June to $942.8 million, according to 84 publishers who belong to the Association of American Publishers.

For the year to date, the AAP members reported, sales rose 1.8 percent to $3.710 billion.
In June, ebooks were the biggest gainers in sales, up 136.2 percent, but only to $14 million.

Higher education climbed 60.6 percent to $357.2 million.

Adult mass market jumped 30.9 percent to $94.2 million.

Religious books were the biggest losers, falling 22 percent to $41.7 million.

12. Reader's Digest Assn. files for Ch. 11; Ripplewood's stake wiped out

The Reader's Digest Association, publisher of Reader's Digest magazine, has filed for bankruptcy protection in what the association terms a "pre-arranged" bankruptcy.

RDA is a global multi-brand media and marketing company. With offices in 44 countries, it markets books, magazines and music, video and educational products reaching a customer base of 130 million in 78 countries. It publishes 94 magazines, including 50 editions of Reader’s Digest, the world’s largest-circulation magazine, operates 65 branded websites generating 22 million unique visitors per month and sells approximately 40 million books, music and video products across the world each year. Its global headquarters are in Pleasantville, N.Y.

Under the Chapter 11 plan, the Wall Street Journal reports, RDA will cut its debt to about $550 million from $2.2 billion.

An investment group led by private-equity firm Ripplewood Holdings, which bought the 87-year-old magazine in 2007 for $1.6 billion, will see its investment wiped out, and lenders led by JP Morgan & co., will take control of the company.

The operations outside the U.S., which generate a majority of the company's revenue, aren't part of the bankruptcy filing.

According to the Association’s news release, the restructuring agreement provides that the company’s senior secured lenders will exchange a substantial portion of the company’s $1.6 billion in senior secured debt for equity and provides for a transfer of ownership of the company to the lender group.

In addition to providing RDA with the necessary capital to emerge from Chapter 11, the arrangement also establishes the substantive terms of the $550 million in debt that will remain on RDA’s balance sheet upon emergence, a 75 percent reduction from the current $2.2 billion in debt.

As a result of the agreement reached with a majority of the senior lenders, the company expects that, subject to court approval, the vast majority of its suppliers and vendors will recover in full under the Chapter 11 plan. Mary Berner, RDA’s president and chief executive officer, said the company will continue to operate normally throughout the restructuring process.

13. Canada’s Kunati Books goes out of business

The first indication we received at the Southern Review of Books that Canadian publisher Kunati Books was in financial trouble and going under came when a Kunati author in the U.S. contacted us to ask if we could remainder 1,600 copies of his book published by the firm.

At about the same time, Publishers Lunch ran an item about the closing, citing as its source another Kunati author, Cheryl Kaye Tardif, who had written of the closing on her author blog.

Tardif, the Canadian author of four suspense novels, initially wrote “I heard from two Kunati authors today (Aug. 26) that Canadian publishing company Kunati Books will be going under. I'm not sure if this means my ex-publisher will be filing for bankruptcy or just closing their ‘stable doors’ and walking away.”

Editor James McKinnon contacted Tardif to say that authors like her could buy their books back at a 70 percent discount from suggested retail price.

Kunati subsequently told at least some authors that they could buy back their stock at even lower discounts from production cost.

“While I am so happy that I got out of there early after experiencing too many problems,” Tardif wrote on her blog, “I feel awful for the authors caught up in this mess. I hope they all get a letter of reversion so that they get their rights back. I'm not surprised that it's the end of Kunati though; there were just too many problems - the main one being that the publisher and his partners had no previous experience in running a publishing company. However, it's sad to see.”

14. Update journalism: Latest skinny on past Southern Review stories

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's corporate parent Education Media & Publishing Group has avoided bankruptcy by successfully refinancing more than $1 billion of the company’s enormous debt load of $7.6 billion -but current shareholders face a dilution of about 45 percent as that debt is converted to equity. The financier who contracted the debt, Barry O'Callaghan, will see his own stake of 40 percent cut nearly in half and will lose his voting control, but the company will save about $100 million in interest. HMH will also abandon renewed attempts to sell its consumer book arm in the hopes of bolstering the educational publishing side with more direct sales.

