Okay, this'll be short, but here's the news: I revamped (no pun intended) my website! As usual, I'm a fan of very clean styles, without a lot of flashing stuff or movement. I think it's neater than the other, and for Eugenie fans: the Thorn Queen excerpt is live!

Okay, that's all I've got. Eight hours of mousing and typing has killed my hands, so it's time for a break. Happy Independence Day!

Turns out I have a bit of news for those of you who live in Oregon. I will be doing a signing at Escape Fiction, a bookstore in Salem (3240 Triangle Dr SE), on July 18 from 12-2. That's a Saturday, and I'll be with the other Seattle-area authors if you'd like to meet them: Mark Henry, Caitlin Kittredge, Cherie Priest, and Kat Richardson. So, if that's in your vicinity, I hope you'll come on down to chat and get books signed.

I have this feeling that I might get some comments from people wanting to know why not Portland. Well, this is kind of a thing the whole group threw together, and Escape Fiction was the store that invited us. Also, I was just in Portland in May--so I gave you guys some love! It's funny, whenever I post new signing dates and locations, I often get people wanting to know why I can't come to X place. What's particularly interesting is that I'll get people who are new blog readers asking me to visit places I was actually at within the last couple months.

So, for those who aren't familiar with where I've been and think I'm missing certain cities, I thought I'd give you a list of the places I visited in the last year: New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Portland, Phoenix, Orlando, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, and of course, Seattle. So, I've made some rounds, and while my publisher sends me back to some repeat cities, we also try to get to new places, which is why my tour schedule looks the way it does.

No other news to report, I'm afraid. Seeing as today is the first day of July, though, you guys are getting closer to the first chapter of Blood Promise being posted. And actually...huh. I've got to double-check Thorn Queen's dates, but I think its first chapter is due for posting right now. It was at the end of Succubus Heat, but I'll try to get on that in the next day or two for you Eugenie fans who might have missed it!

You gotta be careful with dry humor. It gets easily misread, as shown in my last post about Transformers. I think some people thought I liked it a little more than I did. There were actually a number of parts (mostly involving the human cast) that I didn't care for. However, I stand by my delight and enjoyment of the over-the-top highlights mentioned before. Those were good times. I just don't plan on buying the DVD.

Still, I know some of you weren't enchanted at all by any part of that movie, and that's okay. Everyone has their own tastes. Fortunately, I think I've found something that all of you are going to like.





That's right. Finally, the most epic rivalry since ninjas vs. pirates can be settled. I honestly didn't know that ocotopi and sharks were natural enemies, but apparently these two giant-sized ones bore such hatred for each other that they were still fighting when the Ice Age came and froze them in time...until some environment-hating Navy guys came around with their sonar devices and unleashed these two prehistoric behemoths upon the world.

Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus is more than a movie, really. It's an experience, one you get to have over and over again because they often reuse the same CGI footage of the octopus and shark. Aside from the plot--which is exactly what it sounds like from the title--this movie is also filled with heavy-handed political messages, including (but not limited to): global warming, Japanese internment in WWII, and Obama's message of change. It's got the usual monster movie cast of scientists and government agents, as well as some state-of-the-art camera shaking scenes which are explained on the special features section of the DVD.

Oh, yeah. The movie also has this:





Deborah Gibson. What's that? You don't know who that sultry Deborah Gibson person is? Here, let me refresh your memory:





Deborah Gibson is the new mature name of 1980s teen pop princess Debbie Gibson. Yes, that Debbie Gibson. The one whose pictures I tore out of Bop magazine and put on my wall. The one whose perfume I owned. And yes, the one I saw in concert (in Detroit, no less--a brave feat when you live in Western Michigan) when I was 11 and whose music fueled many an awkward middle school dance.

Debbie's come a long way since then, apparently--to my surprise--branching into acting. In this movie, she plays a rebel scientist who initially wants to capture and save Mega Shark and Giant Octopus but soon gets on board with the idea that the only way to stop their rampage is by having them destroy each other in a fight to the death. Alarmingly, Debbie was probably the best actor in the movie, though I think my childhood shattered when I heard her use the f-word and later (after some brief foreplay involving sexy science talk) dragged a guy into a janitorial closet and had her way with him. She also did an excellent job looking serious in many scientific montages, during which she and her colleagues knelt at eye level to a table and poured multicolored liquids from beaker to beaker.

For those who still aren't believers, there's only one thing left for me to do to convince you to go see this quality [released straight to DVD] movie. I realize this gives away some of the movie's intricate plot (and kids and people at work, there's a--yikes!--swear word in this clip), but I think this will pretty much sum up the main vibe of the film.

Keep in mind, everybody. They were probably at a cruising altitude of, what, 30,000 feet? Also, that is not my captioning.





Oh my God. It never gets old.

There's also a similar scene with the Golden Gate Bridge. Admit it: you guys are so on board now.

Addendum: Lorenzo Lamas is also in this, something I forgot to mention in my Debbie/airplane zeal.

Those of you who were with me two years ago may recall a post I did about my complete and total enthrallment with the first Transformers movie. Why that movie captivated me so much is still kind of a mystery. Let's face it, I didn't actually think it was all that...good. I'm a fan of action/adventure movies, but the ones I truly love are those like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which can be lauded for beauty and symbolism too. As an aside, I also think Amelie is a really stunning movie. That makes me sound pretty artsy, but keep in mind, I like Happy Gilmore as well.

Anyway, with those movie tastes, why was I so starstruck by Transformers back then? I don't know. I figured it was just some fluke of my mood at the time, and when I went to see its sequel (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) tonight, I really didn't expect to have a similar reaction.

I was wrong.

As soon as I saw HASBRO appear in the opening credits, I knew good times were coming--and by good times, I mean poorly-plotted yet visually impressive times. Once again, I was enchanted by something so silly turned into an epic film. Follow along as I highlight what I consider to be the best moments and themes of this enjoyably mediocre movie.

