Richelle Mead's Blog, page 19
December 24, 2011
Holiday offering, part 1
I announced recently on Facebook and Twitter that, as a Christmas present, I'd post some out-of-context lines from The Golden Lily. Someone pointed out that I should also do some Shadow Heir lines in honor of Hanukkah. I thought that was a good idea but then realized I should declare all of these as "holiday gifts" before I had to find lines for the Solstice, Kwanzaa, Epiphany, and other holidays. (Because I don't have that many new books coming out!). If you've read Richelle Mead books, you probably know by now I have a pretty healthy respect for all beliefs, so here's my first nod toward celebrating the holiday season.
Rather than some scattered lines for Shadow Heir, I'm actually going to give you a short passage:
Dorian was engaged in a typically Dorian activity: hunting. Well, kind of. The forest clearing was littered with thin, wooden cut-outs of various animals. They were life-size and painted in bright, gaudy colors. As I approached, I saw Dorian's long-suffering servant, Muran, nervously holding up a cut-out of a pink stag. On the opposite side of the clearing, Dorian focused on them with razor-sharp intensity and drew back a giant longbow. There was a twang as he released, and the arrow shot forward, implanting right near the edge of the target's upper body, only a couple of inches from Muran's hand.
"Isn't that kind of dangerous?" I asked.
"Hardly," said Dorian, notching another arrow. "Those animals aren't real, Eugenie."
"Yeah, I know," I said. "The purple polka dots were kind of a giveaway. I was talking about Muran."
Dorian shrugged. "He's still alive, isn't he?" He drew back again, and this time the arrow hit the side of the stag's head, not far from Muran's own. The poor man yelped at the close call, and Dorian gave me an expectant look. "See?"
Oh, Dorian. You are such good times. Shadow Heir is officially out in the U.S. on December 27, but it may sneak out early onto shelves. It's got an early January release for the UK and Australia, and translations in other countries will vary. Hope you enjoy it when you read it!
Golden Lily lines (no passage) will come tomorrow, but I don't know when. Stay tuned!
Rather than some scattered lines for Shadow Heir, I'm actually going to give you a short passage:
Dorian was engaged in a typically Dorian activity: hunting. Well, kind of. The forest clearing was littered with thin, wooden cut-outs of various animals. They were life-size and painted in bright, gaudy colors. As I approached, I saw Dorian's long-suffering servant, Muran, nervously holding up a cut-out of a pink stag. On the opposite side of the clearing, Dorian focused on them with razor-sharp intensity and drew back a giant longbow. There was a twang as he released, and the arrow shot forward, implanting right near the edge of the target's upper body, only a couple of inches from Muran's hand.
"Isn't that kind of dangerous?" I asked.
"Hardly," said Dorian, notching another arrow. "Those animals aren't real, Eugenie."
"Yeah, I know," I said. "The purple polka dots were kind of a giveaway. I was talking about Muran."
Dorian shrugged. "He's still alive, isn't he?" He drew back again, and this time the arrow hit the side of the stag's head, not far from Muran's own. The poor man yelped at the close call, and Dorian gave me an expectant look. "See?"
Oh, Dorian. You are such good times. Shadow Heir is officially out in the U.S. on December 27, but it may sneak out early onto shelves. It's got an early January release for the UK and Australia, and translations in other countries will vary. Hope you enjoy it when you read it!
Golden Lily lines (no passage) will come tomorrow, but I don't know when. Stay tuned!
December 17, 2011
Reminder for signed holiday books
As I watch the clock tick down on my own holiday shopping, I realize I haven't been good about keeping people informed about theirs. If you're interested in getting signed books from University Bookstore as presents, people in the U.S. should have their orders placed by this weekend to make it in time for Christmas. I will be signing orders on Monday or Tuesday. The store offers free shipping above a certain $ amount, but I believe that goes via media mail, which isn't always the fastest. Springing for priority mail would be safer to make sure you get your gifts on time (this is my speculation - I make no promises for the store or the post office!). Unfortunately, it's probably too late for people outside the U.S. to get books by Christmas, unless you paid for some really expensive express shipping. But, if you just want autographed books for other reasons, you can order anytime. University Bookstore's ordering info is here. They carry all of my titles that are currently out, except for individual issues of the Dark Swan comic (since those are sold out).
