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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

My third day at DragonCon started out like any other con day, scrambling to find coffee and get to panels after too little sleep. My first one was on immortality and had pals Mark Henry and Jeanne Stein on it, which is always a good time.

After that, I went off-site to the Decatur Book Festival just outside of Atlanta. Decatur's a quaint little town, and the fest is a sprawling, outdoor fair-like event with lots of food and art vendors (in addition to the authors and panels). There, I had the infamous Vampire Werewolf Smackdown with Maggie Stiefvater. To be honest, I'm not sure how much smacking went on. Maggie and I are pals, and it was pretty amicable to the point of "Oh, yeah, I agree with you on that" and "I can concede that one." The audience proved more adamant than us on some points, and the participation was fantastic. We then signed books and met readers, and I was taken under the wing of the local Penguin Books rep, who made sure I got food and didn't get lost. The fest staff was really, really great and also helped me find my way around.

After that, it was back to downtown and DragonCon. My evening panel was on "demonology" and featured fun folks like Jackie Kessler, Mike Mignola, and Stacia Kane. I got to talk about Georgina, and afterward, a few people came up to get some books signed. Among them was Shae:





Look closely at what's in her hand.





A silver stake! She said she had a guardian outfit to go with it, but for the photo op, she mixed costumes for me. Pretty awesome. Speaking of fandom...Siobhan at Decatur brought me a picture she and her friend drew, but I haven't had a chance to photograph it yet. Thanks, guys!

Once panel duties were done for the night, I managed a con rarity: meeting up with almost all of my friends. I know over a dozen people here, but with so many schedules and locations, it's hard to see everyone at once. We did a good job this time, and fourteen of us went out to dinner. Here's me, Kat Richardson, Stacia Kane, and Caitlin Kittredge. Kat's hair looks very luxurious, methinks.





While at dinner, Caitlin and I realized we'd be in Boston on the same day, and she helpfully created this map of Massachusetts with silverware and her own two hands to illustrate the layout of her home state. I think it's pretty accurate, but then, geography's never been my strongest subject.





Also while at dinner, we had a most unexpected visit. "Ace and Gary" of the Ambiguously Gay Duo came wandering through the restaurant.





The AG Duo was a Saturday Night Live cartoon from several years ago, and these two guys were pretty funny (even though I don't recall Ace having a southern accent). They struck some poses for us and bantered before wandering off for other pictures.

Caitlin had acquired a CW bag earlier and proudly modeled her sultry self with it, producing what was almost the sexiest picture of the day.





Well, that was until the AG Duo came wandering back and asked me to take a picture with them.





I know, I know. Sexy probably isn't the right word. But what could I do? Here's the story. After their first visit to our table, they returned later to ask what my name was because they were "pretty sure" I was the favorite author of someone they knew. When they found out that I actually was that author, they asked me to pose with them. This shot is really pretty tame compared to what they made author Kelly Meding do. Later, I found out that the fan of mine they knew was actually Ace's 14-year-old daughter. So, I'm not sure if the coolness of them getting a pic with me will compensate for her dad wearing spandex, but only time will tell. Also, Ace and Gary said I was a hottie, which may or may not clear up the "ambiguous" part. I guess it depends on how you want to read it.

Tomorrow, I have one more panel at DragonCon before my duties are done. Of course, my con experience won't be truly wrapped up until I make another attempt to find Joe Flanigan (whom, according to a text from Caitlin, was spotted signing photos today--while I was away at Decatur). After that quest, I'll be flying off to Washington, DC, where I'll get Labor Day off and then have signings in Fairfax, VA and Baltimore, MD. Check the link for dates, times, and stores!

Today, for the first time ever on Richelle's blog, I'm letting someone else do the post for me because I'm just so crazy busy. And of course, the only person I'd trust to do it is my own sweet lolcatz. Today he gives you some handy summaries of each of my series--specifically geared toward men who might be on the fence about whether to pick up my books. I hope my editors are paying attention because we might have some new back cover copy.

The boyfriend speaks...

Blood Promise is set to be released to what looks like much fanfare. Wow, you guys have no idea what it's like watching Richelle go crazy with interviews and tour preparations, while trying to write Spirit Bound at the same time! She's very busy, but it's amazing to see her in action. We do try to find some down time to hang out and watch our favorite shows or play a game. Sometimes, if our schedules align, we can even go out to dinner or a movie. It's not always this hectic, but when it is, it can take its toll. I will say that I feel very lucky to be a part of this exciting time for Richelle, and I'm happy to take this opportunity to thank all of you readers who help make it all possible.