Product Placement
As I said, I got my first kick just by seeing Hasbro mentioned in the opening credits. Have no illusions here: the Transformers--along with He-Man, Thundercats (not to be confused with the Russian Winnie the Pooh), Jem, and other 80s cartoons--were created for joint TV/toy marketing. They were intended to be long commercials. So, I respect Hasbro for making no bones about that tonight and just coming out and saying it in the movie's opening moments. I also like how the movie had a mix of old and new Transformers in the lineup. That way, we're excited to see old favorites, but Hasbro is still able to come out with a new line of action-figures for kids to buy. That's good business sense for all of us.

Megatron
Megatron's resurrection in the first Transformers might have been the single most joyous moment I experienced in any movie of 2007. I found the introduction of another bad guy--"The Fallen" or as I like to think of him, Emperor Tutnakon--completely superfluous. Megatron is the only evil robot we need in this or any movie. Whether he's smacking his subordinates around or ripping the American flag off a pole, there can be no question about who the resident badass in the universe is. Having Hugo Weaving voice him is almost overkill.

Chevrolet
This should probably go under product placement, but I felt it warranted its own heading. Holy crap. Looks like GM had a back-up plan to go with its government bailout. I feel pretty confident that 75% of the Autobots were sporting the Chevy logo instead of their own. I didn't notice the make of many of the Decepticons, but probably they were foreign cars. Hybrids at that. Which brings us to the next important theme...

American Patriotism
Technically, the Autobots were working with all the world's countries to fight evil, but let's face it. We know which freedom-loving nation was really heading the charge. You could see it in the red, white, and blue of Optimus Prime's paint job and the complete and total failure of the Jordanian air force to contribute anything to The Battle except a radio. And as I said earlier, Megatron ripping down Old Glory was a declaration of war that no one could deny. lolcatz and I both immediately turned to each other and said, "Oh, no, he didn't!"

Blowing Up the Sun Scheme
One of the all-time classic evil villain plans. Well done, Hasbro.

Special Effects
I'm a girl, ergo special effects don't always mean as much to me as others, particularly in battle scenes. But even I have to admit, the robots in this movie are amazing. Those transformations are totally worth ILM's cruel practices of hiring college-grad slave labor to do mundane rendering/building work for little pay and no credit in the movie. The continual morphing that goes on during fights is stunning, though it does make the action hard to follow. Of course, since the plot is not generally hard to follow, it all evens out.

Optimus Prime's Theme Music
Not since Pirates of the Caribbean has any product-turned-movie had such a heroic score. I remember noticing this in the first Transformers. Whenever Optimus Prime is on screen, this majestic strain of music comes on that sounds like it's from an epic movie about a hopelessly outnumbered Roman/Medieval/Civil War general leading his troops into a suicide battle to make a stand for freedom and orphans. It doesn't matter what Optimus Prime is doing either, whether he's taking on a whole group of Decepticons by himself with double-fisted Voltron-sword-wielding or if he's simply driving down the highway in his big rig form. That music is always playing, and it is fantastic. I'm pretty sure I would pay $15 just to watch him and Megatron battle it out for 2.5 hours with that music while delivering lines like, "Pull over!" That theme was undoubtedly why more than half of the movie's characters were willing to die to save Optimus Prime and why an entire Egyptian village accidentally did. I was actually a little disappointed by the great climax/turning point at the end with him. I was certain they'd use so much music that the speakers would shake the theatre, but the movie producers really didn't use the score to as great an effect as they could.

So, that sums up the most memorable points for me. I think the only thing that could have made this movie "better" was if they had covered up Optimus Prime's body with an American flag when he was down and somehow worked in "more than meets the eye" again. I could have done without a lot of the human cast too, but that's another story. I'm already looking forward to the next installment, which had better be called Transformers 3-D. And actually be in 3-D. I'm pretty sure the plot should involve an evil third race of robots whose defeat hinges on the Autobots and Decepticons teaming up, thus opening the door for so many Optimus Prime/Megatron one-liners, that they're going to need at least eighty writers. Hasbro, I'm available.

I'll tell you what's wrong, Twitter. Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett died today, and the arteries of internet social networking can't handle the overload of traffic. We're on the verge of Webpocalypse.

I found out about Michael before CNN posted it because a dozen people already had it on Facebook. Then Twitter had it--and started erroring. Now, I'm actually writing this offline because LJ appears to have crashed too. The phenomenon of social networking is astonishing, both at how we've grown dependent on it and how it's become a source of news. Crazier still is how big Twitter's become. I wasn't using it a year ago, and now...well, now it's a wonder anyone got by all this time without giving play-by-plays of their deeds and thoughts. That being said, for someone with my job, all these venues are good for giving updates to my readers. And I do like keeping track of my friends. But there's a deadly side to this rampant spread of gossip and news. Twitter's now going crazy with other celebrity "deaths," and when people see hoaxes on the internet, well, they must be true...

Anyway, RIP Michael and Farrah. Oh, and Ed too. It's strange to see iconic figures from my youth dying. It makes me feel strange about time and age all that. In a different kind of sadness, Farrah and Ed are definitely going to be trumped by Michael in the news, methinks.

I'll throw in a little news here too. The stores and times are up for the tour, but I'll just send you to my calendar page for that. Dimitri still needs help at Bitten By Books. Lastly, my pal Caitlin Kittredge is in an anthology that just came out, Huntress. Other good authors are there too, so fans of her (and her Black London series) should check it out.

Okay, I was going to post about the latest in New Age trends and/or genealogy, but all's been trumped by iconic death today. More later.

Just a quick note about the tour dates announced yesterday. A lot of people left comments wanting to know times and stores, but like I said in the post, that information isn't available yet. The stores and everything have all been decided; I just haven't been given all the details. When I know, you'll know. I wouldn't leave you guys hanging! You'll have plenty of notice.

I was a bit surprised also yesterday by all the sad Canadians...which made me remember something I totally spaced on. I will be in Canada this year--Vancouver, BC. I'm going to be a guest at a conference there, and I just popped the dates up on my calendar. For those elsewhere in the U.S.'s northern neighbor, I sadly have to say again: I can't be everywhere. Someday, guys. Someday.

Synde has made more VA jewelry, but like usual, it's mostly gone before I can even post it. It went up last night, and 2/3 seems to have sold. Some's still there. She puts up a new batch every week or so, so interested folks should just keep checking back.