15. Georgia is setting for British author’s novel about serial killings

British author R. J. Ellory has visited the United States a number of times, which perhaps explains why he sets most of his writing here. His latest novel, A Quiet Belief in Angels (Overlook Press, $24.95, released Sept. 8, 2009), is set in South Georgia.

The protagonist in Ellory’s latest novel is Joseph Vaughan, who relates his life story while he waits for judgment on who he is and what he has done.

The story begins near the Okefenokee River in July 1939, when 12-year-old Joseph sees a slender white feather drift from the hallway into his room. He believes it's a sign that an angel had come to visit. Later that day, his father dies. In November, a dead girl is found naked in a field, and continues to haunt Joseph for the next decade as 10 other girls are murdered.

After the fourth victim is found, with still no clues, Joseph pulls together five other boys, who become “the Guardians,” pledged to protect the girls in the area. But they can't, and he lives with the girls' ghosts, thinking he should have stopped the killings. He worries that he still has to do something so the girls can become angels. By the 1960s, he finds out about more victims, murdered over a period of three decades, waiting for their wings, "waiting for me to find their killer and release them." 

Author Roger Jon Ellory was born in Birmingham, England, in 1965. His father having already left before Roger was born, he was then orphaned at the age of seven. His mother, Carole, an actress and dancer, died in a pneumonia epidemic that claimed more than a dozen victims in the early 1970s.

In 1973, Roger was dispatched to a boarding school, and stayed there until he was 16. Upon leaving school, he returned to Birmingham to live with his maternal grandmother, who died in 1982.

At 17, he was arrested for poaching. He was charged, tried and sentenced to a jail term. Upon his release, he vanished quietly into obscurity to pursue interests in graphic design, photography and music.

Roger began his first novel in 1987 and did not stop writing, except for three days when he was going through a divorce from his first wife, until July 1993. During this time he completed 22 novels, most of them in longhand, and accumulated several hundred polite and complimentary rejection letters from publishers.

The standard response from the UK publishing trade was that they could not consider the possibility of publishing books based in the United States written by an Englishman. He was advised to send his work to American publishers, which he duly did, and received from them equally polite and complimentary rejection letters that said it was not possible for American publishers to publish books set in the U.S. written by an Englishman.

Roger stopped writing out of sheer frustration and did not start again until 2001. Between August 2001 and January 2002, he wrote three books, the second of which was called Candlemoth. This was purchased by Orion UK and published in 2003. Candlemoth was translated into German, Dutch and Italian. The book also secured a nomination on the shortlist for the Crime Writers' Association Steel Dagger for Best Thriller 2003.

Roger's second published book, Ghostheart, was released in 2004 in the UK, and his third book, A Quiet Vendetta, was released in August 2005. In 2006 he published City of Lies, and once again secured a nomination for the CWA Steel Dagger for Best Thriller of that year. City of Lies was also translated into Bulgarian and made available in large print. His fifth book - A Quiet Belief in Angels - was published in August 2007, and in the latter part of the year it was selected for the phenomenally successful British TV equivalent of the Oprah Winfrey Book Club, the Richard and Judy Book Club. The book was purchased for translation into more than 20 languages including French, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian, Norwegian and Lithuanian, released in both abridged and unabridged audio and made available in large print. As of mid-2008, there were more than 300,000 copies of the book in circulation in the UK alone. It was shortlisted for the Barry Award for Best British Crime Fiction Novel of 2008, the 813 Trophy, the Quebec Booksellers' Prize, the European Du Point Award, and was the winner of the Inaugural Prix Roman Noir Nouvel Observateur in France.

In September 2009, A Quiet Belief In Angels was released by Overlook Press in the United States.

Roger will again visit to the U.S. in October. He will appear at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 11, and will be at the Borders on Peachtree Road in Atlanta from 7 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 12.

