Even Redheads Get the Blues

The only thing better than watching Mannheim Steamroller is blogging about them

irishdream@gmail.com — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:33:00 GMT

Today my husband and I went and experienced the magic that is a Mannheim Steamroller concert. If you're not familiar with Mannheim Steamroller, let me enlighten you. They're a sort of New Age rock band that formed 30 or so years ago. They started doing celestial, nature-type musical albums and found real success using that style for Christmas songs. So, to my knowledge, that's pretty much all they do now, releasing Christmas albums and digging deep in the Christmas song canon to get more material to reinterpret and sell.

Anyway, if you haven't heard "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" done with guitars and synthesizers, then you haven't really experienced Christmas. And when we showed up at the concert, we discovered we weren't the only ones who felt that way. We were, however, the youngest people who felt that way. There was a considerable age difference between us and the majority of the concert-goers, which turned out to be a bonus since it meant I could easily outrun all of them to the restrooms at intermission.

My review of the concert is mixed. Now, it's the woe of concert-goers everywhere that when you see a singer or band, you usually want to hear your old favorites. But, of course, performers always want to promote their new stuff. With a Christmas concert, you kind of feel safe because let's face it, all the songs are old favorites, right? Well, not exactly. Mannheim Steamroller has composed some 'new' songs and also pulled out some obscure Medieval jaunty type stuff. I don't mind the minstrel stuff, but I was a bit surprised that it took up the majority of the second half of the concert. It was also set to a backdrop of a screen showing a film of a Renaissance feast.

Again, I have no quarrel with that style, but going into this concert, I was ready to rock it out. I wanted the heavy synthesizer-guitar-bass drum stuff that characterizes their older albums. I expected it to be like Journey and Slayer going on tour together and suddenly bursting out playing "Jingle Bells." MS did certainly rock some stuff out, and "Carol of the Bells" was the show-stealer. But, I wish there had been more of that. I also wish there had been more lasers (okay, any lasers), which I just somehow assumed would be part of a New Age rock band Christmas concert. So, I was a little disappointed by the song list.

I will say that they did a synth-tastic job on "Good King Wenceslas," a song that's now convinced me I should write a script for "Buck Rogers Saves Christmas." I know it's only a matter of time before Buck Rogers is remade, and I want to catch that wave. lolcatz says what I'm proposing is actually fan fiction, but I think it's the next big thing. New York Times Bestselling Author Richelle Mead might not be able to get Vampire Academy turned into a movie, but surely she can convince someone to make a made-for-TV movie in which Buck Rogers (played by Joe Flanigan) uses synthesizers to teach those 25th century heathens the real meaning of Christmas. And also fights robots with lasers.

In closing, I'll give you a glimpse of those enjoying the magic with us. In the row in front of us was a couple who were actually younger than us, and when they weren't cheering at the songs, they were on each other and making out. Meanwhile, sitting next to my illustrious husband was an elderly gentleman with binoculars. During intermission, lolcatz got up and then couldn't sit down again because the elderly guy was blocking the aisle, standing with his back to us. Oh, yeah. Said elderly gentleman was also busy massaging a woman's shoulders. And that woman was massaging another woman's shoulders. Yes, that's right. There was a three-way massage train going on in our our row. There wasn't much we could do until intermission ended except exchange astonished looks. I had a better line of sight on the massage a trois and wasn't sure if lolcatz understood the wackiness of the situation, so I held up three fingers--just to make sure it was clear. Then the young couple in front of us started making out again.

So, my snarky review aside, I would still heartily recommend MS's early albums, A Fresh Aire Christmas and Mannheim Steamroller Christmas. They've got some awesome stuff on them if you like Christmas music and need something for your holiday get-togethers. Most of it is that rockin' out guitar and synth stuff, with a few of the jaunty tunes thrown in as a nice touch. I can't speak to the newer albums, since I don't own them, but I'm sure there's good stuff there too.

So, thank you, Mannheim Steamroller, for an entertaining night. You are kind and talented people. Your fans have a lot of love for you--and apparently for each other, too. And to quote your own expression, keep on steamrollin' for future Christmases to come.

Neighbor news and tour date news!

irishdream@gmail.com — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 06:16:31 GMT

I'm kind of surprised at the reaction that the news about my KGB neighbors' return got around here (and on the other social networking sites). I hadn't realized how popular they were! I kind of want to make them their own fan page. The latest update is pretty tame. For the last couple days, there's been a van in their driveway and some guy doing maintenance outside the house with a very loud machine. I got a good look into the backyard today to see what was going on and discovered...there is no grass back there.

No. Grass. It all appeared to be very hard packed mulch. I thought this was some new development, but my husband told me today it's always been that way. He actually thought it was some kind of deck material instead of mulch. Naturally, the only way to figure out this mystery was to take neighbor snooping to the ultimate level and look at their house via satellite on Bing Maps. Sure enough: their grassless backyard stood out in our neighborhood, but we're still not sure what it's made of or what its purpose is. We're also still not sure why the van is here, but if someone's there to take care of the house, I really hope they hang up Christmas lights. Red ones.

Okay, here's the other news in the world, and it's good. Remember the poll where people voted on where my next book signings would be? The tour that got postponed from November? Well, it's officially booked for January, and here's the itinerary.

