Shadowkissed

Tonight, March 8, from 6:30pm-7:30pm Eastern/3:30-4:30pm Pacific (or use this handy time zone converter) Richelle Mead is throwing a App Release Party on Twitter. Any questions you have app related or not you can ask via Twitter using the hashtag #VAapp and following @RichelleMead. There will also be The Golden Lily giveaways!

If you happen to be one of the few people who are not familiar with Twitter, we’ve got you covered. Here is a beginner’s  guide to Twitter basics. Also while your there, don’t forget to follow us for updates.

Some things to keep in mind are:

• Make sure you use the hashtag #VAapp so that your question will be seen.
• Questions will only be answered once for time purposes, so if it doesn’t, read back through prior questions. Also not all questions do get answered.
• Questions/answers can only be 140 characters long.

We hope to see you there.

With just 109 days to go until The Golden Lily‘s release, Vampire Academy and Bloodlines fans now have something to pacify their Dimitri and Adrian addiction; The World of Richelle Mead App. Fans can now head over to the Apple Store and get the app for free.

Today, Richelle gave us one last sneak peek of some of the app’s features on her blog, stating that she’s “saved the best for last.” And before you get too excited, it is not an audio feature in a sexy, male Russian accent, no matter how many of us think that would be an awesome feature. We know, right?  With the new app we are able to reach out to other fans and see who is talking about the books all over the world and see where they’re from.

We can also take polls, browse archives, or declare if you’re Team Dimitri or Team Adrian. There is also a place where you can find all sorts of links to other Vampire Academy and Bloodlines communities.

It is also a one-stop place for all news related articles. Let us know what you think of the app on our Facebook or Twitter pages. Send us some screen shots of your own and we just might share them.

With only one day to go until the app’s released, Richelle gave us a little taste of the behind the scenes action on her blog. Yesterday we were treated with the books feature, and promised that more treats would be coming. True to her word, Richelle delivered.

When you’ve opened a book that you’ve purchased within the app, which is stunning by the way, you’ll notice that there are different seals located through-out each book. The red “R” seal (as seen in the picture above) opens personal notes from Richelle (as seen below). The purple “i” reveals other information, and a community seal shows what quotes or sections others are sharing on the web.

You can also share your favorite parts on Twitter and Facebook. With less than a day to go until you can download the app, we’d love it if you would share with us your likes/dislikes on the app with us on our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Today, in continuing with her app tour, Richelle gave us a peek at what we will see when first opening the app on her blog. She showed us the books feature which includes the option to purchase all current books, with more books to come as they become available, in the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series within the app and access special features which she promised to reveal to us tomorrow.

The bookshelf will unlock each book as it is purchased to read and access special features.

Before purchasing each book, you will be able to pull it off the shelf and read excerpts, or turn it over to read the book’s synopsis. You can then either buy the book or simply return it to the shelf.

Take your favorite books, and author, with you everywhere.

We’d love to hear what you think or share your excitement, so leave us a comment. Also, if you have any questions on the app, you can check out the app’s FAQ page.

With three days to go until The World of Richelle Mead App’s release, Richelle gave us another taste of what’s to come on her blog today. What did we learn about, you ask? Richelle, of course.

What would an app about Richelle be without a section on the creator of the characters and world we all love.  The app offers links to both Facebook and Twitter, as well as bios, pics, and video interviews.

The screen shot below, that we were rewarded with, gives us a little tease of what we might find in our favorite author’s section of her app.

We’re so excited that we couldn’t wait three more days, and decided to share a video interview that we hope is included in the app. We’re keeping our fingers crossed, and that you enjoy it. Which videos do you hope are included in the app?

Today kicks off Richelle Mead’s app tour countdown, and what better way to kick off the tour than with the characters we all know, love and–not so secretly–obsess about.

The app’s character feature, spotlights thirteen main characters from Vampire Academy and Bloodlines, with bios, quotes and relationships between other main characters. The character feature also varies depending on which device you use.

For iPad users, there are character lockets, shown below. To see bios or quotes, simply click on each character’s locket. For relationships, drag one locket to another. If those two characters have a relationship, the lockets will light up and you can see their relationship history. However, if they clang apart, they have no relationship history to speak of.

Character lockets for the iPad version of the app. The photos are of models casted for the app, not for any movie.

The app’s iPhone/iPod Touch version of the app is a bit simpler. Just scroll through the list of characters for bios or match names for relationships as shown in this screen shot below.

The iPhone/iPod Touch version of the character list.

The World of Richelle Mead App will be available  in English in most domestic iTunes stores on March 2, 2012. For more information you can see the app’s FAQ page and also keep watching here for more to come.

Our fellow Vampire Academy/Bloodlines fans received some exciting news this week when, on Wednesday, Penguin Teen made the announcement via this tweet:

“EXCITING NEWS 4 fans of @RichelleMead‘s Vampire Academy & Bloodlines series! Our World of Richelle Mead app launches March 2!”

