Richelle Mead's Blog, page 7

Reminder - Twitter Chat Tomorrow!

Just wanted to post a quick reminder that I'll be doing a Twitter chat tomorrow at 3pm Pacific/6pm Eastern for about 45 minutes (unless Twitter cuts me off first). Here's a couple of things to know.

1. Address your questions to me @RichelleMead and be sure to tag them #askMead. Then, if you want to follow along with other questions and answers, just keep clicking #askMead to see the whole conversation!

2. I don't start answering questions posted before then, so don't sweat if you think you need to get them in now. Hold off until the start time, and use this time zone converter if you need to figure it out for where you live.

3. I usually get slammed with hundreds of questions and can't always get to all of them. If I see the same question asked a lot, I may start skipping them (once it's been answered) in order to get to some new and different questions out there. Also, if I've already answered a few questions for the same person, I may skip some of that person's others in order to give someone new a chance to be answered. Believe me, I'll type as fast as I can, but don't take offense if I don't get to yours.

4. If you post too many tweets on Twitter, they block you from tweeting for a while. It's called "Twitter Jail," and I usually end up in it before the time limit of a chat. So, if I abruptly stop answering questions and don't say goodbye, that's what happened to me. Follow @MalachiWolfe, and I'll tell him if I get put in Twitter Jail. Then, he'll tell you. Actually, just follow him anyway because he's awesome.

5. We're really excited about the release of Gameboard of the Gods, so if you've got those questions, bring 'em! But I'll happily answer about other books, the movie, etc. too. We'll post a transcript of it all for you to see afterward.

Talk to you guys tomorrow!

Oklahoma Relief

I mentioned yesterday that I'd donated an early copy of Gameboard of the Gods to a local Seattle group to auction on eBay to raise money for a boys' field trip. Well, as we all know, yesterday also saw some pretty devastating things happen to families and homes in Oklahoma. My heart breaks for those who have suffered such unimaginable loss, and my hopes and prayers are with them all for speedy physical and mental healing.

I now have four more charitable listings on eBay to offer support to those suffering in the wake of the storms. These auctions are listed under BooksThatGive, which some of you may remember did similar charity auctions after the Japanese earthquake in 2011. 100% of the final sale (after eBay's fees) from these auctions will go to Save the Children, an outstanding charitable group which helps children all over the world and is sending supplies to help children displaced by yesterday's terrible events in Oklahoma. These auctions only ship to the US, and there are all sorts of things up there--including another copy of Gameboard, audiobooks, a shirt, and more. Check them out, and help if you can. Thanks so much for your support, and of course, remember that you can always donate directly to Save the Children and many other reputable groups offering aid.

Monday full o' news

There's all sorts of stuff going on right now, so sit back, and let's get started.

1. Early Copy of Gameboard of the Gods
I donated a signed, brand new, hardcover copy of Gameboard to a local Seattle group that's trying to raise money for a boys' field trip. They have the item listed on ebay, and you can bid on it if you're interested. Note that eBay automatically inserts a lot of generic book details, but the seller has the pertinent facts--it's hardcover and final, autographed, only ships to the US, and is not an ARC (despite eBay's picture). This is currently the only pre-release copy of Gameboard on eBay that I've endorsed, FYI. Please direct any other questions to the seller, as they are the ones handling the selling and shipping logistics. I just provided them with the book. :)

2. Twitter Chat!
We have another Twitter chat coming up this week on Thursday 3pm-3:45pm (or until I get thrown into Twitter jail for too many tweets). That's Pacific time here in Seattle, so convert your time zone here. Starting at 3 that day, you can direct questions to me @RichelleMead and tag them #AskMead. I'll respond to as many as I'm able to. Please be patient, as I usually get slammed with hundreds of questions. You can click #AskMead during the chat to see other questions and answers, and we'll post a transcript afterward. Should be good times!

3. New York City Signing
In addition to my appearance at the BEA convention in New York next week, I'll also have a Barnes and Noble event with other amazing authors that's open to the public. Those details are here.

