Richelle Mead's Blog, page 25

Gallery Friday

Okay! As promised, we have all sorts of visual fun today. First up, the folks at Open Road Media have a new video on their site, featuring me talking about Iron Crowned and the dark turn in the Eugenie series. You can see this video, as well as past videos they've done about Eugenie and Georgina, by clicking the image below:




I also said I'd dig up some international covers. When I mentioned this, I mostly was hoping for a couple to pair along with the video news and make a full post. I didn't realize that I'd been hoarding a bunch! One of these days I'll explain the process of international publishing, and you'll understand why my collection of these is always so haphazard.

Before we got to those, however, here's your daily reminder for the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards! Thanks again for everyone's help on that.

Okay. First up in the covers is one I *thought* I'd posted a long time ago but am not sure. So, regardless here's the UK cover of Iron Crowned:




Another one I could've sworn I posted (but can't find where I did), the German cover of Last Sacrifice:




Bulgaria's take on Succubus Blues:




An action-packed Succubus on Top from Romania:




Like the U.S., France looks like it's going to be re-issuing all the succubus books with new covers. Here's the redesign of Succubus Blues. The original French SB is my avatar today.




Meanwhile, Japan's Succubus on Top keeps very close to the style it used for the first one.




And finally, I have a trilogy of Indonesian covers. The first three of the Vampire Academy series:

News for me, news for you

Hot, hawt news around here. Yesterday I found out that Iron Crowned debuted on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists at #27 and #107, respectively. The VA books have been on the lists before, but this is my first time for one of my adult novels. So, it's pretty exhilarating news for me! Thank you to everyone who has helped with this next step. I really, really appreciate you helping this series grow over the last couple years. I'm so lucky in my readers.

And speaking of honors...don't forget the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards! :) Remember, you have to vote for every category in order for the vote to count.

Here's the other cool news. Coming in November (just in time for my birthday!) is Vampire Academy: The Ultimate Guide. It's going to be exactly what it sounds like, a big resource compiling all the characters, stories, and world details from the VA series. It's going to be a really beautiful book. I'll provide some info to go into it, but the majority of the writing and organizing is being done by fabulous author Michelle Rowen. Some of you may know Michelle from her legendary spoiler-free live-tweeting of Blood Promise. Everyone should know her for her awesome books. I think Bitten & Smitten was one of the first vampire romances I ever read. Check out her site if you want to know more about her and what she does. I'm so excited that she's going to be working on this.

Anyway, we'll hear more about the ultimate guide as things get closer. I think it's going to be really neat, plus it'll put to rest some age-old debates about discrepancies in the series--such as what Jill's element is. (It's water by the way. Air is a typo. This is why we need a guide). And hey, now *I'll* have an easy way to look up things I forget.

Tomorrow--for real, the video and latest batch of international book covers.

Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

I mentioned last month that the Vampire Academy series had been nominated for a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award and that voting would open soon. Well, it's open! Their voting went live yesterday, so if you are so inclined to cast a vote for VA, the link is here.

You don't have to be "a kid" to vote, and they make it easy--no logging on or creating an account. Just click and go. Anyone in the world can vote too, and the word on the street is that you can vote every day. I'll warn you now that I'll probably be advertising this a lot during the month of March. Nickelodeon is a pretty big spotlight for the series, and I'm flattered and excited for VA to get a nod and so much attention. I know some of you won't mind the reminders and will vote every day anyway. Some of you may get tired of the reminders, and I apologize in advance. But, I guarantee there will always be new people tuning in who haven't heard about the voting yet, so the reminders are good for them. Thanks for your patience!

And of course, I heartily encourage you to vote for any of the other series if they're favorites of yours. I assume you read my blog because you like something I write, but there are lots of good books out there, so please--vote with your heart. And if that means voting for me, then thank you so much. I appreciate everyone's support!

Tomorrow I think I'll have a new video to post, and I'm also going to scour my computers for the latest batch of international covers. People send them to me all the time, and I tend to let them sit around for a while. So, I'll do some housecleaning and we can see how the world's viewing my girls these days.

Georgina on my mind

After some fighting with my scanner (whose problems are 95% the result of my laziness to properly install some software), I'm very happy to be able to give you the cover for Succubus Revealed:



This is the sixth and final book in Georgina's series, which is a little mind-blowing for me. Her first novel, Succubus Blues, was the first book I ever had published. It came out in 2007, and now, four years later, her series is wrapping up. People are beginning to notice that many of my series are ending. It's mostly coincidental timing and not because I'm going into retirement or anything. Don't worry! I'll keep writing other things. When I set out to write each of my series, I usually had a clear endpoint in mind, and it just so happens we're reaching all of them. To try to force a story past what I originally envisioned would only harm it, and I don't want to do that to you guys or the characters.

