Richelle Mead's Blog, page 26
February 10, 2011
More fun with covers
If you missed the Bloodlines cover and accompanying video, you can check out Entertainment Weekly's article right here. I'm also using the cover as my avatar today, and to answer a few questions, yup--that's Sydney in there. You can spot her by the tattoo. The guy is the spurned love interest from Last Sacrifice, which I'm being enigmatic about simply because talking too much about him gives away the ending of that book. There are still lots who haven't read it, so we'll hold out a little longer. There are other characters in Bloodlines that I've mentioned before, like Eddie and Jill, but if you crowd too many on the cover there, it starts to look like an Olan Mills family photo shoot. (Are they even around anymore?). So, we just kept these two, but other characters will rotate through on other covers, I'm sure.
I hinted on Twitter recently that I had another cover to show, and many people guessed Succubus Revealed--which is a pretty good guess. But, there's actually one book coming out before it--the mass market edition of Succubus on Top. Georgina fans will remember that Succubus Blues first came out in trade paperback (i.e. large paperback) in the U.S. and then came out with a new cover when it was released as a mass market paperback (small paperback). The same is going to happen to all of the Georgina books eventually, and now it's #2's time:
The scan here doesn't do it justice. Like Bloodlines, this cover has a lot of cool metallic effects on it. You can see how it measures to the original Succubus on Top and the two SB versions over on the Georgina page. This mass market is due out at the end of July, and for British Commonwealth folks worried they missed a book, remember: Succubus on Top and Succubus Nights are the same thing.
For those wondering about Succubus Revealed, I expect we'll see that cover within the next month. Georgina covers usually come out 6 months before release, and we're almost there. Since it'll come out in trade first, that cover will match the other Georgina trades (the old style). Then, a couple years down the road, we'll see it in mass with the new style. Confused by all these covers? Don't worry. It's the stories inside that count, right?
And as a last note on covers...Arcane Vault is offering you the chance to design your own VA cover and win one of their sweatshirts. The details are up on their Facebook page. I'm not sure if non-Facebook people can read that link, so I'll see if it's listed somewhere else. Good luck if you choose to enter! Can't wait to see what people come up with.
I hinted on Twitter recently that I had another cover to show, and many people guessed Succubus Revealed--which is a pretty good guess. But, there's actually one book coming out before it--the mass market edition of Succubus on Top. Georgina fans will remember that Succubus Blues first came out in trade paperback (i.e. large paperback) in the U.S. and then came out with a new cover when it was released as a mass market paperback (small paperback). The same is going to happen to all of the Georgina books eventually, and now it's #2's time:
The scan here doesn't do it justice. Like Bloodlines, this cover has a lot of cool metallic effects on it. You can see how it measures to the original Succubus on Top and the two SB versions over on the Georgina page. This mass market is due out at the end of July, and for British Commonwealth folks worried they missed a book, remember: Succubus on Top and Succubus Nights are the same thing.
For those wondering about Succubus Revealed, I expect we'll see that cover within the next month. Georgina covers usually come out 6 months before release, and we're almost there. Since it'll come out in trade first, that cover will match the other Georgina trades (the old style). Then, a couple years down the road, we'll see it in mass with the new style. Confused by all these covers? Don't worry. It's the stories inside that count, right?
And as a last note on covers...Arcane Vault is offering you the chance to design your own VA cover and win one of their sweatshirts. The details are up on their Facebook page. I'm not sure if non-Facebook people can read that link, so I'll see if it's listed somewhere else. Good luck if you choose to enter! Can't wait to see what people come up with.
February 8, 2011
Bloodlines Cover!
That's right! The Bloodlines cover and a video about the series is LIVE, right here at Entertainment Weekly!
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
February 7, 2011
The greatest signing I never had
Well, I've still been in a blogging slump. Seriously. I've had nothing, guys. I could bore you with details of what I've had for lunch, the day's word count, or whatever, but no. I keep holding out for something exciting and interesting to blog about. I've been convinced that one of these days, I'll have news, or else some wondrous blog topic will drop into my lap.
And lo, one just did.
This is so awesome and was totally unexpected. It's wonderful and funny and a true sign of how amazing my readers are. Here's the scoop. Remember how my Minneapolis signing got snowed out in December? Well, several dedicated readers still made it out through the arctic wasteland to the Mall of America that day before the official cancellation happened. I'm so sad that I wasn't able to be there for them, but as you can see, they were able to have a magical experience nonetheless.
I can't even take credit for the awesome captioning here. That comes courtesy of Jennifer Strand, who retells their action-packed day far more wittily than I could. (Maybe I'll have to contract her to start doing all my blogging for me!).