16. The publishing revolution: News of e-books and other new media

Low e-book prices set by retailers such as Amazon.com, B&N.com and Google could destroy publishers' profits and ruin hardcover sales, according to Arnaud Nourry, CEO of Hachette in France. Nourry said publishers are "very hostile" to Amazon's pricing of most e-books at $9.99, which is less than publishers are charging Amazon. "That cannot last," he said. "Amazon is not in the business of losing money. So, one day, they are going to come to the publishers and say: by the way, we are cutting the price we pay. If that happens, after paying the authors, there will be nothing left for the publishers."… Former HarperCollins CEO Jane Friedman has raised $3 million from Bay Area Holdings Inc., a fund of venture capital firm Kohlberg Ventures, for her new company, OpenRoad Integrated Media LLC. Law firm Reiter, Kailas & Rosenblatt, which represents OpenRoad, described the new firm as "a start-up entity which is engaged in developing a platform for eBook marketing and publishing." Jeff Sharp, an independent movie producer, and Chris Lederer, former CMO at HarperCollins, are listed as executives of OpenRoad... Random House released an e-version of The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown simultaneously with the publication of the $29.95 book on Sept. 15, meaning that the publisher is not challenging Amazon's $9.99 pricing policy on e-books for the Kindle… Sony introduced two new electronic reading devices in August and cut prices for new and bestselling e-books. The Reader Pocket Edition and Reader Touch Edition now sell for $199 and $299 respectively. The devices replace earlier and more expensive versions of the Sony Reader, the 505 and 700, which cost $269 and $399. In lowering selected e-book prices from $11.99 to $9.99, Sony matched the discount price offered by Amazon for users of its Kindle device and Barnes & Noble Inc.'s Fictionwise.

17. Google adopts ePub digital book format for public domain books

Google is adopting the ePub digital book format for distribution of more than one million public domain books that it has digitized, "giving the standard a significant boost in the ongoing tussle for a dominant digital book format," the Los Angeles Times reports.

In recent months, ePub has emerged as one of the dominant formats for digital books.
Brandon Badger, Google's product manager, observed: "We're excited to now offer downloads in ePub format, a free and open industry standard for electronic books. It's supported by a wide variety of applications, so once you download a book, you'll be able to read it on any device or through any reading application that supports the format."

18. Sony will sell wireless e-reader for $399

Sony has unveiled its first-ever wireless e-reading device at a press conference held at the New York Public Library. The seven-inch touch screen Sony Daily Edition will be priced at $399, work on AT&T's 3G network and be available by Christmas.

Sony also announced several other initiatives, including a partnership with libraries that will let readers rent digitized books from their local library for free by downloading available ebooks for 21 days, an update of the Sony Reader Ebook Library Software 3.0 for both the Mac and the PC, a new social networking site WordsMoveMe.com, and a deal with ABA to help member independent bookstores sell e-content (see story below) as well as its various e-Readers.

Sony’s lower-end, non-wireless e-book readers will retail for $199 and $299.

19. Twitter posts lead to book offers for Justin Halpern

Moving from Los Angeles to his parents' house in San Diego gave Justin Helpern the idea for a Twitter page that's quickly growing into an Internet phenomenon, attracting offers from literary agents and book publishers.

Once a day, Halpern, 28, posts a memorable quote that his dad, Samuel, had said the day before. More than 200,000 users subscribe to get their daily dose of Sam.

Justin and his dad use profane language. A lot of it. In fact, the very name of the Twitter page Justin runs contains a word synonymous with human fecal matter. The tweets themselves contain still more potty-mouth language.

The site - let’s be polite and call it “Stuff” My Dad Says - contains irreverent fragments of conversation, observation and, in many cases, expletives originating with the retired 73-year-old's frustrations with his three sons. Justin started Twittering his dad's musings on Aug. 3. In less than a month, the page has gotten shout-outs from "The Daily Show's" Rob Corddry, a popular San Francisco blog called Laughing Squid and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" star Kristen Bell. Corddry told his nearly one million followers it's "the best thing ever." Bell urges others to read it "unless you're allergic to laughing hysterically."

