Laura Ross - Editor

Supervised a staff of three editors and a list of 40-50 trade hardcover and paperback books per year; acquired and edited 10-20 books per year and oversaw design and production of each, many of them illustrated; directed the company’s marketing efforts, including publicity, promotion, sales materials, and advertising.

Supervised marketing effort for a $150 million mass-market and trade publishing company; oversaw staff of 15 marketing, advertising and promotion professionals; administered budgets totaling $5 million annually, implementing numerous cost-cutting measures and increasing efficiency by 20 percent; responsible for conception and execution of all broadcast and print advertising, sales materials, catalogs, promotional materials and mailings, point-of-purchase efforts, conferences and sales meetings; played a key role in all phases of each book’s publication, including acquisition effort, packaging approach, position on the overall publishing schedule, and complete trade and consumer publishing strategy.

Managed in-house advertising agency for all imprints of Simon & Schuster Trade Division, overseeing concept, media planning and purchase, copywriting, design, and production; administered budgets totaling $4-6 million annually; hired, trained, and managed a staff of 12 full-time and numerous freelance employees; responsible for all collateral sales materials including catalogs, displays, brochures, posters, and other point-of-sale items.

Managed $5 million advertising and promotion budget, overseeing outside advertising agency and conception and execution of all print and broadcast advertising; supervised copywriting, design, and production of all catalogs and other printed sales materials, displays, and point-of-purchase items; directed a staff of six full-time and numerous freelance employees.

Expanded TCG’s hardcover and trade paperback book imprint from just 2 titles per year to 12, acquiring, editing, and publishing more than 30 books on performing arts topics; served as series editor on several annual reference series; coordinated promotional efforts on all books, including publicity, point-of-purchase, and sales materials; represented the company and handled sales efforts at trade, academic, and professional conferences.

Famous Last Words: A Novel

Sara Hammel

From bestselling author and former People magazine reporter Sara Hammel comes a twisty murder mystery packed with true celebrity stories and juicy blind items. Set at the fictional CelebLife magazine, FAMOUS LAST WORDS takes on the cutthroat business of celebrity journalism. Blending fact and fiction, the author—who spent some fourteen years covering celebrities for People before quitting with... read more

From bestselling author and former People magazine reporter Sara Hammel comes a twisty murder mystery packed with true celebrity stories and juicy blind items. Set at the fictional CelebLife magazine, FAMOUS LAST WORDS takes on the cutthroat business of celebrity journalism. Blending fact and fiction, the author—who spent some fourteen years covering celebrities for People before quitting with... read more

The Little Black Book of Success: Laws of Leadership for Black Women

Elaine Meryl Brown, Marsha Haygood, Rhonda Joy McLean

This invaluable “mentor in your pocket” by three dynamic and successful black female executives will help all black women, at any level of their careers, play the power game—and win.Rich with wisdom, this practical gem focuses on the building blocks of true leadership—self-confidence, effective communication, collaboration, and courage—while dealing specifically with stereotypes (avoid the Mam... read more

This invaluable “mentor in your pocket” by three dynamic and successful black female executives will help all black women, at any level of their careers, play the power game—and win.Rich with wisdom, this practical gem focuses on the building blocks of true leadership—self-confidence, effective communication, collaboration, and courage—while dealing specifically with stereotypes (avoid the Mam... read more

Curlee Girlee

Atara Twersky

Curlee Girlee's hair makes her mad! She wants it to grow down her back like spaghetti, not sideways and all curly-whirly. Curlee Girlee wants to look like everybody else- and she'll try anything to solve her problem.Then one day she discovers that her curly hair is perfect just the way it is. Curlee Girlee doesn't need to look like everyone else to be beautiful. (Atara Twersky) Curlee Girlee i... read more

Curlee Girlee's hair makes her mad! She wants it to grow down her back like spaghetti, not sideways and all curly-whirly. Curlee Girlee wants to look like everybody else- and she'll try anything to solve her problem.Then one day she discovers that her curly hair is perfect just the way it is. Curlee Girlee doesn't need to look like everyone else to be beautiful. (Atara Twersky) Curlee Girlee i... read more

Deep Dark Blue: A Memoir of Survival

Polo Tate

A memoir of surviving sexual abuse in the Air Force academy. I want to be in the Air Force someday.These are the words Polo Tate engraved on her junior dog tags at age eleven. It was an unpopular dream for most young girls, but her hard work paid off and at age eighteen, Polo started basic training at the United States Air Force Academy.She does everything right, from academics to athletics. B... read more

A memoir of surviving sexual abuse in the Air Force academy. I want to be in the Air Force someday.These are the words Polo Tate engraved on her junior dog tags at age eleven. It was an unpopular dream for most young girls, but her hard work paid off and at age eighteen, Polo started basic training at the United States Air Force Academy.She does everything right, from academics to athletics. B... read more

Guns, Drugs, or Wealth: The Three-Income Secret to Success That Took Me from the Streets of Detroit to the Top of My Game

