Writers compete for “American Idol”-style book glory

In an “American Idol”-style competition, Amazon.com unveiled 10 finalists on Monday for its “Breakthrough Novel Award” which will be decided by the public.
The winning novel, which will be announced on April 7, will be published by the Penguin Group. Anyone can read the excerpts of the novels, which will be available on www.amazon.com/abna, and cast their vote until March 31. The winner will receive a publishing contract, including a $25,000 advance from Penguin.