"This is a story about six fan-girls who battled 23 inches of blowing snow to see Richelle Mead at the Mall of America one day in December. This battle was fought long and hard, but alas, not won. This round would go to Mother Nature as she delivered her final blow to their hopes of meeting Richelle and forced the closing of the Minneapolis Airport. No airport=no Richelle. As you can see, they were very sad."
"We wallowed in our misery while we ate some delicious flatbread at a fantastic fancy restaurant that had linen napkins. We cried a little, hugged each other a little and then decided that it was time to dust off our (cowboy) boots and make the best out of our situation. We went to the mall for a book signing, dammit!, and a book signing we would attend. Never mind that it was of our own doing. So without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to Fauxchelle Mead!"
"Our very own librarian in training was first in line to meet Fauxchelle. Her excitement is obvious, isn't it? Amy had a nice conversation with Fauxchelle regarding Vladimir the Saint's conversion to Christianity in 988 while the rest of us tried to think of something to contribute to the conversation. 'Dimitri is hot' didn't seem substantial enough."
"These two bonded over their mutual fascination with Russian history and Fauxchelle even let Amy sit on her lap. As a matter of fact, Amy can still speak a little Cyrillic from her days of junior high way back in the 1990's. Her shirt says 'Comrade' in Cyrillic. If you don't get the reference, close this webpage immediately. There's nothing more for you to see here."
"Christy spent her time with Fauxchelle talking about music and learned that Fauxchelle listened to the 'Orange Blossom Special' album by Johnny Cash to get inspired for writing scenes involving Dimitri in the VA series. Apparently any song by T-Pain pumps up Fauxchelle enough to pen an Adrian scene. Christy invited Fauxchelle to come back to the Twin Cities for a derby bout when roller derby season begins in February. We're all hoping she visits us again soon!"
"I honestly do not know how we held back Nikki from being first in line. This is the girl that repeatedly told us all to read VA. Our standard response: 'Yes, Nikki. Someday we will.' Then we did. Now we do everything Nikki says. Promptly. After two years of waiting for the big moment, Nikki was rewarded with not only a signature in EVERY Fauxchelle Mead book she owns (which is all of them), but a Haiku involving a Gentle Girl and a Drunken Sod written inside of SPIRIT BOUND. She says she sleeps with the book under her pillow along with her well read copy of LOVER UNBOUND by JR Ward. We THINK she's kidding."
"Marta and Fauxchelle look so cute together! Marta reflected on how references to Louis L'amour in the VA series triggered childhood memories of riding the trails back in San Antonio. So much, in fact, that she went to the MN Cowboy shop 'midWESTERN Ways' located on the fourth floor the malls' east side and bought her husband a duster."
"Fauxchelle took a quick break after meeting the first four fans and came back looking well rested and refreshed. And it's a good thing, too. Jen must have asked thirty questions in as many seconds. Fauxchelle handled them all with grace but wasn't sure how to respond to Jen when she exclaimed, 'OMG! I TOTALLY want to have non sex with Adrian!' Jen sometimes forgets to filter her mouth. We've just learned that that's the price you pay for hanging with her."
"Such tenderness in this closed eyes hug."
"We had so much fun making these shirts together late into the night while quoting our favorite VA lines. We can see in this picture that Jen cannot make up her mind about what team she is a member of, so she made up her own team. Go, Team Dimitrian! Christy quotes one of our favorite Rose lines on her hand painted shirt. Christy is also a member of Team Dimitri."
"Here stand the six fools who drove from various suburbs of Minneapolis in what has been coined 'Snowmageddon' by the local media to see one of their favorite authors. (Five of the fan-girls were smart enough to stay home. We missed you!) While we were upset that weather conditions made it impossible for Richelle to land in Minneapolis, we are glad she stayed put and stayed safe. She'll be back one day and when she does...we'll be first in line!"
Ah, you guys, I'm very much looking forward to that day. Thank you so much for giving me a good laugh and for being such devoted readers. The Minneapolis signing was the only event I've ever had to cancel, and it still bugs me. So, it really, really makes me happy to see what a good time everyone still had. Minneapolis is definitely on our radar for the next time book travel happens, so hang in there--I really will get to you.
In the meantime, I think we've found a good solution for the problem of me balancing hectic tour life with writing. I've said before that I can't be everywhere at once, but I guess I was wrong. Now I can just send Fauxchelle out on the road, while I stay and finish the books! The extra funny thing is that I was getting my hair colored when the Mall of America girls emailed me these pictures. My hair stylist and I were looking through them on my phone, and she said, "You know, they got the hair color pretty close."
So, who knows? The next time you go to a signing of mine...will it be me? Or will it be Fauxchelle?
And lo, one just did.
This is so awesome and was totally unexpected. It's wonderful and funny and a true sign of how amazing my readers are. Here's the scoop. Remember how my Minneapolis signing got snowed out in December? Well, several dedicated readers still made it out through the arctic wasteland to the Mall of America that day before the official cancellation happened. I'm so sad that I wasn't able to be there for them, but as you can see, they were able to have a magical experience nonetheless.