Jerry Ford

If Jay-Z and Warren Buffet collaborated on a how-to guide to building personal capital, it would combine invaluable financial expertise with street-smart wisdom. Guns, Drugs, or Wealth does just that. Jerry Ford overcame inner-city poverty, violence, and tragedy to achieve remarkable success. Now he shares his inspiring true story and a powerful, three-pronged investment strategy, providing a ... read more

If Jay-Z and Warren Buffet collaborated on a how-to guide to building personal capital, it would combine invaluable financial expertise with street-smart wisdom. Guns, Drugs, or Wealth does just that. Jerry Ford overcame inner-city poverty, violence, and tragedy to achieve remarkable success. Now he shares his inspiring true story and a powerful, three-pronged investment strategy, providing a ... read more

Pansy in Venice: The Mystery of the Missing Parrot (Pansy the Poodle Mystery Series)

Cynthia Bardes

In the third episode of the Pansy the Poodle Mystery Series of classic children's books, the fluffy chocolate poodle and her best human friend Avery are called to Venice, Italy, to help find a very important parrot. The beautiful bird, Penelope, is the beloved companion of the city's greatest glass blower. Traveling by speedboat, gondola, and their own six feet, Pansy and Avery follow a myster... read more

In the third episode of the Pansy the Poodle Mystery Series of classic children's books, the fluffy chocolate poodle and her best human friend Avery are called to Venice, Italy, to help find a very important parrot. The beautiful bird, Penelope, is the beloved companion of the city's greatest glass blower. Traveling by speedboat, gondola, and their own six feet, Pansy and Avery follow a myster... read more

Playboy Swings: How Hugh Hefner and Playboy Changed the Face of Music

Patty Farmer

Playboy―the magazine, the empire, the lifestyle―is one of the world’s best-known brands. Since the launch of Playboy magazine in 1953, two elements have been remarkably consistent: the first, obviously, is the celebration of nubile, female flesh. The second, readers may be surprised to learn, is Playboy’s involvement in the music scene. The Playboy experience was never just about sex but about... read more

Playboy―the magazine, the empire, the lifestyle―is one of the world’s best-known brands. Since the launch of Playboy magazine in 1953, two elements have been remarkably consistent: the first, obviously, is the celebration of nubile, female flesh. The second, readers may be surprised to learn, is Playboy’s involvement in the music scene. The Playboy experience was never just about sex but about... read more

Station Blackout: Inside the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster and Recovery

Charles A. Casto

On March 11, 2011, fifty minutes after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit eastern Japan, a tsunami 45-feet high engulfed the nuclear power plant known as Fukushima Daiichi, knocking out electrical power and all the reactors' safety systems. Three reactor cores experienced meltdowns in the first three days, leading to an unimaginable nuclear disaster. The person the Tokyo Electric Power Company cal... read more

On March 11, 2011, fifty minutes after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit eastern Japan, a tsunami 45-feet high engulfed the nuclear power plant known as Fukushima Daiichi, knocking out electrical power and all the reactors' safety systems. Three reactor cores experienced meltdowns in the first three days, leading to an unimaginable nuclear disaster. The person the Tokyo Electric Power Company cal... read more

Dylan & Me: 50 Years Of Adventures

Louie Kemp

"It was at summer camp in northern Wisconsin in 1953 that I first met Bobby Zimmerman from Hibbing. He was twelve years old and he had a guitar. He would go around telling everybody that he was going to be a rock-and-roll star. I was eleven and I believed him." So begins this honest, funny, and deeply affectionate memoir of a friendship that has spanned five decades of wild adventures, soul se... read more

"It was at summer camp in northern Wisconsin in 1953 that I first met Bobby Zimmerman from Hibbing. He was twelve years old and he had a guitar. He would go around telling everybody that he was going to be a rock-and-roll star. I was eleven and I believed him." So begins this honest, funny, and deeply affectionate memoir of a friendship that has spanned five decades of wild adventures, soul se... read more

Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World

Mark Norell, Denise Patry Leidy, Laura Ross

An elegantly, lavishly illustrated history of the legendary Silk Road and the cultural pathway it blazed for the modern world. Spanning centuries of history, this engrossing book--created in conjunction with the world-famous American Museum of Natural History--takes an epic journey to major stops in China, Uzbekistan, Iraq, and beyond. Not only did people from many lands trade their goods alon... read more

An elegantly, lavishly illustrated history of the legendary Silk Road and the cultural pathway it blazed for the modern world. Spanning centuries of history, this engrossing book--created in conjunction with the world-famous American Museum of Natural History--takes an epic journey to major stops in China, Uzbekistan, Iraq, and beyond. Not only did people from many lands trade their goods alon... read more

A Passion to Lead: Theodore Roosevelt in His Own Words

Theodore Roosevelt

Outdoorsman, politician, patriot, soldier, bestselling author, naturalist, winner of the Medal of Honor and the Nobel Peace Prize, Theodore Roosevelt was both a consummate man of action and a prolific author. A Passion to Lead is a collection of excerpts from his writings--his autobiography, memoirs such as Rough Riders, speeches, articles, and letters--that bring the man to life in his own el... read more

