Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams has book deal

Toni Morrison, Joan Didion among those in PEN archive

Speeches by Toni Morrison, Joan Didion and Pablo Neruda are among the highlights of an online multimedia archive unveiled by PEN America.

The literary and human rights organization told The Associated Press that the archive has been in the works since 2011. The project’s completion was enabled by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The website covers PEN gatherings over the past half-century, beginning in 1966. It includes more than 1,500 hours of audio and video recordings featuring many of the world’s leading writers and public thinkers.

“Over nearly 100 years, PEN America has convened America’s leading literary and intellectual lights in debates and dialogues that have framed the most pressing social, cultural and political issues of the time,” Suzanne Nossel, the organization’s executive director, said in a statement. “With the release of the PEN America Digital Archive, these essential voices have been brought back to life, brimming with personality, passion, opinion and sometimes bombast. Hearing directly from these greats will offer information and inspiration to writers, scholars and free-expression advocates for generations to come.”

Find the ditigal archive at https://archive.pen.org.

George RR Martin working on next ‘Song of Ice and Fire’

George RR Martin says the next “Song of Ice and Fire” book has a real chance of coming out in 2018.

But don’t count on it yet.

In a weekend posting on his website, Martin wrote that he’s working hard on “The Winds of Winter,” the long-awaited sixth volume in the series adapted into the HBO hit “Game of Thrones.”

He added that he has “good days and bad days” and is still months away from finishing. Meanwhile, he thinks it’s “likely” that he’ll have his first “Fire and Blood” book out by late 2018 or early 2019. The new book is a history of House Targaryen, which has the motto “Fire and Blood.”

His conclusion: one, maybe two Westeros books in 2018.

“A boy can dream,” he wrote.

Georgia gubernatorial candidate has book deal

Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams has a book deal.

Henry Holt and Co. told The Associated Press that Abrams’ “Minority Leader: How to Lead from the Outside and Make Real Change” is scheduled for next spring. According to Holt, her book will combine her life story with “real-world, how-to advice” for women and minorities “who must grapple with the implications of race, class, gender and otherness.” Abrams, a Democrat, is hoping to become the country’s first black female governor. She is calling her book “‘Lean In’ for the rest of us.”

“This is a book about how potent and compelling being the minority can be and how it can transform your destiny when properly harnessed,” she said in a statement.

Her candidacy was endorsed this week by Georgia congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis. Abrams, 43 years old and an attorney from Atlanta, has been active in voter registration and often joined Lewis as a surrogate for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when she ran for president in 2016.

Four Republicans and two Democrats are in the 2018 race in Georgia to replace Gov. Nathan Deal, a Republican limited to two terms.

Mika Brzezinski has a three-book deal

“Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski (bruh-ZHIN-skee) has a three-book deal.

Weinstein Books told The Associated Press that the first release would be a new and expanded edition of the 2011 best-seller “Knowing Your Value: Women, Money, and Getting What You’re Worth.” The book features commentary from Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sheryl Sandberg, among others, and will come out next spring.

Brzezinski also plans two more “Knowing Your Value” publications, scheduled for fall 2018. “Comeback Careers” will be co-authored by sister-in-law Ginny Brzezinski and “The Millennial Challenge” is a collaboration with “Morning Joe” producer Daniela Pierre-Bravo. Mika Brzezinski’s other books include “All Things at Once” and “Obsessed: America’s Food Addiction — and My Own.”

Weinstein Books is a partnership between the Weinstein Co. and Hachette Book Group.

— Associated Press

Patterson’s manners pitch to kids, minus a co-writer

James Patterson, the highest-paid author in the world, thinks it’s important for children to mind their manners.

Perhaps he feels the same way about his co-writers.

For his 2016 children’s book “Give Please a Chance,” the best-selling novelist teamed up with TV personality Bill O’Reilly to remind kids of the value of politeness. But for his follow-up book, “Give Thank You a Try,” Patterson is going it alone.

Might that change have something to do with certain impolite behavior that nudged O’Reilly from his job at Fox News this spring?

Patterson declined to comment. His publisher said it is “still committed to the mission of helping to build a world of ‘please-and-thank-you kids.’ ” A worthy goal, for sure, and one Patterson has championed through his children’s books, literacy campaign and philanthropic work.

“Give Thank You a Try” will be published by Jimmy Patterson, an imprint of Hachette, on Oct. 30. According to Patterson’s publisher, the picture book features “sweetly illustrated scenes from a variety of artists” that “show children saying ‘thank you’ for simple gifts like tickles, ice cream, and Mommy and Daddy’s love.”

It is recommended for children 2 to 5 years old.

In the meantime, Patterson is working with another Bill — Clinton — on a novel for adults called “The President Is Missing.” It is set for publication next June.

— The Washington Post