Finally, in a world where VA is always in the spotlight, it's an utter delight to see my other series getting their fair share of acclaim. Comic artist Megan Battista Steckler drew up a pic of the cast from the Georgina series. There is so much here that delights me that I'm not even entirely sure where to start:





A slightly larger version is here. Between Carter lighting up, Grace and Mei's nigh-clone state, and Peter with a chicken (or is it a turkey?), this picture brings me great joy. Even Aubrey is there. Thanks, Megan. :)

First off, I feel the need to clear up some info about my trip to Blockbuster. Some people were shocked I went into a real video store, and many suggested Netflix or whatnot for True Blood. I'm actually a subscriber to Blockbuster's online service, and I get 99% of my movies through the mail. But, TB is pretty backed up with them, and after my luck last week with finding so much TB in at the store, I wanted to do the mail-order-trade-in they let you do. So, yeah, I'm a big believer in the online services. And iTunes in a pinch.

Second, the Dmitri working at Blockbuster is not a clone of the Dimitri in my books. So, no, I'm not giving up his location if you want to see him. :) Sorry to those of you who have been emailing about it and asking! And many thanks to those of you who weighed in about Russian martial arts and sent pics of Comrade Winnie the Pooh. Good times.

Succubus Blues sold publishing rights in Poland! Go Eastern Europe!

Bitten By Books, who delights in testing my nerves and competitive nature, has nominated Dimitri for their "I'm Too Sexy Poll". I will say no more.

The ex-KGB neighbors are continuing to load stuff into their cars...

And lastly, I now know the cities I'll be visiting for my Blood Promise tour in late August/Early September. Now, before I give you these, I want to state again for those whose cities I won't be in that 1. It's impossible for me to visit every place, and 2. These are set up by my awesome publisher, who has really good connections to some fun bookstores in these cities. It's out of my control, and I'm so sorry if I can't visit you.

***I'll be providing store names and addresses later, but at a glance, here are the dates and cities.*** I've listed the larger metro area first and then the actual signing spot after it, if it's in a suburb or smaller city. Alpharetta folks--take note. Your signing changed from 9/2 to 9/3.

August 25---Seattle, WA
August 26---Los Angeles, CA (Upland)
August 27---San Francisco, CA
August 28---Denver/Boulder, CO
August 29---Houston and Austin, TX
August 31---Detroit, MI (Birmingham)
September 1---Chicago, IL (Naperville)
September 2---Lexington, KY
September 3---Alpharetta, GA
September 4-7---Atlanta, GA (DragonCon)
September 8---Baltimore, MD (Ellicott City)
September 9---Washington, DC (Fairfax, VA)
September 10---Boston, MA (Burlington)
September 12-19---Australia (Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney) Schedule TBA

Thank you so, so much to my wonderful team at Razorbill for sending me to these places. I am so grateful and honored for their support with my career and appreciate all these wonderful events they've arranged! I hope if any of you live near these places, you'll come visit. And if I don't see you, hang in there for another time, and remember you can always get me to sign books for you via University Bookstore--who's taking pre-orders for Blood Promise now.

I'm kind of scraping the bottom of the barrel for neighbor news, but I'll give you what I've got today. Nothing reportable's happened in the world of publishing either that I can think of off the top of my head (I mentioned selling Hungarian, Bulgarian, and Slovenian rights, yes?).

I was driving to the post office and video store yesterday, and as I was leaving, I saw the hybrid back in the KGB driveway. Also: their garage door was open, finally allowing me to (sort of) see into the depths of their lair. It was pretty much empty. Immaculate even. I've never seen a garage so devoid of junk. Ours certainly isn't. Two things stood out, though: huge, industrial strength vacuum cleaners. What does that signify? What evidence are they sweeping under the rug, so to speak? I honestly don't know, and my writer's mind can't even think of anything witty. I leave that to you guys.

But here's what's truly interesting. When I got home a little bit later, another car was there in the driveway and two guys were loading things into one of the cars. What kind of things? Lawn/patio furniture. Huh. When I first told you about these guys, I mentioned that they were migratory and usually only stayed for a couple of weeks. So...are they packing up and moving on? Does the removal of backyard furniture mean the end of their wild outdoor parties? Has the HOA won? Or are my neighbors simply upgrading to new and better furniture? Hard to say. Our weather's turned bad, and the parties only happen when it's nice, so I guess we'll have to wait for a better day to get some answers.

And since I can't seem to escape Eastern Europe, I had another odd experience yesterday. I was at the video store, seeking out the next disc in True Blood. The last time I'd been there, I was astonished to see they practically had stacks of them to the ceiling. This time? Cleaned out. I double-checked with the guy at the counter to make sure none were lurking, and he said no. As I was leaving, he asked, "Your shirt, it says Thundercats?" I was indeed wearing a Thundercats shirt and replied, "Yeah! Did you watch it?" He told me he hadn't, and I laughed and told him he made me feel old. That wasn't really an out-there statement, seeing as he looked like he was in high school, meaning Thundercats would have been on and gone before he was born.

He then said: "In my country, we did not have it." That's when I realized he had an accent and that his nametag said--wait for it--Dmitri. He added, "We had what is the Russian Winnie the Pooh." I suddenly felt very uncomfortable and didn't know what to say. So, I said the only thing I could, "Oh." Uneasy laugh. "Have a good night." I then smiled and left, feeling inexplicably guilty since the capitalist messages of Thundercats would have probably been banned in the Soviet Era--though, again, he would have been too young for that anyway. But what was up with the Winnie the Pooh comment? I still don't get that. Was he saying that was their only cartoon? Or was he saying they had some show that was like Winnie the Pooh and was their equivalent to ours?

I have no answers to any of today's questions. Worse, I recently learned there's some kind of unique Russian martial arts style that would have certainly been useful in, say, a book about a badass Russian fighter. For someone whose career relies heavily on writing about Eastern European/Russian culture, I'm hopelessly ignorant--at least if my neighbors and Blockbuster employees are any indication. I'm left only with stereotypes and half-truths...and a blog probably becoming offensive to those of Eastern European descent. What to do?