Outdoorsman, politician, patriot, soldier, bestselling author, naturalist, winner of the Medal of Honor and the Nobel Peace Prize, Theodore Roosevelt was both a consummate man of action and a prolific author. A Passion to Lead is a collection of excerpts from his writings--his autobiography, memoirs such as Rough Riders, speeches, articles, and letters--that bring the man to life in his own el... read more

The Secrets to Sensational Foreplay: The Hottest Ways to Touch Your Lover for Incredible Pleasure, Stronger Orgasms, and Longer, Better Sex

Laura Ross

The Secrets to Sensational Foreplay teaches you toe-curling touch techniques, creative kissing and mouth moves that will drive your partner crazy, and sultry seduction skills that will stoke all of your senses for maximum responsiveness and pleasure. You’ll learn how to take foreplay to the next level with sensual and daring activities that put you in the mood or build the excitement. —Add Adv... read more

The Secrets to Sensational Foreplay teaches you toe-curling touch techniques, creative kissing and mouth moves that will drive your partner crazy, and sultry seduction skills that will stoke all of your senses for maximum responsiveness and pleasure. You’ll learn how to take foreplay to the next level with sensual and daring activities that put you in the mood or build the excitement. —Add Adv... read more

Dying to Be Perfect: A Mother's Story of Her Son's Battle with Anorexia

Susan Barry

Calling upon the same inner strength and faith that got her through her son TJ’s tragic death at age 22, Susan Barry decided to share their story. Complete with photographs, poems and journals from TJ’s personal lockbox, the result is a gift to the families and friends of those suffering the terrible toll of anorexia nervosa—and to all who seek insight into a disorder that is widely misunderst... read more

Calling upon the same inner strength and faith that got her through her son TJ’s tragic death at age 22, Susan Barry decided to share their story. Complete with photographs, poems and journals from TJ’s personal lockbox, the result is a gift to the families and friends of those suffering the terrible toll of anorexia nervosa—and to all who seek insight into a disorder that is widely misunderst... read more

I Ching: Bold-Faced Answers to Eternal Questions of Life, Love, and Career (Bold-Faced Wisdom)

This pocket-size edition of the world's first self-help guide--venerated for more than 3,000 years as a work of philosophy, mysticism, and, by some, divinatory power--features highlighted passages and reflective writing exercises aimed squarely at contemporary readers. The underlying theme of I Ching is change. It offers wisdom on how to make informed decisions and how to adapt to the inevitab... read more

This pocket-size edition of the world's first self-help guide--venerated for more than 3,000 years as a work of philosophy, mysticism, and, by some, divinatory power--features highlighted passages and reflective writing exercises aimed squarely at contemporary readers. The underlying theme of I Ching is change. It offers wisdom on how to make informed decisions and how to adapt to the inevitab... read more

Why AC/DC Matters

Anthony Bozza

Australian rock giants AC/DC have sold more records in the U.S. than Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, and than the Rolling Stones, yet have always been undervalued and unappreciated by mainstream rock music critics. In Why AC/DC Matters, former Rolling Stone staff writer and New York Times bestselling author Anthony Bozza addresses this inequity, penning a just tribute to these m... read more

Australian rock giants AC/DC have sold more records in the U.S. than Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, and than the Rolling Stones, yet have always been undervalued and unappreciated by mainstream rock music critics. In Why AC/DC Matters, former Rolling Stone staff writer and New York Times bestselling author Anthony Bozza addresses this inequity, penning a just tribute to these m... read more

The New York Times: Times of the Sixties - The Culture, Politics, and Personalities that Shaped the Decade

The New York Times

There is no better record of events than The New York Times, and now The Times of the Sixties captures the history, culture, and personalities of the decade through hundreds of articles and original commentary in this unique and fascinating book.Whether we lived through them or learned of them after the fact, the events of the 1960s? the beginning of the Vietnam War, the moon landing, the hipp... read more

There is no better record of events than The New York Times, and now The Times of the Sixties captures the history, culture, and personalities of the decade through hundreds of articles and original commentary in this unique and fascinating book.Whether we lived through them or learned of them after the fact, the events of the 1960s? the beginning of the Vietnam War, the moon landing, the hipp... read more

Confucius: Bold-Faced Thoughts on Loyalty, Leadership, and Teamwork (Bold-Faced Wisdom)

Laura Ross

The writings of Confucius form one of the cornerstones of Eastern philosophy, and they resonate with everyone who wants to live a more meaningful life. This pocket-size edition of his most significant work-in the same popular interactive format as our Leaves of Grass and Walden-features a helpful introduction, highlighted passages, and pages to write on. It includes The Sayings of Confucius, t... read more

The writings of Confucius form one of the cornerstones of Eastern philosophy, and they resonate with everyone who wants to live a more meaningful life. This pocket-size edition of his most significant work-in the same popular interactive format as our Leaves of Grass and Walden-features a helpful introduction, highlighted passages, and pages to write on. It includes The Sayings of Confucius, t... read more