The timing for this month's new releases is kind of unfortunate for Christmas. Shadow Heir definitely can't ship before Christmas, since its release date is December 27. The Storm Born graphic novel compilation (issues 1-4) comes out December 21, and the Vampire Academy Ultimate Guide comes out December 22. You can probably find those two before Christmas from major bookstores and book websites, but I'm almost certain there won't be enough time for me to sign them for University Books. So, if you want them as unsigned gifts, look around elsewhere and you should be good to go. Signed ones will still be available, of course, but they wouldn't reach you until after the holidays.
I hope that all makes sense! For Vampire Academy gear, Arcane Vault and Cadsawn Jewelry have some pretty awesome stuff, but you'll have to contact them directly for holiday shipping info.
As for me, I'm back to work since my favorite nanny (aka my husband) is watching the baby today. I might have another neighbor blog post coming up soon, so stay tuned!
The timing for this month's new releases is kind of unfortunate for Christmas. Shadow Heir definitely can't ship before Christmas, since its release date is December 27. The Storm Born graphic novel compilation (issues 1-4) comes out December 21, and the Vampire Academy Ultimate Guide comes out December 22. You can probably find those two before Christmas from major bookstores and book websites, but I'm almost certain there won't be enough time for me to sign them for University Books. So, if you want them as unsigned gifts, look around elsewhere and you should be good to go. Signed ones will still be available, of course, but they wouldn't reach you until after the holidays.
I hope that all makes sense! For Vampire Academy gear, Arcane Vault and Cadsawn Jewelry have some pretty awesome stuff, but you'll have to contact them directly for holiday shipping info.
As for me, I'm back to work since my favorite nanny (aka my husband) is watching the baby today. I might have another neighbor blog post coming up soon, so stay tuned!
December 10, 2011
The post about my neighbors you've been waiting for
Actually, that's not true. I'm pretty sure the post you've really been waiting for involves a Soviet flag being hung from their front porch and an entire army of surveillance deer on the lawn. Well, that's not what this post is about. This is just a long-anticipated update.
I won't bother catching newcomers up on my neighbors. You can check that out by clicking the "neighbors" tag below. I've had nothing to report for a while simply because...well, there was nothing going on next door. In the spring, we heard the house had been sold, but nothing came of that. A couple months later, another guy came asking us what we thought of the house and the neighborhood because he was about to buy it. This was shortly after the break-in, so we lied and said everything was perfectly nice. He told us he was getting the house inspected the next day...and that was the last we heard from him. I'm not sure what they found. Weapons? Bodies? Unclear.
Well, a few weeks ago, another gentleman stopped me outside to say that he was now going to buy the house. He wanted to know about commuting traffic and things like that, which I was happy to answer. He told me he planned on being a good, quiet neighbor--an admission which many have pointed out to me is a sure sign that something nefarious is going on. It was around that time that I noticed something alarming.
The surveillance deer is gone.
WHERE DID IT GO? I don't know. I'm not even sure how long it's been gone. With as preoccupied as I've been with the baby these last few months, there's no telling when it disappeared. We have no clue what happened to it. Did the house's original owners reclaim it out of sentiment? Did the realtor throw it away for fear its tackiness would drive away sales? Or did the KGB seize it before its technology could fall into the wrong hands? We'd known the house was for sale earlier this year and had figured whoever bought it wouldn't want the deer, so we'd hoped we could take it off their hands in order to further the comic appeal it's brought to my blog. Looks like that's not going to happen.
So, that's the latest. Now that the deer and the KGB are gone for good, we have nothing to do but wait and see if this new neighbor really is "good and quiet." I can say that so far, he hasn't been the latter. As soon as he moved in, he started some massive building project. There have been contractors there all week doing goodness knows what. Maybe he was returfing the backyard, which had its grass stripped by the KGB (probably for better access to their underground bunker). I suppose if I were a really good neighbor (and investigator), I would bake some cookies and take them over. Except, I don't bake.
