Teen pop sensation Justin Bieber has it all: A booming musical career, a dedicated fan base, a smile that makes young girls swoon and an innocence that makes parents smile. Now Bieber is set to become a comic book hero when Bluewater Productions taps his life story for its popular Fame series of biographical comics. Bieber certainly has a story worth telling. He’s a self-made star who used technology and social networking to promote himself and his music. He also happens to make music that’s undeniably infectious.

Writer Tara Broeckel Ooten said that while researching the comic she became convinced that Bieber has what it takes to craft a long musical career. “I’m reminded of the stories my mom tells about when she was young and Beatelmania invaded the United States. For me it was New Kids on the Block,” Broeckel Ooten said. “Now today’s teens and tweens go wild for Justin, and rightly so. He is a talented young musician. He has such an enormous global fan base. That and his talent will probably give him some real staying power in the industry.” and she continues to express her feelings “I listened to Bieber’s music for the first time while working on this project, and I have to admit, it can really stick with you, I would hear it played somewhere, usually in Target, and I’d start singing along. I respect the musicianship that Bieber brings to his projects.”

Claudio Avella is the artist on the book, and Broeckel Ooten said that he perfectly captured the feel of her story. “He is an extraordinary talent,” Broeckel Ooten said of Avella. “His work has a real energy and life to it, a positive energy that works well for this book.”

Bieber joins a long list of celebrities on the Bluewater’s Fame series list. Lady Gaga and Twilight star Robert Pattinson, both of whose Fame issues sold out of their first runs, along with Tyler Lautner and soccer star David Beckham.  Two new issues of Fame come out this month featuring Kristen Stewart and Taylor Swift.

Darren G. Davis, founder and president of Bluewater Productions, says that the biographical comics continually bring new readers to sequential storytelling.  “This is a great medium for kids as well as adults.  I had a hard time reading as a kid and comic books really improved my reading skills. One of the goals is trying to get kids away from the video games and reading more. With the Fame series, we have succeeded in exposing comic books to readers who otherwise wouldn’t pick up, say, an issue of Spider-Man.” and he continues with confidence “I’m certain that our Justin Bieber comic will do the same; he certainly has a devoted group of fans whom I’m sure will be thrilled to see their favorite performer immortalized in comic form.”

Fame: Justin Bieber is a traditional biography comic book and will hit comic book shops and online retailers in October. This 32-page issue will retail for $3.99.

You can check out exclusive pages of the Fame: Justin Bieber comic book visit  RADARONLINE.COM and clicking http://bit.ly/8ZHVUn.  To pre-order the comic book visit www.comicshoplocator.com .

Bluewater aims to unite cutting-edge art and engaging stories produced by its stable of the publishing industry’s top artists and writers.  For more information, visit www.bluewaterprod.com.

This first unauthorized biography of Karen Carpenter is based on almost 100 interviews with personal confidants and industry insiders who knew her best.  Openly gay author Randy L. Schmidt interviewed many celebraties such as  Olivia Newton John, Frenda Franklin and her longtime producer, Phil Ramone. The result is an intimate portrait of the ‘70s pop icon.

A nostalgic and reverent biography, *Little Girl Blue* shares surprising new details about Karen’s tumultuous and brief marriage, her relationship to her mother, and early death from anorexia nervosa at age 32. Schmidt’s well-researched account includes never-before-seen photographs and crafts a moving portrait of Karen’s life and career, including her close bond with brother and band mate, Richard; her extraordinary musical talents; and her quest for perfection.

Published by Chicago Review Press, July 2010.

New thriller eerily parallels the current political climate as it explores a fictional look at the homophobia, racism and the religious right leading up to the 2012 Presidential Election

When author John Riley Myers took on the role of Chairman for Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate Campaign’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Committee in 2004 he had already grown frustrated and disillusioned by the wedge politics used to sow the hatred so prevalent during the Bush years. As the final days of the 2004 election drew near, the storyline of this wild and irreverent tale came to him in a dream.

PRINCE OF THE PHARISEES (Trade Paperback / $14.95) is a raucous social satire on the current state of politics, religion and sex in this country. The ensemble cast of characters includes the reigning queen of family values, a brassy black lesbian journalist, a charismatic conservative U.S. senator determined to be the Republican presidential nominee and a lonely drag queen searching for his biological family. Their lives intertwine in the days leading up to the Republican convention in 2012 with tragic-comic consequences.

