Fan Forum - Bloodlines by Richelle Mead #1

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What is Bloodlines? Wasn't Last Sacrifice the final Vampire Academy book?
Last Sacrifice was the final book about Rose. Bloodlines is a spin-off series set in the same world of Moroi, Strigoi, and dhampirs. (Bloodlines is also the name of the first book in the series). So, VA technically ended...but it kind of didn't. We're just going to tell someone else's story for a while and give poor Rose a break. If I kept telling stories about Rose, it wouldn't be all hearts and flowers. More bad things would happen to her!

So what is Bloodlines about then?
Bloodlines has a lot of the characters from the first VA series, but our focus is on a new set: Sydney, Jill, Adrian, and Eddie. Here's the official description:

BLOOD DOESN'T LIE. Sydney is an alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of human and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the last place anyone would think to look for vampire royalty - a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. But instead of finding safety at Amberwood Prep, Sydney discovers the drama is only just beginning...

Wait. You said Adrian was in this book. That description didn't have him. How does he fit into this story?
You'll have to read the book to find out! I can tell you, though, that if you love Adrian, you'll love this. He's all over the book, and everything he says in it is awesome.

Is Bloodlines told in first or third POV?
It's told in first--the "I" voice, and Sydney is the narrator. Before it was written, I'd planned on doing third and rotating through the characters, but once I started working on it, first with Sydney felt like the way to go.

When does Bloodlines come out?
In English-speaking countries, it will be out August 23.

What about non-English-speaking countries?
For a book to come out in other countries and be translated into other languages, a separate deal has to be worked out with each individual publisher. Many international book companies are currently in the process of negotiating to publish Bloodlines, and then there will be a delay for translation. I currently have no information on what countries are negotiating or what their schedules will be for Bloodlines.

Will there be any excerpt or first chapter released a month beforehand?
The first chapter of Bloodlines will be released in the mass market edition (that's a small sized paperback) of Vampire Academy #1, which is coming out June 28. (Here's a pic of the cover). We're hoping some other excerpt will be posted online before Bloodlines comes out, but I don't have any info on that yet. Penguin Australia will also be doing its pre-release teasers, and I'll post those when they come.

Isn't there a short story coming out about Rose and Dimitri in Russia?
This isn't a Bloodlines question, but I get asked about it daily and wanted to clear things up. :) It will come out in an anthology in late 2012, and again: it's a short story, not a novel.

Are you doing a book tour for Bloodlines?
No. I'm doing no more travel for the rest of the year or early 2012 due to my pregnancy, though I will be autographing copies of my August releases for University Bookstore. Updates about my schedule are always on my website calendar. I'd also recommend joining my announcements-only mailing list to have updates sent directly to you about when I'm back on the road again in 2012.

Is there anything else you can say about Bloodlines?
Well, I'm not big on spoilers, so I'm not going to say much more. But, here's an Entertainment Weekly article about the series. Penguin Books also maintains an official Bloodlines countdown page that has some videos of me talking about the series.

What's this bonus that's mentioned in the blog title?
If you've read this far, then yay! You get to hear the latest news. I know it seems crazy since the first Bloodlines isn't even out yet, but I'm happy to announce the title for book #2 in the Bloodlines series: The Golden Lily.

Book 2! When does that come out?
The Golden Lily will be out in spring 2012. And, if all is going well with the baby then, my hope is to be out touring again then.

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