Stay tuned for more updates!
I won't bother catching newcomers up on my neighbors. You can check that out by clicking the "neighbors" tag below. I've had nothing to report for a while simply because...well, there was nothing going on next door. In the spring, we heard the house had been sold, but nothing came of that. A couple months later, another guy came asking us what we thought of the house and the neighborhood because he was about to buy it. This was shortly after the break-in, so we lied and said everything was perfectly nice. He told us he was getting the house inspected the next day...and that was the last we heard from him. I'm not sure what they found. Weapons? Bodies? Unclear.
Well, a few weeks ago, another gentleman stopped me outside to say that he was now going to buy the house. He wanted to know about commuting traffic and things like that, which I was happy to answer. He told me he planned on being a good, quiet neighbor--an admission which many have pointed out to me is a sure sign that something nefarious is going on. It was around that time that I noticed something alarming.
The surveillance deer is gone.
WHERE DID IT GO? I don't know. I'm not even sure how long it's been gone. With as preoccupied as I've been with the baby these last few months, there's no telling when it disappeared. We have no clue what happened to it. Did the house's original owners reclaim it out of sentiment? Did the realtor throw it away for fear its tackiness would drive away sales? Or did the KGB seize it before its technology could fall into the wrong hands? We'd known the house was for sale earlier this year and had figured whoever bought it wouldn't want the deer, so we'd hoped we could take it off their hands in order to further the comic appeal it's brought to my blog. Looks like that's not going to happen.
So, that's the latest. Now that the deer and the KGB are gone for good, we have nothing to do but wait and see if this new neighbor really is "good and quiet." I can say that so far, he hasn't been the latter. As soon as he moved in, he started some massive building project. There have been contractors there all week doing goodness knows what. Maybe he was returfing the backyard, which had its grass stripped by the KGB (probably for better access to their underground bunker). I suppose if I were a really good neighbor (and investigator), I would bake some cookies and take them over. Except, I don't bake.
Stay tuned for more updates!
December 5, 2011
Holiday Shopping
Here I am, belated on blog posting once again. Geez, Richelle. Get with it!
There's a whole bunch of book stuff I need to sort out so that you guys know what's coming out in Richelleland. Let me see if I can get us organized here...
Shadow Heir
The final chapter in Eugenie's saga comes out this month in the U.S. on December 27. Check the previous blog post for an excerpt. University Bookstore will be selling autographed copies per usual, so you can check here for the instructions on pre-ordering a signed edition. So exciting...and bittersweet!
The Vampire Academy Ultimate Guide
Yup - there's going to be a handy, concise source of all things VA. It covers all the characters and goes over all the books in detail. This comes out on December 22 in the U.S. and is already out in Australia. It has color pictures and quizzes - and I'm embarrassed to admit there were a couple quiz questions I couldn't answer! The fab Michelle Rowen did the bulk of the writing for it, and there are intros about each book by me, as well as my take on some of the plots. Some stores list it under my name, some under Michelle's. So check both if you can't find it, and yup, University Bookstore will have signed copies of this too.
The Eugenie Comic
Issue #4 just came out. You can find it at local comic stores, and it will eventually be on Sea Lion's site (which currently has issues #1-3). University Books also has a handful of copies for sale, but this is the last individual issue they'll be selling. It was getting a little crazy with orders, so from now on, they're only going to carry bound editions. So, when the collected set of #1-4 comes out, they'll have that, and later, the collected set of #5-8. But no individual 5-8s. Hope that makes sense!
The Golden Lily
As people start to discover the Bloodlines series, there are more and more questions about when the next book comes out. #2, The Golden Lily will be out on June 19, 2012 in the US/Australia/UK. As always, translations take longer. I'm happy to report, however, that more and more countries are getting on board and making deals to publish it in their native languages. I'll get a list soon of which countries have done that.
