Here is a new development in the book industry. Joe Wikert blogs about Wiley's first author event in Second Life. They had about 60 folks show up to "meet" the author of the Official Second Life book in Second Life. Wiley also set up a store in Second Life. Joe has some great screenshots of the event and their store.

This is a very cool way of going directly to your audience.

I try to avoid author signings in bookstores. I still have nightmares of entertaining some romance authors whose die-hard fans didn't show up to meet them. 

I like going to booksignings as a customer though. I'm extremely excited to be going to my local B&N this Friday night to meet David Shannon, the children's author and illustrator of the No David books.

We have had a lot of interest generated from webinars and LiveMeeting sessions our authors. I just attended one by Cliff Atkinson that had over 300 people in the LiveMeeting session. I like this format because you can keep them around for later viewing. You can view a few of his free webinars here.

I wonder if any of my authors would be interested in doing a Second Life booksigning?

What did I ever do before Amazon and before Amazon Wish Lists? I don't know if I'll ever get to the 546 items I currently have tagged, and my list grows all the time. I read a book review in in a magazine? On it goes to the wishlist. Someone mentions a title in conversation? I'll add it. I find a Listmania list that looks interesting? Suddenly I've added 5 books to my list.  I spend more time caring for my Wish List, going through, culling items I've read or am no longer interested in. Like a garden, every once in a while I go through and weed and then lay down new plantings.

I finally got around to a Lincoln biography that has been on my list for a long time. I'm not sure why I had it on there, I think perhaps it had been recommended on a Listmania list. In fact, I believe it was a Listmania List of Clinton's Favorite Books. The book, Lincoln by Pulitzer Prize Winner, David Herbert Donald tackles Lincoln's life from the idea of what Lincoln "knew, when he knew it, and why he made his decisions."

I mentioned this book in an earlier post. I really don't have much to say about this book that the 87 other reviewers on Amazon already said, but again, I think now is a good time to take a look back at a difficult time in American History, or re-examine heroes in our past and do some self- reflection.

One of my favorite things about Lincoln is that he didn't have much of an education, but he always believed in learning and self-study. He pushed himself further through books. According to his biography, he would walk miles if he heard about a book he wanted to read. When he became President, and the War started, he got his hands on as many books on military history and strategy as he could. Lincoln could immerse himself and then apply what he learned.

From MSN:

Al Gore, the former vice president and now hit documentary maker, on Thursday added rock promoter to his résumé, announcing plans for a 24-hour concert series on all seven continents to highlight, you guessed it, the dangers of global warming.

Thanks to my friend Hilary for sending along this link from YouTube.

If you are here because you are interested in technology and publishing, you have to see this.

Seriously, this is funny.

Right now I'm in the middle of readingt Lincoln the Pulitzer Prize winning biography by David Herbert Donald. I like Donald's approach of focusing on what Lincoln knew and at what point, and how that affected his decisions.

I know I have at least two ancestors--my great-grandfather and a great-great grandfather who fought in the Civil War. One fought from a New York calvary unit, and the other in a Maine unit. Both survived (and lived to be quite old men). It is extremely interesting to read about this time in history, the difficulties faced, and Lincoln's response to them.  

It was then interesting to watch Barack Obama's speech declaring his candicacy in which he spoke about Lincoln. He talked a bit about Lincoln, American history and our ability to change when it is needed. I liked the issues he focused on--healthcare, energy, education, childcare and Iraq. Issues that I find important as a working mom and American.

How come we can put a man on the moon, and yet not have an affordable healthcare system for everyone? I'm usually a cynic, but I have to say Barack's speech moved me. He reminded me of what can be great about America.

It will definitely be an interesting presidential race.

Speaking of some of my BFFs... Hilary, Holly and I had lunch on Thursday and took a quick jaunt over to the Microsoft company store. Someone said, "Hey! Isn't that the Zune you've been wanting and saving your Amex points for? That's a pretty good price, you should get it." Oh, I've been so good too for so long.

I've been wanting an iPod for the past couple of years, but my husband was concerned that I would  start spending a lot of money on music, and he said that Bill Gates had said the phone was where people were going to be listening to music anyway. So I waited. And waited. Then I bought a Verizon phone with music capabilities. It was great for a while. But it didn't hold too much music, and I really didn't have the time to keep managing my song lists so I ended up going back to CDs. The Zune was announced and I decided I should support Microsoft and get one. But I decided to save my AMEX points towards the purchase. Which means I would still be waiting around another year or so while my points racked up.

Meanwhile, both my friends became iPod owners leaving me fashionably behind. I can't have that because I'm like a guy that way--I love toys. Well, thanks to my friends, I went ahead and purchased the Zune. I figure I've been good, and I deserve this after living through the Office/Vista book launch.

Of course, not having owned an iPod, I can't compare it, but compared to my phone--soooo much better. And it does have a radio tuner.

So in honor of my Zune, here is a shuffled list of the next 10 songs:

1. Your Star by Evanescence, the Open Door
2. Whatever Lola Wants (Gotan Project Remix) from Verve Remixed, Vol. 2
3. The Lily of the West, Mark Knopfler, Long Black Veil
4. Fair and Tender Ladies, Rosanne Cash, Songcatcher Soundtrack
5. Between Mind & Heart, Enigma, The Screen Behind the Mirror
6. Age of Loneliness, Enigma, Enigma 2: The Cross of Change
7. Reunion, Hans Zimmer, Gladiator Soundtrack
8. One of Us, Abba, Gold: Greatest Hits
9. One Slip, Pink Floyd, A Momentary Lapse of Reason
10. The Missing Frame, AFI, Decemberunderground

Congratulations to Joli Ballew, Sally Slack, and the team here at Microsoft Press on the publication of Breakthrough Windows Vista: Find Your Favorite Features and Discover the Possibilities.

This is a great book for someone considers themselves above a dummy, but not quite the person who can administer a network. I have to say, this is the book I would give one of my BFFs. That means you Elo, Hilary and Holly. You are my prototype audience. You are tech savvy, but don't want to spend all your time making things complicated--you want to organize photos, play music or videos and share. I like how this book breaks everything down into projects with time estimates--for example, learn how to burn an audio CD in 10 minutes.

Wow! This is our final Vista book...FOR NOW!!! Expect our Deluxe editions to be out in a few months, along with some other fun titles I have up my sleeve, but cannot announce now.

So far book sales for Vista titles are going out strong. I was just on Amazon and Vista Inside Out is currently the #5 computer bestseller, and the #1 Vista book! Congratulations on your first two 5 star reviews! Many more to come I'm sure.

Congratulations to Carl Chatfield, Timothy Johnson and the team here at Microsoft Press on the publication of Project 2007 Step by Step. Their 2003 edition remains one of our top selling Office books and is rarely out of the top 50 computer books on Bookscan.

Congratulations to Judy Lemke, Jim Larkin and the team here on the publication of Visio 2007 Step by Step. I believe this means all of our Office 2007 Step by Steps are now officially in print!

Saw this article on MSN by Joel Rose, "Why I Love My Alpha Wife."

It may not be easy, but everywhere families are learning to adjust to a one or two income family in new ways.

Among my set of friends I know:

*One stay-at-home wife while husband does 9-5

*Two stay-at-home husbands while wife does 9-5

*Three husbands with start-ups while wife is chief breadwinner and 9-5

*Two sets of husbands and wives both doing 9-5