I don't know why, but Richelle entrusted me with today's blog post. I could use this space to present my deep and meaningful thoughts on the meaning of life, but let's be honest... no one really wants to read that. Instead, I present to you The Guy's Guide to Richelle's Books.

Succubus Blues: Okay, so Jim Butcher has a quote on the cover. He's a dude, and I'm sure he's famous enough to be selective about what he puts his name on. Good sign, right? Right, but it gets better. Georgina is this shapechanging, sex-starved chick. Score! She made some deal with the devil to become immortal, and she's not terribly happy with it. She likes this guy she met at the bookstore, and they fall in love or something... Meanwhile, she's going out at night and seducing sleazy guys and stealing their souls through depraved sexual acts. There's also some big nasty bad guy, and they get into an epic battle that involves fisticuffs and explosions. Oh yeah, this series is full of awesomeness!

Vampire Academy: There are these two teenage chicks. One of them is a magical vampire. Wait, wait.. stay with me here. The other, Rose, is her best friend and kickass guardian, and the story focuses on her. Apparently they had run away from the safety of their academy, and Rose lets the vampire snack on her, which looks a lot like two girls making out. Anyway, they get hauled back to school and are convinced to finish their training. Rose spends half her time working out and sparring. Who doesn't like a strong, rebellious girl? She totally hooks up with one of her teachers, too. Naturally, the vampire girl gets into trouble and Rose has to run off and beat the crap out of some big nasty bad guy to rescue her. Check it out!

Storm Born: Whoa, check out the cover! Those are some tight jeans on that girl. And she's showing off her tramp stamp with that belly shirt. This must be a good book. And it is! Eugenie lays the smack down on ghosts that don't belong in our world, and quickly discovers that she has a lot more power than she realized. She can travel to the Otherworld, which is a fantasy world inhabited by fairies and monsters and stuff. She must be a succubus at heart, because she gets down and dirty with two different dudes. One of them is a fox. Literally. The other's this guy who enjoys tying her up as much as she likes getting tied up. Bondage, too? Yep, suddenly this gets interesting. Anyway, Eugenie learns how to use her newfound powers to go off on some rescue quest in the Otherworld. As with the other books, epic battles ensue for nonstop entertainment. Love it!

There you have it. I don't see how anyone, guy or girl, could pass up one of these series. Now the question is whether Richelle will ever let me guest blog again!

I've been totally blank on blog topics these last few days. I know everyone's excited about Blood Promise, but really, there's not much new to report except that it's out in less than a week! We're all just waiting now, and I've got to ask that people keep spoilers out of the comments here if you've gotten a hold of it.

So, just so you know I haven't forgotten you guys, I give you another clip from everyone's favorite heart-warming film, Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus.





San Franciscans, be careful on your next commute.

Oh, wait! I had to log back in here because I realized I DO have something new to tell. Audiobook rights just sold for both the Georgina and Dark Swan series. VA's been available at audible.com for sometime, so this means all my books will eventually be up there. Yay! I have no clue on dates, though. I also don't know when Blood Promise is going to be up there either. It's not a process I'm part of. Sorry!

This happy news about audio rights should in no way negate the danger that giant sharks pose to the Golden Gate Bridge.

If you think this is funny:





Or possibly even this:





...then the odds are that you're a fan of the grammatically-incorrect, cheeseburger-obsessed cat-loving (though not always involving cats) phenomenon known as lolcats, made famous in particular by the I Can Has Cheezburger website and its spin-off merchandising. If none of this makes sense to you, then I really can't explain it here. Visit the site, and maybe it'll make sense. Maybe. But for the rest of you:

Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners, often hosts various groups and organizations on game nights, offering discounted tickets and other deals. And last night, believe it or not, was I Can Has Cheezburger night at Safeco Field. Don't believe me? Check it, yo:





Yes, for the low, low price of $11, you were able to get a (high) seat AND a t-shirt. I like to go to a couple baseball games every summer, so there was no way I could miss out on this. lolcatz (my boyfriend who, despite his username, is not the fan of this phenom you might think) and I bought tickets and made plans to go via bus, plans that would have been pretty solid if traffic hadn't delayed him by an hour in meeting me at our bus stop. We got there at exactly the minute the game started but had one small problem: where were the t-shirts?