Warning: this post may make me sound like a 70-year old woman with nothing better to do than watch her neighbors. I'll also warn you that I'm writing this after long since having taken my nightly sleeping pills. I'm feeling a little groggy.

But, let's face it. It's become painfully clear that in lieu of any new book news to report, the next most interesting thing around here is the ongoing saga of my ex-KGB neighbors. And without anything to report on them these last couple of days, well...the blog has remained quiet.

Since our last post, I can now report that the warning signs finally did get taken down by someone at the KGB house. In that time, I've also seen a mystery couple occasionally pull up (not in the hybrid...I actually haven't seen it since the day it came home with dealer plates). The couple goes inside, walks around, and talk out back in a language I can't understand. In my defense, I have been doing more with my life than sitting outside and waiting for chances to spy. I've been out gardening a lot this week, which is why I know all this. Here's the proof, straight from my yard:




So see? Don't judge. I am out there for legitimate reasons. Ones that give me a good view on the neighborhood's sights and sounds. And really, I do it for you, not me. Anyway, I was starting to think the HOA may have won. They put notices on our doors saying to take action if more disturbances occurred, but after their warnings to the KGB, I doubted there'd be any more disturbances. And yet...when the mystery couple showed up today as I was heading out to jog, something told me there might be a party tonight. The weather was too good to pass up.

And sure enough. An hour ago, at midnight, I found myself lying in bed, unable to sleep because of the soft bass beats of party music coming from next door. The volume is right on the edge too where it's not like, "Oh my God, my house is shaking!" but it is loud enough that I can hear it in my bedroom, which is on the opposite side of the house from them and has a white noise machine going in it. So, that's noteworthy. I was also feeling irritated in general, so I decided it was time to do what the HOA's note had recommended because clearly, none of my other neighbors had stepped up to do ti in the last two hours.

I called the police.

They were surprisingly busy, and as a non-emergency call, I was put on a hold a lot--which I feel is fair. If someone's robbing the 24-hour Starbucks down the street, that's a higher priority than technobass next door to me. Nonetheless, I explained the situation and was stunned for a moment when the officer asked, "Did you notice if they had any weapons?" Immediately, my mind started spinning with all kinds of questions. Were the suburban PD already amassing a file on these guys? Should I tell them about the non-evidence-based Soviet connections? Instead, I stupidly repeated, "Any weapons?" To which he said, "We have to ask that." I told him no, no weapons--THIS TIME--and the call soon ended, with me being listed anonymously.

And, of course, as soon as we disconnected, the music stopped.

I then had two choices. I could either go back to the quiet of my bed and a totally oblivious lolcatz or I could stay up to keep watch, in case any action happened (and blog it along the way). As you can see, I chose the latter. And lo, ten minutes ago, a cop car did come trolling around and stop outside of the house. No joke: I grabbed my camera and ran to the second floor because I knew YOU, sweet readers, would want documentation. But then one of the cops got out of the car and starting walking past my house too, and I decided I should stay away from the windows, lest they come knocking at my door.

With no disturbances to be found, the police soon drove away. I got a picture of their retreating car, but it was too dark. I'm sad it was a wasted trip for my tax dollars, but on the other hand, if more people file complaints, the KGB address really will start to catch their notice. While prowling my house, I saw that the lights were on across the street in Mr. HOA President's office, so I wonder if he witnessed tonight's drama. Admittedly, his location is best for viewing dangerous grill pyrotechnics and less likely to get the noise that my place does. Still, it'd be nice to know others are keeping notes and taking action. I find it quite likely this blog will soon have to be turned over as police evidence.

I also find it quite eerie that the music stopped as soon as I made the call. Coincidence? Is my house under Soviet military surveillance? Are the neighbors monitoring police radios? Or worse: do they have someone on the inside? Perhaps that's why they have no fear of the HOA's signs. Methinks someone down at the police station is being supplied with vodka and hockey tickets to turn a blind eye to the escapades in my neighborhood...


As a post-script before I stumble back to bed, I have two quick updates. First, Australians: make sure you again check out the contests that Penguin Australia is running for you. Time is ticking on one of them. Second, Synde has posted more Vampire Academy inspired jewelry for sale. A cool one called 'Adrian's Heart' sold earlier today. You can view sold items by looking at the right-hand sidebar. Under her info it says '[some number] items for sale' and '[some number] sales'. Clicking the second one will show you what she's made in the past, and if one's sold that you'd like, follow her contact info to request a custom piece.

I'm afraid there's little to report with my neighbors. Their house still remains quiet, and the letters are still taped up. Yesterday, while I was gardening, a car drove through the neighborhood like they were lost and eventually pulled into the KGB driveway. A young woman got out, peered around, and then drove off. May have been unrelated.

Oh, and Mr. HOA president put notes on everyone else's door stating that for true enforcement, we need to report times and dates of infractions. I kind of wished I'd been able to chat with him when he stopped by, but I won't answer the door in my robe.

Meanwhile, here's the latest in my world. Just got the cover for the French edition of Succubus Nights. There's always a little confusion over this, but Succubus Nights is what the UK publishers changed Succubus on Top to. So, this is Georgina #2. A lot of people wonder why covers and titles are different in other countries, but there are lots of cultural differences and customs which don't always match American ones and need to be adjusted.

Here ya go. I am tres pleased with Jean-Sebastien Rossbach's art once again:





Lastly, Vampire Academy is continuing its world tour and selling rights in Slovenia, Hungary, and Bulgaria. Woot!

Those of you who are enjoying the epic of my ex-KGB neighbors will love this.

There are many reasons I like having lolcatz in my life. One of them is that he manages to take covert photographs of our neighborhood while ostensibly going to get the mail:





Yep, there it is. The home of our partying neighbors whose involvement in the former Soviet military I still can't actually verify, but which seems like a foregone conclusion. As you can see, the boyfriend's covert camera work revealed that the HOA posted their sternly-worded letter not once, but TWICE on the house. We hadn't noticed that the other night (see previous post if you missed part 2 of this tale). Yet, as of the writing of this post, the letters have not moved. In fact, the house's stillness seems to indicate that no one is around.

locatz's reconnaissance was so good that he actually managed to get a shot of the letter's contents. I swear, I couldn't have been happier if he brought me home flowers. Let's go through it together and see just how my neighborhood's HOA enforces justice to those who would disturb our tranquility.





