Horrible Flake? Me? aka Answers to your frequently asked questions

March, 7 2011

Sorry it has been a couple weeks since my last post. The move, TDD3, Costco signings, etc. Sometimes I'm not sure how I survive-- I'm so behind! But I'm making some awesome headway with the third book and getting very excited about the story, cover concepts, and titles. Of course, I will be sharing as soon as I can. But for now, waiting is the game.

Speaking of waiting, I must put out a blanket apology for any winners of contests that have not yet received their prizes. If you are still waiting on something from me, would you be willing to do me the favor of emailing my admin at admin(at)breedespain(dot)com with the deets? Please put "Contest Winner" in the subject line to help us sort through the other emails that go to that account. I've got record of what has been sent out, but I'm a little lost on what has not yet been sent, and I've finally got my stack of book prizes box unpacked ready to be... well packed again. Then shipped. :D

Are you sensing a theme to this post? As the title indicates, I've come to the conclusion that I have become a horrible flake to my readers. I have emails dating back to early October I had every intention of responding to, and yet... So here we are. In hopes of answering many of the emails at once, I ask you all to forgive me for the generic blanket answers to the frequently asked questions I have received over the last few months. And here we go:

1.) Is there going to be a third book in The Dark Divine series? I'm hoping if you are reading this blog you are already aware of this. If not - YES :D. I am working on it now.

2.) When does the third book come out? It is scheduled to release in the US in Dec. 2011 (probably around the 27th-ish, but that's not official, just my current guess). I don't know the release date of any other market, but imagine it will be about a year following whenever The Lost Saint was released there.

3.) Will you be writing another series/book after The Dark Divine series? That's the plan. I have several stories floating around in my head and I'll write until they tell me I can't anymore. And then I'll figure out a way to defy them anyway.

4.) What's happening with the movie deal for The Dark Divine/Will they be making your books into a movie? Fingers crossed. The option rights were purchased last year by a production company in LA (same producers that did the X-Men movies), but where it goes from there is completely unknown and out of my hands. All we can do is hope the planets and stars align. Believe me. Nobody wants this more than I do.

5.) Can I get a copy of your book(s) to do a review on my blog? Sorry, but I don't have many copies of my own books to go around. In fact, all that I have has already been spoken for and any additional copies that I give out are purchased by me. However, you are welcome to contact my publisher (Egmont, USA) directly to try your luck. But I can't guarantee they are giving any more ARCs out (since, you know... you can go out and buy the books or get them from the library now.)

6.) Will you read my manuscript/do my homework for me? Honestly guys, I am often putting in 16 hour days writing and researching for my writing. And when I'm not being Writer-Bree, I've still got to be Momma-Bree. As much as I would love to help (and I really really mean that) I just don't have the time to give. As for questions with regards to homework, most of the answers you are looking for can be found on my website with a little effort... or you know, by actually reading the books. Sorry if that came out a little snarky. I just want to make sure you get the most out of your education :D.

7.) Can I interview you on my blog? Normally I would say "Yes! I'd love to do that." Unfortunately I am uber swamped right now. But that doesn't mean I can't/won't in the future. If you've already asked me, I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible, but please forgive me for taking FOR-EV-ER to respond. In the meantime, the best thing to do is contact my publicist, Virginia, directly as she may be putting together a blog tour. Contact her assistant, Brooke, at Goodman Media: Bbotsford@goodmanmedia.com.

8.) Can I tell you how awesome you are? *blushes* Sure. *bats eyelashes* But I can't guarantee I'll always believe you. By the way, you're pretty awesome too. In fact, you readers are the most awesomest people ever. I just hope we can always be friends.

9.) Can I send you chocolates? Always :P. My PO box is listed on the website.

Okay, that last one doesn't actually get asked very often, but I think it's a travesty that it doesn't. So I decided to include it anyway.

Thank you everyone for all the awesome notes and comments I get. You guys really do rock and I'm so freaking grateful to have so many supportive friends and readers. Please know that I do in fact read every email that comes in, but in the words of the late great Sammy Davis Jr., "somthin's gotta give" and I can't respond to them all. Having said that, I am a very active tweeter (twitter-er?) and you may find I respond much faster if you contact me that way. If you have any more questions that I haven't answered above, leave them in the comments and I'll either reply or save them up for another FAQ blog post or a post of it's own.

Oh, and while I've got your attention, I'll be speaking at the Whitmore Library (Cottonwood Heights, UT) on March 12th at 1:30 pm, where I'll be giving my advice for aspiring writers. I'd love to see you there if you can make it.

Ok, apology session over. Gotta get back to the grind. *crawls back into writing hole*

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.)