Thursday, December 16, 2010

| 0 Molnija Marks
MTV's Hollywood Crush blog has highlighted Last Sacrifice the last couple of weeks, which we of course love! First they released the title of the Vampire Academy spin-off (Bloodlines), and then we got an interview with Richelle Mead in two parts by Sabrina Rojas Weiss.

The first part of the interview is about the ending of Vampire Academy from Rose's perspective, and starting the spin-off.

Richelle talked about what it was like to get a YA book about vampires published at the time she wrote the first book:
I hadn't even heard of "Twilight" at the time. [But] by the time "Vampire Academy" was finished and up for submission, the publishers were comparing it to "Twilight." My agent came back and was like, "So and so said it was too much like it. So and so said it wasn't enough like it." And I was like, "What is it?" I'm glad I lived in a bubble at the time.
Isn't this kind of sad? I understand that the publishers need to find something they feel is original, but how could they not see how special Vampire Academy is? To me it sounds like those people who insist that all vampire YA stories are similar in some way - just because.

Richelle was asked about how she felt, ending Vampire Academy (the first series she has ended, in fact):
Mostly, what I felt was the pressure and the difficulty involved in wrapping things up. The nice thing about a series is you can end on cliffhangers all the time. You can be like, you know what? Here we go, this person just died, end of book. And with the end of the series, you're very conscious of all the plotlines that were left hanging.
So the big question: Who are we going to see in Bloodlines?
You can probably walk away from "Last Sacrifice," knowing the threads that were kind of left. I had to wrap up Rose, but there are a few characters with issues that still need to be resolved.
All I can say is, I agree with Richelle. ;-)


In the second part of the interview, Richelle was asked specifically about the possibility of Vampire Academy movies, and her views on all the aspects of making a movie.

She talks about where we stand right now in the production process:
"It's such a funny thing, the movie business," Richelle said. "There's no action going on right now. There's no production, no casting, no scripting. There's nothing for me to be involved in at the moment. They're certainly in touch all the time. Right now, they're out soliciting studios and writers."
About Preger Entertainment she had this to say:
"But they're a wonderful company. They talk to me a lot. They talk to the fans a lot, which is amazing. They've got this huge Facebook page, where they're always asking, 'Who would you like to see? What's your favorite part in the book?'"
I absolutely agree with Richelle, and I think most of us do, who read the Official VA Movie Facebook Page (which btw is almost up to 60 000 likes). There is certainly a feeling of real enthusiasm for the books and a genuine interest in hearing our opinions and ideas.

Hollywood Crush wanted to know which scene Richelle was most looking forward to seeing on the big screen:
"The big battle and its aftermath—I would love to see. Mostly because when I wrote that, I envisioned it very cinematically in my head."
She also talks about how she knows there are also people who don't want there to be a movie at all, because they're afraid it'll ruin the books. I certainly understand what they mean, but at the same time, the books don't change just because there is a movie, or what do you think?

These are a few excerpts. To read the entire interview, click here for the first part, and here for the second part.

Thanks to Hollywood Crush for this awesome coverage of Vampire Academy at the release of Last Sacrifice! It's always so fun to see Vampire Academy being given attention from the major entertainment news providers.
| 0 Molnija Marks
Awesome news from Richelle Mead tonight about the NY Times Bestseller list!
And then she gave us the news that Last Sacrifice is in the top 5 on the USA Today Bestseller list as well!

She ended with this very sweet tweet. ;-)
Seems like a pretty good day indeed. :-)

Penguin Paranormal
then informed us that Last Sacrifice actually went straight to first place on the BookScan chart in Australia! (And, yes, we agree. World domination FTW!)

A big Congrats to Richelle Mead from VampireAcademy.org! Great news, and well-deserved!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

| 1 Molnija Marks
Penguin Paranormal had promised that we'd eventually get all the teaser trailers explained, and keeping to their promise, they just posted a video illuminating all the pictures and words in the characters trailers. Beware of spoilers in the still for the video!

There are of course some spoilers for Last Sacrifice in this video, even though I have to say that they manage to explain everything very well without giving away most of the details. However, if you don't want to know anything about what happens in Last Sacrifice, you shouldn't watch this.

Ihave to say, there were a few things about the trailers I still didn't understand after reading the book, so it was really interesting to see what the creators of the trailers' thoughts behind them were. All of it was very thought out (except for one thing that was unintentional, which is hilarious :-).