Sam, the unlikely star of the tweets, isn't really trying to be funny. Until a few days ago, Sam had no idea his youngest son had been broadcasting his comments for the world to read. But you could write a book about Sam. Justin has already signed with an agent and is considering offers from book publishers.

The only aspect of Sam's character that might exceed his brutal honesty is his insistence on absolute privacy. Before retiring, Sam worked in nuclear medicine for the University of California, San Diego.

"I wasn't worried it was going to get back to him," Justin said about Sam discovering the site. "He doesn't go on the Internet. It was like I was writing a newspaper on Mars."

One night recently, after walking a few miles around the neighborhood in San Diego to organize his thoughts, Justin gathered up his courage and dropped the bomb, telling his Dad about the site.

After providing a basic overview of the project, Justin prepared for the fallout. "I should have seen it coming," Justin said. "He gave the most perfect response. He laughed for, like, 10 seconds, and then he goes, 'I can't find my cell phone. Can you call it?'"

Justin's other major concern leading up to the confession - aside from his dad being furious with him - was whether the awareness would change the things Sam said and how he acted. Fortunately, fame hasn't gone to his head. "He really doesn't give a crap," Justin said, but "I think he doesn't fully understand it."

Sam did have one stipulation after hearing about the experiment. "Keep the money from whatever you get. I have my own money," Justin recalled his dad saying. "I just don't want to do any interviews."

Justin has an almost endless number of hysterical stories about his dad.

He’s been scribbling down his dad's rants and quips in a notebook since childhood. In the last year or so, he began updating his Google Talk instant messenger status with quotes to laugh about later with friends who know his Dad. One of them, who had become quite adept at Twitter, suggested Justin use the service to actually preserve the fragments.

For a week or so after he created the account at the beginning of August, “Stuff” My Dad Says had five followers - all friends of Justin. Then, a buddy asked Justin if he could give him a shout-out on the weekly #followfriday ritual, where Twitterers suggest friends to their followers.

"Nobody knows my dad, so it's not going to make any sense," Justin recalled telling him. Regardless, on Aug. 14, the tweet went out, and “Stuff”  My Dad Says exploded. He began picking up a few hundred followers a day. Now, it's a few hundred per minute.

Justin places no ads by which to earn revenue on the page. Twitter doesn't have a platform for monetizing a feed - not that Justin necessarily cares to.

Although he moved back in with his parents, the 29-year-old Justin is employed. He recently left his job writing for the humor website he founded, called Holy Taco, along with his co-founder, Cory Jones, to write for "Maxim."

20. Massachusetts prep school library ditching books, going all digital

Cushing Academy, Ashburnham, Mass., is clearing out the more than 20,000 books in its library and going completely digital, according to the Boston Globe.

"When I look at books, I see an outdated technology, like scrolls before books,'' James Tracy, headmaster of Cushing told the paper.

"Instead of a traditional library with 20,000 books, we're building a virtual library where students will have access to millions of books," Tracy added.

The academy is spending nearly $500,000 to create a “learning center,'” though that is only one of the names in contention for the new space. In place of the stacks, they are spending $42,000 on three large flat-screen TVs that will project data from the Internet and $20,000 on special laptop-friendly study carrels. Where the reference desk was, they are building a $50,000 coffee shop that will include a $12,000 cappuccino machine."

In addition, Cushing is spending $10,000 (less than the cost of the cappuccino machine!) on 18 e-readers from Amazon and Sony, on which students interested in reading literature can find what they need.

Liz Vezina, a librarian at Cushing for 17 years, told the Globe she never imagined working as the director of a library without any books. And Alexander Coyle, chairman of the history department, said, "A lot us are wondering how this changes the dignity of the library, and why we can't move to increase digital resources while keeping the books."

21. Sony begins offering e-content, readers to independent bookstores

Sony has announced that it will cooperate with the American Booksellers Association, other retailers and "a variety of traditional and digital publishers to make available a universe of reading material in ePub format compatible with Sony Readers," according to Bookselling This Week.