No one seemed to know. Certainly no one who worked at Safeco Field. There had apparently been a Cheezburger pre-party, but we'd missed that. There were tons of people actually wearing the shirt, but no one knew where they were being handed out now, and there was legitimate concern that we might not get one. People directed us to three different sections, getting us yelled at by the workers monitoring those sections. One lady in a lolcat shirt vaguely recognized me:

"Hey, I've seen you at a conference. Aren't you a writer or something?"
"Yeah, yeah. Where'd you get the t-shirt?"

We finally ran into ICHC staff transporting shirts, at which point I nearly had a breakdown as I demanded we get ours. They were very nice people, and I feel kind of bad now because I was acting pretty schizo and wouldn't shut up about how we'd traipsed up and down the stadium to find them. But at last, we got these, which the boyfriend declares "atrocious." Morganna approves, however.





We made it to our seats at last, surrounded in ICHC fans with shirts and signs. Working the crowd was a guy whom I believe to be the founder of the site, someone who needs to be lauded both for his appreciation of cats and his ability to turn misspellings into a money-making venture. As you can see, he was pretty popular:





We got no autographs but had fun watching him and the other fans. I'd kind of hoped the night would be filled with witty baseball-themed lolcat pictures on the big screen, but alas, there were none. What was on the screen was plenty of info about the Mariners' star player, Ichiro Suzuki. During these screen shots, I learned he and I have a lot in common. Like, we both like to set food on fire:





We also appreciate good ice cream:





They mentioned other Ichiro trivia, but his reading tastes never came up. I guess I'll have to send him one of my books so that maybe one day, we can see this at a game:





Near the end of the game, the Mariners started pulling things together, which put all of us in a good mood. Then, the ICHC people came through and started throwing mysterious bags into the crowd. What were they? Someone a few rows ahead caught one, revealing:





A stuffed lolkitten! As you might imagine, I wanted that kitten more than anything I'd wanted since the last time I wanted something more than anything. It didn't help that those people kept tormenting me by holding that kitten up, taking pictures with it, and even putting a silver bracelet on it as a collar. It was agony. I might not have endured, except that I have a pretty cool boyfriend who soon took matters into his own hands.





No, he didn't go beat them up for the kitten. But the next time the ICHC people came by throwing bags, he leapt up and blocked some girls from catching a bag. He got it! We scored a lolkitten.





Or did we? This doesn't look like a kitten...





OMG! It's no kitten. It's a walrus!





More specifically, it's I Can Has Cheezburger's famous "lolrus" who is on a never-ending quest to recover the bucket stolen from him:





I think mine is a lot cuter than the actual lolrus, but he'd still better watch out. Once again, someone is interested in stealing his bucket:





Ah, good times--topped off with a Mariners win, complete with home run. Many thanks to the ICHC (who are Seattle-based, fyi) folks for sponsoring the event and its giveaways. Next year I'll have to talk to Safeco about Vampire Academy Night, eh?

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.

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 home in Seattle now, and after a long week of travel and work, I can't emphasize enough how nice it is to be doing something as calm and simple as eating pizza and watching American Idol with the boyfriend. (Wow, that was all one sentence). In fact, my intent had been to make this a quick post with some tour news (and that's coming--so stay tuned at the end of the post). But I can't in good conscience blog tonight without mentioning a bizarre travel incident today.

I flew back from Orlando with the Henrys, with a layover in Houston. They're always nice enough to give me the window seat so that I can curl up against the wall with my pillow and Xanax. Well, we had just sat down and I was doing my usual read of the safety instructions (because someone needs to know how to fasten the infant life vest). So, I'm sitting there and suddenly glance over at the window. What do I see? The person sitting behind me has stretched her bare feet out against the cabin's wall so that her feet are now stretched forward into my row and resting on my arm rest.

...

Seriously, who does that? Who honestly thinks that is okay? Worse, these were nasty feet too--a little dirty, with nails in desperate need of a manicure. I was aghast. Noisy kids behind me? I expect that on a plane. Disgusting feet sneaking around the side of my seat? No. Not expected. I was dumbfounded. Immediately, I turned to Mark and Caroline to show them the feet, and in the process, the person sitting with the foot-phantom heard me and saw my expression. He must have said something to her because the feet slithered back to the depths from whence they'd come, but I tell you...curling up against the wall just didn't seem so appealing anymore. Ugh.