4. VA Casting News
The principle roles in the VA movie have been cast! I don't know about you guys, but I kind of fan-girled when I saw Gabriel Byrne was chosen. I'll do a bigger movie post soon, but in the meantime, here's a handy chart from Penguin Books Australia to show you everyone. Note that Eddie is not going to be cast for this first movie since his part was pretty minimal in book one. It'd be hard to sell an amazing actor on having just one line in this first movie, but if Frostbite gets made (fingers crossed for success), there'll be tons of potential Eddies wanting that crazy awesome Strigoi plot line!

I'll close by saying that these are head shots of the actors from other projects, not them done up as the characters. Just wait until you see Zoey and Danila's hair now...

Gameboard of the Gods, Excerpt #3

Sorry for the leave of absence, guys! I've been busy, busy these last few weeks working on The Fiery Heart and doing some fun book signings in the Midwest. But guess what? We are now LESS THAN A MONTH from the release of Gameboard of the Gods on June 4! If you're still trying to find out what that adult series is about, then check out all these posts I've done about it.

And if you do know what it's about and are anxiously awaiting Chapter 3, then rejoice! Because that excerpt is now here. And alas, it's the last one you'll be getting before the book comes out! But don't worry--we'll try to pass the time until then with some other good stuff, including a mess o' reviews from people who are super excited about this book.

Enjoy!

Gameboard of the Gods, Excerpt #2

Well, hey, it's Monday! So let's do another excerpt from Gameboard of the Gods, shall we? Today we have Chapter 2, letting us look through the eyes of exile Justin March as he slogs his way through the more uncivilized parts of this world.

The link to the chapter is here, and it in turn includes a link to the glossary and background info if you need help, plus the first chapter if you missed it. And yeah...lots more swearing here because this is adult, not young adult. Hope you enjoy!

And if you missed the news about my updated tour schedule this year, you can take a look at it here.

Gameboard of the Gods, Excerpt #1

Yay! Here it is. As promised, I have the first excerpt from my next adult novel, Gameboard of the Gods, coming June 4. Two more excerpts will be coming out this month.

Before you dive in, let me give you three pieces of advice:


1. Remember, this is an adult novel, not YA. I say this because there's a lot of swearing in this first chapter. The characters are kind of upset, and people say bad things when they're upset.

2. This is told from Mae's POV, which will soon be obvious. If you want to read the background on her or the world, check out my series of Age of X posts.

3. Many terms will be explained in the context of the book, but if you want to know any now, remember that there's a glossary.


That's it! On to CHAPTER 1!

Gameboard of the Gods Glossary + a roundup of other news

If you've been following along this week, you've been delving into all the Gameboard of the Gods background and character info that I've been doling out--and boy, is there a lot of it! I know it seems a little heavy compared to some of my other books, and I honestly think this comes from growing up with high fantasy and sci-fi novels. Those were what I read, and I always thought those were the kinds of books I'd be writing, so it was a surprise when I ended up with my lighter paranormals. But it's been a good surprise! I'm so happy I've got into the books I did because I love creating and writing them.

But Gameboard is a great project for me too because it lets me explore some new things. Because it does show echoes of that hardcore fantasy background I came from, there are a lot of terms that might be unfamiliar, so I whipped you up a handy online Gameboard of the Gods Glossary to give you a quick reference to what all these things mean. Now, of course, you're welcome to read through it now. But if it's daunting, hold off until you read the book or next week's excerpts!

And guess what else is coming next week? My tour dates for Gameboard of the Gods. I'll give you a heads-up that this is another small one, focused on the West Coast. But I will be visiting some areas I haven't been to in a while, so that'll be fun. We'll have info on that next week.

My last bit of news is that Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters has been greenlit! This is huge news, and I'm not sure how big people realized it is. Even when you cast a movie, until you get that green light (which is more than just a metaphor), things can still fall apart. But now we have the official go-ahead, and filming is scheduled to start at the end of May in the UK. This just got real, people! If you missed my post about the cast and script, check out this blog entry. It was written before the filming dates were confirmed, but the rest is pretty up-to-date.

Gameboard of the Gods: Characters, part 3

Time for another Gameboard of the Gods character breakdown. Here’s a link to the other background stuff I’ve been doing in anticipation of the series, so you can catch up (which you should totally do if you haven't, since this post deals with some complex history and whatnot of the series). The last two characters we looked at, Justin and Mae, are very much the leads in this book. Today’s character, Tessa, is important too since she’s one of our POV people, but she’s a step back from the roles Justin and Mae play in the book’s main plot. She still has a critical role, as we’ll see.