What did you think? Were you pleased with the trailers, especially now after reading the book?

| 2 Molnija Marks
Some of the really big news in the last couple of weeks have been about the Vampire Academy spin-off. One of the big reveals was that we finally found out what the title will be for the first book in the series:
I was just at a luncheon with author Richelle Mead, celebrating next week's release of "Last Sacrifice," the conclusion to her series about half-vampire/half-human/all-bad-ass bodyguard-in-training Rose Hathaway. And just as I was lamenting the end of Rose's adventures with her best friend, vampire princess Lissa, and smoldering former teacher Dimitri, Richelle gave us this little gift: "Bloodlines," the first book in the spin-off series, will be coming out in August 2011.
So there you have it! I'm sure most of you know by now, but the first book in the Vampire Academy spin-off series is going to be called Bloodlines.

This news was first published on MTV's Hollywood Crush blog. Read the entire article here. (I love how they refer to Rose as "half-vampire/half-human/all-bad-ass". :-)

BookShelf Lust alerted us to the fact that Amazon actually already has a cover up for Bloodlines:

Bloodlines is also available to pre-order from Amazon.

I love the look of this cover! But the question is whether this is the actual cover or just a placeholder. Seeing as Richelle Mead hasn't finished the book, the question is if they really have a cover ready. Maybe you remember that a cover for Last Sacrifice was posted early on Amazon, but it turned out to be an unfinished version. Normally I'd wait until Richelle or Penguin confirms it, to believe it's the actual cover.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

| 0 Molnija Marks
I am now among those who have finished reading Last Sacrifice! Don't worry. I'm not going to say anything about it. Besides, I feel like I really need to think about everything that happened. But it's an amazing book!

Early Friday morning, when I finally finished the book, i decided to listen to my Prediction Podcast again to remind myself of what I had said, and see what I thought about it now. When I started listening to it, I realized I'd been calling Tasha Christian's sister, which she of course is not! :-) She's his aunt. But I think you still get what I was saying.

I remembered that I still hadn't incorporated the podcast in our channel, so now I've added it. You can subscribe to that here.

I've been away from the computer a bit while reading Last Sacrifice (and seem to have taken a break over the weekend as well ;-). However, I'm back now, and I plan on posting some of the news today and tomorrow. Interviews and things have really poured over us the last week (and I'm not complaining!). ;D

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

| 0 Molnija Marks
Hopefully most of you were able to watch the Last Sacrifice webcast from Barnes and Noble in Tribeca, NY yesterday. I watched it, and loved it! Richelle Mead looked great, she was funny, seemed relaxed and answered reader questions in a very gracious manner.

If you were unlucky enough to not be able to watch the webcast, you still have the chance! It's now archived and is up on the website where we watched it originally, Visual Webcaster. Clicking here will take you directly to the Last Sacrifice Event page.

If you for example have a slow internet connection, or for any other reason aren't able to watch streaming video, (or if you maybe don't want to watch it yet, because Richelle reads a bit of Last Sacrifice in it), Shadowkissed.com has a great recap of what Richelle said during the webcast.

I loved the entire webcast, and the fact that we, who otherwise wouldn't be able to go to one of these signings, could still feel like we were attending, even if we didn't actually meet Richelle. :-)

My favorite part, though, was the announcement from Richelle that the next issue of Entertainment Weekly (out on Friday), is going to be covering the spin-off series, what it's about, characters etc. That is so incredibly exciting, and not just because we get to hear about the next book, but also because a major entertainment magazine, read all over the world, highlights the Vampire Avademy series! The more people that know about the series, the bigger the chance that we'll get a movie.
| 0 Molnija Marks
This is something we've been waiting for a long time! We've known that there were plans for designs symbolizing the different magical elements. The final thing needed was for Penguin to approve the designs, which apparently just happened! So here are the designs representing the magic elements, for your viewing pleasure. ;-)





Air


Earth


Fire


Water





Spirit



What do you think?
If you want to let Arcane Vault know your opinion on these designs, you can comment on their Facebook Page, here.

It will be interesting to see what kind of merchandise we'll get with these. Janet Cadsawan is thinking of what kind of jewelry she'll be making with the new magic designs. Let her know your ideas here!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

| 0 Molnija Marks
If you follow Richelle on Facebook or Twitter, you know that she was up almost before dawn today, to do press for a New York TV Station, Pix 11.

After a little digging, I found the video clip of her interview online. (Don't you just love the internet, and how you're able to see these things, even if you're not in New York, for example?)



Thank you to wpix.com for uploading this video, so we can all watch and enjoy it!

Richelle talks about which things are going to get resolved in Last Sacrifice, and the interviewer talk quite a lot about the possibility of a Vampire Academy movie, and what that could mean for Richelle.


Also, don't forget that tonight is the first stop on Richelle Mead's signing tour, and we are all invited! The signing is going to be webcast. It starts at 7 pm EST, in Barnes & Noble in Tribeca, NY, but you can already register at the site where you'll be able to see the webcast. Richelle posted the link again yesterday on her Facebook page.