Okay. This is expected. The letter starts off right to the point, stating the problem at hand. But HOA, how can you really convey how serious you are and how you'd like the KGB to respond?





Holy crap. This is the real deal. That's an actual picture of the letter, and those misspellings are not mine. I feel like the red ink really drives home the message--and subtly lets the KGB know that we know what they are. The total slaughtering of "immediately" also emphasizes the matter's urgency because there was apparently no time to add an 'm' or even use a spell checker.

The letter then digresses into some technical language about the neighborhood's rules that all residents are subject to as far as noise and hours are concerned. I don't think our neighborhood rules mention anything about mile-high flames shooting up from grills, but the HOA wants to make sure that's drawn attention to as well.





More technical language then ensues, including how the police are going to be called in if any of these objectional behaviors continue after 9pm. It even adds that this police policy is going to be enforced as of that letter's print day.

Finally, the letter concludes with an important message so that the KGB will know just exactly what kind of community they are living in:





Oh, man. Mr. President is coming down hard. But how do you close a letter like this with true impact?





An exclamation point.

Now, I confess, this wasn't quite the...how shall we say...professionally worded letter I was expecting, but it does certainly highlight the main concern. While I didn't enjoy staying awake until 1am one night because of the music, I'm still kind of glad that Mr. President was the first one who went over there to talk to them. That way, lolcatz and I don't look like the chief complainers. Nonetheless, I'd feel better if we had a slightly more explanatory ending to the letter, just so I don't find my house laced with C4 someday.

So, I've helpfully drafted this potential ending to the letter:





That's only hypothetical, of course, and just like before, the ball is now in the KGB's court. Again, though, I don't get the feeling they're even in the house at the moment, whichs begs the question: where do they go when not having parties? Or are they leaving the notes up as a sign of defiance against the neighborhood? Only time will tell.

I mentioned it on Facebook, but Friday was Mark Henry's birthday, so I'll once again shout him out some well wishes. Last night he had a proper party, so the boyfriend and I trekked down to the southern Puget Sound area, along with some other Seattle-ites, to enjoy the use of the Henry industrial strength grill and lovely home. Good times ensued, naturally--along with some martinis that looked like good times but really weren't. Yet people still kept drinking.

And speaking of parties, guess who has also been having some? Yep, my neighbors (whose roles in the former Soviet army are still currently unknown) had three late-night parties within the last week, as well as a minor flaring of techno music this afternoon. I'm not sure if that counts as a party or not. Regardless, it turns out we're not the only ones in the neighborhood being kept up at night by these shenanigans.

The neighborhood HOA's president stopped by just before we headed out tonight. He wanted to know if we'd noticed any of the noise and other goings-on next door. We told him we had (which he would already know if he was a fan and/or blog reader of mine). He'd apparently been surveying other houses on the block, so it wasn't a real surprise to hear about others with noise complaints--particularly the house on the other side of the KGB one. We hear a lot of stuff, and we're not even next to the part of their yard with the hot tub and barbecue. I imagine it's ten times worse on that side.

And apparently, it could be worse in so many other ways. Mr. President (who lives opposite my house) was sitting in his office the other night during one of the parties and saw flames shoot up into the sky from the KGB grill. Panicked the neighborhood would be engulfed in fire, he ran across the street and demanded to know what was going on. The terse response: "Barbecuing."

Mr. President was vague in describing the rest of the encounter that night, but there's a vibe that it may not have been friendly. He verified for us that this is not the minor Russian celebrity owner residing there. Apparently, said owner also has a minor Russian beauty queen wife, and if she were around, "we'd all notice." But no one seems sure if the current house's occupants are friends, renters, or squatters.

Regardless, they've now drawn the formidable attention of the HOA because fire hazards and loud noise are not an acceptable pairing in Seattle's eastside suburbs. And if ever there was a group capable of taking on the elite, covert training of the former Soviet military, it's a homeowners association. HOAs were designed for the kind of big-muscled yet ultimately passive-aggressive warfare that defined the Cold War era. Mr. President said the rest of the HOA board would be discussing the matter and that they might even get the police involved. Quote: "If I have to come down on these guys, I'm coming down hard."

And indeed, when we got back from Mark's tonight, we saw that the HOA had already drawn first blood: there was a typed letter taped to the ex-KGB's front door. Oh, BURN! I'm sure it was stern and well-written, but no way was I going to snoop around their front yard in the dark to read it.

KGB neighbors? Your move.

ADDED LATER: You guys, September 2009 is when *I* have to turn in the books...ie, finish writing them. That's not the release date. Spirit Bound and Succubus Shadows are both out April 2010, not September 2010. :)

I hope this Friday--or Saturday, for you Aussies--finds you well and ready for the weekend. I had to stay confined to the house today for some home maintenance stuff, which gave me cabin fever something fierce. It's weird how badly you want to get out when you can't. On the bright side, I did get a chapter of Spirit Bound done, which should make some of you happy. It and Succubus Shadows are both due September 1. Two books due like that makes me uneasy, but with as restless as I've felt lately, it's kind of nice to switch back and forth between the two if I get stuck. Dueling books isn't usually a system I like. I prefer writing one at a time, but these are still in early stages, so we'll see where it ends up.

Anyway, I'm a little tired and grumpy, so I'll keep this short. But, I wanted to send overwhelming thanks to everyone who visited me at Bitten By Books yesterday. I answered over 200 questions there and feel relieved of guilt for a while about being so bad about responding to email! It took all day but was so fun to see what questions people came up with. So, if you missed it and want random info about me, it's still up there. Also still up there is the Best Heroine poll, and Georgina has shot up by leaps and bounds. Thanks so much, guys. I always feel so...I dunno, cheap...doing rallying for these polls, yet I'm always flustered and amazed when you guys answer it. So, thank you again from me and Georgina. I think voting goes until midnight CT, so those wanting to vote for her or another candidate can still do it here.