Okay, let's get on to better stuff now, shall we?

I've got a few updates on upcoming tour stuff. I mentioned yesterday that the May 7 Portland location had changed. It's still at the Clackamas Barnes and Noble, but the address is 12000 SE 82nd Avenue--which is in the Clackamas Town Center Mall. The other address was slightly off. Sorry for any confusion!

There are also going to be two additional Seattle signings added to my upcoming mini-West Coast tour. One will be Friday, May 8 at 4pm at University Bookstore's Bellevue branch. The other will be Saturday, May 9 at 3pm at University Bookstore's Mill Creek branch. One of these may have early copies of Succubus Heat available, and I'll let you know as soon as I know the scoop.

I have one more really, REALLY cool piece of tour news I was going to mention tonight, but it seems a shame for it to have to share a post with gross bare feet. So, tomorrow, I'll announce that one in a post all its own. Stay tuned--it's awesome! More awesome than the Dimitri ring from the last post? Well, I guess it depends on where you live...

The Romantic Times Con wound down today, ending with a traditional event: Psychic Sunday. Usually, I'm heading out on Sundays, so I've never been able to attend it. In my imagination, though, Psychic Sunday was always an elaborate extravaganza filled with crystal balls and incense, with tables and Tarot cards everywhere.

The reality was a little different, though. There were only a few workshops and a handful of fortune teller types. It was very quiet, probably because it felt like there were less than 50 people left at the con by this point. Several of my friends were among them, and rather than go wait in line for the con sanctioned Tarot reader, we all chipped in and bought a Tarot deck for reader extraordinaire, Karen Mahoney (aka kaz_mahoney), sitting there on the end while Caitlin shuffles cards.





Karen has read cards professionally in the past and had some eerily insightful readings for all of us. I got some good stuff about my personal life, but I'm keeping that to myself.

Eventually, most people had to leave to go catch flights. I, however, am staying in the Orlando area for two more days with Caitlin Kittredge, Mark and Caroline Henry, and Heather Osborn. So, Caitlin and I checked out of the con hotel and took a cab over to our new lodgings by downtown Disney. Our fellow travelers were off actually experiencing Disney World, but Caitlin and I stayed in the hotel and got work done--with the occasional foray into downtown Disney for food. (The Earl of Sandwich rocks the house, fyi). I know that sounds like a sad day, but if you want to read Thorn Queen...well, a work day was necessary. And kind of relaxing.

Somewhere in the midst of this, I realized I'd left a blouse and dress hanging in the closet of my other hotel. Since it would have cost me a $40 roundtrip taxi cab to go back, I did the only thing I could to rescue my clothing from the lost and found: call Michelle Rowen. She was the only person I knew still at the con hotel and had spent her Psychic Sunday learning she had a Regency Era past life. She rescued my clothes, though I'm not sure how I'll get them back since she lives in Toronto. At least I know they're safe, though. Well, maybe. She says if she doesn't get an early copy of Blood Promise, my clothes are going on eBay. I'm not sure if I can make that happen for her or not, so one of you may get to bid on a gold BCBG blouse. Get your checkbooks out.

When the clothing crisis was settled, Caitlin and I ate dinner at everyone's favorite animatronic animal jungle experience: Rain Forest Cafe. Getting to our table required a twisty path through aquariums and robot gorillas, as well as this cave...





Is it just me, or is this suspiciously similar to Candy Mountain?





Watch your kidneys at Rain Forest Cafe. That's all I'm saying.

Heather and the Henrys eventually surfaced from their 12-hour adventure at Disney World, with lots of stories to tell. They're going to Animal Kingdom tomorrow, and I'd wanted to go. Somewhere in this Floridian week, though, I've injured my left foot. It started as a muscle pain on the outer side and then spread into shooting pain through the top. Maybe it's just too much sandal-walking, but regardless, there'll be no theme-parking for me tomorrow--despite my friends' suggestions that I get a wheel chair or Lil Rascal scooter. Instead, I'm thinking poolside Thorn Queen proofs are in my future.

In closing, I give you a gem I found out about at RT this week. Reviewer Brooke Carleton got a shot of this written in a bathroom stall at Borders:





Wow. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't think Twilight and VA are competitors. They're apples and oranges. And yet...knowing some fan out there went to that trouble to defend my honor...well, I think it means I've truly made it big.