So if you're planning on attending the webcast online, make sure you go to the Last Sacrifice Release Party Webcast Registration page, and register before 7 pm EST, so you're prepared. :-)
| 2 Molnija Marks
So, have most of you managed to find Last Sacrifice? I know, by reading on Twitter, that a lot of you are torn by the fact that you have exams soon, and it's hard to prioritize. I'd recommend taking a study break once in a while to read a little of Last Sacrifice, but I know it's hard to not just keep on reading. :-)

I still haven't gotten my book, so I caved and just bought the e-book, which means I'm finally able to read it! But don't worry, you won't be getting any spoilers here, not for quite a while anyway. If you're looking for spoilers, there are several places to go. For example you can always visit Penguin Australia's Vampire Academy forum and look through the spoiler threads in the forums.

Last night, when I was still trying to work out whether or not my book would arrive today, I decided to finally do a Prediction Podcast that I've been thinking of doing for a while. It was supposed to be me and Stephanie doing this podcast, but unfortunately that didn't work out, so I recorded one on my own. It is a bit difficult to do one of these podcasts on your own. A lot of the speculation comes from discussing with other people, so it feels like I forgot to talk about some things that I'd also been thinking about when it comes to Last Sacrifice. But most of it is there anyway.

Feel free to listen to and/or download the podcast. You can visit the podcast page to listen to it and download it in different formats. You can download it in mp3 format, by clicking here. Or you can listen to it in this player:



Remember, except for the first chapter of Last Sacrifice and teaser quotes and trailers, there are no spoilers for Last Sacrifice in this podcast, since I still hadn't read the book.

I have started the book now. I haven't read much, but I can already tell that a lot is going to happen in this book!!

Hope you like the podcast, and good luck with your reading! :D

Monday, December 6, 2010

| 0 Molnija Marks
So, here it is! The final Teaser Quote before the release of Last Sacrifice!

Penguin Paranormal posted it just minutes ago:



Do you have any theories what the quote means? I think the images shows us who's involved in the conversation, or what do you say?
| 3 Molnija Marks
Janet from Cadsawan Jewelry has been posting some pics of new designs. We haven't posted them before, so here you go! ;-)

These are Molnija mark earrings that Janet recently posted on Facebook. They're available to purchase from Cadsawan.com.
We've also got some pics of the updated molnija wrap bracelet. This is the one I got in the mail a few days ago (actually it's going to be a Christmas present), and these are pretty good pics of what it looks like. I'm hoping to find the time to show you my bracelet and the other jewelry I got. :-)



It may be hard to see in this picture, but one of my favorite details about the bracelet is actually the small VA charm by the clasp. Can you see it? I love it!

This is a ring Janet wanted our opinions about a month ago. So far it's just a test, and it doesn't look like she'll be making them.
What do you think? Myself, I really like it. But I'm a practical person, so it would be hard for me to wear something like that. I just keep thinking how it would be difficult to wear it with mittens. (We have a foot of snow here right now, and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere. ;-)
However, I really liked the ideas in the comments to the picture!

Until Monday at noon, Janet is holding a sample sale. That means she's selling some very special jewelry for far less than it usually retails for, to make room for other designs etc.
This can be your opportunity to own some really beautiful and rare pieces, that you might noth otherwise afford. You can take a look at all the amazing jewelry here.

Because of the sample sale that Janet has going on at the moment, she got a question about whether the Vampire Academy jewelry is going to be on sale, and I know she's mentioned this before, but I managed to forget it. :-) For one day, celebrating the release of Last Sacrifice, Cadsawan Jewelry is going to have a 25% discount on the Vampire Academy jewelry. The sale will last for 24 hours, her time, i.e. NY time.

So make sure you don't miss that, even if you're planning to be offline on Tuesday to read Last Sacrifice. :-)

Saturday, December 4, 2010

| 0 Molnija Marks
First, I wanted to remind you that there is going to be a chat on Saturday EST. Vampire Book Club has been hosting a re-read of the Vampire Academy series for the last couple of months. Now that we are closing in on release day, they're planning to hold a chat were we can discuss our theories of what will happen in Last Sacrifice.

Details from Vampire Book Club:

What: Vampire Academy fan chat -think of it as an early Last Sacrifice release party
Date: Saturday, Dec. 4
Time: 3-5 p.m. EST
Where: Twitter. Follow @VampBookClub for moderator tweets. The chat will use hashtag #VBCLS


Read all about the chat here.

The chat will take place on twitter, but you can also use sites like TweetChat which shows the tweets in a more regular chat-like way.


