'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' world doing just dandy in social media

Who knew Darcy was such a big Nick Cave fan? That's Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I learned about his Bad Seeds obsession on his Facebook page, which has been created to hype the best-selling Seth Grahame-Smith novel to digitally savvy youngsters—those who haven't already read the Jane Austen-inspired mashup and anyone who might want to check out Darcy's status updates. (Hint: He goes to a lot of fancy balls, unfriends people who've offended him and kills a bunch of the undead.)
  The online PPZ world, with blogs and Twitter accounts, a YouTube channel, Flickr feed and more, comes from publisher Quirk Books and its agency 160 Over 90 to sell more of the first novel and pump the upcoming sequel, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After. There's also an "unmentionables preparedness kit" for sale that contains a personalized letter from heroine Elizabeth Bennet, a special-edition hardcover copy of the first book and sundry items to help ward off and treat zombie attacks. Maybe I should invest in some of that Gnaw Be Gone? Never know when the zombiepocalypse is coming!

Tim Gunn learns to bring Lifetime to life

You go, boy! Just when I thought I couldn't love Tim Gunn any more, the formerly low-key Project Runway hand holder launches a scorched-earth tour to promote his new book, Gunn's Golden Rules. And it couldn't be more fabulous. He's talking trash about Anna Wintour, the legendary Vogue editor who has zero sense of humor and possibly can't work a Manolo. (Is that why she has to be carried by her bodyguards, or does she fancy herself a modern-day deity?) Gunn said this week that Condé Nast should keep some spare straightjackets on hand for all those unfortunate souls driven mad by Nuclear Wintour, and that he couldn't care less if his truth-telling means some future party invites will be "lost in the mail." All this delicious hoo-ha is coupled with his bold new approach on the Lifetime series, where he rightly called out a contestant for being a bully and a manipulator (yes, you Gretchen!) and voices his utter distaste for fugly designs more bluntly than he's ever done before. (He actually laughed so hard at one dress that tears were streaming down his face.) Remember the old Tim, who wrinkled his brow at fashion disasters in the making and offered up some rah-rah words of encouragement without ripping the outfit to shreds? Me neither. And that's a good thing. He's found his mojo, and I hope to see more of it. Carry on!

Starz, Apple and Penguin teaming up for 'Pillars of the Earth' iPad campaign

There's nothing like 21st-century gadgetry to bring medieval England to life. And boning up on 12th-century cathedral architecture while listening to a Gregorian chant on your iPad on the subway? Well, that's beautifully retro/au courant. Starz, the pay cable network that's trying to make a splash with its original programming, has been working with Apple's white-hot iPad as a media and marketing partner for its epic miniseries The Pillars of the Earth, based on the bestselling novel by Ken Follett. The channel, Apple and Pillars publisher Penguin released an "amplified" version of the book for the iPad, with more than two hours of behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, music and making-of tidbits. Follett, a rock star in literary circles with a rabid fan following, created a multimedia diary that's also included.

Zombie novel seeks a flesh-eating trailer

What's more popular right now than crowdsourcing, zombies and cash? Now, if you roll all those things into one contest, is it an automatic slam dunk? Let's just say it has potential. Hot on the heels of the "subservient actress" game for Bret Easton Ellis's Imperial Bedrooms, here's another quirky book-marketing gambit: Publishing house Stone Bridge Press is asking people to create and post to YouTube 30-second to two-minute videos for Linda Watanabe McFerrin's Dead Love that center on the thriller's sexy protagonist, Erin, and her zombie pals. For inspiration, there's a blog and a manga, and the entries can be pro or lo-fi. The video that garners the most votes will earn its creator $100 and some autographed Dead Love swag. In other words, this would kind of need to be a labor of love. A contest like this would probably work better if it involved a known entity—a book series with pre-existing fans already versed in the characters and stories. Plus, it's too much work to have to spread the word about one's entry and go begging for votes, for a meager reward. But never underestimate the free time and, to be fair, the creativity of the American public. And of course, zombies help.