It's also good for me as a writer to take a break and try new things. When you guys get a new book, a lot of you can finish it in a day, so it hardly seems like you spend much time with the series at all. For me, walking a book from its first draft all the way to its pre-printing proofs can take 6-9 months. So, these gals occupy a good piece of my life, and it's healthy for us to step back so we don't get tired of each other. I'm lucky that it hasn't happened yet, and I want to keep it that way. The best things I've written are those I'm excited and passionate about, so I want to make sure that's always the priority in whatever I'm currently working on.

Does that mean I'll go back and revisit these or do a spin-off for every series? I honestly don't know. My goal is to always be writing at least one adult and one young adult series. Whether those are set in worlds we already know or will be totally new projects remains to be seen. Again, the key is to follow the passion--and that's also my advice for any aspiring writers out there. Write what you're excited about.

Getting back to Georgina, Succubus Revealed comes out August 30. The description is here, and we'll see an excerpt later this summer. You'll get a lot of answers you've been waiting for about her love life and her contract. There are also a lot of hipster jokes that I hope don't offend anyone. Seeing as Succubus Heat didn't offend the nation of Canada, I'm thinking we're okay with this one. Also, a major character in SR is going to dress up in a Santa suit, so think on that for a while. :)

This week (kind of) in books

Today is a great day because I sent in the Succubus Revealed manuscript to my editor. Like all manuscripts, it still needs polishing and editing, but the bulk of the work on it is done, which is a really wonderful feeling. And, in fate's funny way, I also just received a bunch of cover flats for SR, which really brings us full circle. My scanner's being a bit temperamental, but I should be able to have things up and running tomorrow so that you can see the cover to Georgina's last adventure.

I'm behind in giving shout-outs to all of my author pals who had new releases last week. Considering I was three days late in blogging about my own new release last week, I guess it's not that bad. Anyway, Iron Crowned was in very good company. Here's a quick rundown of what else is on the bookshelves.

In the world of adult paranormal fiction...



Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells is the third book in the Sabina Kane series, featuring a half-vampire, half-mage kickass heroine. Her sidekick is a demon who looks like a hairless cat and--wait for it--actually has his own Twitter page. Jaye and I will be teaching a workshop in Dallas soon, so stay tuned for details.

Dead Waters by Anton Strout is the next installment in his Simon Canderous series. Simon has the blessing(?) of being a psychometrist, meaning when he touches something, he knows its history. New Yorkers can see Anton signing with Amber Benson at Midtown Comics Downtown on March 5 at 1pm.

How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper Normally, I'd attempt some summary of my own, but nothing I could write is better than this blurb I found: "Even in Grundy, Alaska, it's unusual to find a naked guy with a bear trap clamped to his ankle on your porch." 'Nuff said.


And, over in the young adult section...



The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge Remember when I said iron books were hot? This is my pal Caitlin's much-anticipated steampunk YA debut about a girl fighting a family curse, which says she'll go insane on her 16th birthday. It's set in an alternate Lovecraftian Boston, where technology rules and all things magical are condemned...but certainly aren't gone.

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes Gwen's debut YA is actually out tomorrow, so I'm ahead of the game on this one. It's about a girl who literally meets a hot guy she's been dreaming about when he becomes a student at her school. Whether he's a dream come true or presents danger to her remains to be seen... Washingtonians can see Gwen read and sign in Seattle and Port Angeles.


Okay, there are tons more that came out last week (and this week), but that's what I've got for now. So if you're looking for reading material, plenty abounds! Tomorrow I'll have the next Georgina cover for you. :)

Musings on Eugenie

I know it's been sneaking onto shelves for the last week or so, but Tuesday was Iron Crowned's official U.S. release day. It should be trickling into other countries in the near future, depending on the publishers in those countries. Regardless of when you get it, I hope you enjoy it!

Whenever I talk about any Eugenie or Georgina book, I always get someone asking, "What's that? Is it the next Vampire Academy novel?" I'm always a little surprised, but maybe I shouldn't be. VA sales far outnumber the other series, so it's not surprising that a lot of VA fans haven't heard of the other things I write. So let's talk about Eugenie today.

Before I wrote VA, I sold two adult series--Georgina Kincaid and Dark Swan. Descriptions of all my series and books are here on my website. Dark Swan was my second series, and I wrote it because I really wanted an action-star type of heroine. Georgina sees action (of all sorts), but most of her work is of the sleuthing nature. She doesn't get her hands dirty very often. I created Eugenie because I wanted a character who would be out there in the action. She's a "freelance shaman" and makes her living getting rid of anything Otherworldly that troubles our world, be it ghosts, fairies, or monsters.