Saturday, January 16 - 5pm - New Orleans, LA
Octavia Books
513 Octavia St.
New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 899-7323

Sunday, January 17 - 5pm - Miami, FL
Coral Gables Congregational Church
3010 De Soto Blvd.
Miami, FL
*Event is being run by Books and Books but is being held at the church because of space. The store will be there selling books, and questions should be directed to them: (305) 442-4408

Monday, January 18 - 7pm - New York, NY
Barnes and Noble Tribeca
97 Warren St.
New York, NY 10007
(212) 587-5389

Tuesday, January 19 - 7pm - Long Island, NY
Borders Westbury
1260 Old Country Road
Westbury, NY 11590
(516) 683-8700

Rules about signings and book limits are listed over at my calendar page. As always, whenever I post appearances, I get people asking why I can't come to their cities. The answer's the same, I'm afraid: I can't be everywhere. My publisher is the one who arranges my tour schedule, and they try to get me around where they can. We're limited, though, and remember--when I'm out touring, I'm not writing. :) There'll be a big tour for Spirit Bound in May, so I'll be in more places then.

Last note: I'll be autographing mail orders at University Bookstore again tomorrow (Friday), which is probably the last chance people will have to get signed books delivered before Christmas. So, get your order in ASAP if you want holiday books. Instructions are here, and remember, you have to tell them you want books signed. It doesn't happen automatically.

Phew, lots of news today. Let's hope the KGB neighbors do put up some lights so that I have news for tomorrow! I think some reindeer would look great on their lawn. Er, lack of lawn.

"Red" alert

irishdream@gmail.com — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:25:00 GMT

You guys, there's activity at the KGB house next door. I've heard noise all day and thought it was the neighborhood landscapers. Then, I just looked out the window and noticed a van in the driveway and ladders against the house. This is the first movement we've seen from these neighbors since the Home Owners Association declared war months ago. Updates to follow as this situation develops!

We can has winnerz

irishdream@gmail.com — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 01:14:40 GMT

Okay, after a lot of deliberation, I'm excited to announce the winners of the 'Lolcat My Books' wedding contest. This has to be one of the hardest decisions I've made--and is part of the reason contests are so stressful for me! It's so difficult choosing a winner, especially when there's so many good candidates. And really, all the entries were amazing. I can't thank you guys enough for working so hard on these. The winners were chosen for all sorts of criteria, including things like the images, how the scenes were translated to pics, how well "lolspeak" was used, and assorted creative things. Too many reasons to list, including which ones just made me laugh out loud.

Anyway, I decided to name THREE runners-up and then one overall winner. Here are the three runners-up, who can choose a book from my backlist. Click on the pictures if you want to see the winners' entire entries.

Runner-up: forevermore01's rendition of Thorn Queen, which inexplicably and wonderfully managed to convey astonishing amounts of lol plot exposition per panel.

Runner-up: danztheniteaway's version of Succubus Heat, which did a really fantastic job of seamlessly translating all the key points to lolspeak and images.

Runner-up: epicureanangel's Blood Promise. The last panel of this one (which I can't show here because of spoilers) sent me into hysterics while the husband and I were in Napa.

And lastly, the grand prize goes to x_thud_x's epic telling of Succubus Dreams. I think this picture probably could have won it alone.

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you again to all who entered! I seriously enjoyed them all and revisited many of them over and over. Winners can email me at richelle@richellemead.com to find out your prize choices. Runners-up get one book of choice, and the overall winner gets three + an augmented VA. Thanks again, everybody!

Christmas orders and some new international covers

irishdream@gmail.com — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:03:09 GMT

First up, the results of the lolcat contest will come sometime tomorrow, so stay tuned! Second, I wanted to thank everyone for all of the wedding well wishes. We really appreciate it! As some have guessed, the wedding was indeed in Napa, California. Good eye, you guys. It was really beautiful down there, even if it was chilly (though not nearly as cold as Seattle right now or most of the U.S.). The photography was done by Richard Wood, whom I heartily recommend if you ever need pics down in wine country.

I also wanted to add that I'll be autographing another batch of mail order books at University Bookstore on Monday. So, if you have orders pending with them, the books'll ship that day or Tuesday and should make it out in plenty of time for the holidays (at least domestically). I'll try to stop by the store again before Christmas, but if you want any autographed copies for gifts, placing an order by Monday is probably the safest call. As always, info on ordering is right here. Some people have asked what happens with the boxed VA sets. For those, I sign all three books, and then the store shrink wraps them all nicely together again.

Also on the topic of gifts, Synde has made some more Vampire Academy jewelry and, per people's requests, has branched into some chotki-style bracelets that are pretty sweet. The link to her store is here, though last I saw, stuff was moving pretty fast! Check it out.

Okay, last order of business: new book covers. Things have been pretty business in Europe. First, we have the German cover of Storm Born:

Next up, the German cover of Blood Promise.

And (can't remember if I've shown this one already) the German cover of Succubus Heat:

This last pair is kind of a surprise. Until now, all of the English speaking countries who publish VA have kept the American covers. Well, part way through the series, the UK appears to have (ironically) rebelled:

I wouldn't be surprised if the earlier books in the series are re-released to match, but I have no real evidence to support that theory. I'll definitely keep you posted. Also for the UK: you guys will be synced up with the US and Australia when Spirit Bound comes out, meaning it will hit your shelves the same day it hits ours. No need for importing!