I can't even take credit for the awesome captioning here. That comes courtesy of Jennifer Strand, who retells their action-packed day far more wittily than I could. (Maybe I'll have to contract her to start doing all my blogging for me!).
"This is a story about six fan-girls who battled 23 inches of blowing snow to see Richelle Mead at the Mall of America one day in December. This battle was fought long and hard, but alas, not won. This round would go to Mother Nature as she delivered her final blow to their hopes of meeting Richelle and forced the closing of the Minneapolis Airport. No airport=no Richelle. As you can see, they were very sad."
"We wallowed in our misery while we ate some delicious flatbread at a fantastic fancy restaurant that had linen napkins. We cried a little, hugged each other a little and then decided that it was time to dust off our (cowboy) boots and make the best out of our situation. We went to the mall for a book signing, dammit!, and a book signing we would attend. Never mind that it was of our own doing. So without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to Fauxchelle Mead!"
"Our very own librarian in training was first in line to meet Fauxchelle. Her excitement is obvious, isn't it? Amy had a nice conversation with Fauxchelle regarding Vladimir the Saint's conversion to Christianity in 988 while the rest of us tried to think of something to contribute to the conversation. 'Dimitri is hot' didn't seem substantial enough."
"These two bonded over their mutual fascination with Russian history and Fauxchelle even let Amy sit on her lap. As a matter of fact, Amy can still speak a little Cyrillic from her days of junior high way back in the 1990's. Her shirt says 'Comrade' in Cyrillic. If you don't get the reference, close this webpage immediately. There's nothing more for you to see here."
"Christy spent her time with Fauxchelle talking about music and learned that Fauxchelle listened to the 'Orange Blossom Special' album by Johnny Cash to get inspired for writing scenes involving Dimitri in the VA series. Apparently any song by T-Pain pumps up Fauxchelle enough to pen an Adrian scene. Christy invited Fauxchelle to come back to the Twin Cities for a derby bout when roller derby season begins in February. We're all hoping she visits us again soon!"
"I honestly do not know how we held back Nikki from being first in line. This is the girl that repeatedly told us all to read VA. Our standard response: 'Yes, Nikki. Someday we will.' Then we did. Now we do everything Nikki says. Promptly. After two years of waiting for the big moment, Nikki was rewarded with not only a signature in EVERY Fauxchelle Mead book she owns (which is all of them), but a Haiku involving a Gentle Girl and a Drunken Sod written inside of SPIRIT BOUND. She says she sleeps with the book under her pillow along with her well read copy of LOVER UNBOUND by JR Ward. We THINK she's kidding."
"Marta and Fauxchelle look so cute together! Marta reflected on how references to Louis L'amour in the VA series triggered childhood memories of riding the trails back in San Antonio. So much, in fact, that she went to the MN Cowboy shop 'midWESTERN Ways' located on the fourth floor the malls' east side and bought her husband a duster."
"Fauxchelle took a quick break after meeting the first four fans and came back looking well rested and refreshed. And it's a good thing, too. Jen must have asked thirty questions in as many seconds. Fauxchelle handled them all with grace but wasn't sure how to respond to Jen when she exclaimed, 'OMG! I TOTALLY want to have non sex with Adrian!' Jen sometimes forgets to filter her mouth. We've just learned that that's the price you pay for hanging with her."
"Such tenderness in this closed eyes hug."
"We had so much fun making these shirts together late into the night while quoting our favorite VA lines. We can see in this picture that Jen cannot make up her mind about what team she is a member of, so she made up her own team. Go, Team Dimitrian! Christy quotes one of our favorite Rose lines on her hand painted shirt. Christy is also a member of Team Dimitri."
"Here stand the six fools who drove from various suburbs of Minneapolis in what has been coined 'Snowmageddon' by the local media to see one of their favorite authors. (Five of the fan-girls were smart enough to stay home. We missed you!) While we were upset that weather conditions made it impossible for Richelle to land in Minneapolis, we are glad she stayed put and stayed safe. She'll be back one day and when she does...we'll be first in line!"
Ah, you guys, I'm very much looking forward to that day. Thank you so much for giving me a good laugh and for being such devoted readers. The Minneapolis signing was the only event I've ever had to cancel, and it still bugs me. So, it really, really makes me happy to see what a good time everyone still had. Minneapolis is definitely on our radar for the next time book travel happens, so hang in there--I really will get to you.
In the meantime, I think we've found a good solution for the problem of me balancing hectic tour life with writing. I've said before that I can't be everywhere at once, but I guess I was wrong. Now I can just send Fauxchelle out on the road, while I stay and finish the books! The extra funny thing is that I was getting my hair colored when the Mall of America girls emailed me these pictures. My hair stylist and I were looking through them on my phone, and she said, "You know, they got the hair color pretty close."