Last Sacrifice in paperback
In the U.S., these come out in both paperback and hardcover (other countries tend to do one or the other). Anyway, the paperback just came out a couple weeks ago here, so it's now possible to have a complete paperback set of the whole series.
Okay, that's the latest on what to expect from me. Hope I covered everything!
There's a whole bunch of book stuff I need to sort out so that you guys know what's coming out in Richelleland. Let me see if I can get us organized here...
Shadow Heir
The final chapter in Eugenie's saga comes out this month in the U.S. on December 27. Check the previous blog post for an excerpt. University Bookstore will be selling autographed copies per usual, so you can check here for the instructions on pre-ordering a signed edition. So exciting...and bittersweet!
The Vampire Academy Ultimate Guide
Yup - there's going to be a handy, concise source of all things VA. It covers all the characters and goes over all the books in detail. This comes out on December 22 in the U.S. and is already out in Australia. It has color pictures and quizzes - and I'm embarrassed to admit there were a couple quiz questions I couldn't answer! The fab Michelle Rowen did the bulk of the writing for it, and there are intros about each book by me, as well as my take on some of the plots. Some stores list it under my name, some under Michelle's. So check both if you can't find it, and yup, University Bookstore will have signed copies of this too.
The Eugenie Comic
Issue #4 just came out. You can find it at local comic stores, and it will eventually be on Sea Lion's site (which currently has issues #1-3). University Books also has a handful of copies for sale, but this is the last individual issue they'll be selling. It was getting a little crazy with orders, so from now on, they're only going to carry bound editions. So, when the collected set of #1-4 comes out, they'll have that, and later, the collected set of #5-8. But no individual 5-8s. Hope that makes sense!
The Golden Lily
As people start to discover the Bloodlines series, there are more and more questions about when the next book comes out. #2, The Golden Lily will be out on June 19, 2012 in the US/Australia/UK. As always, translations take longer. I'm happy to report, however, that more and more countries are getting on board and making deals to publish it in their native languages. I'll get a list soon of which countries have done that.
Last Sacrifice in paperback
In the U.S., these come out in both paperback and hardcover (other countries tend to do one or the other). Anyway, the paperback just came out a couple weeks ago here, so it's now possible to have a complete paperback set of the whole series.
Okay, that's the latest on what to expect from me. Hope I covered everything!
November 12, 2011
Shadow Heir Excerpt!
Today is my birthday, but I got you guys a present: Chapter 1 of Shadow Heir, the last book in Eugenie's saga. Hope you enjoy!
November 5, 2011
Playing catch-up
Now that I've blogged a couple of times on motherhood and my stance on teenage pregnancy, let's turn to the business side of things and catch up on what's new and exciting in the world of Richelle Mead.
* The GoodReads Choice Awards have released their first round of nominees, and I've been nominated three times: Succubus Revealed for Best Paranormal Fantasy, Bloodlines for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction, and the Vampire Academy graphic novel for Best Graphic Novel/Comic. I'm so flattered! If you want to vote, those links will take you there. There are lots of other good books up too, so check them all out.
* And speaking of votes/contests, a lot of people have been asking about the Rose and Dimitri short story I promised as a reward for a past vote. I've mentioned this a few times here in the blog, but I know it's easy for people to miss things: that story won't be out until late 2012, in an anthology with other authors. When I have an exact date, I'll let you know! And remember--it's a short story. Internet rumors keep spreading about it being another book. :)
* Shadow Heir's release date has moved up to December 27, so save your holiday gift cards! We'll be seeing its excerpt posted in the middle of this month.
* Issue #3 of the Dark Swan comic is out. You can check out the publisher's online store here or order autographed copies from University Bookstore. This is the issue where Eugenie goes to the Otherworld!
* Arcane Vault has added some new stuff since my last update, so if you're looking for official VA merchandise, look no further.
Good stuff! And now, perhaps the most exciting news of all: my husband's watching the baby today, so I'm going to get some writing done...