Tessa, the nickname for Teresa Cruz, is sixteen and isn’t from the RUNA. She’s from the province of Panama, which is where Justin has spent his exile. If you recall the background post, I explained that the Mephistopheles virus wasn’t as lethal to those of mixed genetic backgrounds. So, Central America--which has a pretty diverse population--survived better than other places (sorry, Europe). Compared to the RUNA, it’s still pretty savage, though. It has rigid tiers of upper and lower classes and a weak, corrupt government influenced by gangs that vie for control of the city. That being said, they still have electricity and bars, so Justin decided it was the best he could do.

Tessa’s great-grandparents were actually refugees from the RUNA way back when. They fled the genetic mandates that controlled who you were supposed to have kids with. Despite settling in Panama, they were always homesick and passed on this worship of the RUNA to their descendants. So, when Justin is able to get Tessa admittance into the RUNA, it’s an offer her family can’t refuse. Her father helped Justin considerably in Panama, so Justin feels a sense of obligation. He also sees some of the same potential and intelligence he’s so proud of in himself in Tessa, and he thinks her life would go to waste being one of the upper class Panamanian women are educated at home and kept sequestered from dangerous elements outside.

So, Tessa becomes what’s called in literature “the innocent.” Most of the book takes place in the RUNA. Justin and Mae are from there, so they’re totally drinking its Kool-Aid. When we’re in their POVs, they think it’s the most amazing, wonderful, superior place in the whole world. Tessa, as an outsider, looks at it through a different lens. Certainly, she’s still dazzled. After all, the technology is leagues beyond what she grew up with, and the possibilities for a young woman are endless by comparison. Nonetheless, she doesn’t necessarily see the RUNA’s sense of superiority, control over religion and genes, and obsession with media as the awesome things everyone else does.

Lastly, Tessa truly is an innocent, not just in the literary sense. She’s young, and no matter how intelligent she is, she’s been sheltered. This makes for an interesting contrast to jaded and worldly Justin and Mae, not to mention creating a few “fish out of water” situations.

That wraps up our principle characters. Tomorrow, I’ll sum things up with a glossary of all these crazy terms, and next week…first excerpt!

Gameboard of the Gods: Characters, part 2

Time for another Gameboard of the Gods character breakdown. Here’s a link to the other background stuff I’ve been doing in anticipation of the series, so you can catch up. Last time, we talked about my male lead, Justin March. Today we go to the first of my two female principles: Mae Koskinen.

Mae is in the RUNA’s military. Specifically, she is a praetorian, which is me showing off with my college classes on Latin and Roman history again. I mentioned in Justin’s post that the RUNA has adopted a loose Greco-Roman culture. In the Roman Empire, praetorians were the emperor’s elite guards. They were well-trained and often instrumental in overthrowing the emperors they were supposed to protect. This is because the later Roman Empire was diverting so much of its regular military into conquering new lands that the praetorians were pretty much the only soldiers left in the city. So, if you wanted to stage a coup and become emperor, “all” you had to do was get the praetorians on your side to turn against their leader.

Anyway, back to the future. The RUNA has a senate, not an emperor, so that’s who the praetorians protect. They also fight on the RUNA’s behalf in the dangerous areas outside the country. Why? Because the praetorians are badass. The RUNA doesn’t like genetic manipulation--not after that virus that took out half the world--but they’re totally cool using technology to make super soldiers. Praetorians have tiny implants in their arms that amp up whatever neurotransmitter or hormone happens to be going strong. So, if you’re in a fight and high on adrenaline, the implant picks up on that and helps you increase your adrenaline to crazy levels that make you faster, stronger, etc. A fun(?) side effect is that the implant will also “helpfully” increase the chemicals of lust churning through you when you’re turned on. Don’t mess with praetorian sex lives.