So, who knows? The next time you go to a signing of mine...will it be me? Or will it be Fauxchelle?
January 31, 2011
Books of iron. Er, steel.
If you like books with 'Iron' in the title (and who doesn't?), you'll notice that there are an awful lot of them coming out. Iron Crowned is in good company. Why the metal obsession? Well, in a lot of myths and stories, iron is the traditional bane to the supernatural. Iron can counteract magic in some beliefs, and you see remnants of that idea in old superstitions involving horseshoes and iron nails. So, it's not a surprise that in the paranormal genre, 'iron' has become a popular concept and title word, right along with other favorite themes like blood and shadows.
Anyway, amidst these iron-clad titles are a couple YAs by friends of mine. One is The Iron Witch by my favorite Tarot reader and London tour guide Karen Mahoney. TIW just came out this week in the U.S. and U.K. It's about a teen girl living with the legacy of being attacked by fairies when she was little. The fairies killed her father and did damage to her hands and arms that can only be repaired with magical iron tattoos. (Alchemy!) Naturally, this creates some problems with her when she's older. She has to face her past when fairies kidnap her best friend, forcing her to team up with a mysterious (and highly attractive) part-fey guy. Lots of good, dark fairy stuff here.
Next month, I'll talk about The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge, another awesome title that's coming out later in February.
And with that, I'm back to work! The Children's Choice Book Awards are still going on at Teenreads.com if you want to vote for Last Sacrifice, Spirit Bound, or any other 2010 YA title.
More updates coming soon!
Anyway, amidst these iron-clad titles are a couple YAs by friends of mine. One is The Iron Witch by my favorite Tarot reader and London tour guide Karen Mahoney. TIW just came out this week in the U.S. and U.K. It's about a teen girl living with the legacy of being attacked by fairies when she was little. The fairies killed her father and did damage to her hands and arms that can only be repaired with magical iron tattoos. (Alchemy!) Naturally, this creates some problems with her when she's older. She has to face her past when fairies kidnap her best friend, forcing her to team up with a mysterious (and highly attractive) part-fey guy. Lots of good, dark fairy stuff here.Next month, I'll talk about The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge, another awesome title that's coming out later in February.
And with that, I'm back to work! The Children's Choice Book Awards are still going on at Teenreads.com if you want to vote for Last Sacrifice, Spirit Bound, or any other 2010 YA title.
More updates coming soon!
January 25, 2011
Hangin' Tough
Hey, team. I haven't had much of an Internet presence lately. I'm not feeling well, and my sleep has gone all crazy, which doesn't help matters. I wish I could be all mind-over-matter and power through, but sadly, when I'm physically run down, my mental energy drags too. So, all of my effort is going into finishing Succubus Revealed and keeping myself healthy. Until then, I won't have a lot to say here, on Facebook, or on Twitter.
I always feel bad when these quiet spells happen, like I'm letting people down if I don't provide non-stop entertainment online. But what's fascinating to me is that even when I'm buried under work, all of my readers are still out there going strong. I read comments and posts all around the Internet and see that you guys are still excited, enthusiastic, and loving the books. So, thank you so much. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I have the best fans in the world. It really gives me strength to keep working when I know you guys are out there.
Speaking of which, readers have pointed out a couple of voting opportunities that I thought I'd share. First up, the Children's Choice Book Awards are taking nominees for 2010. I have three titles that qualify: Spirit Bound, Last Sacrifice, and Kisses from Hell. You can vote for some, all, or none of them right here , along with a lot of other great titles. My three aren't all listed, but it's fine to write them in--as is any other YA title you love that came out in 2010.
Another poll--and another example of how amazing you all are--is the YA Love Interests Who Leave You Wishing You Were 17 Again poll. Dimitri's one of the choices, and someone sent it to me because at the time, he was losing. Well, five minutes after I re-posted that link, he was winning. So, thank you! And if you still want to vote for him or any of the other hawt choices, click the link and check it out. What's nice about Dimitri is that since he's in his 20s, you don't actually have to wish you were in your teens if you're my age...although that age spread is still a little bigger than I'm comfortable with. :)
Okay, last news before I get back to work. Today's a hot release day for a lot of people I know--especially people with one-word titles, apparently. First: Bloodshot by Cherie Priest is out, which is "vampire noir" (is that a real genre?) and has the most amazing cover. Click the link if you don't believe me. She's awesome. Also out today is Delirious by Daniel Palmer. It's not paranormal but is a definite must-read for any fans of high-tech thrillers. Plus, Daniel is a super nice guy. Finally, Crossed by J.F. Lewis is out today, third in the Void City series. It follows a complex vampire society, and I'm kind of awed that the girl with a skull on the cover actually looks hot instead of creepy. Nice work!