Long before Sarah Palin used her Down Syndrome child as a political prop, long before John McCain attempted to ride his POW experience into the White House, long before Idaho Senator Larry Craig got caught cruising an airport men’s room, and long before the religious right stormed Washington to protest George Bush’s successor, John Myers brought to life a vivid tale that eerily foresaw the dark rumbling forces that threaten to destroy the social fabric of this nation.

Myers’ fresh, new voice and compelling story telling makes PRINCE OF THE PHARISEES a gripping, nearly impossible-to-put-down read. His prescient look at the political zeitgeist, from birther controversies to Tea Party rebellions, peppered with uproarious, cheek-blushing humor, makes his first novel a stunning revelation of what is yet to come. The book itself, with hints of Maupin’s Tales of the City and Condon’s The Manchurian Candidate, will surely find itself tucked into bookshelves amongst the most celebrated literary fiction of this generation.

To win a copy of Blood Strangers, please e-mail your name, phone/cell, city to:  giveaways[at]pinkmag.com

Fascinated from an early age by the holes in her family tree, author Katherine A. Briccetti takes it upon herself to search for her father’s birth parents. In her memoir Blood Strangers, her search begins to reveal more tantalizing clues about the family she never knew, she is forced to confront her own tenuous relationship with her two fathers—the father who gave her up as a little girl and the stepfather she struggles to connect with in her adult years. But when she forms her own family with Pam, her longtime partner, Briccetti learns that families can be made under many different circumstances.

Recently PINK caught up with Katherine in San Francisco, to learn more about her new book and and her  life as a lesbian mom.

PINK: Tell us about your book.

Katherine: BLOOD STRANGERS is a memoir about making family with the people we love. It’s about three generations of adoption and absent fathers and two women raising two sons in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s also a coming of age (and coming out) story and a search for missing family. My biological father was adopted in the 30s in a traditional closed adoption; I was adopted by a stepfather in the 60s and lost contact with my biological father; and my partner adopted our kids in a second-parent adoption in the 90s. BLOOD STRANGERS  is about my journeys to find my missing family members while making my family in a nontraditional way. Those searches are the mystery parts of the book; the scenes with the boys when they were young provide the humor; and the scenes of reunification are touching—they make some readers cry.

Was Pam involved with the writing of your book?

She read every draft and commented occasionally, but she trusted me to tell our story and gave her approval at every step. She also took on more of the home duties when I was writing, and for this I’m forever grateful.

What made you decide to start a family?

I grew up with teen magazine posters of boys in rock bands plastered to my bedroom walls. I always imagined my wedding—to a man—and having babies. When I was in my late twenties, though, I met Pam and fell in love with her. I didn’t know what this meant—and I delve into my sexual orientation in one of the chapters in the book—but I knew I wanted to be with her. I also knew I was willing to give up the wedding (this was 1987) but not the babies. So we went to the Sperm Bank in Oakland and made two beautiful boys, two years apart, with the same donor. When the kids are 18, the sperm bank will release his identity if the boys want to meet him. We know about him but have never seen a photo of him. I think we’re all eager to at least see what he looks like. That might be the sequel to BLOOD STRANGERS!

What challenges/successes have you encountered as a mother of two boys?

Before I got pregnant, and when I was pregnant the first time, I worried so much about what it would be like for two boys to have two moms and no father. My step-father and mother had divorced when I was a teenager, he had moved out-of-state, and I considered myself “fatherless.” I worried both about the effects of fatherlessness on our kids and about them not having the male role model that so many people said was critical to the mental health of children. Of course, now we have research that shows that worry to be unfounded. Kids of lesbians and gays are doing great. My kids are doing great. I worried about things like my kids feeling sad on Father’s Day every year and being ridiculed for not having a father. But in preschool, they were the object of envy—having two Moms bumped them up a level in status. Then, attending schools in Berkeley, California, they simply didn’t have problems because of the make up of our family. They are still friends with the kids they made in kindergarten. When I published essays about them in national venues, I changed their names to protect them, but eventually they told me I didn’t need to. They didn’t care who knew about their having two moms. It was all they’d ever known, so our family didn’t seem strange or wrong to them. I had two fathers and then lost them. My kids never had a father who they lost. That’s a big difference. My youngest son, now 15, identifies as straight, but he sometimes wears pink fuzzy socks to his urban high school, and he started a Facebook page called “Hugging People of the Same Sex.” He tells his buddies he loves them.

Why Pink Magazine readers should read your book?