And with that, I'm going to enjoy my freedom now and be offline a bit. I'll have some good stuff for you next week and also want to give you Australians another reminder about the cool contests your VA publisher is doing for you.

I'm not going to put much of a blog entry here, seeing as I'm a guest blogger over at Bitten By Books today. I've answered over 100 questions so far on, well...everything. So check it out if you want a whole lot o' Richelle and ask your own questions! Cast your vote for Georgina in the best heroine poll on the side while you're at it (she's in second so far), though there are other good ones to choose from too. Plus, BBB visitors today can win a full set of Georgina books. Yay!

Man, back to the blog...

Alrighty. We have a whole list of things to go through today! News after news kept coming in yesterday, so now it's time to recount it here.

First: the good folks at Razorbill (my VA publishers) have made a brand new Vampire Academy Website, which is a lot nicer than the 1995-quality HTML one I have on my own site. Go check out their hard work! There's VA wallpaper there, plus countdown widgets for Blood Promise.

Next up. My talented jewelry-making friend Synde has begun work on some nazar necklaces, inspired by people and scenes from the VA books. Some of you may remember the nazar or "evil eye" that Rose wears for protection. Synde used nazars that are actually from Turkey (I know because I signed for them!) and also uses a lot of high quality silver and gemstone beads. Her store is here if anyone wants to check them out. At last count, there were five nazar necklaces up for sale. These are test pieces, each unique (with its own little story), and in the future, we'll see some more character-themed ones, as well as an elemental magic series. Probably bracelets too. Thanks, Synde!
**New update: I'm giving up on updating. There were three, then two, then five, then two more sold... Bottom line: Synde keeps putting new ones up, and they keep selling. So just check in off and on, and I'll post updates over the next few weeks as more come and go.

Also, there's all sorts of crazy stuff going on at Bitten By Books again. It turns out I'm in another poll! This time, it's for best heroine, and Georgina's up to bat. She's down in the ranks now, but Twitter-fans have already boosted her with their votes in one morning alone! I'm also guest blogging for BBB tomorrow (Thursday) and will be answering your questions from 10am-10pm Pacific Time. It's in honor of Succubus Heat's release last month, and there'll be a giveaway for a full set of Georgina books to those who comment/post questions in the blog.

Lastly, details of my autumn tour are coming together...and oh man, you guys are not going to believe it. You'll find out the schedule when I do.

So, I'm not sure if you guys realize this, but a lot of the foreign covers I show you are ones I personally hunted down. Once I sell the rights to a foreign publisher, I often lose my connection to the book. Any format my book can be produced in (English book, French book, ebook, movie) is a right I own, but when I give it away, it's gone.

Naturally, I still have a huge role to play and opinions to give with my American publishers--largely because they've bought books that aren't written yet, and we all have to be involved in the process. But the foreign publishers get the books when they're finished, and often, that's the last contact I have with them. I don't know their release dates, and if they don't need help in translation, I may never hear from the editors.

Anyway, the international publishers usually send copies of the books once they're out. Sometimes not. More often than not, I'm faster at finding them online because I'm just self-centered enough to go hunting them. Finding my books in countries with Amazon (UK, France, Germany) is easy. Other countries? Not so easy. And one of the biggest trials for me has been finding the Russian edition of Succubus Blues.

A huge part of this isn't just because it's translated into a foreign language. Russian uses a different alphabet. So, I can't just Google 'Richelle Mead Russian Succubus Blues.' That's not going to turn up anything on a Cyrillic book website. Even using a website that converts into Cyrillic letters isn't useful because there's always a little fuzziness in transliteration, and 'Richelle' and 'succubus' are hardly standardized words--not to mention the likelihood that the book got a different title that doesn't even use 'succubus.' So, for almost a year, I've been doing every search I can think of in Cyrillic, scouring Russian book websites.

Well, last night, I was hit with inspiration. I figured 'vampire' was a pretty common word and probably had a standardized Russian/Cyrillic form. I thought it might help with the search. I put it into a Russian book website and generated a huge list of vampire books. Now, the authors and titles were still in Cyrillic, which made it hard to identify anything. Finally, I saw a cover that I thought looked like a succubus. It was just a hunch, but I ran parts of its description through a Russian web translator, and some of it seemed like a likely candidate. Finally, I did a web search on the author's Cyrillic name and got lots of hits on other Russian book websites. And guess what? One translated it into English: Richelle Mead. So, here we are, the Russian Succubus Blues:





Who'd have guessed? That certainly doesn't look like my name! And the title translates as Fallen Angel (though Google's translating service actually claims it's Sabrina the Teenage Witch--no joke). Sorry for the long-winded tale here, but finding this has been an epic adventure (as everyone on Twitter found out last night), and I feel like I just won a ginormous scavenger hunt. Best of all, if I can get a copy, I now have something to bring to the ex-KGB neighbors...

Okay, here are the winning questions from my recent contest. I had over 200 entries (thanks, guys!), and these ten were randomly selected. Winners have been contacted and will get some prize packs once I get them put together.

In the meantime, in no particular order: here are the questions and answers. My apologies if some are brief. If some hinted too much about the future, I'm afraid I had to be careful of spoilers! :) Also, if an entry had multiple questions, I picked only one to answer. Thanks, everybody.


Q: Why Russian? Out of all the cultures Dimitri could have been, why was Russian the culture you picked when you thought of Dimitri?

A: A lot of the vampire stories that we have in the US and other parts of western civilization come from Eastern Europe, particularly Romania and Russia. I took classes on this in college, and when I went to research VA, I decided to use the myth of two races of vampires from those regions. So, when creating the Moroi and dhampirs characters, I had a lot of them born in Eastern Europe since it seemed inevitable that a lot of them (even the American-transplants) would have roots in those countries. That’s why Dimitri’s from Russia. Plus, the accent is hot.


Q: What do you when you’re writing and nothing comes to mind on what to write, or if you do write something and you really don’t like it?

A: If I had all the time in the world, I’d just wait until something comes to mind. I’d go do other things—movies, reading, etc.—and not stress about writing. Unfortunately, I don’t have all the time in the world anymore. I’m turning a new book over every 2-3 months, which means if I don’t have ideas…I have to force them. Sometimes they’re good; sometimes they’re bad. The thing with books (and this answers the second part of your question) is that they go through lots of editing and revising with my publisher before hitting the shelves. So, hopefully, if I write something bad that I don’t like, I later get a chance to change it.