And now it's work time for me. I'll try to surface a little more when I can. I'm really hoping to have some good material for you next month--in the form of high school home videos. By which I mean my high school home videos. You've been warned!
I always feel bad when these quiet spells happen, like I'm letting people down if I don't provide non-stop entertainment online. But what's fascinating to me is that even when I'm buried under work, all of my readers are still out there going strong. I read comments and posts all around the Internet and see that you guys are still excited, enthusiastic, and loving the books. So, thank you so much. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I have the best fans in the world. It really gives me strength to keep working when I know you guys are out there.
Speaking of which, readers have pointed out a couple of voting opportunities that I thought I'd share. First up, the Children's Choice Book Awards are taking nominees for 2010. I have three titles that qualify: Spirit Bound, Last Sacrifice, and Kisses from Hell. You can vote for some, all, or none of them right here , along with a lot of other great titles. My three aren't all listed, but it's fine to write them in--as is any other YA title you love that came out in 2010.
Another poll--and another example of how amazing you all are--is the YA Love Interests Who Leave You Wishing You Were 17 Again poll. Dimitri's one of the choices, and someone sent it to me because at the time, he was losing. Well, five minutes after I re-posted that link, he was winning. So, thank you! And if you still want to vote for him or any of the other hawt choices, click the link and check it out. What's nice about Dimitri is that since he's in his 20s, you don't actually have to wish you were in your teens if you're my age...although that age spread is still a little bigger than I'm comfortable with. :)
Okay, last news before I get back to work. Today's a hot release day for a lot of people I know--especially people with one-word titles, apparently. First: Bloodshot by Cherie Priest is out, which is "vampire noir" (is that a real genre?) and has the most amazing cover. Click the link if you don't believe me. She's awesome. Also out today is Delirious by Daniel Palmer. It's not paranormal but is a definite must-read for any fans of high-tech thrillers. Plus, Daniel is a super nice guy. Finally, Crossed by J.F. Lewis is out today, third in the Void City series. It follows a complex vampire society, and I'm kind of awed that the girl with a skull on the cover actually looks hot instead of creepy. Nice work!
And now it's work time for me. I'll try to surface a little more when I can. I'm really hoping to have some good material for you next month--in the form of high school home videos. By which I mean my high school home videos. You've been warned!
January 14, 2011
Iron Crowned excerpt and other news
Okay, I've got a couple of cool things for you today. First up, I cleaned up my website, which means I have to make a plug for my FAQ. I know some of you have heard me mention it a million times, but I get emailed questions from it every day. So, I just want to mention it again for those wondering about things like movies, auditions, book releases, touring, getting published, etc., because the FAQ is much faster than me! I hate the thought of you guys hanging on and waiting for an answer from me when you can get it more easily there. Hope it helps!
And on the topic of future books, Penguin put up the Official Bloodlines Series page today, complete with a countdown to release day. Yay! (Note: that release date is for English-speaking countries; translations are always different and dates for them are currently unknown). If you missed my post on Bloodlines (which is the VA spin-off), here it is again, including a brief description.
In other coolness, I posted an excerpt from Iron Crowned right here. Because there was a Chapter 1 excerpt at the end of Succubus Shadows, the section I posted on my site is from Chapter 3, to give you something different. IC's official release date is February 22, but it may sneak out a little early.
I'm not touring for Iron Crowned, but if you're interested in ordering an autographed copy of it, you can do so from University Books. That link lists instructions on how to order it and request a personalization or autograph. For IC, I'll make a point to make a special trip there close to release day, so orders placed before February 22 should ship out in a pretty timely way! And yup--the store ships internationally.
Ok, back to work! Happy MLK weekend to those in the U.S.!
And on the topic of future books, Penguin put up the Official Bloodlines Series page today, complete with a countdown to release day. Yay! (Note: that release date is for English-speaking countries; translations are always different and dates for them are currently unknown). If you missed my post on Bloodlines (which is the VA spin-off), here it is again, including a brief description.
In other coolness, I posted an excerpt from Iron Crowned right here. Because there was a Chapter 1 excerpt at the end of Succubus Shadows, the section I posted on my site is from Chapter 3, to give you something different. IC's official release date is February 22, but it may sneak out a little early.
I'm not touring for Iron Crowned, but if you're interested in ordering an autographed copy of it, you can do so from University Books. That link lists instructions on how to order it and request a personalization or autograph. For IC, I'll make a point to make a special trip there close to release day, so orders placed before February 22 should ship out in a pretty timely way! And yup--the store ships internationally.
Ok, back to work! Happy MLK weekend to those in the U.S.!
January 6, 2011
News you can use
Today's just kind of a mixed bag of news. To start off, I've finished the rough draft of
Bloodlines
and am currently enjoying some much-needed Georgina time as I work on Succubus Revealed. Both are being released at the end of August, so I'll be doing double-duty on them over the next couple of months.