* The GoodReads Choice Awards have released their first round of nominees, and I've been nominated three times: Succubus Revealed for Best Paranormal Fantasy, Bloodlines for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction, and the Vampire Academy graphic novel for Best Graphic Novel/Comic. I'm so flattered! If you want to vote, those links will take you there. There are lots of other good books up too, so check them all out.
* And speaking of votes/contests, a lot of people have been asking about the Rose and Dimitri short story I promised as a reward for a past vote. I've mentioned this a few times here in the blog, but I know it's easy for people to miss things: that story won't be out until late 2012, in an anthology with other authors. When I have an exact date, I'll let you know! And remember--it's a short story. Internet rumors keep spreading about it being another book. :)
* Shadow Heir's release date has moved up to December 27, so save your holiday gift cards! We'll be seeing its excerpt posted in the middle of this month.
* Issue #3 of the Dark Swan comic is out. You can check out the publisher's online store here or order autographed copies from University Bookstore. This is the issue where Eugenie goes to the Otherworld!
* Arcane Vault has added some new stuff since my last update, so if you're looking for official VA merchandise, look no further.
Good stuff! And now, perhaps the most exciting news of all: my husband's watching the baby today, so I'm going to get some writing done...
November 1, 2011
Let's talk about babies
Holy cow. My last blog entry was September 22? Yikes. I knew I was behind in blogging, but I had no idea things were that bad. Sorry, guys. My excuses are good ones, but still...that's a little more extreme than expected. I don't think I've ever skipped an entire month.
As you might guess, my new trip into motherhood is the reason for my blog silence. The little guy is adorable, thriving, and much-loved. When my husband's paternity leave ended, I became the full-time caregiver during the week, and wow! I adore being a mom, but it's amazing how one small person can take up so much time. I have more time on weekends and evenings, but by that point, I'm frantically scrambling to catch up on things like my work, the gym, grooming, cleaning, etc.
Which brings me to a very important point.
There are three questions/requests I'm frequently asked: #1 - Will you write another Vampire Academy book? (I don't know...maybe years down the road, no guarantees...in the meantime, we have Bloodlines!), #2 - Will you write a book from Dimitri's POV? (No), and #3 - Can you have Rose get pregnant and have a baby with Dimitri and/or Adrian?
Regarding #3. I've long said the answer to that is no--at least, it is so long as I'm writing about a teenage heroine. I know people who've had babies in their teens and have had wonderful outcomes and beautiful babies. They wouldn't trade that for anything, and I don't blame them. In general, though, I'd recommend waiting until one is out of her teens, if it all possible. Rose is 18 at the end of the VA series. She's young. She's just become an adult, and I feel she needs to spend some time as an adult before having children. If she weren't dedicated to killing vampires, I'd encourage her to get a job or go to college. So, my stance is the same: no. I'm not going to have my 18-year-old heroine get pregnant.
And now, I have another reason for not writing about Rose having a baby: it would be a boring book.
Now, don't get me wrong. My baby isn't boring. Taking care of him isn't boring. I love it. But lately, it's all I do. And if Rose had a baby, that's all she'd do too. There'd be no daring Strigoi hunts, dangerous flirtations, exotic parties, or Court intrigues. You'd be reading pages that resemble my life, like how I spent half the day rocking the baby to sleep yesterday while watching Star Trek: Voyager reruns, in the hopes of getting him to sleep. Again, I don't mind spending my days like that, but I'm not sure you want to read about Rose doing that. Her having a baby sounds romantic and exciting, and in many ways, it is--but probably not in the way some people imagine. For Rose to continue her action-packed lifestyle, she'd have to find some pretty serious daycare...and then there'd be no baby in the book anyway.
So, there you have it. No babies for teenage heroines, only thirty-something authors. Motherhood is awesome, but even more awesome with a solid job and reliable health insurance.
