Prospect Park Media

The Neurotic Parent Is Coming!

ProspectParkMedia — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:22:25 +0000

For three years, an anonymous blogger known only as The Neurotic Parent kept readers in stitches while she lampooned the insanity of modern college admissions, as a mother helping her sons find—and get accepted to—good colleges. Now, thanks to the upcoming book The Neurotic Parent’s Guide to College Admissions, her cover is blown. Her name is Judy Rothman (aka J.D. Rothman), and her dance card is filling up with signings, speaking engagements, and publication parties around the March publication of this hilarious book.

To whet your whistle, here’s a short book trailer:

Click on the Neurotic Parent Guide’s website to find out all about the book, the author, the events, the early reviews, and more.

Amelia Saltsman in the Kitchen

ProspectParkMedia — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:36:12 +0000

Amelia Saltsman in her Santa Monica kitchen; photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Times

Kudos to Prospect Park author Amelia Saltsman, who—along with her kitchen—was the subject of a big feature in the Los Angeles Times recently. You can read all about her kitchen, her family, and her approach to cooking right here on latimes.com. Here’s where you can check out her bestselling Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook. Amelia is also a valued member of the EAT: Los Angeles team.

Happy Birthday to Us!

ProspectParkMedia — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 06:21:53 +0000

Publisher Colleen Dunn Bates and books at Prospect Park's 5th birthday party. Photo by Wendy Werris; courtesy of Publishers Weekly.

To celebrate five years of working with great people to produce quality books and online magazines, Prospect Park threw a party on Sunday, November 13th. About 100 people descended on the hidden Glassell Park kitchen and courtyard of caterer Jennie Cook. Writers, designers, editors, sales reps, photographers, journalists, artists and other assorted smart and interesting folks ran into old friends, made new ones, enjoyed the joyous string-band music of Triple Chicken Foot, had a drink or two, and went to town on Cook’s spinach croquettes, charcuterie, date and blue cheese fritters, and chocolate fountain—with an extra treat of Christine Moore’s legendary caramels and marshmallows.

The photo at right was Publishers Weekly’s photo of the day on November 14th. Below are a few photos taken by party guest Petrea Burchard, the photographer/writer of Pasadena Daily Photo. Alas, neither light nor cameras cooperated, so these are the only photos we’ve got. But trust us: What a lot of great-looking people were there!

Everyone picked a book to take home as a party favor.

Hungry folks hovered in the kitchen.

E-Book Action

ProspectParkMedia — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 03:20:42 +0000

Prospect Park Media has jumped into the e-book pool, and as is true for so many publishers large and small, we’re seeing e-sales increase steadily. Our best-selling novel Helen of Pasadena is a brisk seller for Kindle and Nook, and it’s now available on the iBook store, for all you iPad and iPhone owners. EAT: Los Angeles is on Kindle and Nook and will shortly be available for iPad and iPhone—and yes, the websites for the establishments listed in the book are linked. Also available for Kindle is The Complete Guide to Check Collecting, complete with illustrations of historic and valuable checks.

Coming up shortly: The Spa Less Traveled: Discovering Ethnic Los Angeles, One Massage at a Time, which will be sold for all e-book platforms this fall.

Helen of Pasadena Earns SCIBA Nomination

ProspectParkMedia — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:17:36 +0000

Helen of Pasadena, a romantic comedy written by Southern California author Lian Dolan, has been named a finalist for Best Fiction by the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association (SCIBA.) The novel, set in Pasadena, California, tells the story of one woman’s struggle to reinvent her life after her philandering husband is killed by a Rose Parade float.Helen of Pasadena is joined by three other books on the finalist short list: Wingshooters by Nina Revoyr (Akashic Books); Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (Viking) and When the Killing’s Done by T.C. Boyle (Viking). The winner will be announced at SCIBA’s annual gala in October.

Dolan’s novel, her first, has been a mainstay on the SCIBA and Los Angeles Times bestseller lists since its publication in November 2010.

This marks the fourth nomination in five years for tiny Prospect Park Media of Pasadena, publisher of the bestselling Hometown Pasadena, Celebrating with Julienne and EAT: Los Angeles. Upcoming Prospect Park books include The Spa Less Traveled: Discovering Ethnic Los Angeles One Massage at a Time, and The Neurotic Parent’s Guide to College Admissions: Strategies for Helicoptering, Hot-housing & Micromanaging.