Other cool stuff: I found out today that I won Best Goodreads Author over in the Goodreads Awards, so thank you very much to everyone for your support! I'm very honored and flattered, especially being on a list with so many other great authors. List news is good too. Last Sacrifice and the VA series have been hanging on to the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists since LS's release, but I got a boost in rankings today (#3 on NYT series and #25 on USA Today), which must be you guys using holiday gift cards. LS is also back to #1 in Australia. So, thank you very much for that too.
The good people at Shadowkissed.com did this really great interview with Preger Entertainment yesterday. Preger is the company that optioned VA film rights, and hopefully this will answer some of your questions. Note that no production is currently going on and that they explain that process. They also address auditions, which is one of the biggest questions out there.
Lastly, I wanted to give a shout-out to author Cynthia Hand, whose debut novel Unearthly was officially released yesterday. I had the opportunity to read it last year and really, really enjoyed it. It's about a half-angel girl who's guided by dreams to find out her calling...and runs into some complications, romantic and otherwise, along the way. The ending totally meets my "What!!!" standards. :) So, check it out if you're looking for a new series to start.
Fun publishing info: some people have said they found Unearthly before yesterday. Here's the scoop. Technically, every book has an official release date...but that release date is either "hard" or "soft." Books with hard release dates, like the VA series, aren't supposed to be put on shelves until that date. With a soft release date, bookstores can put the book out when the shipment arrives. Not all do, which is why you get a range of when new books start appearing. The Georgina and Dark Swan series have soft release dates, which is why you can find them out a little early sometimes.
Other cool stuff: I found out today that I won Best Goodreads Author over in the Goodreads Awards, so thank you very much to everyone for your support! I'm very honored and flattered, especially being on a list with so many other great authors. List news is good too. Last Sacrifice and the VA series have been hanging on to the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists since LS's release, but I got a boost in rankings today (#3 on NYT series and #25 on USA Today), which must be you guys using holiday gift cards. LS is also back to #1 in Australia. So, thank you very much for that too.
The good people at Shadowkissed.com did this really great interview with Preger Entertainment yesterday. Preger is the company that optioned VA film rights, and hopefully this will answer some of your questions. Note that no production is currently going on and that they explain that process. They also address auditions, which is one of the biggest questions out there.
Lastly, I wanted to give a shout-out to author Cynthia Hand, whose debut novel Unearthly was officially released yesterday. I had the opportunity to read it last year and really, really enjoyed it. It's about a half-angel girl who's guided by dreams to find out her calling...and runs into some complications, romantic and otherwise, along the way. The ending totally meets my "What!!!" standards. :) So, check it out if you're looking for a new series to start.
Fun publishing info: some people have said they found Unearthly before yesterday. Here's the scoop. Technically, every book has an official release date...but that release date is either "hard" or "soft." Books with hard release dates, like the VA series, aren't supposed to be put on shelves until that date. With a soft release date, bookstores can put the book out when the shipment arrives. Not all do, which is why you get a range of when new books start appearing. The Georgina and Dark Swan series have soft release dates, which is why you can find them out a little early sometimes.
January 1, 2011
New Year's Triple Series Update!
Happy New Year, everyone! 2010 was a great year for me, and I'm excited for 2011.
Let's kick off this year with a bang, starting with Succubus Revealed cover copy for all the long-suffering Georgina fans.
Georgina Kincaid has had an eternity to figure out the opposite sex, but sometimes they still surprise her. Take Seth Mortensen. The man has risked his soul to become Georgina's boyfriend. Still, with Lucifer for a boss, Georgina can't just hang up her killer heels and settle down to domestic bliss. In fact, she's being forced to transfer operations...to Las Vegas.
The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina's allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle—-and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell's most valuable assets, but if there's any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it--no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won't include the one man she's risking everything for...
SR is due out in late August/early September. Eugenie fans will be happy to know that Iron Crowned will start creeping onto shelves late next month and that its excerpt will go up sometime this month. Good times.
Over in YA territory, I've been working on Bloodlines through the holidays and have two more days to finish its rough rough draft. Word doesn't seem to be getting around about this, so here's the scoop. Bloodlines is the spin-off series to Vampire Academy (it's the name of the first book and of the series). It's set in the VA world but will be about different characters: Sydney (our narrator), Jill, Eddie, and one of the love interests from VA. I'm not saying who that last guy is, but it's mostly to protect those who haven't read Last Sacrifice. If you have read it, then it should be pretty obvious who the other character is.
And speaking of which...on tour, I got lots of questions/comments from people along the lines of "You never told us what happened to so-and-so" and "Why did you just leave that person hanging?" Don't worry, I wouldn't abandon you guys like that! Rose's main plot lines were wrapped up in LS, but lots of threads were left hanging--for a reason. Things left unanswered were done so to set the stage for Bloodlines. So, hang in there! Answers are coming.
