By Myrian Chaplain-Riou, AFP - PARIS — Stephenie Meyer, the Mormon mother turned best-selling author, closes a five-year rags-to-riches saga next weekend with the release of the final chapter in her vampire romances.

Launched worldwide at 0401 GMT June 5, "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner", dubbed a novella by her publisher, is expected to be greeted by huge turnouts at booksellers across the globe.

"At this point," said publisher Megan Tingley, "Stephenie does not have plans to return to the saga."

A homebody with a degree in literature but professional experience only as a receptionist, the 36-year-old has sold over 100 million copies of her four-novel

WBGH - The Women’s Fund Annual Breakfast on Wednesday June 2, 2010 is sold out! The keynote speaker for this year’s Breakfast is Amy Dickinson—nationally syndicated advice columnist for the Chicago Tribune, NPR commentator and frequent guest on NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me,” and author of the New York Times bestseller The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, A Daughter and the People Who Raised Them.

Attendees will also hear from the winners of the 2009 Women’s Fund grant awards including Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tioga County which received a grant award of $2,500 toward the “Youth as Entrepreneurs” 4H program for

By WILLIAM J. KEMBLE, Kingston Daily Freeman - Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson and Marist College in Poughkeepsie held commencement exercises Saturday on their respective campuses.

Bard conferred 431 undergraduate degrees and 130 graduate degrees during its 150th commencement.

The keynote speaker at Bard, novelist Margaret Atwood, encouraged students to appreciate life, and she brought laughter by noting the nation's Constitution was written on hemp.

Honorary degrees were presented at the Bard ceremony to Atwood, economist Alan S. Binder, Xavier University President Norman C. Francis, diplomat Brandon H. Grove Jr., investor Henry G. Jarecki and physicist Lisa Randall.

Marist conducted its 64th commencement by conferring 1,100 degrees on Saturday. Another 376 were presented

Greater Tulsa Reporter Newspapers - Keynote speaker Billie Letts had the audience rolling with her amazing poise, humility, and delicious sense of humor. She is the author of Where the Heart is, which reached the coveted number one slot on the New York Times paperback bestseller list and was selected for Oprah Winfrey’s book club.  She is an advocate for women and women’s health.  “It’s all about knowing your personal risks, making the right personal choices and loving your heart,” said Karen Larsen, Go Red for Women emcee and KJRH anchor.Since 2004, the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement has captured the energy,

WRAL.com -

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Students graduating from the University of North Carolina will hear a commencement address from best-selling author John Grisham, whose daughter is a UNC graduate.

Chancellor Holden Thorp will preside over the ceremony that begins Sunday morning in Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill.

Grisham also has spoken at two North Carolina Literary Festivals held on campus - in 1998 and the most recent festival in September 2009. His daughter, Shea, graduated from UNC in 2008 with a degree in elementary education.

Grisham's latest book, "Ford County," was published in November and

By Sharyn Vane, Austin American-Statesman - Legions of young fans no doubt hope so. San Antonio native Rick Riordan ruled The New York Times best-seller list with his five-volume series about Percy Jackson, a young boy whose death-defying adventures begin after he discovers his father is really a Greek god. When the final title was released last spring, Riordan promised his readers he was readying a new set of characters and gods - this time, Egyptian.

Fast forward to last week , when 1 million copies of "The Red Pyramid," the first of a planned trilogy, hit bookstore shelves. "The Red Pyramid" follows the brother-sister team of

By Manon Mirabelli, MassLive.com - Education is an asset that cannot be stripped from those who have it and the time-honored tradition of learning from our elders is one that should be more respected in this country.

Those were two of the key messages best-selling author Greg Mortenson told nearly 1,500 adults, students and children during a special event at Westfield State College Thursday evening.

Mortenson, co-author of the top New York Times bestseller “Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time,” published in 39 countries, selling more than 3.5 million copies and becoming required reading for senior military commanders

PR.com (press release) - Joe Roberts is a bestselling author, motivational keynote speaker and CEO. After having lived as a homeless drug addict for over 10 years, he is now known as the “Skid Row CEO” and is an internationally sought after professional speaker who motivates and inspires audiences worldwide.

Vancouver, Canada, April 30, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Motivational speaker and bestselling author Joe Roberts recently launched an online campaign for his non-profit foundation, his business training program, and his keynote speaker website. His campaign only consists of social media marketing, and he has seen amazing results.

Although he has yet to invest in search engine optimization and

USA Today - Each week, Christine Brennan writes the column for Thursday's Page 3.0 in USA TODAY. It appears here in her blog:

A few years ago, Kobe Bryant was in big trouble. A woman accused him of rape, a felony sexual assault charge was filed but dropped before the trial and Bryant later settled a civil lawsuit with the woman. Sponsors such as McDonald's understandably bailed on Bryant. But one sponsor did not. Nike stayed put.