For more information or to arrange an interview with author Lian Dolan or publisher Colleen Dunn Bates, please contact Caroline Purvis, marketing director, Prospect Park Media, 626.793.9796, www.prospectparkmedia.com.

Check Collecting Book Released

ProspectParkMedia — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:13:53 +0000

New this summer is The Complete Guide to Check Collecting, produced by Prospect Park Media for publisher Michael Reynard. This new title, the only book in the nation on the subject, is a comprehensive, illustrated resource for collectors of bank checks, autographs, revenue stamps, and paper ephemera. The author/publisher makes it clear why check collecting has been increasing in popularity over the last decade, as financial transactions become more digital and check writing becomes less common. Reynard explains the history of how checks came to be used and accepted as financial instruments, reviews the types of checks and what makes them collectible and valuable, shares tips on buying, selling, storing and displaying collections, and provides resources for novice and experienced collectors alike.

Prospect Park and its trade distributor, SCB Distributors, is distributing the book. Book retailers can contact SCB here; consumers who’d like to buy the book directly from us can click here.

Celebrating with Julienne Is Back!

ProspectParkMedia — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 22:43:00 +0000

After nearly a year out of print, the bestselling, award-winning cookbook Celebrating with Julienne is back. The new edition honors author Susan Campoy, who died of breast cancer shortly after completing the book in 2009, by donating all royalties to the Susan Campoy Nurse Education Fund at City of Hope in Duarte, California.

The book arrived April 15th and was feted at a party at Julienne in San Marino, California on April 19th, hosted by Sue’s daughter and Julienne owner Julie Campoy, who is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer. (And the publisher, Colleen Dunn Bates, recently completed treatment.) So the entire team is vested in doing its part to improve cancer treatment and help nurses in their mission.

EatLA: the App

ProspectParkMedia — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 06:00:26 +0000

Now selling in the iTunes App Store is EatLA the iPhone app, at the introductory bargain price of just 99 cents. For less than a buck you get the EatLA database of 1,300 carefully curated resources for LA food lovers—sortable, searchable and mappable. We don’t waste your time with corporate chains or unworthy places—we point you straight the best places for breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, takeout, food that’s fast and shopping for everything from cheese to cookbooks to chardonnay.

Coming up next: EatLA for iPad!

Helen an Immediate Hit

ProspectParkMedia — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 20:39:56 +0000

With early reviews just arriving and books just getting in stock, it’s already clear that Helen of Pasadena is a boffo hit. Its Amazon Pre-Order day was a huge success—the book made it to the #1 spot on the Movers & Shakers list, and author Lian Dolan was particularly thrilled to see it pass Eat, Pray, Love on the bestseller list. Advance orders were so strong, in fact, that Amazon has had trouble keeping up with them, so books aren’t shipping until the second or third week of November. After just three days on the shelves, it was the #1 fiction book at Vroman’s Bookstore, and early reviewers on Amazon and BN.com are saying things like “great writing,” “laugh-out-loud humor,” “smart women’s lit,” “I loved this book” and “Here’s hoping Julia Roberts plays Helen in the movie.”

To learn more about author Lian Dolan and her new novel, read this terrific profile by NPR’s Mandalit del Barco in Arroyo Monthly.

EAT: LA 2011 Is Here

ProspectParkMedia — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 01:26:31 +0000

After another year of assiduous eating, shopping and driving, the team of savvy food journalists behind EAT: Los Angeles is back with a new edition of the book for 2011. Thoroughly updated and rich with new discoveries, it has a dazzling new cover and, despite being the biggest edition yet, it’s more compact and more bag- and car-friendly than ever. And though it’s better than ever, the price remains the same: a mere $19.95.

Question: What else makes such a great $20 gift for food lovers? Answer: Nothing.

Editor Colleen Dunn Bates and contributing editor Jean T. Barrett recently guested on KPCC’s Off-Ramp, to talk with host John Rabe about L.A. eating, favorite dishes and memorable meals. You can listen to the podcast here.

As for where to pick up the book—all over town! You’ll find it at Vroman’s, Traveler’s Bookcase, Book Soup, Skylight, Pages and indie bookstores everywhere; at Barnes & Noble and Borders; and at the best food retailers, including Vicente Foods, Cheese Store of Silverlake, Colorado Wine Co., Jones Coffee, Clementine and Wine Expo. If it’s just too hard to get to any of those places, you can always resort to Amazon.com.