They should read it if they want to find a piece of themselves in the story,  for the suspenseful, true, mystery story about a woman’s quest to uncover family secrets of an alternative family that is touching and funny. They should read it if they appreciate strong, literary writing and a reliable narrator who takes them on a journey and gives them a page-turner of a read.  Finally, they should read it, whether or not they want to be parents, because it’s a much bigger story; it’s a story about humanity and acceptance. When I wrote an opinion piece for the L. A. Times a few months ago, I was shocked at some of the responses I got. Some people, usually because they simply don’t know any gay people, or because they have been raised to fear or disdain gays, are unable to accept people who are different from them. I hope it gives a realistic view of what it’s been like for our kids to be raised by two moms.

Any advice for those readers who are also looking to start their own family?

Read books like BLOOD STRANGERS and find support in other ways by hooking up with other alternative families, but don’t assume that all straight families will shun your family. Once they know an alternative family, most understand we are not so different from their own family, and that we all have more in common as parents than not. Many are proud to know alternative families and are proud to be raising their kids without a fear of differences and without the bigotry that is often passed down from generations. It’s the next generation that will turn things around for alternative families. The teens and young adults of today have a wonderful “so what?” attitude about all of this. We’re waiting for them to grow up and rule the world.

If people could get only one thing from your book, what would it be?

Many readers of BLOOD STRANGERS have told me they have connected in some way to my story. Gay and straight readers all seem to find some theme in the book that resonates strongly with them. The adoption theme, searching for missing family, making a family with the ones we love, the lifelong struggle for our identity, and other subtle themes seem to appeal to readers. I’ve heard from strangers who laughed and cried while reading the book. Gay readers have thanked me for being brave and writing a story that might help change minds, shape a more tolerant future.

What are you working on now?

My second memoir manuscript was recently selected as a finalist in the New Rivers Press Many Voices Project contest. It’s called “A Buswoman’s Holiday” and it’s about working as a school psychologist with children on the autism spectrum while raising a son with Asperger’s Syndrome. I’m currently working on a novel based on a tragedy that occurred in South Dakota in 1968. My website is www.kathybriccetti.com.

To win Lady Gaga and Robert Pattinson comic books, please e-mail your name, phone/cell, city to:  giveaways[at]pinkmag.com

They are two of the most recognizable celebrities today, Twilight actor Robert Pattinson and music sensation Lady Gaga. And now the latest biography comic Fame: Lady Gaga and Fame: Robert Pattinson. The comic gives fans a chance to trace their favorite stars’ rise from obscurity to fame.

Writer Kimberly Sherman and artist Nathaniel Ooten brought Pattinson’s story to life. “I love having the ability to introduce high-profile people to readers through an unexpected medium that is both written and visual,” Sherman said. “These biography comics are designed to illustrate interesting tidbits to fans about their favorite figureheads, and inspire them to learn more. I chose to conceptualize A-lister Robert Pattinson from a unique perspective, immersing the reader into the life of the talented actor beyond his most famous role.”

Writer Dan Rafter and artist Kristoffer Smith tackled the Lady Gaga comic. “Lady Gaga is a different sort of celebrity. So when writing a biography of her, I didn’t want to resort to putting out a straight celebrity biography,” said writer Dan Rafter. “Instead, I wanted to take a look at how Lady Gaga’s fame could impact even the most unlikeliest of individuals. I figured this approach will be different from people looking for a straight biography, but I just couldn’t bring myself to not try something a little different with Gaga.”

“Even if you don’t particularly like her music, you have to admit that there’s something special about Lady Gaga,” Rafter said. “She’s a master of attracting attention. Is she just a ‘flash in the pan’ or a singer who’ll be around for the long haul? I have no idea. But she’s certainly making an impact while she has the chance.”

Released by publisher Bluewater Productions. Retailing each for $3.99. Available  at your local comic book store by going to www.comicshoplocator.com or go to Amazon.com.

From The Chevron to the French Fork, the Garibaldi and the Hulihee, everything any guy needs to know about flaring up his facial follicles can be found in the latest paperback from grooming journalist Nick Burns and beard historian Allen Peterkin, The Bearded Gentleman: The Style Guide to Shaving Face.

The five comprehensive and full-length chapters feature about the culture of beards, growing a beard, styling a beard, maintaining a beard and shaving it off. It’s a perfect guide for the hairy bear-y daddy in your life.