Starting Labor Day (Sept. 7), ABA member stores on IndieCommerce's new Drupal platform were given the ability to sell e-content in several formats, including the ePub format protected by Adobe's Content Server 4 (ACS4) digital rights management. In addition, Sony said that plans are under way to make its Reader devices available for purchase from all independent bookstores in time for this holiday season, BTW reported.

22. News about self-publishing and vanity presses

Cookbooks are among the most popular offerings of self-publishers. “I’ve been going to the Frankfurt Book Fair since 1995 and the number of cookbooks on offer at the show has quadrupled since that time,” says Edouard Cointreau, chairman and founder of Gourmand International, speaking from Beijing, where he’s busy filming a cooking series for the Chinese Food Network. Cointreau was quoted in the German Book Office newsletter Publishing Perspectives, edited by Ed Nawotka, southern correspondent for Publishers Weekly. “In the U.S. alone, cookbook sales have risen nine percent since 2001 and, even in this recession, sales are up four percent over last year,” Copintreau continued. “The fastest growing segment of the cookbook business by far is self-published books and those are the types of book you don’t get to see at trade shows…”

23. Milestones: Records and news of note in book publishing

For the 65th week in a row, The Shack (Windblown Media) by William Paul Young is on the NYT Paperback Best Sellers Trade Fiction list. It appeared at #2 for the week of Aug. 30. Says Atlanta Christian author Cec Murphey (see story above) of the book, despite its popularity, “It’s a book badly in need of a good editor.”… Novelist and screenwriter Budd Schulberg, 95, died Aug. 12. His novels include What Makes Sammy Run and The Harder They Fall. He also wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for “On the Waterfront,” which earned eight Academy Awards in 1954. "I’d like to be remembered as someone who used their ability as a novelist or as a dramatist to say the things he felt needed to be said about the society" while being "as entertaining as possible," he said in the 2006 interview with the New York Times… Trigger City by Sean Chercover won the 2009 Crimespree magazine award for favorite book of 2008. Other winners were Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais (best in ongoing series), Brian Azzarello (favorite comics writer), Money Shot by Christa Faust (favorite original paperback, mass market or trade) and Once Upon a Crime, Minneapolis, Minn. (favorite mystery bookstore).

24. 2009 Hugo Awards winners for science-fiction writing announced

The winners of the 2009 Hugo Awards, chosen by members of the World Science Fiction Society and presented at Anticipation, this year's World Science Fiction convention, are:

25. News of chicanery, dishonesty and tort-feasing in the book business

Google's three major rivals - Microsoft, Yahoo and Amazon - are joining the coalition of nonprofit groups, individuals and library associations, tentatively called the Open Book Alliance, that is opposing the Google Books Settlement. The group, led by antitrust lawyer Gary L. Reback and the Internet Archive's Peter Brantley, plans to make a case to the Justice Department that the arrangement is anticompetitive, with individual members likely filing court objections independently.

26. Chuckles: Finding humor amid the stacks and shelves

The Washington Post publishes the winning submissions to its yearly neologism contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.  The winners in 2005 were:

1. Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs.
2. Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.
3. Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
4. Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.
5. Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent.
6. Negligent (adj.) describes a condition in which you absentmindedly
answer the door in your nightgown.
7. Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp.
8. Gargoyle (n.), olive-flavored mouthwash.
9. Flatulence (n.) emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are
run over by a steamroller.
10. Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.
11. Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam.
12. Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.
13. Pokemon (n), a Rastafarian proctologist.
14. Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.
15. Frisbeetarianism (n.), (back by popular demand): The belief that, when
you die, your Soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

The Washington Post's Style Invitational also asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one  letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's winners.

1. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding a stupid person that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows
little sign of breaking down in the near future.
2. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject
financially impotent for an indefinite period.
3. Giraffiti (n): Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
4. Sarchasm (n): The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
5. Inoculatte (v): To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
6. Hipatitis (n): Terminal coolness.
7. Osteopornosis (n): A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
8. Karmageddon (n): it’s like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
9. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.
10. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
12. Dopeler effect (n): The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when  they come at you rapidly.
13. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've
accidentally walked through a spider web.
14. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your  bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
And the pick of the literature:
15. Caterpallor (n.) The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.