Off the market

irishdream@gmail.com — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:39:11 GMT

Well, I'm happy to report that I'm a married woman! lolcatz and I hopped town this weekend for what turned out to be a really amazing wedding. Whenever I told people it would just be the two of us at the wedding, I don't think anyone realized how serious I was. We had no guests, just us and the essential personnel (officiant and photographer). Of course, that doesn't mean we didn't still have the full-on dress, suit, and flower action going on.

We'll still be having parties (involving cake!) with family and friends now that we're back in town, but it's pretty nice not having to deal with a formal reception. We got lucky on a lot of things--say, like, the weather. Facebook and Twitter followers might remember me lamenting the rainy and cold forecast. Well, it was cold, but the rain stopped that morning, letting us have the ceremony outside. Soggy ground was a little tough on my 4" heels, but it was worth it to get Tyra Banks "smizing" shots like this:

A lot of people have asked about the flowers. Those are Schwartzwalder calla lilies. They're so dark a purple that they look almost black in some lighting. They're also incredibly awesome and got us free champagne on the plane ride home when I carried them with me, alerting the flight attendants that we were newlyweds. Alaska Airlines: still my favorite airline.

My wedding band was actually made by one of my readers, who happens to be a jewelry designer here in Seattle! Unfortunately, I currently have misplaced the detailed photos she took of it, so I'll have to hold off on showing it off (my camera can't do it justice). Thanks, Sophia!

All in all, everything came together beautifully considering we planned it in only 3 months, and many thanks to the family, friends, and readers who supported us! Even with a small wedding, there was still a lot of work right up until the last minute. People have asked about a honeymoon, but we're putting that off for a warmer time of the year. And for those who worry about my books being neglected, have no fear. Even at my own wedding, I can't stop doing the author smile:

Lastly, for those who submitted entries to the lolbook contest, thank you to you as well! We got a lot of entertainment out of those this weekend. The contest is now closed to new entries, and I'll announce a winner later this week.

The Wedding Challenge

irishdream@gmail.com — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 08:17:04 GMT

When you guys don't see me online for a while, it's usually because I'm swamped with some deadline, and this last week has been no exception. Added onto all of that is that I'm going to be getting married soon. Like, within the next few days. So, a lot of those last minute details have been keeping me busy and adding onto all the other stress this week! Craziness.

I fly out of town tomorrow to an undisclosed location for my wedding and will do my best to send Twitter and Facebook updates. While I'm out of town, I have come up with a very tough challenge for some of you to work on. It was inspired by this: the lolcats version of New Moon. If you're a fan of Twilight and lolcats (by which I mean the actual internet cats, not my fiance's user name), then you can appreciate the skill that went into that.

So here's what I want. I want someone to make a lolcats version of one of my books. If you're not familiar with lolcats culture, lingo, and all that, this may be something you want to avoid. But if you think you've got what it takes to hit the high points of one of my novels, then you can win some exciting prizes when I get back from my wedding adventures.

Here are the rules:
1. You may pick any of my books you like
2. Entry must contain no more than 25 pictures (but can certainly have less)
3. Obeying picture copyright laws is your responsibility
4. Post your entry on your own website or blog and then list the link here in my comments. DO NOT post your pictures here, or your entry will be deleted.
5. lolcats generally don't get into too much profanity, but if in doubt, mark your link with a NSFW when you post it here
6. Open to the U.S. and beyond

Again, check out the New Moon link above to get a feel for the style, and then get cracking with Adobe Photoshop or whatever your program of choice is. If you're a total lolcats newb, I recommend checking out this site for examples and lolcat lingo.

Contest ends 12/8/09 at 11:59pm Pacific time. The winner gets an "augmented reality" hardcover edition of VA, plus three other books of choice from my backlist (which now includes the Immortal anthology and an ARC of Succubus Shadows).

Runner-up can choose between a hardcover VA or a Succubus Shadows ARC.

Have at it, and have fun!

Xbox Action Tonight

irishdream@gmail.com — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:52:41 GMT

Hey guys! Just another reminder that tonight's the night I'll be a guest on the live edition of 1 vs. 100 on Xbox Live. This means that while you and 50,000 other people are competing to win prizes with your trivia skills, I'll be hanging out with the show's host, Chris Cashman, talking about life, my books, the game, and whatever else comes up. The show starts at 6pm (Pacific) and 9pm (Eastern) for US and Canadian folks with Xboxes and gold accounts. Don't worry--the trivia covers all different topics.

If you need more info about the game and how to get to it, check the long post I did about it the other day. Really, logging on and playing will explain more than I can. It's a good time, and you can also send questions/comments to me and the host during the game to liveshow@xbox.com that might get read and discussed on the air. There's also a chance we might give away some books on the side, independent of the game's prizes. So, if you don't have an Xbox, get one or find a friend who does. :) See you tonight!

Me, on your Xbox

irishdream@gmail.com — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:04:39 GMT

Here's some cool news for those of you (in the U.S. or Canada) with Xboxes and gold accounts. On Tuesday, December 1, I'm going to be a special guest during 1 vs 100's live episode at 6pm Pacific (9pm Eastern). If you're not familiar with it, 1 vs 100 is a trivia game show that you (aka your avatar) can log into at certain times and play with tens of thousands of other people. Twice a week, they do live episodes that actually have a real live host in a studio who talks between rounds and comments on the show. That's who I'll be hanging out with throughout Tuesday's episode, so you'll get a chance to hear the dulcet sounds of my southern-twanged Midwest accent speaking through your Xbox. The questions are all general trivia (not vampires!), and I actually submitted some to the episode. Everyone who plays has a chance to be selected as a contestant, and if you are, you might win prizes in the form of Microsoft points.