Xanax is a fascinating drug. When I first discovered doctors would prescribe me medication to help me fly, I immediately wanted some hardcore sedative that would knock me out as soon I sat down so that I could wake up at my destination with no passage of time. Nope. All the doctors said no sedatives for me--only anti-anxiety drugs. I was skeptical. I didn't think there was any drug that would reduce my anxiety enough to make me enjoy flying. And it's true. Xanax doesn't make me happy, but it does mellow me enough so that when I fly, I think, "Okay. I'm in a plane. This is probably okay." If conditions are smooth and quiet, it will actually make me drowsy and sleep, but unlike a true sedative, I can instantly wake and talk if need be--which is smart when traveling, in case of emergency or whatever.

So. Last night, I flew back from Dallas to Seattle. Since I was at the airport so early, I had a margarita, figuring it would metabolize enough by the time I took Xanax. When the time came to board and I was waiting to get down the plane's aisle, I overheard a guy complaining about the crying baby in the back. A woman standing nearby agreed with him, and he joked, "Yeah!! You want to sit with me and party?" She laughingly declined, and that's when I noticed he was in my row. So, I told him I wanted to sit with him but couldn't do any partying after Xanax and tequila. He found this delightful, and once I was settled in, he introduced himself and told me his name was...Snake.

Snake, ironically (or perhaps not), had snake tattoos on his arms. He was a big grizzled guy, 50s maybe, with a logo T-shirt. Mercifully, he was on the aisle, and I was on the window with the middle seat vacant for the flight. Sitting across the aisle from him were three of his friends, who bore similar appearances. They were boisterous and told me they hadn't slept or been sober since Thursday. They were also concerned because the flight out had run out of Crown Royal, and they hoped there wouldn't be a repeat.

Honestly, I was not particularly scared of Snake and friends. They reminded me a lot of men I'd grown up around in western Michigan, and while they were happy to talk to me and buy me drinks if I wanted (I declined), they were perfectly nice about leaving me alone to sleep. But here's where the problem with Xanax kicks in. I can't sleep if there are distractions. And Snake and company were quite distracting/entertaining. It was impossible not to listen to their conversations on: who'd gotten the least sleep and drank the most, how all the taxi'ing was unnecessarily burning plane fuel, how Seattle was turning uptight, whether cell phones would bring the plane down, how glad they were that this flight had Crown Royal, and why the flight attendants kept telling Snake to fasten his seat belt. I even took another Xanax, something I was uneasy about after my earlier drink. No worries. It didn't help.

The coup de grace came when, while gesturing wildly to each other across the aisle, Snake and his friend had some sort of collision with a passing flight attendant that apparently involved her being touched "inappropriately." She told them to keep their hands to themselves. They protested the accident, and she sternly said not to let it happen again. Shortly thereafter, I fell asleep for a while, to be wakened by someone poking my leg. I woke up and saw it was Snake's friend. They'd swapped seats. He wanted to know if I'd witnessed the Attendant Incident. I told him I honestly hadn't seen much. He later called the senior flight attendant over and told the story to her. She was actually rather sympathetic and told them she took being bumped and touched a lot as par for the job and that there likely wouldn't be any consequences. I still don't know what really happened or what occurred afterward.

So, in conclusion, you can well understand why Xanax wasn't strong enough to shut this flight out for me. Of course, the anti-anxiety effects still worked, and between that and the antics, I actually had very little time to be scared. And seriously, intimidating appearance or not, Snake and friends behaved like gentlemen to me (and even got me a pillow), despite their rowdiness. Lesson learned: don't judge by appearances, but if you want to guarantee sleep, consider an upgrade to first class.

While watching Star Trek: The Voyage Home last night (I don't care what anyone says - I love all things involving Star Trek and time travel), I was subjected to a number of commercials for products intended for a very specific subset of the population. Like, for example, the "high-tech" sunglasses/reading glasses/HD Vision glasses. Or the amazing updo hair twist ties that come with a bonus bedazzler so that you can cover your twists in bling. I was a bit surprised the commercial with Ed McMahon asking you to send in your gold wasn't shown as well.

