I guess everything I have been posting lately has had to do with Richelle Mead's books, because I love them so much!!!!
So incase you didn't read my previos post, Richelle had a challenge for us VA lovers. If she recieved 10,00 pre-orders for bloodlines last week she would post a lost chapter of Bloodlines. It's Adrian's POV when she originally had to make the book in 3rd person POV. This by no means is a spoiler for Bloodlines, and is not included in the book bloodlines. But it definitely is a treat and I loved reading the chapter, because my favorite couple Rose & Dimitri are mentioned!!!
Here's the link: The original beginning of Bloodlines, as told by Adrian
Now even more fun, Richelle recently did an interview on Goodreads. I love reading her interviews because they are always so interesting!!! I will give you a bit. Here is the full interview!!!!
Interview with Richelle Mead
August, 2011
Fantasy writer Richelle Mead understands the allure of a bad boy. Honorable, duty-bound Dmitri may be the hero of her best-selling young adult series Vampire Academy, but readers have always had a weakness for Adrian, the impudent scamp. Now her fans may get their wishes answered with Bloodlines, the first book of a new young adult series featuring minor characters from Vampire Academy. Adrian is back (although Mead isn't revealing exactly how), and the new heroine is Sydney Sage, an alchemist trained to conceal the supernatural world and protect ordinary humans. Known for her robust and resilient female leads, the prolific writer (18 books in six years) also helms the adult fantasy seriesGeorgina Kincaid and Dark Swan. Mead reveals to Goodreads her thoughts on vampire popularity and feminine characters with oomph.
Goodreads: Bloodlines picks up the stories of characters we met in the Vampire Academy series. Do you think Bloodlines will be accessible to readers not familiar with Vampire Academy?
Richelle Mead: It is, actually, and it's kind of refreshing to start hearing reviews come in from people who didn't read the first series. For those who know it, it's a great continuation, and those who don't know it can follow along and catch up.
GR: With teen alchemist Sydney Sage now front and center (she played a supporting role to Vampire Academy's tough heroine Rose Hathaway), Bloodlines delves further into the arcane world of alchemy. What were your sources of inspiration or topics of research for the centuries-old tradition of alchemy in Sydney's family?
RM: It's pretty loosely based on history. It's my own interpretation, so I'm sure there are purists who will say, "Hey, I've read about medieval alchemists, and I don't remember them doing anything with vampires!" I liked the idea of a "Men in Black" society of people trying to keep vampires secret from the world. So that was part of the inspiration. And then at the same time, because I do like tying everything to mythology and folklore if I can, the alchemist idea came in—people dabbling in half magic, half science. They were particularly fascinated with magical substances—that was where the whole lead-into-gold idea came from. So I thought if ever there was a substance you could do wild things with, vampire blood was it. So I borrowed from that history and mixed it back into the "Men in Black" idea, and they sort of spawned from there.
GR: Goodreads member Alana writes, "Sydney struggled with body issues inBloodlines, and while we seldom think of reality entering paranormal story lines, it was great to see a real teen issue come into play. Perhaps this is just a small indication of controlling behavior to come?"
RM: The Moroi [full-blooded vampires] have runway-model figures, which aren't necessarily the ideal female figure, which tends to be a little curvier. Even still, if you're around that all the time it would probably mess with your head a little bit, and everyone, I think, who grows up in the U.S. and is female is bombarded with images about "What should I look like?"—especially at that age. Also, it's an interesting side to Sydney's nature, because she is very controlling and she keeps her world very orderly. She's always asked to keep things working smoothly, and so there's this idea of, "Why can't I make myself work with that same efficiency?"
It's an interesting, very vulnerable part to have to her. Sydney knows five languages, she's well traveled, and she seems like someone who should not be fazed by anything. Yet there's this little tiny thing that nags at her. I think that's an interesting piece—to have that flaw in someone who we would otherwise think is so "with it" and well-rounded.