So, that's my laywoman's description. The official page is here and explains things much better than I do and has a demo video. It also has the schedule of upcoming episodes if you want to log in and practice up! Extended episodes just have trivia with no live host and happen almost every day. Live episodes are the ones with the host and prizes and happen twice a week. In fact, there's a live one tonight (Friday) starting at 7pm Pacific if you want a trial run before my episode on Tuesday. Check it out! It's a good time. lolcatz, who works on the game, assures me anyone who owns an Xbox should be able to find the game and run it. As I said earlier, you need a gold account, and I think it's found under the 'spotlight' option of the main menu. But I'll leave it on faith that you can figure it out.

Oh yeah--the other cool thing is that you can email in questions and comments for me during the show, and we might talk about them on the air.

Surrender the stuffing

irishdream@gmail.com — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:40:34 GMT

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! You don't have to live in the U.S. to celebrate holidays dedicated to pie and thankfulness. Me? I'm thankful for cats wearing pirate hats.

While at Petco recently, lolcatz and I came across this gem along with some other pet costumes stuffed into a bin by the registers. Naturally, when you see something like this in mid-November, the immediate question becomes: "Is this on clearance?" It was. $2. What a bargain! I'm usually very disapproving of people dressing up their pets, but this was too good to let go. I was especially enchanted by the disclaimer on the tag letting you know that the hat is For Cats. So don't wear it yourself. And for God's sake, don't put it on your collie.

Katie was surprisingly agreeable to it. In fact, as soon as we put it on her, she started purring. This confirms what I've suspected for a while now: that Katie has always secretly longed to sail the high seas in search of plunder, particularly if said plunder includes Pounce's chicken-flavored tartar control treats, which are actually shaped like chickens.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Limited Edition VA Release Day!

irishdream@gmail.com — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:09:21 GMT

Well, November 25 (November 26 in Australia) marks the release of the limited edition hardcover of Vampire Academy. Each time I mention it, I get asked if books #2 and 3 will also be coming out in hardcover, and to be honest, I haven't been told yet. I'm hoping they will, and I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything.

Now, aside from the cover, this edition is special because it's the first book ever to use 'augmented reality.' If you get the book and a webcam, you can go to Penguin's Vampire Academy site and launch their augmented reality program. Hold your book up to the camera, and all sorts of things start happening on your computer screen. The text moves, your picture appears, and more. The instructions are on the link I just listed, and here's a video demonstration:

Cool, huh? I feel like this book could control the world.

Anyway, if you're interested in getting the VA hardcover, it's available at all the usual online retailers (Amazon, BN, and Borders) and 'real' bookstores too. If your local store doesn't have it in stock, they should be able to order it. Australians: your own stores will carry it too, so you don't need to order it from the U.S. Note: some places call this book the 'limited edition.' Some places call it the 'signature edition' because of my silver signature printed on the front. It does NOT come autographed on the inside.

But, if you do want it autographed on the inside, you can order it from University Bookstore in Seattle. I'll come in and sign any of my books you order from them so long as you follow these instructions. It's crucial when you order from them to make sure to write in the comments box that you want the book(s) autographed and say EXACTLY who you want the book autographed to.

Here's the direct link to the VA hardcover at University Bookstore so you don't get it confused with the paperback one. You can also ignore the 2-4 weeks shipping note. The books ship as soon as I autograph them. In fact, I'll be going into University Bookstore on Wednesday to sign so that all orders placed by release day can go out on time.

And lastly, don't forget that the last perk of the hardcover edition of VA is that it's got the first chapter of Spirit Bound in it!

Another random update post

irishdream@gmail.com — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:23:25 GMT

Wow, that's a long time to go without a blog post. I'm embarrassed. For those wondering what happened to me, all I have is the usual story: there was a lot of work craziness going on this last week or so. I think when you're self-employed, people think you can take days off whenever you want. If anything, it's the opposite. If I take a day off, it just means I've lost a day of work toward a book because the deadlines don't change! So, I'm usually powering through weekends.

Anyway, I promised a recap of my birthday on the 12th, so here's the short version. It was a 3-day extravaganza. On my birthday itself, I got to eat dinner at the Melting Pot, one of my favorite places because you can't go wrong with with pots of cheese and chocolate (not together). The next night I saw an 80s cover band, and the night after that, I saw The Daily Show's John Oliver do some stand-up. It was a pretty awesome show.

My days during that extravaganza were spent doing Succubus Shadows copy edits, but that's okay because it pretty much means SS is put to bed now. New readers always want to know the stages of getting a book published, so I'll go over them quickly again: writing the first draft, revisions/edits, copy edits, and proofing. Copy editing involves a grammar/style check, as well as hammering out any remaining inconsistencies, bad pacing, etc. It's also the last time you can make major changes to a book, so while I still have to proof-read SS, there's really no more hardcore work to do on it. Just a read-through. Spirit Bound is in its third round of revisions right now and should hit copy edits in December.

The other thing keeping me busy was that I spent this Friday and Saturday filming a promo video about me and the succubus books. Kensington (Georgina's publisher) sponsored a 2-man film crew to come out and shoot me in my office, home, University Bookstore, and various Seattle locations. It's crazy because it took two days, and the video will only be 3 minutes long. But there should be lots of good stuff in there. There are cameos by Team Seattle, Duane (who organizes my signed books at U Bookstore), and possibly one of my cats. It'll be online early next year.