Ok! That's the series status right now, and I hope that helps. This seems like the kind of post that might generate spoiler comments, so readers beware if you aren't up to date on the books. And me, I'm back to Bloodlines. Enjoy 2011!
Addendum: for those not familiar with all my series, the lists and order are over on my website. Certain things need to be updated, but this will show you where to start if you're branching out. :)
Let's kick off this year with a bang, starting with Succubus Revealed cover copy for all the long-suffering Georgina fans.
Georgina Kincaid has had an eternity to figure out the opposite sex, but sometimes they still surprise her. Take Seth Mortensen. The man has risked his soul to become Georgina's boyfriend. Still, with Lucifer for a boss, Georgina can't just hang up her killer heels and settle down to domestic bliss. In fact, she's being forced to transfer operations...to Las Vegas.
The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina's allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle—-and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell's most valuable assets, but if there's any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it--no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won't include the one man she's risking everything for...
SR is due out in late August/early September. Eugenie fans will be happy to know that Iron Crowned will start creeping onto shelves late next month and that its excerpt will go up sometime this month. Good times.
Over in YA territory, I've been working on Bloodlines through the holidays and have two more days to finish its rough rough draft. Word doesn't seem to be getting around about this, so here's the scoop. Bloodlines is the spin-off series to Vampire Academy (it's the name of the first book and of the series). It's set in the VA world but will be about different characters: Sydney (our narrator), Jill, Eddie, and one of the love interests from VA. I'm not saying who that last guy is, but it's mostly to protect those who haven't read Last Sacrifice. If you have read it, then it should be pretty obvious who the other character is.
And speaking of which...on tour, I got lots of questions/comments from people along the lines of "You never told us what happened to so-and-so" and "Why did you just leave that person hanging?" Don't worry, I wouldn't abandon you guys like that! Rose's main plot lines were wrapped up in LS, but lots of threads were left hanging--for a reason. Things left unanswered were done so to set the stage for Bloodlines. So, hang in there! Answers are coming.
Ok! That's the series status right now, and I hope that helps. This seems like the kind of post that might generate spoiler comments, so readers beware if you aren't up to date on the books. And me, I'm back to Bloodlines. Enjoy 2011!
Addendum: for those not familiar with all my series, the lists and order are over on my website. Certain things need to be updated, but this will show you where to start if you're branching out. :)
December 30, 2010
Good Reads Awards
I'm usually good about shamelessly advertising awards, voting, and contests. This month has been crazy between the tour and the holidays, so I've nearly let these slip by. But, if you're interested, I'm nominated in five categories over at Goodreads, which is quite the honor! So, thank you very much to everyone.
If you're interested in voting in any of them, these are the links to the five categories:
* Spirit Bound nominated for Best Book of 2010 - Voting is here
* Last Sacrifice nominated for Best Yound Adult Fantasy - Voting is here
* Rose nominated for Favorite Heroine - Voting is here
* Dimitri nominated as Favorite Hero - Voting is here
* Succubus Shadows for Favorite Paranormal Fantasy - Voting is here
There are lots of other good books and characters nominated, so if you're torn by another favorite, I totally understand. :) I just appreciate everyone's support and enthusiasm! Have fun!
If you're interested in voting in any of them, these are the links to the five categories:
* Spirit Bound nominated for Best Book of 2010 - Voting is here
* Last Sacrifice nominated for Best Yound Adult Fantasy - Voting is here
* Rose nominated for Favorite Heroine - Voting is here
* Dimitri nominated as Favorite Hero - Voting is here
* Succubus Shadows for Favorite Paranormal Fantasy - Voting is here
There are lots of other good books and characters nominated, so if you're torn by another favorite, I totally understand. :) I just appreciate everyone's support and enthusiasm! Have fun!
December 28, 2010
A book by any other name
So, today I got some Japanese copies of Succubus Blues in the mail. This is cool for a bunch of reasons, not the least of which is seeing a book I wrote translated into Japanese.
A helpful person on Twitter told me that the title they've given the Japanese edition of Georgina's adventures translates to something along the lines of "There are many dangers in the bookstore" or "Bookstore Full of Dangers." A lot of people were really surprised by this, with reactions ranging from puzzled to offended on my behalf. So, I figured I'd weigh in on the topic since changing titles is fairly common when books are translated into other languages.
Why is it done? Well, translation is a lot more than just word for word substitution. Internet translators are proof of that. You can translate five words into another language and not have that new set convey the original meaning at all. Some concepts simply don't translate the same away across cultures. Puns and idioms especially don't translate well into other languages. Titles of mine that are almost never changed are ones that describe very, very concrete things, like Thorn Queen and Vampire Academy. You can do a pretty direct translation to Reine des ronces or L'Accademia Dei Vampiri with those. (Interestingly, when VA is changed, it's usually because the country's publisher thought it sounded too young--again, cultural perception).
