News Round-up

Soap novel and Smashwords
Like others, Mark Coker, a Los Gatos entrepreneur and aspiring novelist, has learned about the challenges facing new authors — many of whom never get published. And even if they do, aside from a handful of blockbusters, the few books that make it to the shelves of bookstores rarely stay there. If books don't sell well enough, they are sent back to the publisher and very quickly go out of print. Coker decided the Web can fix this. Last year he announced Smashwords, a free platform for publishing electronic books, or e-books.

"My wife and I wrote a novel about six years ago. We signed on with one of the top literary agencies in New York City, and after about two years they were just unable to sell our book. It was an eye-opening experience. All the publishers came back and said they thought it was a great book, but they questioned whether or not the intended audience actually read books.

It's a novel about the soap opera industry. My wife Lesleyanne is a former reporter for Soap Opera Weekly magazine and we gathered up real-world stories about the soap-opera industry and then we fictionalized it into a novel. It was a difficult experience for us to be rejected that way because we had shown the book to multiple readers, and people really enjoyed the book. I found it frustrating that a publisher would stand in the way between us and our potential readership. And it dawned on me that the system just doesn't work for authors."

Eva Longoria Parker dishes on the Globes' red carpet
She told Ryan Seacrest of E! Entertainment who schmoozed stars on the red carpet outside the Beverly Hilton Hotel, that no, she was not having a baby. And that she was "such a bore." This, despite her glamorous gig on DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES and being listed with her husband, among Hollywood's top-10 earning couples.

"I'm just a boring housewife," she confessed, with a laugh, to Seacrest and then plugged her Mexican-cuisine restaurant in Hollywood called Beso, Spanish for kiss. "They're all my recipes," she said about the menu. "They're all mine," including the guacamole that is made tableside.

As for her role on DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES she said that Gabrielle Solis "will be glamorous again" as opposed to Gabby's current dowdy and non-stylish housewife twist in the series.

Golden Globes Live Blog
If you missed the show, Nikki Finke's live blog is a great way to find out what you missed.

Best and worst of Golden Globes fashion

Eva Longoria Parker made the Fort Worth Star Telegram's best dressed list while Marisa Tomei was named one of the worst.

HOLLYOAKS' Jennifer Metcalfe: "I don't think it's fair"
"I don’t think we get the recognition we deserve," Metcalfe says. "We have a hugely talented cast and some pretty controversial storylines but we tend to miss out on the top awards. I don’t think it’s fair at all."

Josh Duhamel and Fergie's interesting wedding ceremony
Radaronline.com has a look at their wedding invitation and program and details on their honeymoon. The theme from PEANUTS played as the wedding procession began, as you can see listed in the official program. Fergie was a child actor and provided the voice of Sally Brown in a few Charlie Brown TV specials including IT'S FLASHBEAGLE, CHARLIE BROWN (1984) and others. The happy couple left Los Angeles International airport Sunday for their honeymoon.

"Robert Reid Show"
I'll be a guest this morning at 10am ET talking soaps.