Okay, I think that catches us up on everything. I'll have more coherent posts now that things are (slightly) calmer.

Facebook ad of the day

irishdream@gmail.com — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:56:19 GMT

Look, I like cats as much as the next person, but I'm just not buying that Book Candy Sandy is a reliable publicist/editor. She doesn't even have opposable thumbs to hold that pencil.

10 days until Vampire Academy comes out in hardcover

irishdream@gmail.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:54:00 GMT

Hey, guys. Sorry for being away for so long, but the last few days have been busy, busy! For those who didn't know, Thursday was my birthday, and instead of one day, I've had a 3.5-day birthday extravaganza of fun activities, cake tasting, and copy edits. (Okay, copy edits aren't generally an extravaganza kind of thing, but they are a necessary part of my life).

Anyway, I'll recap the highlights soon, but since I'm in a rush tonight, I just wanted to put in another plug for the hardcover edition of Vampire Academy that's being released on November 25. This is book #1 of the series, and they're just doing a limited run of it. Along with the hard cover, it's got a printed copy of my signature on the front and the first chapter of Spirit Bound in the back.

Some websites call it 'the signature edition,' but again: that means there's just a print of my signature on the front. If you're interested in the book and actually want me to autograph it to you on the inside, remember that you can order it signed by me from University Bookstore. On their website, they're calling it the "Deluxe Limited Edition Hardcover," and you can find it here with my other books. To get an autographed copy, make sure you follow these directions or you may get the book sent to you un-autographed! My page also has more information about ordering from U Bookstore and who to contact with questions. And of course, you can always buy books from any place you want! U Bookstore is just who I have the mail order signing deal with.

Okay, birthday recap coming later.

In December, vaccines will be gift-wrapped

irishdream@gmail.com — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:44:17 GMT

So, I stopped by Fred Meyer today, which is our local Meijer/Walmart/super grocery store type thing. As I was walking in, I was a bit astonished to see a huge line of people going outside the doors and nearly wrapping around the building. It's a bit early, but since my brother and I had just been discussing holiday deals, I figured there must be some new game or incredibly amazing bargain that had people standing out there with their kids and grandparents.

Then, the harried cashier ringing up my popcorn and hairspray set me straight: the store's pharmacy was administering vaccines for swine flu--or, H1N1 as we're supposed to call it now. First off, I didn't even know those shots were out there for public consumption. I thought they were still just for medical practitioners and whatnot. But it turns out Fred Meyer had a limited supply, and the buzz in the store was that they were for the high risk groups only: children, pregnant women, elderly, etc.

A check to King County's public health page shows that I'm apparently behind the times because a lot of pharmacies are giving them out. And, it sounds like more than high risk groups can get them. Fred Meyer would allegedly do it for anyone over the age of 13 (or under 3 with a prescription). I confess, this is the first time I really witnessed the anxiety around swine flu up close and personal--well, aside from everyone in Canada carrying their own bottles of hand sanitizer.

The first time I heard of H1N1 was on my way back from the RT con, sitting in the Houston airport with Mark and Caroline Henry. There, a TV news show informed us that airplanes and Texas were dangerous spots. Oh, irony. As time has gone on, I seem to keep hearing about more and more people who know someone who had it and who got over it. I only talked to someone myself who caught it (hi Sophia!) for the first time a couple weeks ago. She'd had it for a week and then was back to work and recovering nicely.

So, I'm not sure how I feel about it all now. Any disease branded an epidemic is a scary thing, particularly when the deaths from it get all sorts of attention. I'm not sure I'm going to run out and get my vaccine, though, at least while the supply is still small. I may do it when it's easier and more available, even though I am a raging hypochondriac. But I just have to assume I'm in the lowest risk group because people of my age and health status do have greater resistance--so I'm not sure I feel right about taking a shot away from a pregnant woman or child if I've already got some defense. I'm also pretty arrogant (and perhaps I'll regret the hubris of this post later when swine flu throws a kink in my deadlines) about my immune system. I never get 'regular' flu shots. I haven't had the flu since I was a kid, and I was born with a natural immunity to chicken pox. Again, maybe this attitude will come back to haunt me, so I should knock on wood or throw salt over my shoulder. Don't taunt fate.

In the meantime, I'll close with a special tip from our friends at Bakon Vodka. On their website, they have a recipe for a drink called Swine Flu Shot consisting of bacon vodka, Jagermeister, and Goldschlager. I hope they share it with the CDC.

'The Secret' and 'Our Bodies Ourselves' must be out of frame

irishdream@gmail.com — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:11:41 GMT

Many thanks to the kind Twitter follower who tipped me off and got me this picture.

Yes, it appears someone working stock in the book department at this store didn't quite grasp the subtle meaning of 'self help.' The bonus is that this was apparently taken at a Meijer, the Midwest superstore I miss so much and am always going on about because of their 24-hour access to everything. I guess that accessibility now extends to parents and teen psychologists who will no doubt be flocking here at all hours to stock up on tools of the trade.

Speaking of book categories, I have to correct something I mentioned a couple of days ago. I commented how the succubus series had been accidentally put in the teen section at Borders. Clarification: it was only one Borders that it happened at, and I'm sure it's long been fixed. There was no nationwide problem, I assure you, and Borders folks are always very good to me.