(Note: this one’s been slightly edited so it doesn’t give away the ending to the third book, but those who have read the whole series will know what we’re talking about).
Q: Since Rose has been shadow-kissed, will that somehow come into play with her [going on her mission at the end of book 3]?

A: The powers that Rose has already exhibited from being shadow-kissed definitely come into play in Blood Promise, and you’ll see some of them returning. She’s also going to learn new things about spirit-users and being shadow-kissed…but as to how those affect her quest, well, you’ll just have to read the book!


Q: What would Rose's perfect day be?

A: Rose’s perfect day would probably be spent hanging out with Lissa and some of her other friends for a while, doing ordinary things likes movies or shopping. At night, though, she’d probably want some alone time with Dimitri. :) And naturally, she wouldn't want any of the problems going on that she’s currently facing in books 3 and 4, though I suspect she’d still want to get a little combat practice in during the day (just for fun) because she’s one of those people that always needs to stay active. She’d also probably eat a lot of junk food since she likes doing that too. Plus, she’s one of those annoying people who never puts on weight from it because she’s so athletic! Grr.


Q: Why does Rose call Dimitri "Comrade"??

A: I love getting this question, largely because I get to deliver a history lesson to those of my readers who were born after the fall of Communism. Older readers will have to forgive my over-simplified answer here. Back when Russia was the Soviet Union, its system of government/economics wanted to put forth this idea that there were no elite people in the country and that everyone was equal (the truth of that is debatable). “Comrade” was a popular term to address people by, instead of “Lord” or “Lady” or “Mister" or "Miss." Everyone got the same treatment: Comrade Belikov, Comrade Jones. In 1980s movies, you’d see it used as kind of an insult when Americans fought Soviets. The term stopped being used after the Soviet Union became Russia again, but it still comes up now and then. Rose calls Dimitri that as a joke—one that some Russians might fight insulting, which is why he’s always telling her to stop. To her, it’s a sarcastic nickname for him, kind of mocking that part of Russian history. He takes it good-naturedly.


Q: I was wondering if we were going to find out about what happened in the VA books with Rose's mom and dad. Who is he? Is he still alive? Will we get a chance to meet him?

A: Yes, indeed. Rose’s dad is still alive, and we are going to get to meet him sometime during the series. Naturally, I can’t tell you who he is or when we’ll see him! I can say, however, that he’s a pretty interesting character and not someone you’d expect Janine Hathaway to be involved with! He’s also not quite the kind of person Rose expects her father to be.


Q: What's the title of your favorite book (that you didn't write)? Why?

A: My favorite book is The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. This always comes as a shock to some readers, mostly because they’ve never heard of it. Also, there are no vampires in it at all. It’s a semi-historical novel, based on the myths of King Arthur and told through the women in those tales. It’s a massive book, and I first read it when I was fourteen. It totally opened up my eyes to the world and gave me a huge appreciation for Celtic culture, as well as insight into spirituality and religion. Every few years or so, I pick it up again and re-read it.


Q: Did you show your students your first published book, and if so, what was their reaction?

A: I did not show my students my first book—largely because I was no longer teaching when it came out! It takes so long for a first book to get published. I sold Succubus Blues in November 2005, I quit teaching in February 2006, and the book came out March 2007. So, there were no students then. But, they knew I’d sold a book, and I refused to ever tell them the name because I didn’t want them to know what a succubus was! I suspect a lot of them have read Vampire Academy now but probably don’t know I wrote it since I had a different name back then.


Q: Which series do you enjoy writing the most?

A: I wouldn’t say there’s one series I enjoy the most, but I can say that the succubus series is the easiest for me to write. Georgina’s sense of humor is the closest to mine, and she’s closest to my age (relatively speaking). Eugenie’s close to my age too, but she’s a real physical, fighting character like Rose is—and I definitely am not! I’m a thinker like Georgina.


Q: What type of school is good for students interested in writing and English?

A: Any school you can take writing and literature classes in is the way to go. If you’re looking at colleges, you can find out which have the best creative writing programs by doing a little research. Almost any humanities class in college (history, literature, etc.) is going to make you write, and that’s all good practice. You can certainly major in English if you want to become a writer, although I didn’t. My degree was in general liberal arts, but I was always writing throughout college. The other key thing is to keep reading books—in school and on your own. Being exposed to good writing will teach you as much as any class, and I actually think I learned more about writing a novel that way than I did in any class. Bottom line: do lots of things to develop your writing. It all adds up.


Thanks again to all the great questions submitted! Man, if I had all the time to answer them all, I would. In the meantime, remember that some of my most commonly asked questions are over at my FAQ. Also, Angela Mann from Kepler's Books recently interviewed me with a few more questions.

And if that's not enough Richelle info for one day, I don't know what is. Even I'm tired of hearing myself talk!

Good news. The ten winners for the Q&A contest were randomly selected yesterday, so I'll notify them soon and get to work on answering those questions! In the meantime, I have some exciting news about a couple of contests that are open to Australian residents only. These contests are being sponsored by my awesome publishers down under, Penguin Australia, so for the rest of you not at the bottom of the southern hemisphere: don't come after me for not being part of it! :)

Here's the scoop, Australian readers. Contest #1: Be the first person in Australia to win an early copy of Blood Promise! To enter, you need to email vampireacademy@au.penguingroup.com and tell them in 25 words or less (pretty short - so be concise!) why you think you should be the winner. This contest runs through June 29 at 4pm (your time).

The second contest is to win a copy of a different VA book. Penguin Australia wants to re-read one of the others in the series as a group and have a discussion a la book club style. The book that'll be re-read will be chosen by votes. So again, cast your vote to vampireacademy@au.penguingroup.com. The book that gets the most votes will be the winner. As a special bonus, the first 50 people to vote will win a copy of that book. This contest runs through June 20.