There a few things I really love about Eugenie's series. One is the setting--or, should I say, settings. When she's in our world, she's in Tucson, which is one of my very favorite places to visit. When she's interacting with fey, she's in the Otherworld, which has taken on much more of a life of its own than I ever expected. When I was younger, I always thought I'd write epic fantasy because I wanted to create my own world and make its own rules. The Otherworld gives me this chance, and I love everything about designing it, from the elaborate fashion to the unique nature of each kingdom.

Eugenie's life is governed by a prophecy, which is something else I'm a fan of. I love prophecy stories in general. I know they can be overused in fiction, but the whole idea of someone "destined" to be or do something they don't want is fascinating to me. It's so interesting seeing how they go about their lives and try to fight it--and how often those very efforts only ended up bringing that fate closer.

The last thing I'll mention is that I like how Eugenie's romantic problems aren't supernatural. I mean, the guys are, but not the problems with the guys. Both Georgina and Rose have huge obstacles in the paths of their romances, which are tied into their natures. But Eugenie? She's not like Georgina, who can't touch the one she loves. And Eugenie's not like Rose, who has some societal issues at work. Eugenie can kiss and do a lot of other things with her guys (and does). There's no problem there. The problems are in the relationships themselves, and whether or not she can trust her men. Sometimes, especially after I've been writing "no-touch Georgina" stuff, Eugenie's romantic mishaps are kind of a relief.

Anyway, those are just a few of the things that come to mind about Eugenie. I love her for many more reasons, and I've really enjoyed reading all the commentary people have sent in about IC. Feel free to keep it coming--just be sure to mark SPOILERS or avoid them, if in doubt.

One more reminder--if you want a signed Iron Crowned (or any other signed book of mine) to ship out in University Bookstore's next shipment, place your order before Friday the 25th (Pacific time). They do ship internationally, for those who don't want to wait for their own country to publish IC. In Australia, I've heard that Galaxy Bookshop in Sydney and Rendezvous Books in Melbourne are selling US copies, so Aussies can buy them locally or online (with domestic shipping) through those stores. If I hear of other stores in other countries with them, I'll let you know about those too!

More fun with Iron Crowned

It's all Eugenie, all the time lately, eh? Well, it is almost Iron Crowned's American release week, and since it's been practically a year since I had a new adult novel out, I say Eugenie deserves some spotlight. Here's the latest.

I signed all of the Iron Crowned orders that were placed at University Bookstore through yesterday, so those will ship out on release day (Tuesday, February 22). Since there's been so much demand, I'll come back at the end of next week and sign again. So, any orders placed by Thursday, February 24, can be expected to ship out on the 25th or the following Monday. This applies to orders for signed copies of IC or any other of my books that are currently available. After that, my visits to U Bookstore may stretch to being two weeks apart for a while, but we'll see how things go. Ordering instructions are here, and of course, you can always buy unsigned books at any other store of your choice.

Last month, I posted an excerpt from Iron Crowned that was taken from Chapter 3. I did it because the first chapter had been included at the end of Succubus Shadows. Since some foreign editions of SS didn't include it, I've now posted Iron Crowned's first chapter online as well. You can read both excerpts over on the Dark Swan series page.

Final note on Iron Crowned. I'm getting lots of questions about availability in other countries, such as why the book comes out later or why it isn't available at all in certain places. I work directly with my American publisher, but they only distribute in the U.S. (and sometimes Canada). Every other country has its own individual publisher that's bought the rights to print and sell my books, and so release dates are at their discretion. Sometimes, delays are inevitable. Sometimes, no publisher in a country has bought the rights to one of my books, and so there's no distribution there at all. If a book's not available or if it's coming out later in your country, you can either wait for the book to get there or import it from an international bookseller. University Bookstore will ship orders to other countries, as will a number of other American booksellers. The downside is that you'll have to pay for international shipping, but that's the best I can offer you. Sorry! These things aren't in my control, but hopefully this info helps a little.

So, that's the Iron Crowned news. As its release approaches, I ask that you be kind to those who haven't read it and mark any comments about the book with SPOILERS. Iron Crowned has a cliffhanger ending, and I'd hate to see it spoiled! Thanks so much, everyone.