Down and dirty with deadlines and tours

irishdream@gmail.com — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:13:35 GMT

So, I've been dodging people's questions about when I'm visiting the three poll-winning cities: New York, New Orleans, and Miami. When the poll originally went up, I said I'd be traveling in early November, but some of you have probably noticed that...well, it is early November and I'm not traveling. In fact, I'm sitting on my couch in pajamas right now.

What's the scoop? The tri-city trip has been postponed until January. I know this is disappointing to some people, but it comes as a result of something more important than me doing signings: finishing the books. Moving this tour to January was necessary for me to get Spirit Bound and Succubus Shadows done on time and not have their releases changed to later dates. It'd be great if I could do it all, but I'm guessing if it comes to a choice between meeting me or reading the books on time, you probably want choice #2.

As it is (and here's another question I've been dodging), the third Eugenie book (Iron Crowned) has already had its release bumped by a few months to January 2011. I'm sad about this, but again, it became necessary in order to make travel and the other deadlines work. It's a non-stop juggling act! If it helps, though, I believe Eugenie #4 will be coming out pretty quickly after #3.

So, yeah. I hate delivering news like this, but that's how it goes to keep these books coming out--and to keep them good! Rushing a book and having it turn out bad is a constant fear of mine. However, there's actually a bright side to me touring in January. Since the hardcover VA will have come out before then, I'll be able to sign them. And hey, if you get any holiday gift cards as presents, you'll be able to use them just in time! :)

Remember also that I'll be doing another big tour for Spirit Bound in May, though I have no dates or locations for that since I don't plan that (the cities are out of my control, guys!). There may also be some bits of other travel tucked in before then, but I hesitate to say more until I know more.

I'll leave you with my current work status, since I've also been asked about that. Spirit Bound and Succubus Shadows have synced up schedules, which makes things tricky. Right now, Spirit Bound is in its second round of revisions, probably with at least one more to go. Succubus Shadows is about to go into copy edits, which is the fine-tuning of a manuscript. Publishing schedules go: first draft, revisions, copy edits, proofing, and then production. So, it takes a while for the books to be officially "done." We're on our way, though! They'll be out on time. Thanks for understanding.

And as a random aside: several people wanted to know about the artist who does the German succubus covers. Her website is here.

Around the world in...one day

irishdream@gmail.com — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:22:08 GMT

So, here's what we've got today: all sorts of international news. I'm way behind in updating the international section of my website, but since its last overhaul, I've had some sales in other countries.

In Georgina's world, succubus books have recently sold Vietnamese and Thai publishing rights. I didn't see those coming. Also since my last website update, Vampire Academy has sold rights in: Hungary, Israel, Vietnam, Japan, Denmark, and Indonesia. The international link above has info on all the other translations that have sold in the past.

I've mentioned this before, but once foreign rights are sold, the books kind of drop off the radar for me. I'm not always told when they'll come out, so I have no info about their publishing schedules. Some companies do fast translations; others don't. I also don't really have a lot of control over which countries buy publishing rights. My agency and publisher pitch the respective series to international publishers, and then it just depends on who makes an offer.

Anyway, here are covers of recent ones that have hit the shelves (or are about to) around the world. Thanks to Arancha for hunting down many of these.

Bulgarian Vampire Academy:

Swedish Shadow Kiss

Turkish Frostbite

Larger shot of the Russian Frostbite that I posted before:

German Succubus Dreams:

Hungarian Vampire Academy, similar to the German VA, plus it has its own website:

Good times. I don't control these covers any more than I control the US ones, but I love seeing how each culture interprets the story. It's always a fun surprise.

Return of the blog

irishdream@gmail.com — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:30:28 GMT

Man, I don't know when I became such a lazy blogger. It used to be I wouldn't go to bed unless I posted something, no matter how small. I guess my slacking is the product of work and tiredness. Those are respectable reasons, but I'll try to do better by you guys--especially since I'm behind on a lot of stuff. Future posts will have more foreign covers and the most astonishing store placement of one of my books since someone shelved Succubus Blues in the teen section at Borders.

First up, thanks to your awesomeness, I won Bitten By Books' Fave Paranormal Author 2009 poll. Now, I have a feeling I would have been crushed if some of the bigger candidates had rallied their fans out, but that's not relevant. What's important is that I asked my readers to get out and vote, and you guys did--in force. I was floored. So thank you, thank you. I'm continually amazed at how lucky I am to have such great readers. You guys really are the best.

And speaking of voting, it's Election Day! It's probably no surprise to anyone that my ballot was cast in a liberal direction. What is surprising is that November seems to have appeared out of nowhere. This is my birthday month, and I've never really shaken my childhood excitement whenever I hear the word November. It is a magical month, and growing up in Michigan, it used to be quite a coup if we could make it to my birthday without snow. It didn't happen very often. Here in Seattle, I have better luck--but after last winter, I should know better than to count on anything.

And guess what comes before November? Halloween! Here's how I spent mine.

Dressed like a cowgirl! Twice. I hosted a party one night and attended another a different night. Good times all around. We had a great turnout at our place, with lots of neat costumes. We also debuted one of the most atrocious substances known to mankind: bacon-flavored vodka.

Don't believe me? Let's let its logo speak for itself.

I like how they immediately answer the question that comes to everyone's minds right away. I also like that tagline because it really sums it all up nicely. I saw this a while ago at a store and decided the party needed it. Now, normally I try to avoid too much drinking talk around here, in deference to my pure and untainted teen readers. But I am over 21, and let's face it: bacon vodka is something that society needs to address.

