Latest blow to Paula Deen, who was dropped like a hot potato by various employers and sponsors...

Latest blow to Paula Deen, who was dropped like a hot potato by various employers and sponsors throughout the week (I, II, III) comes from Random House. Until Friday, the one bright spot of the chef's week was the #1 spot on Amazon's (NASDAQ:AMZN) best-seller list taken by pre-orders for her newest book, due in October. But Random House, the publisher, has now backed away from publishing the book and cancelled the rest of its contract with Deen. Sears, J.C. Penney, K-mart, Walmart and Target all had announced they would stop selling Deen-branded products, including books. Also yesterday Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) did finally drop her as a spokesperson.