To win one of Michael’s new book Between Boyfriends, please e-mail your name, phone/cell, city to:  giveaways[at]pinkmag.com

Michael Salvatore’s debut novel, BETWEEN BOYFRIENDS, is in stores now. This fresh, funny and sexy story is sure to get you attention on Fire Island, Provincetown…or even the Jersey Shore. Whatever your “situation”, BETWEEN BOYFRIENDS is sure to please. Published by Kensington, Paperback, $15.00 ($17.95 Canada)

PINK: Why did you want to write this novel?

Michael: I simply set out to write a story about a gay man that is both honest and hysterically funny and I believe I achieved my goal.

Do you think your novel has crossover appeal to a straight audience?

Definitely.  While Steven, the main character, and his friends are gay, what grounds the book is Steven’s relationship with his family, especially his mother.  This relationship broadens the appeal of the book so it’s more of one man’s journey to find his place in this world and not just a gay man’s search for the perfect boyfriend.  Because of that difference the characters and their exploits will appeal to everyone.

Is this novel autobiographical?

No, not in the true sense.  There are elements of the book that mimic pieces of my own life such as being a Jersey boy and having strong family ties in New Jersey.  My mother did live in the Rocco Impreveduto Towers which I turned into the Salvatore DeNuccio Towers so there are things like that, but sadly I don’t produce a soap opera nor am I friends with any Olympic figure skaters.

How did you pick the careers and likes of all the characters?

That’s where art does imitate life.  I love figure skating, soap operas, theatre, ‘70s television, and London so I threw all of that stuff into the novel.  I thought I may never get another chance to write a novel so I might as well use all my favorite things in this book.  It also made it easier to focus on plot and characterization since I didn’t have to do any research to find out specific things like how to spell a certain Russian figure skater’s name.

Who should play Steven in the TV series?

I actually didn’t write the part of Steven with anyone specific in mind, but I think when it becomes a TV series, which it definitely needs to be since TV needs a new gay role model, it should be an unknown, somebody who doesn’t come with any baggage and someone the audience can relate to.  Having said that, however, Kevin Rikaart, an actor on my favorite soap, The Young and The Restless, would be perfect.  Beyond that, John Stamos would make the ideal Gus and I’m sure he can do a British accent.  I also really like Marc Blucas who was Buffy’s boyfriend for a while as Flynn and there has to be a blonde Mario Cantone out there who could bring Lindsay to life.

The novel does have some dramatic elements, did you include these specifically to offset the humor?

Yes, I wanted the novel to portray the real year in the life of a gay man and in order for the reader to accept the madcap adventures I think they need to root for the protagonist, a good way to do that is to put him into some real, dramatic situations.  The struggle for me has been to find a balance since I have a tendency to write a bit melodramatically in the first draft or in an outline.  The dramatic beats are there, but I tend to overplay them and make them larger than life so they don’t have the same impact.  Larger than life works when it’s comedy, but if you’re trying to convey honest, raw emotion, I believe, it’s best to simplify.  Simply write the situation with some grace and the reader will have an emotional reaction.  The most important thing I’ve discovered is that readers and audiences respond to the humor in my writing, whether it be a play or fiction, so I have decided to stick with what I  know I can do.

Summertime is travel time and most of us are on the lookout for that perfect memory. You know the one – your favorite picture that makes you laugh, cry or transports you back in time just by looking at it. Capturing the perfect moment can be a matter of luck but for Marcelo Bendahan, author of the new book Jerusalem Always, it was a labor of love.

In Jerusalem Always, Marcelo demonstrates his innate ability to capture life and light with remarkable insight into the human soul. He lets his work ‘speak for itself’ to reveal the positive, vibrant, and wonderful nature of an often misunderstood city with a turbulent history.

“The city’s vitality and colorfulness constantly enchanted and amazed me,” adds Bendahan, “My hope is Jerusalem Always brings the awesome beauty of the city to life.”

Available on www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.maestrobooks.nl/order.html and in bookstores throughout the United States and Canada.

Michelangelo was a shining star of the Renaissance and a genius of consummate virtuosity. His achievements as a sculptor, painter, draughtsman, and architect are unique—no artist before or after him has ever produced such a vast, multi-faceted, and wide-ranging oeuvre.

This special edition explores Michelangelo’s life and work in depth and detail, and is the second publication in TASCHEN’s new series of GOLDEN BOOKS created to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary. The different parts of the book concentrate on the life of Michelangelo via an extensive and copiously illustrated biographical essay and include gorgeous, full page reproductions and enlarged details that bring readers up close to the works.

Michelangelo – Life and Work – Hardcover 9.6 x 14.6 in – 368 pages at $ 39.9