But I daresay, the product that got the biggest reaction out of me last night was the Loud and Clear sound amplifier. The commercial starts benignly enough with an elderly woman who misses her winning Bingo numbers because she couldn't hear the announcer. Cue the Loud and Clear. It's a sound-magnifying earpiece that looks like a bluetooth headset. So, that way you can disguise the fact that you're hard of hearing and actually pass yourself off as stylish and high-tech. Except, as the commercial progresses, it moves from using the device for Bingo and church to spying on those around you.

Maybe it's just my own starry-eyed view of the world, but I really couldn't believe the commercial was actually advocating using this thing for eavesdropping. I was certain I'd misinterpreted when they showed a woman listening to her neighbors' conversation down the street, but then, another scene showed a guy slyly listening to people talk about him across the room at a party. Of course, the things overheard were all positive, the implication being, "How neat that now you can hear how people secretly say such nice things about you!" But let's face it. People who jump on this product for its spying capabilities aren't just doing it to overhear secret compliments. They're doing it to hear about the neighbor sleeping with the pool boy and to find out what that woman really thinks of her daughter-in-law's hair.

lolcatz was skeptical of the device, pointing out that it probably amplifies everything--including background noise and is probably quite useless. I guess its functionality is less my concern than the fact that it can be marketed this way with a straight face. And the really awesome part? Not long after this, we saw a commercial for essentially the same product put out by a different company! And it too pushed the spying angle. Apparently, there is a demand out there for this that I didn't know about.

Great. Now along with worrying about my passport listening in on my conversations, I apparently have to worry about the seemingly kind elderly couple across the street.

In preparation for the Ireland trip, I had to get my passport renewed. It wasn't due for a few more months, but I figured I should get it taken care of. lolcatz (who is my boyfriend, for those who have been asking recently) needed his renewed as well, so we went and got pictures taken and sent off all our paperwork at the same time.

For whatever reason, mine appears to be ahead of his in processing by a week, at least according to when our checks cleared. Mine showed up recently, and holy crap, I was not prepared for it. It makes the one I got ten years ago look like something I could have put together myself. Those of you who have newer passports will know what I'm talking about. The picture page is blindingly holographic and covered in wavy lines. All the interior pages have artwork depicting scenic America, complete with inspirational quotes from people like JFK and Abraham Lincoln that trigger a gut reaction to start humming "America the Beautiful."

Then, in flipping through it, I read the last page: This document contains sensitive electronics. The pamphlet that came with it further verified this, telling me that there is a chip inside my passport. Whoa. It's like 1984, right before our eyes. Suddenly, my passport takes on a whole new meaning. A chip? Really? This is to expedite going through customs...or so they claim. In this era of heightened security, I wouldn't be surprised if the passport is recording my conversations and broadcasting my location. In fact, I'm pretty sure it keeps moving around the house on its own.

I rather like my picture in it. My hair got pushed onto my shoulder in such a way that I look kind of windswept, like I'm out on a beach. I was going to scan and crop the picture for you, but now that I know the truth, I think it's best not to mess with or taunt this passport. The mystery now is why lolcatz's is taking so long. Indeed, the question isn't whether it'll make it in time for the trip, but rather, what instructions are they programming it with?

In closing, the passport's whole patriotic theme has been making me think about all the people I know who talked about how they were finally proud to be an American after Obama's election. I too am happy about the election, but I realized I've never not been proud to be an American. I am frequently not proud of our leaders, policies, and actions. And, when I heard some Americans complaining in Canada because a store there wouldn't take American dollars...well, I wasn't proud of those countrymen either. But overall, I'm proud of my nationality. We're products of our culture, and I wouldn't be the same person I am now if I hadn't been raised in a capitalist country, built on equal parts religion and commerce, that instills idealism into its citizens from an early age.

Phew. Now I just hope the passport's tracking system takes note of this post, so that it won't question my loyalty...

Before I launch into today's philosophical ramblings, I'll give you the latest updates in book land. Sadly, I have no news on when the cover or description for Blood Promise will go up. I'd originally said I hoped to have the cover up in January, but that hasn't happened. Often, when I give dates, I'm passing on what I've heard and don't actually have any control over it. Publishing's pretty complex, and things often change (usually to make them better), so hang in there for a bit. I never sit on covers, so don't worry. As soon as I get it and am allowed to post it, I will.