And the pick of the literature: *Ignoranus (n): A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

27. Zack Steele touts novel at Decatur Book Festival in Atlanta suburbs

Zachary Steele, the former owner of Wordsmith's Bookstore in Decatur, Ga., which closed earlier this year, attended the AJC Decatur Book Festival (Sept. 5-6) as the author of a satirical novel, Anointed: The Passion of Timmy Christ, CEO. Steele told the Journal-Constitution, one of the festival’s sponsors, that the visit was "a little strange," but "enough time has passed that I don't feel that it would be that particularly awkward. I've got my writer's hat and I've got my former bookstore owner hat. I'll be wearing my writer's hat."
Although he doesn't rule out the possibility returning to the bookstore business someday, Steele admitted that "it certainly won't be any time soon."

28. Major upcoming trade shows, book fairs and book festivals

September

Sept. 3-6. Beijing International Book Fair/ International Children’s Publishing Exhibit- Beijing, China. www.bibf.net/bibf  beijing-international-book-fair_4_307.html
Sept. 10-12. Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, Portland, Ore. – www.pnba.org
Sept. 13-15. The Munce Group Christian Product Expo (CPE) for members only. Munce estimates that 300 retailers, representing over 150 independent Christian stores, and 80 product vendors, representing nearly 100 product lines, will gather at the Embassy Suites and Conference Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Training will cover subjects ranging from consumer marketing analysis to outreach to churches and current market trends. The show floor will close on Tuesday afternoon with cash giveaways of $400, $600, and a grand prize of $1,500.
Sept. 13. Brooklyn Book Festival. Sun., Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza, Brooklyn, N.Y.
CIANA – September 14-15, London. www.ciana.co.uk
Sep. 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. First Author! Author! book festival in the courtyard of the Princeton Shopping Center, Princeton, N.J. topbanana@chickletbooks.com
Sept. 21-26. Fall for the Book Festival. Mon.-Sat., George Mason University's Campus, Fairfax, Va.
Sept. 21-26 West Texas Book & Music Festival. Abilene, Tex.
Sept. 23-26. Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association. Wed.-Sat., Denver, Colo.
Sept. 24-26. Midwest Booksellers Association. Thurs.-Sat., St. Paul, Minn.
Sept. 24-26. Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association, Denver, Colo. – www.mountainsplains.org
Sept. 25-27. Baltimore Book Festival. Fri.-Sun., Baltimore, Md.
Sept. 25-27. Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance. Fri.-Sun., Greenville, S.C. This show includes the SIBA book award authors luncheon, team spelling bee, a moveable feast of authors and trade show.
Sept. 26. National Book Festival. Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the Library of Congress and on the Mall.

October

Oct. 1-3. New England Independent Booksellers Association. Thurs.-Sat., Hartford, Conn.
Oct. 2-3. Inaugural Sedona Book Festival in Sedona, Ariz. Activities include a fundraising Southwest BBQ on Friday evening, with keynote speakers Barbara Peters and Robert Rosenwald, founders of the Poisoned Pen Bookstore and the Poisoned Pen Press, Scottsdale, who will discuss trends in publishing.
Oct. 1-4. Amelia Island Book Festival. Thurs.-Sun., Fernandina Beach, Fla. In its eighth year, this festival takes place on Amelia Island.
Oct. 2-4. Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association. Fri.-Sun., Cleveland, Ohio.
Oct. 4. West Hollywood Book Fair. Sun., West Hollywood, Calif. Attracts around 20,000 people.
Oct. 4. The New York Times Great Reads. New York City.
Oct. 4-5. New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association's Fall Conference. Sun.-Mon., Baltimore, Md.
Oct. 7-11. Wisconsin Book Festival. Madison, Wis.
Oct. 8-10. Northern California Independent Booksellers Association. Thurs.-Sat., Oakland, Calif. Educational programming for booksellers on Friday, followed by a trade show and other events.
Oct. 8-11. Wordstock. Thurs.-Sun., Portland, Ore.
Oct. 9-27. Litquake, San Francisco's Literary Festival. San Francisco, Calif.
Oct. 10. Twin Cities Book Festival. Minneapolis, Minn. Sponsored by the Rain Taxi Review of Books.
Oct. 10-11. Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word. Fri.-Sun., Nashville, Tenn.
Oct. 14-18. Frankfurt Book Fair. Wed.-Sun., Guest country: China. Biggest book show in the world.
Oct. 17. Louisiana Book Festival. Sat., Baton Rouge, La.
Oct. 24. Southern California Independent Booksellers Association – October. www.scbabooks.org
Oct. 24. The Boston Book Festival. Sat., Boston, Mass. The fair makes its debut this year. Website launched in early February.
Oct. 31-Nov. 1. Texas Book Festival. Sat.-Sun., Austin, Texas. Benefitting Texas public libraries, this year is the festival's 14th year.
Oct. Book Group Expo. San Jose, Calif.
Oct. Kansas Book Festival. Wichita State University campus, Wichita, Kan.
Oct. Midwest Literary Festival. Aurora, Ill.
Oct. Oklahoma Independent Booksellers Association