Five months ago, Tiger Woods found himself in the midst of the mother of all self-induced, personal scandals. Sponsors such as AT&T and Accenture left him, and who

Huffington Post (blog) - Produced by HuffPost's Eyes & Ears Citizen Journalism Unit

While pundits warn about the demise of publishing, one writer filled Chicago's Auditorium Theatre Saturday night--best-selling author David Sedaris has officially reached rock-star status in the literary world.

"An Evening with David Sedaris," part of a 36-city tour, featured readings from Sedaris' diary along with previews from Sedaris' new book of animal fables coming out in October, titled "Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary."

The former title of the book was "Fables," but, as Sedaris explained, it had to be changed because "fables have morals." The stories feature animals set in human situations: A

By Shannon Donnelly , Palm Beach Daily News - It was a homecoming of sorts for celebrity chef, author and semi-Palm Beach kid Michael Ruhlman.

Ruhlman, the son of Palm Beach resident Carole Ruhlman and the husband of former Shiny Sheet photographer Donna Turner, was the special guest at a reception to benefit Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland.

Twilight on the Terrace took place March 25 at the home of Madeleine Parker and honored the hospital’s Circle of Friends donors.

The evening began with poolside cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a demonstration of Ruhlman’s culinary prowess and a signed cookbook for each guest.

Ruhlman is an award-winning New York Times

BY COURTENAY EDELHART, Bakersfield Californian - There are very few nationally known business gurus who punctuate obligatory thank yous to local sponsors with personal anecdotes, but for best-selling business author Patrick Lencioni, the banner behind the lectern at a speech Monday was a walk down memory lane.

"Let's see, Mercy Hospital, I was born there. San Joaquin Hospital, my father died there. That bank, there, I was a teller for them," he began at a presentation sponsored by the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce at the DoubleTree Hotel.

Then came the shout-outs. There were nods to friends and relatives in the audience, and, if his language got too

PR Newswire (press release) - CHEROKEE, N.C., March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel today announced its partnership with Paula Deen Enterprises and the opening in late-2010 of Paula Deen's Kitchen, the property's first new restaurant to be introduced as part of a $633 million, three-year expansion program.

Created as a full-service, 404-seat restaurant, Paula Deen's Kitchen at Harrah's Cherokee will serve a la carte breakfast, lunch and dinner, and will be reminiscent of the decor and ambiance of her legendary home and kitchen in Savannah. The a la carte aspect of the restaurant is a first for Paula Deen in the Harrah's brand,

Beliefnet.com - In my role as a counselor, teacher, and parent, I’ve heard many reasons people use to explain an unhappy existence, and almost all of them inevitably fall into one huge category that I call "excuses." Every self-limiting thought that you employ to explain why you’re not living life to the absolute fullest—so you’re feeling purposeful, content, and fully alive—is something you can challenge and reverse. You can begin by noticing how these thoughts have been working to hold you back.

Here are nine commonly used excuses, as well as affirmations to help you change your beliefs about each of them--and live

SU Blueprint - The SU Alumni Speaker Series continues with a visit from motivational speaker, life coach, and author Gabrielle Bernstein '00 VPA. On Wednesday, April 7 at 7 p.m., Bernstein will speak about her career journey and recently published bestseller "Add More ~Ing To Your Life - A Hip Guide to Happiness" at the Goldstein Alumni & Faculty Center. Immediately following the speech, Bernstein will host a book signing.

By KELLY HUTH, Lehighvalleylive.com - You may recognize him as the time-crunched, stressed-out chef of Food Network's "Dinner: Impossible," but Robert Irvine has just cleaned a new project off his plate.

Irvine's second cookbook "Impossible to Easy: 111 Delicious Recipes to Help You Put Great Meals on the Table Every Day," co-authored with Brian O'Reilly, hit shelves March 30.

Irvine's latest venture debones gourmet meals from his show into easy-to-follow recipes, complete with a minute-by-minute timeline. In the midst of a schedule that keeps him on the road 345 days each year, Irvine took time to talk about his new cookbook and the rigors of being on

Gather.com - The first of Glenn Beck's American Revival Lecture Series was held on March 27th @ the UCF Arena in Orlando, FL. Glenn's site describes The American Revival in this way:

"Glenn Beck’s American Revival is the beginning of that process--a daylong event with the goal of reviving Jefferson’s beliefs and your country.  Through the lessons learned from our history and the real stories behind today’s headlines, Glenn and his guests will return your attention to the fundamental ideals of Faith, Hope, and Charity. They want to engage America's passion, and show once and for all, that it’s not 'they the politicians'