Their website has some of the most godawful recipes I have ever seen, including a bacon chocolate martini and something called "swine flu shot." Crazier still is that liquor stores in the area keep selling out of it. What I have yet to learn, though, is if the people buying it ever come back for more. We got about 10 people to do simultaneous shots of that stuff, and let me tell you: the verdict was not good.

And that, kids, is why you shouldn't drink.

Tres bien

irishdream@gmail.com — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:14:18 GMT

Happy Devil's Night! We're almost to Halloween, Samhain, Dia de los Muertos, or whatever dead-honoring holiday you like to celebrate. I can't blog long because I'm getting ready for some festivities, but we've got something cool here.

lolcatz found this delight out on the web today:

Yup, it's the French cover of Succubus Dreams, and I have to admit, that's a pretty nice shot of Tawny. Those who know the book might agree with me that it's hard to believe she's so inept when she looks like that!

Lastly, I want to thank everyone who voted for me at Bitten By Books' Favorite Paranormal Author poll earlier this week. I think I was in fourth when I mentioned it here, and then four hours later, I was in first. You guys rock the house. I'm kind of stunned. Thank you so much! If you still want to cast a vote over there, the poll is still going on through tomorrow.

My pal Mark Henry has also done a video blog at BBB today, so if you're going over there, leave a comment to his post because he's on a quest to break 1228. If you're not sure what to comment, I would recommend quizzing him on just how hawt he thinks Dimitri is. The videos represent Mark's usual, uh, adult sense of humor, so I can't endorse viewing them if you're at work, in your teens, or easily offended. That shouldn't stop you from commenting, though. And remember, if you haven't voted in the favorite author poll, it's over on the right side of the screen. Here's the link to vote for me (or whoever you want) and comment for him.

I'll do some kind of giveaway here in his honor if he manages to hit his goal today. Have a great night!

In Soviet Russia, wedding dress alters you

irishdream@gmail.com — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:44:07 GMT

So, today I went to get fitted for wedding dress alterations. Contrary to the potential six weeks I was quoted, the dress came into the store in only two weeks. That certainly takes the pressure off.

Anyways, some of you know I was married before. At that wedding, ten years ago, I weighed 40 pounds more than I do today. So, you can imagine how excited I am to be wearing a much slimmer dress this time. I am so excited, in fact, that I've been going to great pains to make sure that dress looks as good as it can. I'm back with a trainer at the gym and tracking calories on my refrigerator again to make sure I'm hitting the marks.

Going along with this, it was also extremely important to me that the dress be taken in as much as was absolutely possible. I figured between losing a few more pounds at the gym before the wedding and the fact that the dress's top has boning in it, getting that baby altered to an uber-small size wouldn't be a problem. Well - I foresaw one problem. I was afraid the seamstress would say something silly like, "I need to leave some room so you'll be comfortable" or "Breathing is important" or "Will you be able to sit?"

Well, no such worries today. I met with the seamstress who, as it turns out, grew up in Soviet Eastern Europe. In keeping with every stereotype I have, this lady--while super nice--was also really hardcore about her business. Me being comfortable never even came up, and she was the one who jumped right in with, "Okay, we need to get a certain silhouette here." And man, did she do it. There was a whole lot of pinning and lacing going on, the full extent of which became clear when I was driving home and realized how relieved my stomach was. For those worrying I'm going to be in a straight jacket, have no fears. It's not that bad, but it's definitely keeping me on track with the gym regiment. The seamstress seemed very apologetic that she would have to take the dress in, which I didn't understand at first. Having a small dress made smaller is quite an ego trip. But you know what's not small? The labor and cost for cutting through heavy fabric and boning. Yikes.

Still, all things considered, I guess that crazy mom on Toddlers and Tiaras who kept telling her poor child "Beauty is pain" was right. Apparently that was true in the Soviet era as well. I've got some pretty tall heels too, which my feet are grudgingly getting used to. I can handle that, so long as it doesn't turn into "Beauty is a sprained ankle." And no matter what else Toddlers and Tiaras has taught me, I refuse to wear fake teeth or hair pieces. I will also not be dancing like a stripper in front of judges who are thirty years older than me, but hopefully that goes without saying.

Anyway, I leave you with a couple of things. For those who keeping asking to see the wedding ensemble, again: no postings until after the wedding. Not just for lolcatz's sake, but also because...well, it ruins the surprise all around.

I'll also be harassing you about this all week: Bitten By Books is down to the finals in its Favorite Paranormal Author 2009 poll. I'm in the finals, as are some other good people. If you feel like voting, the link is here on the right side of the screen.

Northern lights

irishdream@gmail.com — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:21:32 GMT

As you can see, I've used one of my French covers for today's avatar. Why? Because I'm in Vancouver, BC! Well, technically, it's Surrey, BC. And yeah, there aren't a lot of French speakers in this part of Canada, but I thought I'd make the gesture. I came up today for the Surrey International Writers Conference, where I'll be teaching and hanging out this weekend. I also had a signing tonight at Chapters with some other con authors, which was a lot of fun. Here's proof:

To all those who came out: thanks so much! And thanks also for the goodies. It was really great meeting everyone tonight, and if you live in the area and didn't make it, you can still come visit on Saturday. As always, the info is here on my schedule.

Okay, off to finalize tomorrow's workshop. More reports--including some Canadian secrets I've already learned!--to follow.