As you might guess, my new trip into motherhood is the reason for my blog silence. The little guy is adorable, thriving, and much-loved. When my husband's paternity leave ended, I became the full-time caregiver during the week, and wow! I adore being a mom, but it's amazing how one small person can take up so much time. I have more time on weekends and evenings, but by that point, I'm frantically scrambling to catch up on things like my work, the gym, grooming, cleaning, etc.
Which brings me to a very important point.
There are three questions/requests I'm frequently asked: #1 - Will you write another Vampire Academy book? (I don't know...maybe years down the road, no guarantees...in the meantime, we have Bloodlines!), #2 - Will you write a book from Dimitri's POV? (No), and #3 - Can you have Rose get pregnant and have a baby with Dimitri and/or Adrian?
Regarding #3. I've long said the answer to that is no--at least, it is so long as I'm writing about a teenage heroine. I know people who've had babies in their teens and have had wonderful outcomes and beautiful babies. They wouldn't trade that for anything, and I don't blame them. In general, though, I'd recommend waiting until one is out of her teens, if it all possible. Rose is 18 at the end of the VA series. She's young. She's just become an adult, and I feel she needs to spend some time as an adult before having children. If she weren't dedicated to killing vampires, I'd encourage her to get a job or go to college. So, my stance is the same: no. I'm not going to have my 18-year-old heroine get pregnant.
And now, I have another reason for not writing about Rose having a baby: it would be a boring book.
Now, don't get me wrong. My baby isn't boring. Taking care of him isn't boring. I love it. But lately, it's all I do. And if Rose had a baby, that's all she'd do too. There'd be no daring Strigoi hunts, dangerous flirtations, exotic parties, or Court intrigues. You'd be reading pages that resemble my life, like how I spent half the day rocking the baby to sleep yesterday while watching Star Trek: Voyager reruns, in the hopes of getting him to sleep. Again, I don't mind spending my days like that, but I'm not sure you want to read about Rose doing that. Her having a baby sounds romantic and exciting, and in many ways, it is--but probably not in the way some people imagine. For Rose to continue her action-packed lifestyle, she'd have to find some pretty serious daycare...and then there'd be no baby in the book anyway.
So, there you have it. No babies for teenage heroines, only thirty-something authors. Motherhood is awesome, but even more awesome with a solid job and reliable health insurance.
September 22, 2011
First post-baby appearance!
Considering I can barely keep up with my Internet empire, it shouldn't be a surprise that I'm not planning on doing any hardcore touring or signings until The Golden Lily comes out in June 2012. However, when a signing comes to me, it's hard to refuse.
In a week and a half, suburban Seattle will be hosting the Northwest Bookfest. Seeing as I live in suburban Seattle, this location is pretty convenient for me. The event is two days long, October 1 & 2, and is jam-packed with authors, panels, and signings. All genres and styles are covered. On Saturday, October 1, my pals Kat Richardson, Cherie Priest, Mark Henry, and Mark Teppo will be talking about steampunk. On Sunday, October 2, I'll be talking teen stuff with the Smart Chicks.
If you're not familiar with the Smart Chicks, they're a group of YA authors that go on a national tour each year, with different authors rotating through. You can read more about their schedule here. Even if you don't live in Seattle, maybe they'll be touring near you. We'll be doing three panels on October 2, and here are the times and awesome YA authors appearing:
1pm - Boundaries and Older YA
Moderator = Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Stephanie Kuehnert
Melissa Marr
Richelle Mead
Sara Zarr
2PM - First Teen Reads
Moderator = Melissa Marr
Kelley Armstrong
Jennifer Barnes
Rachel Caine
Sophie Jordan
3PM - Mixing Genres/Ages
Moderator = Kelley Armstrong
Melissa de la Cruz
Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Jeri Smith-Ready
Margaret Stohl
Rachel Vincent
Awesome, huh? At 4pm, after the panels, we'll be doing a book signing. There will be books on sale, and you can bring your own (YA or adult). This is a pretty amazing chance to get lots of books signed by a whole bunch of authors. What's also cool is that if the crowd size is manageable, we'll sign as many books as you can bring. If it turns out the crowd is ginormous, we'll still sign three books per person with two of them personalized. It sounds ambiguous, but it's the kind of thing we have to play by ear. You never know if 5 or 500 people will show up, and we don't want people waiting forever! But like I said--3 guaranteed and maybe more. We'll also do pictures. And you can download and print a Smart Chicks poster here and get it signed by all the authors. So, even if you don't bring books, you can still hang out at the panels and get something signed.