November

Nov. 6-9. CIROBE, the Chicago International Remainder and Overstock Book Exposition. Fri.-Mon.,. Chicago, Ill. Oldest but no longer largest of remainder shows in the U.S.
Nov. 7. Self-Publishing Book Expo. New York City, www.selfpubbookexpo.com
Nov. 8-15. Miami Book Fair International. Sun.-Sun., Miami, Fla. Draws hundreds of thousands of people. The street fair runs Fri.-Sun., Nov. 13-15, and the Congress of Writers runs the whole week.
Nov. 9. Self-Published Book Expo, New York. It will highlight service companies along with individual titles, and offer advice on marketing and publicity. Nov . 11-14, Publishers Association of the West's conference and trade show in Tucson, Ariz. The association is seeking proposals for sessions and speakers; send them to executive director Kent Watson at kent@pubwest.org. pubwest.org.
Nov. Buckeye Book Fair. Wooster, Ohio.
Nov. Connecticut Children's Book Fair. Storrs, Conn.
Nov. Kentucky Book Fair. Frankfort, Ky.
Nov. Vegas Valley Book Festival. Las Vegas, Nev.
Nov. New Orleans Book Fair. New Orleans, La.

2010

January

Jan. 10-12/ Christian Trade Show Association International's Marketsquare – Atlanta Airport area.
Jan. 13-14. IVBS -Inspirational Value Book Show - January, Nashville, TN. www.ivbshow.com
Jan. 15-19. The American Library Association's Midwinter Conference - Philadelphia, PA.  www.ala.org 

March

March 12-15. Shortened National Association of College Stores CAMEX show in Orlando, Fla., reduced to four days from its traditional five. Under the new schedule, the trade show and educational panels will overlap somewhat on Saturday, March 13. 
March 26-28. Spring Book Show - Atlanta, GA. Cobb Galleria Centre - Renaissance-Waverly Hotel. SBS is one of the largest remainder and bargain book shows in the world. www.springbookshow.com
March. Bologna Children’s Book Fair- Bologna, Italy.

April

April 19-21. London Book Fair - www.londonbookfair.co.uk

May

May 17-20. The Museum Store Association's Retail Conference & Expo
National Stationery Show. New York City.
May 25-27. BookExpo America -  www.bookexpoamerica.com

June

June 24-29. American Library Association's Annual Conference. Some 2,000 seminars and events as well as a huge trade show.
June 27-30. CBA/The International Christian Retail Show, St. Louis, Mo. www.christianretailshow.com
The National Association of College Stores Conference. www.nacs.org
The Australian Booksellers Association's -  Melbourne.
The American Library Association - Anaheim, CA.
Printers Row Book Fair 
The International New Age Trade Show West - Denver, Colo.

August

August 20-21 (tentative). The Great American Bargain Book Show (GABBS) - Boston. Hynes Convention Center. www.gabbs.net
The New York International Gift Fair – www.nyigf.com
August. New Orleans-Gulf South Booksellers Association. betbooks@aol.com

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