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Bestsellers

Behind the Bestsellers
Daisy Maryles -- 3/20/00

The Flame 28 Years Later

Romance pundits of a certain age remember the impact that Kathleen E. Woodiwiss's first historical romance, The Flame and the Flower, had on the category--it has been back to press over 80 times and has more than four million copies in print. The author's loyal following has been asking for Jeff's story (brother of Brandon Birmingham, the hero of The Flame) and twice she featured him in short story anthologies-Three Weddings and a Kiss and Married at Midnight. In November 1998, fans got their first extended visit back to the world of the Birminghams, via a full-length novel, The Elusive Flame. Avon anticipates huge sales for the latest, titled A Season Beyond a Kiss, and launched it with a 700,000-copy first printing. It currently leads PW's trade paperback bestseller list, the only genre romance author to have done so (bestseller pundits, please confirm--or contradict). Woodiwiss has more than 35 million copies of her books in print.

Knopf's Doubleheader

The publisher lands a new novel on the hardcover fiction list and a new self-help title on nonfiction. Stephen Harrigan's The Gates of the Alamo was launched with a 60,000 first printing and is now up to78,000 copies after four trips to press. It's the author's first time on the national charts; for more about him, read this week's PW Interview (p. 66). Harrigan is in the .middle of a promotional tour--centering mostly around Texas--that will run through the end of April. The autographings--like everything in Texas--have all been BIG and lead reviews have appeared across the country.

The second author debuting is Dr. Andrew Weil for Eating Well for Optimum Health: The Essential Guide to Food, Diet, and Nutrition. First printing for this regular resident of national bestseller charts is 750,000 copies. National laydown date was March 7 and a one-hour PBS pledge special aired nationwide on March 1. Weil's show, Eating Well for Optimum Health, is airing now across the country. Weil's extensive media appearances have included Today, Charlie Rose, The View and NPR's Fresh Air. Still to come are 60 Minutes, The Edge with Paula Zahn and a Redbook May feature.

Roberts Rules Again

It looks like Nora Roberts will once again be the author with the most new bestsellers in one year. Two books go on the list week--Carolina Moon and Witness to Death (this new mass market arrival is under the Roberts nom de plume of J.D. Robb). She landed in the #2 slot the first week out on the hardcover list--only John Grisham stood in her way--with a romantic suspense, Carolina Moon. Putnam notes that this is Roberts's biggest hardcover release ever with a first printing of 505,000 copies. The author is on her trademark 26-city tour, drawing at least 250 people to each signing. Roberts will even be the subject of a question on an exceptionally popular TV game show (we're keeping its name a secret so as not to tip off any of the contestants). The publisher calculates that by the end of her tour, Roberts will have signed about 6000 copies of Carolina Moon.

A Moment-ous Seventh

Hailed as "the female John Grisham" by People magazine, bestselling author Lisa Scottoline has six critically acclaimed legal thrillers under her belt, including the Edgar Award-winning Final Appeal. Her seventh book, Moment of Truth, is marking its third week on our fiction list, and it is the author's second novel to take up residence there (Mistaken Identity was a tenant one year ago in hardcover), and the paperback edition just spent three weeks on our mass market list and now lurks right below the top 15. Scottoline recently concluded a cross-country tour that took her from the Chester County Book Company, near her home outside Philadelphia, to Seattle's Elliott Bay. HarperCollins reports 170,000 copies of Truth in print after five trips back to press; sales of Mistaken Identity's paperback edition are at 880,000.

With reporting by Dick Donahue
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