Countdown to THE LOST SAINT Contest (The TDD Movie Edition)

So it's that time of the month again . . . No, not that time of the month . . . It's time for this month's Countdown to THE LOST SAINT Contest! (Because TLS comes out this December 28th, in case you didn't know.)

In honor of the good news from last week (Recap: The movie rights for the THE DARK DIVINE have been optioned by Ralph Winter--Producer of the X-MEN movies--Terry Botwick, and Whitney Thomas at 1019 Entertainment!!!) I'm hosting a special movie edition of the contest this month.

I don't know about you, but the idea of a TDD movie makes me positively giddy. And I can't help but try to come up with the perfect fantasy cast to play the parts of my characters. But I also think it's really fun to see which actors my readers would love to see playing Grace and gang as well.

Which means I want you to suggest your dream fantasy cast for a THE DARK DIVINE movie!*

So here's what you need to do to enter this month's contest-

1.Suggest your dream casting pick for at least one of the following characters (you can do as many of them as you'd like--but you get a point for each one):

Grace,
Daniel,
Jude,
April,
Pete,
Pastor Divine,
Mrs. Divine
and extra credit to whoever wants to throw in a suggestion for Talbot from THE LOST SAINT.

2. Click HERE if you need a refresher on what the TDD characters look like. (Or want to find out in case you haven't read the book--and if you haven't, why not? ;)) But remember that you can be creative with your casting picks. Actors can always dye their hair or wear colored contacts etc.

4. Make your suggestions in the comments of this post. You get one entry for each character you make an actor suggestion for.

5. Earn extra points for spreading the word about the contest. 1 point for tweeting/facebooking. 2 points for sharing it on your blog/website. (Only 3 points total available for spreading the word. Sorry, no extra points for multiple mentions.) Be sure to tell me about what you've done in the comments section so I am sure to give you proper credit.

6. The contest is open until 11:59pm on October 4th. The winner will be announced on the 5th.

7. I'll post pictures of my favorite casting choices on the 5th also, and let you guys vote on the best choices.* And I'm sure there will be some bonus prizes for people who cast their vote--so come back for that.

So what can you win, you ask?

A THE DARK DIVINE Might Be Made Into A Movie Someday Prize-Pack!!

Containing:

1. A boxed set of the X-MEN trilogy on DVD (In honor of my producers from 1019 Entertainment).










2. A bottle of custom TLS Nail-polish. No picture yet, but it's a pretty blue. (The nail polish can only be sent inside the USA, so if the winner is international, some TDD stickers will be sent instead.)

3. A signed ARC of THE LOST SAINT











Plus you can choose THREE of the following books from my Tenner friends:

1. A signed copy of PARANORMALCY











2. A signed copy of THE CLOCKWORK THREE by Mathew J. Kirby










3. A signed copy of PALACE BEAUTIFUL by Sarah DeFord Williams












4. A signed copy of PLAIN KATE by Erin Bow









5. A signed copy of PRINCESS FOR HIRE by Lindsey Leavitt











Okay, so go forth and suggest your fantasy TDD cast. I can't wait to see your suggestions!! And be sure to spread the word about the contest.

*Please note, this is all just for fun and amusement. It will in no way affect the actual casting of a TDD movie--if it's ever actually made--since I don't have any influence on casting.

Brief Physical Descriptions of TDD Characters

Grace:

Almost 17. Fair skinned with long, dark brown, loosely curly hair and violet eyes. She describes her nose as being "Roman." Has that "girl next-door" fresh-faced kind of beauty going on. Short.


Daniel:

Age 18. Naturally very blonde but sometimes dyes his hair black. Deep, dark brown eyes. Thinner build, but tall and well-muscled. Devious smile. Sometimes described as being "wicked hot" but also sometimes he looks like an angel. (A hot angel, of course.)


Jude:

Almost 18. Short, dark brown, hair. Violet eyes. Square jaw. Also has a "roman nose." Jude and Grace look very much like brother and sister.


April:

Age 16. Blond, very curly hair that resembles Cocker Spaniel ears. Blue eyes. Has that Minnesota "Scandinavian" look.


Pete:

Age 18. Big and athletic. Rusty colored hair.


Pastor Divine:

Half Scandinavian, half Russian-ish ancestry. Fair. Wears glasses. In his early forties.


Mrs. Divine:

Dark brown hair like Grace's. She's half Italian/half Jewish. In her early forties.


Talbot:

Early 20s. Large "farm-boy-esque" build. Tall. Very well-built with large forearms. Wavy, milk-chocolate colored hair. Emerald green eyes. Has a penchant for wearing plaid.

The Big Awesome News!!! (a.k.a. THE DARK DIVINE, the movie?!)

Hey awesome friends-

Sorry for the blog silence but I've been waiting until I was allowed to share this with you:

Producers embrace 'The Dark Divine'

Winter, Botwick set adaptation of Despain novel

By DAVE MCNARY

Ralph Winter ("X-Men") and Terry Botwick are turning to "The Dark Divine," acquiring rights through their 1019 Entertainment banner to Bree Despain's three-book young adult series.

Whitney Thomas, an exec at 1019, will also produce.

First tome, titled "The Dark Divine" and published last December by Egmont USA, centers on a 16-year-old pastor's daughter who falls in love with a boy who reveals he's a werewolf. Second title, "The Lost Saint," is scheduled to be released on Dec. 28; the third, untitled book is skedded for publication in late 2011.

Deal comes seven months after Winter and Botwick snagged feature rights to Dean Koontz's "Frankenstein," his bestselling tale of a socially prominent and successful businessman and his superhuman original creation in modern-day New Orleans (Daily Variety, Feb. 16).

"The project has strong romantic appeal to the young 'Twilight' audience," Winter and Botwick said. "Bree Despain is a talented voice with a loyal following."

1019 Entertainment recently premiered the docu "Cool It," centered on the Danish climate change skeptic Bjorn Lomborg, at the Toronto film fest. Roadside Attractions is releasing "Cool It" this fall.

The banner has more than two dozen projects in development, including Paul Verhoeven's "The Surrogate," starring Halle Berry, and the action thriller "Man and Wire" in conjunction with Peter Chernin and with Akiva Goldsman directing.

(You can see the article actually in Variety by clicking HERE.)

SQUUUEEEEEE and Eeep and Woo Hoo and HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP and pretty much every other way of typing out my excitement!!!!! (Words are failing me this morning. Isn't that ironic? but I'm just too darn happy at the moment.)

This doesn't guarantee that a TDD movie(s) will actually get made, but it is the first exciting step in a very long process. I will keep you all posted as things develop.

Huge thanks go out to Whitney Thomas, Ralph Winter, and Terry Botwick for loving TDD enough to want to try to make it into a movie. And also much gratitude and love to Stephanie Fitch Groff who got the ball rolling on this, and to my agents who saw it through. And of course, many thanks to my "loyal following." Seriously, nothing this cool would ever happen without you guys!

(Have I mentioned how super happy I am this morning??? Chocolate for breakfast, you suggest? Why yes, I think that's a fabulous idea.)

Be sure to come back here on September 28th for my monthly Countdown To THE LOST SAINT Contest that will feature a TDD Movie theme. (Hint: Start think of who you'd think would make the perfect TDD cast--for fun and games purposes only of course, I have no power in picking the real cast.)