Another reminder about ordering signed copies of Iron Crowned

Thank you very much for all the congratulations and well wishes on my last post, everyone! I appreciate everyone's enthusiasm, and I'll keep you posted as all my projects develop. :)

For now, I wanted to give you a quick update about Iron Crowned. Its official release date in the U.S. is almost a week away, February 22. Some stores may sell it sooner, depending on when they get it in stock. University Bookstore will be shipping it on release day. If you want to order a signed copy from them AND have it ship on release day, you need to have your order placed before this Thursday, February 17. If you miss that cut-off, you can still get a signed copy of IC, but it won't ship right away. They'll have to wait until I'm back in the store to autograph books, which may be a week or at most, two. Instructions on how to order from University Bookstore are here, and yup, they ship internationally. And of course, if autographing doesn't matter, you can find IC at most of your favorite bookstores.

In honor of Valentine's Day, I wanted to make another plug for some friends of mine who've entered a contest to win their dream wedding. What's neat about them is that they have a real-life love story, which is awesome to see outside of books. In fact, the whole contest is filled with sweet stories of real-life love. If you're inspired to vote for my pals, that's cool. If not, that's absolutely fine too because there are lots of other good candidates telling their stories for this contest! No pressure, just enjoy the V-Day reading here. And if you've got a significant other you're celebrating with today, that's great, but remember that having love in your life is bigger than that. Love of family and friends is just as important as a sweetheart. Likewise, you can use today to remind others about your love--but do it on all the other days too. :)

Oh, baby

I warned you yesterday that my blogging had gone from "nothing to talk about" to "something every day." And today's no exception. I'm finally able to deliver some big news that I've been waiting to share with everyone. If you keep up with all things Richelle, you know that August is a busy month for me. Succubus Revealed, the last Georgina book, comes out August 30. Bloodlines, the first book of the VA spin-off series, will be released on August 23. And, just to keep things interesting, the Vampire Academy graphic novel is also coming out on August 23.

But, it seems I couldn't stop there. I decided to add one more new release to my end-of-August schedule: a baby.

Yes, that's right. Finally, all the parenting skills I learned from watching Mad Men and Toddlers and Tiaras are going to pay off. My husband and I will be welcoming our first child into the world right around the same time the rest of you are enjoying three new books! We're really excited about this, but because of the timing, I won't be able to tour for any of the new August books—nor will I be traveling in fall or winter of 2011. I'll still be making my conference appearances in April, and I'll play the rest of the summer by ear. We'll be able to manage signed mail orders through University Bookstore too, and if all else fails, I think we know who can tour for me.

Remember, books always have to be finished well in advance of their release dates because there's so much time required for revision and production. So, that's one nice thing about this timing. The books that are coming out in August will be done, polished, and off to production by mid-summer. That means the baby's arrival isn't going to affect their release dates. Likewise, I won't have to worry about them when I'm trying to figure out what to do with a baby. I can spend my August focusing on tiny adorable clothing.

Of course, that means I've had the interesting experience these last couple months of writing books while pregnant. It's a lot like writing books while not pregnant, except I can no longer drink a pot of coffee and plow through a chapter in three hours. Instead, I find myself taking lots of breaks because I need a nap or because a plate of bacon suddenly seems like a good idea.

So, that's the scoop and part of why I've been so preoccupied lately. I'll keep giving you updates on all the August projects. Stay tuned! It's going to be a busy year.

More cool news

Remember when I didn't have anything to blog about? Now it's like there's something every day! Here's today's cool news. The Vampire Academy series was nominated for one of Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards! I grew up with Nickelodeon, and this is just a huge, huge honor. Thank you, very much. Voting will open on March 1, and I'll mention it again then (all ages will get to vote!). For now, if you want to read more about the nomination and other parts of the awards, here's the link. Thank you so much for everyone's great support in helping the series get there.

I don't have any tours on the calendar right now, but there's a really great tour of five young adult authors who are visiting some U.S. cities this week. It's called the Breathless Reads Tour and features Andrea Creamer (Nightshade), Ally Condie (Matched), Kirsten Miller (The Eternal Ones), Beth Revis (Across the Universe), and Brenna Yovanoff (The Replacement). It's a really great chance to ask questions to lots of authors at once and get some books signed. Their full schedule is here, and they'll be in Denver tomorrow night (Friday the 11th), signing at the Highlands Ranch Tattered Cover at 7pm.

Also in Denver tomorrow night is my good friend Mark Henry. He'll be reading and signing some zombie smut at the Broadway Book Mall at 7pm, so if you're looking for some dirty fun and very adult humor, check it out. If you're lucky, you might see Mario Acevedo lurking there too, along with some other Denver authors.

So, whichever way your mood is feeling tomorrow night, Denver, you have no reason not to get a literary experience!