The app, set to be released in the iTunes store on March 2, 2012, is a little dhampir’s best friend. Not only can you download and read all the books from both Vampire Academy and Bloodlines, you can connect and share your favorite moments with fans from the Corn Palace to Russia; Zimbabwe to Spokane and everywhere in between. More features are included in this video Penguin released.

The app will also contain stories and notes from Richelle herself, as well as behind the scene access. You’ll be able to learn and explore all your favorite characters. Although you’ll have to purchase the books themselves, the app itself is free!

But wait, there’s more! (Cue infomercial music) Starting Monday February 27, we’ll learn a little more about the app each day during a pre-app countdown on Richelle’s blog. We’ll also see awesome screen shots of the app like this one.

The World of Richelle Mead screen shot.

As of now the app is only available in IOS format, but when asked if there were plans to make an Android version, Penguin said that though there are no plans at the present time to develop the Android version, that could always change.

Can you tell us the name of Robert Doru’s bondmate? How about Lissa’s grandfather’s name? Do you know more about Vampire Academy than anyone else? We need you!

We are currently searching for a dedicated team of researchers to help maintain Shadowkissed.Com! Researchers will be responsible for compiling any and all information from the books. Specific jobs would include making character bios, chapter summaries, character costumes, etc.

Successful applicants will be taken on for a trial period until the end of this month. Permanent positions will only be offered to those that prove themselves worthy.

If you think you are suitable for this role please email your application to lily@shadowkissed.com with a sample of your writing. If you have not got any suitable writing available we will accept a review of any Vampire Academy book in lieu.

As we are sure you all already follow the Official Vampire Academy Movie page on Facebook, it should come as no surprise the Mike Preger has posted an update on the status of the film. He posted this mission update in the notes section:

Dear OVAM,

First off, I’d like to say Happy New Year to all of our amazing FB Page fans. Thank you all for your continuing support and enthusiasm. All of you are as important to this project as anyone, or anything else

As we embark upon the New Year and continue our relentless efforts to bring this very special Book Series to the Silver Screen, we thought we’d share with everyone our progress to date, and plans for the future moving forward.

2011 seemed to go by very quickly. During that period the Producers were actively engaged in four separate negotiations, with four different Hollywood Studios, regarding the development and production of VA.

Each Studio brought exciting prospects to the table, and we respect both the attention and interest shared by all of them. We believed “best intentions” had been shared by all, but the deal we sought was just not to be realized through each of these negotiations.

Recapping briefly, our concerns revolved mostly around a Studio’s commitment towards production. Something that sounds somewhat vague, but in our collective experience in dealing with Hollywood, something we’ve learned is essential. Many, many projects are acquired by the Studios every year, but only a small fraction ever get produced.

The difficulty in all of this is that often after a deal gets made, the controlling interest in a property becomes the sole discretion of a Studio, typically becoming encumbered through different cost associated with whatever development efforts the Studio may invest.

Also, Studio’s are often reluctant to give up any Rights they have acquired under such deals – hence many projects remain on the shelves at Studios for years and years, and may never get produced, and that is our greatest concern.

What we know is this. We have a really popular and successful franchise with Vampire Academy. Millions upon millions of copies are sold and in print. Published in over 35 countries around the world. A new spin-off series “Bloodlines”, continuing the legacy of VA forward, is still being released over the next couple of years.

The popularity of the Series continues to grow, The fan base continues to expand, and the interest for a film, now established, is ever increasing.

Don Murphy and I are committed to get the Right deal in place to make sure this project has the greatest possible potential to move forward and get made and released on a timely basis.

In the meanwhile we need all of your continuing support, enthusiasm and voices in having our intentions heard. We are nearly 200,000 strong on this FB Page alone. With many, many other internet sites devoted to the series and supporting this page as well.

Our mission is to keep this excitement and enthusiasm alive. Our numbers and our commitment are one of the keys that can unlock the doors of Hollywood and help us realize this effort!

We’ve always said from the beginning, we (the Producers alone) are not going to get this deal done, the fans are!

As the New Year unfolds we already have new discussions underway and new ideas to help bring all the elements together to make this work. With your continuing support and help, we will get this project underway.

All my best to each and every one of you………

See you at the Movies,

Mike Preger

Producer

What do you think is going to happen with the movie this year? What news do you expect to receive?

We’re glad that Preger and Murphy are so dedicated to finding the right studio. We would much rather wait to make sure the movie is perfect.

Make sure you suggest the OVAM page to all your friends and help push them up and over 200,000 likes!

It’s not out until June, but Penguin have already released the official description of The Golden Lily!

I wasn’t free of my past, not yet.

Sydney’s blood is special. That’s because she’s 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. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with her allegiances in question, her future is on the line.

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 unlikeliest of places—a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.

The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside—and within—the school grounds. Now that they’re in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.

This is rather exciting! Have you got any predictions for the book? What do you think is going to happen?