Speaking of Twitter, there has been some talk of trying to trend #LastSacrifice when it's released, and I think it could be fun to try. :-) Lily from Shadowkissed.com has started a Facebook event to raise awareness of our attempt to trend on Tuesday. Make sure you join that, and invite friends who you think might want to contribute.
| 0 Molnija Marks
Time for the fifth Teaser Quote!

Penguin Paranormal just posted this on their Facebook page:


I don't know what you think, but this quote can have so many different meanings!

Friday, December 3, 2010

| 0 Molnija Marks
Are you having problems figuring out your wish list? There are a lot of wonderful things out there if you want to buy something Vampire Academy related, and a couple of sites have put together lists for you.

ReelzChannel have posted a Fan Gift Guide for several YA book series, including Twilight, Harry Potter, and of course Vampire Academy. Their gift suggestions for Vampire Academy fans are:




Pre-order now to give the gift of a reserved copy.

price: $10.39 at Amazon.com





St Vladimir Hoodie

This quality sweatshirt boasts the St. Vlad's school seal in classic navy and white. What promises will you keep this year?

price: $36 at Arcane Vault

To see ReelzChannel's other suggestions, including gifts for fans of the Hunger Games and The Mortal Instruments, click here

Emma Vieceli, who is doing the illustrations for the Vampire Academy Graphic Novel, recently came out with a redesigned collection of her own graphic novel, Dragon Heir, which was mentioned as a gift suggestion on a list by amosborne (according to Emma).


To check out the other items on that list (including Dreadnought by Cherie Priest), click here.

Lily from Shadowkissed.com has written a wonderful Christmas Gift Guide full of recommendations for books, clothing and jewelry for all Vampire Academy fans. Be sure to take a look at that as well.

Also, don't forget that you can buy books and merchandise from Penguin's own website. For example, this poster is available to purchase:

Unfortunately I think it's only available for US customers.

So there you go! Quite a few suggestions for gifts to yourself or your favorite Vampire Academy fan. And from what I understand, Hanukkah has already begun, so it's high time to start your holiday shopping. ;-)

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

| 0 Molnija Marks
I've mentioned this on twitter, but I might not have made this perfectly clear on the blog, but here on VampireAcademy.org we try to be as Spoiler Free as possible.That means that we post as little as possible from Last Sacrifice before it's released. I don't know if you've noticed, but we have never actually written down any of the teaser quotes or mentioned what happens in the character videos. That is because you should be able to visit this site even if you choose not to watch those videos.

You shouldn't have to worry about getting spoilers from something we write. Similarly we don't want to get spoiled either. We are trying our hardest to avoid all spoilers, but we still have to manage the site as well.

The book has yet to be released, which means that the general public has not been able to read it, and all of the book can be considered a spoiler. In the last few days, the spoilers flying across the internet have increased, and it's getting harder to avoid them.

Since we want to protect our readers, I've decided to from now on, at least until a couple of weeks after the release date, to make all comments moderated. That means they have to be approved by me (or Kinga and Steph) before they are published. It's unfortunate that I have to do this, but I want this to be a safe place to visit if you're worried about spoilers.

To those of you who like spoilers. I don't have a problem with the fact that you like spoilers, but in the comments on a website, a Facebook wall or twitter are not the right places to post spoilers. It's easy for someone to accidentally read it without wanting to. If you want to discuss spoilers, go to a discussion forum assigned for that, or talk in DMs or msn or private messages.

All of us who want to avoid spoilers are paranoid and afraid to read every page and click on every link at the moment, and it's very tiresome. If you know something that happens in the book, and you know how it's connected to the teaser quotes, for example, please don't post about that in a discussion that's obviously meant to be used for speculation for those who haven't read the book. Not everyone wants to know. Please show respect!

Thanks for your understanding!
| 0 Molnija Marks
This day has been a bountiful one. We got the first chapter of Last Sacrifice, and now Penguin Paranormal has just released the Rose Hathaway trailer for Last Sacrifice!

It was supposed to be instead of the first chapter, because of the technical difficulties, but it looks like we're getting both!



The character trailers always include a spoiler for Spirit Bound. (Then again the entire thing can be seen as a spoiler for Last Sacrifice. ;-) So, as always, watch at your own peril.

As usual: Every image a clue, every word a possibility.

The fifth teaser quote will premiere on December 4.
| 0 Molnija Marks
It's here, it's here, it's here! :-)

The first chapter of Last Sacrifice has finally been posted online! Richelle Mead just posted a link on her Facebook page to USA Today, where you can read the first chapter. Click here to read it.

Now, I'm going to read! See ya! ;-)