Anyway, I'm going to show my age here with a history lesson. The topic of chain letters came up on Facebook the other day, and I was explaining to one of my younger readers what one was. I don't think the term gets used as much as it used to, even though chain letters are still around en masse. They've just evolved from my day. For those still not clear on it, a chain letter is any email you get that conveys some "important" news or that has a nice message you are told to pass onto [some number] of your friends. Often, the important news isn't real--like Applebees giving away free gift cards or Facebook needing to check whose accounts are still active. And often the sentimental ones have some reward, like how good luck will come to you by passing the letter on and getting others to do it.

It occurred to me that in this electronic age, a lot of my teen readers have never come face to face with a paper chain letter. When I was growing up (and there was no internet!), we'd get chain letters in the mail--like, the real mail--and would also be asked to send them to ten or fifteen or whatever of our friends. Only, instead of the convenience of forwarding, we had to copy those little bastards by hand, every word. Then, we'd have to think of ten friends we could torment, hunt down envelopes, and pay for stamps. Ugh! Huge pain.

But, I did it a number of times in my tender teen years in the 1980s. Why? Well, largely through negative reinforcement. Few of the chain letters I got promised happy tidings if I passed them on. Usually, they were things like, "If you break this chain, you will be cursed for seven years." Holy crap. That's quite a threat when you're twelve. Some of them also used to promise pyramid scheme type things. There'd be a list of names and addresses in the letter. You sent a dollar or an intro letter to the person at the top of the list, crossed their name off, wrote yours at the bottom, and THEN sent the letter to ten people. The theory was that if the chain didn't break, you'd eventually get a bunch of dollars sent to you or fun letters from new people. For the record, I never got any of those things.

So, there you have it. A history of the chain letter. You might not call them that or have to hand copy them, but if you're forwarding on emails because Bill Gates is allegedly going to pay cash to everyone who participates...well, there you have it. :)

And ironically, since this whole post has just totally revealed what an old 32 I am, it's fitting that I mention I signed on with the League of Reluctant Adults, a group blog populated by a bunch of other urban fantasy authors. The truth is, I'm actually happy to be an adult, but don't tell them. They're good folks (most of them write adult stuff, fyi), and I'll be blogging over there every so often. The League also runs a forum, and I'm a bit surprised to discover I've been posting there. Those who've been around here awhile know how slackerly I am with responding to LJ and email, so I may eventually drift from the forum too. I'll try to hang in there and answer questions, though, so if you want to check it out, here's the link. There's lots of good stuff and other good authors there, but if you want to jump straight to my section, it's under The Bat Pack>Richelle Mead. Have fun! (And someday, I'll compile a list of Vampire Academy forums because I've been told there are a bunch out there).

I hope this Super Bowl Sunday finds you happy doing whatever it is you do. Today finds me working on my assorted projects, Thorn Queen's first draft and Succubus Heat proofs. For those who have been asking, I'll post Thorn Queen's description up on my website later today when I switch to my other computer. So, if you're interested keep switching back.

In my free time, I've been planning the Ireland trip, which is daunting. There's a lot to take in in only eleven days--nine after you count travel. While we still have more than enough to do, there are a couple of things we're going to have to forego. One is a trip to Skellig Michael, a remote island off the southwest coast that has the ruins of an old, old monastic site. The boat trip is too treacherous in March, so alas, no tranquil island for us.

Oh, yeah. I'm also going to miss this:





It turns out the Irish town of Killorglin has this festival called the Puck Fair in August. During it, a goat is crowned king and presides over the festivities for three days. I picked March for my trip because the air fare was so amazingly good. But, I won't lie, guys. If I'd known about this goat beforehand, I might have paid the double fare to go in August. Okay, probably not...but this is pretty freaking cool, and I'm sad I'll be missing it. Like I said earlier, there's more than enough stuff in Ireland to keep me and the guy busy, but...well. A monarch goat. I might have to write to our local 4-H club about this one.

Just so people know, the informal name poll (with Mona, Sasha, Juliana, etc.) that I had the other day was just to see what people think. It wasn't actually to name a character in a book--that was what the other name contest was for from a couple weeks ago, the one that Sydney won. I've had to take down the informal poll because...well, someone out there (no, not lolcatz) appears to have gotten a little too zealous with fake LJ accounts.

This is either the best idea ever or a disaster waiting to happen:



It also begs the question if the thrill and adventure occur *because* you've gone liqueur sampling before getting in a raft.

Hotel employees will wade out into the pool in full tuxedos and bring you trays full of liquor.