Results of tour poll

irishdream@gmail.com — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:07:42 GMT

Just wanted to make a quick update about appearances. First up, the results of the tour poll are in. The winning cities that I'll be visiting are Miami, New Orleans, and New York City. The dates and bookstores are still being planned, but as soon as I know them, I'll let you know. For those cities not winning, all I can say is what I always do: it's impossible for me to visit every place, and Penguin tries their best to send me to as many different locations as they can. So, hang in there for future tours! Thanks to everyone who voted.

As for other appearances, here's a bit of short notice for any Seattle fans looking for something to do tomorrow (October 20) at 4:30pm. I'll be speaking to the Auburn Library's teen book club about my books, writing, and other Richelle things. The event's open to the public, though, and I'll also do Q&A and signings while there.

Lastly, just another reminder for Vancouver/Surrey readers: I'll be up in Canada-country this week, signing on Thursday and Saturday. The info's here on my calendar page.

Okay, things are busy here, so I've gotta run. More (and longer) posts later!

I'm with the banned

irishdream@gmail.com — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:06:28 GMT

My birthday's in less than a month, but today I got an early surprise. Guess what?

The Vampire Academy series has been banned! In Texas!

Okay, to be fair, the VA series has been banned by only one school district in Texas, but still. Wow. Who knew? The Texas ACLU just released their Free People Read Freely 2009 Report, which talks about all the banned book activity in Texas public schools over the last year. Artist friend John Picacio sent the link to me today, in which I learned that I was the second most challenged/banned author in Texas this year. I suspect this is probably only because JD Salinger doesn't have as many new books out right now. What's especially amazing is that this school district even made a pre-emptive strike and banned Spirit Bound along with the other VA books, even though it's not out yet.

What are my thoughts on this? Well, the short answer is that I think banning books violates the U.S.'s first amendment. I'm not always thrilled by my country's choices, but freedom of speech is one of our most precious and amazing features. Am I mad or upset about this school district's decision? No, not at all! If anything, I'm kind of humbled and amazed that I would actually join the banned ranks of greats like To Kill a Mockingbird and 1984. I keep trying to imagine a book banning committee saying something like, "Well, that concludes our discussion on the social messages in Lord of the Flies. Let's move on to...Vampire Academy." Really?

To give you a longer and more diplomatic answer about my thoughts, I'll simply repeat what I told John in the great article he and his pals did over at Missions Unknown. He had nice things to say about VA and the issue as a whole, so you should check the entire article out. I remarked:

As a former teacher, I absolutely respect and encourage parents to be a part of what their children are reading. However, banning books outright from schools and libraries takes this right away from families and denies them the chance to make their own decisions. It also flies in the face of the rights our country has always prided itself on, freedom of speech being the biggest. In my experience, many banned books are some of the greatest and most thought-provoking pieces of literature out there. Being in the company of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Robert Cormier is an honor.

I stand by all of that. I know districts like these have good intentions. I just don't think banning a book is the right solution. It's a gateway to other dangerous forms of discrimination in our world and limits our power to choose and think. Does that mean kids should be reading everything out there? No, but as I said, that's where parents or other guiding figures are hopefully stepping in to discuss the matters intelligently. I've always heard that the most powerful books are those that people either really love or really hate. I sincerely doubt this school district truly hates me or my books, but knowing I've created something that can trigger emotional reactions and make people pause to examine my messages is a pretty heady thing.

Many thanks to John for the info on this and to the readers who have supported me. I hope nobody will turn this into a Texas slam-fest because I actually love going to Texas and have met some of my most amazing readers there. And lastly, I want to offer kudos and applause to all those writers who have taken much, much bigger hits for their books over the years than this YA vampire author. You are truly great.

Stuff and stuff. And more stuff.

irishdream@gmail.com — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:13:37 GMT

No coherent theme today, just a few updates. I realized that my Canadian adventure is coming up soon, so I thought I'd send out another reminder. I'm going to be a panelist at the Surrey International Writers Conference next weekend, and since I'll be in the Vancouver/Surrey, BC area, there are a couple of signings tacked on to the trip. Dates and times are here. If you're one of my neighbors to the north, I hope you'll come see me.

The other news is that I did indeed win through phase 2 of Bitten By Books' Favorite Paranormal Author contest. Thanks again for your support! BBB is doing a total of 4 (I think) rounds with different authors up for vote each time, and then the fifth round will take the winners of the previous rounds and put them up for an ultimate showdown. Two authors win each week. This week, a couple of friends of mine are up on the list: the awesome Michelle Rowen and Dakota Cassidy. Now, I don't like to tell people who to vote for, and if you've got a different favorite author up there this week, then I say: Hey! Vote for them. But, if you're undecided or don't know anyone, then I'll put in a plea here to go vote for Michelle and Dakota. You can vote for two authors at once, so that's pretty handy. And just to sweeten things up, I'll host a contest with hot prizes in honor of them if both Michelle and Dakota win through this round. Sure, that means we'd all be facing off in round 5, but that's a problem for later. So, regardless of your choice, get out there and vote!

Oh, and one more quick thing about the Immortal anthology mentioned in the last post. Immortal was released over a year ago, with a different cover (a flower). It didn't have very much exposure, which is why it's now being released again with a hot new cover and being put in a lot more stores. So, if you bought the old one, know that the stories are identical with one exception: a story by the lovely Rachel Vincent has been added to the new addition. I hope this helps with some of the questions that have been coming up.

Okay, back to work for this girl.