The other thing to know about Mae is that this tough soldier girl actually comes from a posh, aristocratic background. In the RUNA’s formation, certain ethnic groups wanting to protect the purity of their genes were exempted from forced breeding. Mae is the descendent of one of these groups (which slang calls “castes”), a Finnish one, so she’s a rare blonde in the dark-haired RUNA. The castes, still hardcore about their genetic purity, like to keep their women pampered and at home having kids. So, the fact that a prime specimen like Mae ran off to the military is something of an oddity.

So Mae is a contradiction, a once-fashionable young woman trained in music and grand parties who now fights and kills for her country without hesitation. She keeps her emotions locked down, to the extent that she has sex with the lights off, lest her lovers see what she’s feeling. This impenetrable exterior drives Justin crazy because he’s made a habit (and career) of getting into people’s heads. He drives her crazy because her carefully controlled personality sees his vices as a sign of weakness. What could possibly go wrong with these two hanging out together?

One more character tomorrow!

Gameboard of the Gods: Characters, part 1

If you tuned in yesterday, I set up the background for Gameboard of the Gods in anticipation of the excerpts I'll be posting later this month. If you still want to follow along and get some backstory, I'm going to go forward today with the first of three principle characters. The book is told in third person POV, and each chapter follows the perspective of one of our leads. So let's meet these crazy kids.

The first is Justin March, who's not really a kid. Fun fact: when I conceived this story years ago, his name was Justin Drew. Justin, however, is a doctor of the academic sort, and Dr. Drew is a no-go these days. So he got a name makeover in homage to Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. Justin in no way resembles the moral March girls, though. He doesn't even resemble Laurie on a bad day. But we'll get to his vices in a minute.

Remember when I said religion was strictly regulated in the RUNA? The people who do this are called servitors, from servitor veritatis, which is Latin for "servant of the truth." In trying to stamp out separatism, the RUNA has tried to adopt a loosely Greco-Roman cultural style, so they like Latin phrases. I like Latin phrases because it makes me feel like my college days didn't go to waste. These servitors do regular inspections of religious groups and determine whether they're dangerous or can be licensed to worship. A lot of the job is paperwork, but if they find a particularly crazed cult, servitors can call in military backing to disband them.

Justin is a servitor. Or, well, he was. As the book opens, we find he's been both fired and exiled for reasons unknown to us. So, Justin passes his time in the provinces with women, drugs, and alcohol. Actually, this is how he passed a lot of his time back when he was in the RUNA, but it's a little worse now since he's miserable living in what he considers an uncivilized place. Part of what we'll discover about Justin is that he's smart. Really smart. Smarter than me, which makes him hard to write. He observes everything, and his brain is always in overdrive, which is why he indulges in so many substances: he wants a break from thinking sometimes. His cunning is what got him out of humble beginnings and up to a government position and affluent part of society. As for going through women, this comes from the fact that he's a handsome devil with commitment issues. Also, he likes solving puzzles, and each new conquest is a puzzle to crack. He knows how to work his charm, and his ability to read people keeps him busy with female company and is what made him so good at busting cults when he was a servitor.

If you hear me talking about a hard-drinking, womanizing character, it's probably easy to think, "Oh, Adrian 2.0." Not so. First, Adrian doesn't abuse stuff nearly this bad. Second, Adrian is young, and a lot of his vices are ways of coping as he figures out his place in the world. He's still learning who he is. Justin, at thirty-five, knows who he is. He's established his life and found a way to fit in these bad behaviors while still functioning as a productive member of society. I think this is a dangerous thing. We have a tendency to think, "Well, if he still gets up for work and pays the bills, I guess it's okay that he does these things." It's really not. All it does is rationalize addictions, which always eventually come back with a cost.

Writing a character with so many vices is difficult. I want him to be flawed, but at the same time, I need my readers to like him and root for him. So I always have to keep his behaviors in check, lest people get too turned off. So, don't worry. No character is two-dimensionally bad. Justin, despite being seemingly selfish, has a fierce loyalty to his loved ones, particularly the sister he left behind when he was exiled. He also has a soft spot for hard-luck cases, as we'll see in my third character post.

The final thing you should know about Justin is that he has two wise-cracking invisible ravens that talk to him inside his head. Why? Come on, guys, I can't tell you everything. I'm just giving you background here, not the book's plot! :)

More characters to come!