Online game for Bret Easton Ellis's latest novel not a paragon of feminist ideals

If time-wasting Web surfers had been able to ply the Subservient Chicken with drugs and booze, there's no telling what would've happened. For those who want that kind of creepy control over an online character, there's the just-launched promotional site for Bret Easton Ellis' new novel Imperial Bedrooms. The book is his long-awaited follow up to Less than Zero, and features the same characters, only older and sleazier. On TheDevilInYou.com, the "player" in the role of Clay, a slimy Hollywood producer, is directing a young actress during an audition and can do such soulless things as berate her, proposition her, tell her to strip, force her to drink from a flask and snort coke. (If you post a high score on this NSFW "game," it means you have "only the dimmest flicker of humanity left," according to The Devil in You grading system. Your conscience can kick in, though, and you can always "let her go," possibly saving yourself from eternal damnation but no doubt ensuring your nice-guys-finish-last status in Los Angeles.) It's a mighty competitive world out there, and the publishing business has been struggling, turning to TV ads, retail events and all forms of viral marketing to sell books. Will this promotion—from publisher Picador and digital agency Ralph—help move product and revive the Bret Easton Ellis literary brand? God only knows.

A great book about a great American city

So, I'm heading down to New Orleans this weekend with my wife, family and friends for my 40th birthday. It will be my 12th visit to the Big Easy. And to get myself in the mood, I'm reading The Great Deluge, an extremely tough book chronicling the devastation that was Hurricane Katrina. Why would I choose such a depressing book before partying in the French Quarter? Well, for starters, it's good to know a little history of any city you visit. And not all of The Great Deluge is depressing. There's just as much hope as despair in the stories that Douglas Brinkley shares. Many people made huge sacrifices and risked their lives for strangers. It depicts exactly why New Orleans is truly unique.
  Hurricane Katrina was a tragedy of epic proportions. Thousands of people in New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast lost their lives. Tens of thousands lost their homes and never returned. Skeptics left the city for dead. Thankfully, there were those who refused to accept that. Brad Pitt and Drew Brees of the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints saw the potential for New Orleans to come back better than ever. They put their money where there mouth was: building schools and low-income housing in the Ninth Ward. And on Feb. 6, Mitch Landrieu was elected mayor with a whopping 66 percent of the popular vote. Another positive sign that the people of New Orleans are united behind a man they believe in.
  New Orleans is one of the greatest cities in the world. The people. The food. The nightlife. The music. The architecture. It has a genuine vibe all its own.
  So, have you ever visited Nawlens? What's your favorite American city?

—Posted by Craig Russell

Ladies, your assignment for this weekend to understand the game of football

Ladies? Ladies! Stop making that Nine Layer Dip, and huddle up! It's Super Bowl Sunday, and you don't seem to understand what a point spread is, or what a Wildcat is, now do you? Do you?! Well, it's your lucky day, ladies! Betsy Berns is going to save your ass from embarrassment. See, she wrote this book for you. It's good, right? She really knows how to speak to the ladies about sports. In easy-to-understand language. I have to tell you, I personally can't believe I've gotten through 30 years or so of watching football without this book. My dad tried to explain the rules to me at one point, but he did it in that not-so-easy-to-understand man language. I'm not getting soft on you, I'm just trying to tell you that before I found this book, I just watched the Super Bowl for the commercials. And she totally looks like Carrie Bradshaw, right? Right?!

—Posted by Cindee Weiss

Edward's always been a sucker for Volvo

What drives beautiful, brooding vampire Edward Cullen? His eternal love for high schooler Bella Swan, of course. Oh, and his Volvo XC60. There may be some head-scratching over the promotional tie-in and sweepstakes between New Moon, the Twilight sequel opening Thursday night, and the European automaker. But one need look no further than the source material—the best-selling novels by Stephenie Meyer—to find that Volvo is one of the few brands mentioned by name in the books. Meyer, probably not wanting to date the material, steered so far away from brand shilling that Bella digs into vamp lore using "her favorite search engine," works at a mom-and-pop sporting goods store and favors grungy jeans and flannels over designer duds. In other words, no one would confuse the Twilight series with Cover Girl-sponsored Cathy's Book. Across more than 2,400 pages, there are fleeting mentions of brands like McDonald's and Monster Garage, but it's clear from the first book that Edward loves his Volvo. Vampire go fast! (And he buys Bella an Audi sports car to replace her beater truck, which frustrated him because it topped out at 50 mph.) Meyer, a confessed car nut, indulged that one passion—and obviously an obsession for human/undead romance—in the quadrilogy. New Moon, not incidentally, is tracking to be the top-grossing movie this weekend. Fandango reports that it's racked up the most advance ticket sales of any flick in the online service's history (that includes The Dark Knight and Star Wars: Episode III), and MovieTickets.com says it's outselling Twilight by four-to-one. Twihards, on your mark!

—Posted by T.L. Stanley