Sound good? I think so. I'm excited too because this is my first signing after the baby. I love being at home with him, but it's going to be a lot of fun to be back out and working again. Plus, it'll make sure I keep in practice for next year's big tour. So, if you live in Seattle or anywhere nearby, check out the Northwest Bookfest's page. It contains all the info you'll need on schedules, other authors, and location. Hope to see you there!
In a week and a half, suburban Seattle will be hosting the Northwest Bookfest. Seeing as I live in suburban Seattle, this location is pretty convenient for me. The event is two days long, October 1 & 2, and is jam-packed with authors, panels, and signings. All genres and styles are covered. On Saturday, October 1, my pals Kat Richardson, Cherie Priest, Mark Henry, and Mark Teppo will be talking about steampunk. On Sunday, October 2, I'll be talking teen stuff with the Smart Chicks.
If you're not familiar with the Smart Chicks, they're a group of YA authors that go on a national tour each year, with different authors rotating through. You can read more about their schedule here. Even if you don't live in Seattle, maybe they'll be touring near you. We'll be doing three panels on October 2, and here are the times and awesome YA authors appearing:
1pm - Boundaries and Older YA
Moderator = Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Stephanie Kuehnert
Melissa Marr
Richelle Mead
Sara Zarr
2PM - First Teen Reads
Moderator = Melissa Marr
Kelley Armstrong
Jennifer Barnes
Rachel Caine
Sophie Jordan
3PM - Mixing Genres/Ages
Moderator = Kelley Armstrong
Melissa de la Cruz
Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Jeri Smith-Ready
Margaret Stohl
Rachel Vincent
Awesome, huh? At 4pm, after the panels, we'll be doing a book signing. There will be books on sale, and you can bring your own (YA or adult). This is a pretty amazing chance to get lots of books signed by a whole bunch of authors. What's also cool is that if the crowd size is manageable, we'll sign as many books as you can bring. If it turns out the crowd is ginormous, we'll still sign three books per person with two of them personalized. It sounds ambiguous, but it's the kind of thing we have to play by ear. You never know if 5 or 500 people will show up, and we don't want people waiting forever! But like I said--3 guaranteed and maybe more. We'll also do pictures. And you can download and print a Smart Chicks poster here and get it signed by all the authors. So, even if you don't bring books, you can still hang out at the panels and get something signed.
Sound good? I think so. I'm excited too because this is my first signing after the baby. I love being at home with him, but it's going to be a lot of fun to be back out and working again. Plus, it'll make sure I keep in practice for next year's big tour. So, if you live in Seattle or anywhere nearby, check out the Northwest Bookfest's page. It contains all the info you'll need on schedules, other authors, and location. Hope to see you there!
September 12, 2011
Tattoo-tastic
I haven't had a lot of time to blog, but cool stuff is still going on! If you've read Bloodlines, you know that Adrian has some ideas about what the most awesome tattoo ever would be. Well, Arcane Vault--who makes all those neat shirts and other VA merchandise--is running a contest to draw Adrian's dream tattoo. The winning entry will win an Arcane Vault prize pack. AV is running the contest, but I re-posted all the details over at The League of Reluctant Adults. So, if you've got some artistic inclinations, head on over and read all the info about how to submit, who it's open to, and what else you need to do. Good luck!
September 1, 2011
Baby Story
Well, if you're on various social networking sites, you may have heard some news about me. That, or you my have also noticed that I've been astoundingly quiet in my many Internet homes. Regardless, it all comes down to the same thing:
I had my baby last week!
He's doing great, and so are my husband and I. Sure we've got the usual sleep deprivation that new parents have, along with the trial and error that comes with learning how a baby and all his gear work! But, we wouldn't trade it for anything.