Having the "blues" is a little harder, and while people certainly get depressed in other countries, that concept as we know it in English isn't matched in other languages. So, that title gets changed about half the time and usually into something like "Sad Succubus." The Japanese title of SB may sound unwieldy in English, but again--a word for word translation doesn't always convey the full meaning. Trust me, the new title works in that language, and even in English, I think it's kind of cute. My wallet certainly faces danger in bookstores.
Hands-down, the most contested title of all my books is Frostbite. We know what the condition of frostbite is in English, but our usual connotations of it are just "really cold" And, of course, it's a pun on bite. In a lot of other cultures/languages, when people think of frostbite, they think of the condition at its absolute worst: cold that's so intense, it destroys skin/tissue and can result in losing parts of your body. That's not a really attractive title, if that's what comes to your mind. So, almost every country has changed the second VA book. In German and Spanish, the titles translate to "Blue Blood" (a pun in all three langauges, apparently). The Eastern European countries tend to adapt it as "Biting Cold" or "Cold Fire." And in Korean, it's "Sad Illusion," a different concept altogether.
Someone asked if these modifications bother me. Nope, not at all. Languages are filled with nuances and rich meanings that take a lifetime to learn and craft. I can only claim ownership of one, English, and I'm always learning more. I feel confident in dictating titles and wordings in my own language but wouldn't presume to make those calls in another language. Sometimes adaptations have to be made even between UK and Australian English editions. A lot of times, translators of the books write to me with questions, which is really great because then we can make sure concepts are getting across the way I'd originally intended to the readers. It's a neat and exciting process.
Bonus: as I was writing this post, I went searching out some foreign editions of my books in order to reference them. And guess what I discovered is out there? The German cover of Iron Crowned, or as it's called in that language: Feenkrieg. I hadn't seen it yet. Germany sure knows its cover art.
A helpful person on Twitter told me that the title they've given the Japanese edition of Georgina's adventures translates to something along the lines of "There are many dangers in the bookstore" or "Bookstore Full of Dangers." A lot of people were really surprised by this, with reactions ranging from puzzled to offended on my behalf. So, I figured I'd weigh in on the topic since changing titles is fairly common when books are translated into other languages.
Why is it done? Well, translation is a lot more than just word for word substitution. Internet translators are proof of that. You can translate five words into another language and not have that new set convey the original meaning at all. Some concepts simply don't translate the same away across cultures. Puns and idioms especially don't translate well into other languages. Titles of mine that are almost never changed are ones that describe very, very concrete things, like Thorn Queen and Vampire Academy. You can do a pretty direct translation to Reine des ronces or L'Accademia Dei Vampiri with those. (Interestingly, when VA is changed, it's usually because the country's publisher thought it sounded too young--again, cultural perception).
Having the "blues" is a little harder, and while people certainly get depressed in other countries, that concept as we know it in English isn't matched in other languages. So, that title gets changed about half the time and usually into something like "Sad Succubus." The Japanese title of SB may sound unwieldy in English, but again--a word for word translation doesn't always convey the full meaning. Trust me, the new title works in that language, and even in English, I think it's kind of cute. My wallet certainly faces danger in bookstores.
Hands-down, the most contested title of all my books is Frostbite. We know what the condition of frostbite is in English, but our usual connotations of it are just "really cold" And, of course, it's a pun on bite. In a lot of other cultures/languages, when people think of frostbite, they think of the condition at its absolute worst: cold that's so intense, it destroys skin/tissue and can result in losing parts of your body. That's not a really attractive title, if that's what comes to your mind. So, almost every country has changed the second VA book. In German and Spanish, the titles translate to "Blue Blood" (a pun in all three langauges, apparently). The Eastern European countries tend to adapt it as "Biting Cold" or "Cold Fire." And in Korean, it's "Sad Illusion," a different concept altogether.
Someone asked if these modifications bother me. Nope, not at all. Languages are filled with nuances and rich meanings that take a lifetime to learn and craft. I can only claim ownership of one, English, and I'm always learning more. I feel confident in dictating titles and wordings in my own language but wouldn't presume to make those calls in another language. Sometimes adaptations have to be made even between UK and Australian English editions. A lot of times, translators of the books write to me with questions, which is really great because then we can make sure concepts are getting across the way I'd originally intended to the readers. It's a neat and exciting process.
Bonus: as I was writing this post, I went searching out some foreign editions of my books in order to reference them. And guess what I discovered is out there? The German cover of Iron Crowned, or as it's called in that language: Feenkrieg. I hadn't seen it yet. Germany sure knows its cover art.