So, Australian friends, get in on these contests! You should also check out the official rules on Penguin Australia's website to make sure I have them right. And again, for those who missed the announcement, the Australian release is August 26. With the time change, that's August 25--the same day as the United States. For other parts of the world, I don't know your release. Sorry! I only know what international publishers communicate to me.

So good luck! And to my Q&A winners, I'll be in touch soon.

People who follow me on Twitter have probably heard me make comments about my "ex-KGB neighbors." I figured I should probably set the record straight once and for all, and since it's a tale that can't be told in Twitter's 140 characters, this is the place to do it.

The house next door to lolcatz and me is owned by a minor Russian celebrity. He apparently has more than one home, though, because the house has spent most of the last two years unoccupied. Here's how things usually work. A few months go by with no activity. Then, a group of big, intimidating Russian guys show up in a van or truck and stay for a couple days. They do unknown things inside the house, check the yard, clean out the hot tub, and stand around outside and smoke. When greeted or spoken to, they merely respond with a small, cool nod. Then, they get in their vehicle, and we see no activity for another few months. You can therefore understand our immediate logical leap to the KGB.

Well, recently, something changed. I was eating lunch one day and suddenly heard the dulcet sounds of Heavy D & The Boyz' "Now That We Found Love" being blasted outside. I didn't know for certain, but somehow, I doubted our elderly HOA president neighbor was the one rocking out to one-hit-wonder hip-hop on a Tuesday afternoon. Sure enough. A little investigation found that it was one of the ex-KGB guys out in the back, cleaning the hot tub. It was that time again, though I'd never noticed their quarterly maintenance being set to music before.

Yet, as more days passed, I heard more and more 80s and early 90s music because the guys...were sticking around. And they weren't just doing basic maintenance. There was some hardcore home-care going on, including days of extensive hedge trimming that knocked tons of branches into our yard. This was kind of annoying, but seriously...would you go complain to guys that might possibly be ex-Soviet military? Not me. Then, while I was out getting the mail one day, one of them approached me. And he spoke. Not just the head nod. There was a slight language barrier, but it turned out he knew about the branches in our yard and wanted my permission to go back there and clean them up. He was pretty nice.

When a shiny, brand-new hybrid car showed up in their driveway a few days later, we knew the truth. Someone--if not the owner--was here to stay. When you buy a hybrid sedan, you're making a commitment to suburbia. And sure enough, the house has now been occupied for over a month. We can verify this because they like to have parties. A lot. More than once a week. Even as I type this, I can hear the music from the latest one. I'm not really annoyed by this; the music never keeps me awake. Mostly I'm wondering how I can get invited to these parties because let's face it, guys. Partying in a hot tub with vodka and former Soviet secret police sounds a lot cooler than blogging on a Friday night. Plus, I wouldn't have to keep asking people on the internet for help with Russian translation in Vampire Academy.

So, to summarize, I don't know if the owner's back or if he just let his friends move in. Regardless, I need to figure out how to get friendly with them. Maybe when the Russian editions of Succubus Blues or Vampire Academy come out, I can bring a copy over with a plate of cookies. Or maybe if I did more yard work, I'd run into them more often and strike up a conversation. Of course, if I actually spend too much time outdoors, I'm afraid I might discover that that nice guy was actually installing a surveillance system in my yard. This might be one of those times when ignorance really is bliss.

The Q&A contest wraps up tonight! I'll post winners and answers by Monday--unless I get invited to a hot tub party beforehand.

I'm continually amazed at the latest advances in how science/medicine can make people "better." Every time I go to my dermatologist, I'm inundated with brochures in their waiting room about all the ways they can restore you to your youth. I see these docs to make sure my moles aren't cancerous, but while half of their practice is skin stuff like mine, the other stuff they do is cosmetic--Botox, collagen, etc. Reading their pamphlets is fascinating. Every time I'm there, I learn about some new advancement--usually in the form of something that gets injected into the skin. Or that involves a laser. Pew, pew!

Last week was one of the most astonishing discoveries of all. There is apparently now a drug to make your eyelashes grow. You put it on your lids and voila! Your lashes start coming in thicker and longer. Apparently, someone began to notice that glaucoma patients had really amazing eyelashes, and this growth is a side effect of the medication they take. So, yeah, this cosmetic eyelash cream is technically glaucoma medication...but still. I didn't see this one coming. I was resigned to guys always having pretty eyelashes and the rest of us suffering through mascara.

And on the topic of cosmetics...before getting my new author photos shot yesterday, I saw a makeup artist, and she airbrushed the makeup onto my face. I've heard of this, but seeing it on TV and having it done to you are totally different experiences. It was like a spray paint gun aimed at my face! And then, when it was done? Flawless complexion--albeit, a fair amount of silicon got inhaled, I think. The price of beauty, yo.

Another aesthetic surprise came at the dentist today. I love my dentist even more than my dermatologist. They have the office of the future, and the guy who runs the practice is renowned in the area for all these things other dentists don't do. He always has some new associate hanging around too, and today, one of them checked on me after my cleaning. I've been considering teeth whitening before the fall touring, and this new guy immediately started pitching something that sounds like caps but isn't. I forget the name (lum-something) and am too lazy to grab the brochure. Basically, he said I have "beautiful lips and a beautiful smile" but that my teeth were too small for said smile and that he could make them awesome with this technology. It's like plates they glue to the front of your teeth to make them better and "more like Julia Roberts."

This particular treatment is pretty new, but since there have been variations of tooth-improvement for years, it wasn't quite a shock. Still, it just seems like every day, someone discovers a new way to improve the human body. I'm no purist who has moral issues with this. I'm a fan of science, but wow. How long until there's nothing natural left? Until we are all perfect? Are we destined for a Borg or Scott Westerfeld future? It's a mystery, and I can't help but think if I'd been born ten years earlier, technology would have stopped me aging at 30. Oh well. If I can stop aging when I'm 40, that'll have to be good enough, and I'll be happy knowing all of my younger VA readers can have eternal youth. In the meantime, I guess I have some serious thinking to do about what's more dangerous: 1. Glaucoma medication, 2. Poking myself in the eye with mascara wands, or 3. Gluing my eyelids shut with false eyelashes. Decisions, decisions.

And hey! Don't forget the contest.