For those with little experience with labor and child birth, I'll tell you this: most movies and TV shows have it wrong. There's rarely a frantic need to get to the hospital or danger of having a baby in the car. Most labors (especially with first children) go on for hours and hours and hours. In fact, hospitals discourage you from coming until you've had two hours of 5-minute spaced contractions. That can take a while to get to, and it means if you're in labor for 16 hours, then a few of them are at least in the comfort of your own home, when pain is still pretty light.
Well, here's the thing. That's not what happened to me. I didn't exactly have a Hollywood delivery, but it was amazingly close. I woke up with hardcore, doubling-over contractions that were 5-minutes apart from the start. No warm-up ones for me. We called the hospital after an hour, but they urged us to wait, assuming that I--like most first time mothers--had a ways to go. They suggested "relaxation" activities, like a bath or shower. Seeing as I couldn't stand, this wasn't an option, so after another uncomfortable hour, we went to the hospital anyway.
The staff was kind of lesisurely until someone actually examined me and realized my baby was coming soon. Like, really soon, with no chance of me getting pain meds and maybe not even having my doctor arrive in time. Happily, she made, and an hour after I arrived at the hospital, I had my baby. For those keeping count, that's three hours from start to finish, which is kind of insane. The staff (who did a great job) were kind of amazed. I was amazed too, but that was because of this guy, unquestionably my greatest work:
So, if I continue to be quiet online, you can understand why! A few things I wasn't able to mention this last week: Succubus Revealed came out in the US on Tuesday and will be out in the UK and its pals within the next couple of weeks (unless you can find imports). Meanwhile, Bloodlines made some great list debuts today: #2 on the New York Times Bestseller teen list, #12 on USA Today's list, and #1 on Australia's bestseller list. This is utterly amazing, and it's because of all of you. So, thank you very much.
And with that, it's time for me to sign off and get back to that adorable baby!
I had my baby last week!
He's doing great, and so are my husband and I. Sure we've got the usual sleep deprivation that new parents have, along with the trial and error that comes with learning how a baby and all his gear work! But, we wouldn't trade it for anything.
For those with little experience with labor and child birth, I'll tell you this: most movies and TV shows have it wrong. There's rarely a frantic need to get to the hospital or danger of having a baby in the car. Most labors (especially with first children) go on for hours and hours and hours. In fact, hospitals discourage you from coming until you've had two hours of 5-minute spaced contractions. That can take a while to get to, and it means if you're in labor for 16 hours, then a few of them are at least in the comfort of your own home, when pain is still pretty light.
Well, here's the thing. That's not what happened to me. I didn't exactly have a Hollywood delivery, but it was amazingly close. I woke up with hardcore, doubling-over contractions that were 5-minutes apart from the start. No warm-up ones for me. We called the hospital after an hour, but they urged us to wait, assuming that I--like most first time mothers--had a ways to go. They suggested "relaxation" activities, like a bath or shower. Seeing as I couldn't stand, this wasn't an option, so after another uncomfortable hour, we went to the hospital anyway.
The staff was kind of lesisurely until someone actually examined me and realized my baby was coming soon. Like, really soon, with no chance of me getting pain meds and maybe not even having my doctor arrive in time. Happily, she made, and an hour after I arrived at the hospital, I had my baby. For those keeping count, that's three hours from start to finish, which is kind of insane. The staff (who did a great job) were kind of amazed. I was amazed too, but that was because of this guy, unquestionably my greatest work:
So, if I continue to be quiet online, you can understand why! A few things I wasn't able to mention this last week: Succubus Revealed came out in the US on Tuesday and will be out in the UK and its pals within the next couple of weeks (unless you can find imports). Meanwhile, Bloodlines made some great list debuts today: #2 on the New York Times Bestseller teen list, #12 on USA Today's list, and #1 on Australia's bestseller list. This is utterly amazing, and it's because of all of you. So, thank you very much.
And with that, it's time for me to sign off and get back to that adorable baby!
