‘Mockingjay’ Author Suzanne Collins ‘Stamps Books’: WIN One Of 5 Signed Copies

Over 150 fans gathered Thursday morning to hear Suzanne Collins read from “Mockingjay,” the final installment in the author’s blockbuster “Hunger Games” trilogy, at Scholastic’s flagship store in SoHo. Fans at the store also received “custom stamped books” pressed with a unique stamp designed for Collins’ book tour in lieu of signing books due to a hand injury.

“This is the biggest event since ‘Harry Potter’,” store manager Michael Strouse said. “We’ve been anticipating this book for over a year.”

Fans lined up well before the store’s opening at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, eagerly scheming for a prime position to see the author speak. By 11:00 a.m. when Collins was scheduled to speak, 50 children gathered on the storeroom floor, while many more adults stood behind them. Some adults wore “Hunger Games” t-shirts of their own and, judging by the looks on their faces, were more excited than the kids.

Read more HERE

When fantasy takes wing, cultures don’t matter!

Explore cultures other than your own, says David Hair, New Zealander and author of The Bone Tiki, to young writers who prefer to work within their own comfort zone.

Hair is coming to Bangalore to launch his book Pyre of Queens, published by Penguin Books India. The story is about Ravindra-Raj, the evil sorcerer-king, who devises a deadly secret ritual where he and his seven queens will burn on his pyre, and he will rise again with the powers of Ravana, demon-king of the epic Ramayana. But things go wrong when one queen, the beautiful, spirited Darya, escapes with the help of Aram Dhoop, the court poet.

Hair’s first book, The Bone Tiki, won the Best First Novel award (in the Young Adult Fiction genre of books at the 2010 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards). The Bone Tiki and its sequel The Taniwha’s Tear are fantasy novels set in New Zealand.

Read more HERE

Vampire business is bloody good
From books to film to TV series, creatures of night taking big bite

Hollywood has repeatedly peddled the apocalyptic threat from aliens, machines, comets, viruses and zombies, but who was watching the vampires?

Never exactly absent from the entertainment scene, those eternal bloodsuckers lately have infiltrated everything from big screens and little screens to bookstore shelves, clothing racks, download services, video games and video, record and jewelry stores.

The low-budget Fox/New Regency Twilight parody Vampires Suck grossed $20 million in its first six days, and five million regular viewers are rabidly following HBO’s newest hit, True Blood, as it swoops toward its Season 3 finale Sept. 12. Meanwhile, Justin Cronin’s The Passage, Stephenie Meyer’s Breaking Dawn and Charlaine Harris’ Dead and Gone hover on bestseller lists.

“By starting with one simple mythological creature that’s been part of our literary universe for centuries, you can create a story that has it all: romance, horror, action, special effects, sex, epic love, wish fulfilment, romantic leading men, delicious bad-boy villains, female badasses, damsels in distress, death, monsters and, ultimately, the perfectly flawed hero who would give it all up if it meant they wouldn’t have to spend eternity alone,” says Julie Plec, writer and executive producer of the CW series The Vampire Diaries. “It doesn’t get more universal than that.”

Read more HERE

What did you think about today’s book news? Have you read ‘Mockingjay’ yet, how would you like to have a signed copy? (uh, me too!) Is the Vampire business here to stay, or will it burn out soon enough?

Peter Facinelli Talks About Alex’s Lemonade Stand

Peter Facinelli recently spoke to fans at an autograph signing in Virginia about one of the charities that he supports - Alex’s Lemonade Stand.  He has been donating a portion of the proceeds from photo ops and autographs at his appearances to the charity which raises money to fight childhood cancer. 

Source: TwiMoms 

Boo Boo Stewart Helps Raise $50,000 for America’s Toothfairy

Source: Examiner.com 

Booboo Stewart (“Seth Clearwater” in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse) and his sister Fivel Stewart were on-hand for Invisalign’s Teen Choice Awards campaign this weekend, and they helped to raise $50,000 for America’s Toothfairy, an organization that supports pediatric dental health. 

Booboo and Fivel Stewart had to pull celebrities attending the Teen Choice Awards aside and ask them to smile for the camera, and $1,000 was donated by Invisalign for each smile. 

Read more here 

Is James Franco Joining “Twilight” Cast?

Source: MTV 

So what are we to make of this new Esquire interview, in which Franco hints he’s getting involved with “Twilight”? When the interviewer first meets the 32-year-old actor, he’s cradling a paperback that he reluctantly admits is the first volume in Stephenie Meyer’s vampire series, saying, “It’s for a project.”

Does that mean he could be joining the cast of “Breaking Dawn,” which is set to begin filming in the fall? Or is this mysterious project just about vampires or teenage drama? A rep for Franco did not return MTV News’ request for comment by press time.

All we can say for certain, at this point, is that Franco is a fan of the book. “It’s crazy how much sexual tension there is,” he said. “It just builds and builds. I mean it never stops. It’s sort of explosive by the end.

Franco did say that the project was “way, way off” and only “something I’m thinking about,” so Twi-hards should proceed with their Franco dreams with caution.

Read more here

Frances Bean Turned Down Role of Bella Swan?

The Internet is buzzing with the story that Kristen Stewart was not, in fact, Catherine Hardwicke’s first choice for the role of Bella Swan.  In a recent interview, Courtney Love says that her daughter, Frances Bean, turned down the role before it was offered to Kristen.  She says:

“Frances is so beautiful, but she doesn’t want to be famous,” Love told Britain’s You magazine. “She was offered the part of Bella in the ‘Twilight’ movies, and Tim Burton wanted her for ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ But she wants to go to college – she’s very good at graphic novels… Frances will be fine.”

Read more here

“Edward Sullen” Talks About Twilight Spoof

Source: MTV

Matt Lanter plays “Edward Sullen” in the upcoming film “Vampires Suck”, which spoofs the Twilight Saga.  MTV recently spoke with the actor about his character and the movie. 

I love that Peter Facinelli turns his appearances into events to help others.  Alex’s Lemonade Stand is a fantastic charity that makes it simple for anyone of any age to get involved in the fight against childhood cancers.   Sadly, research for finding a cure for childhood cancers are seriously underfunded.   Here are a few facts about childhood (pediatric) cancers-  Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15 in the United States.  The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) federal budget was $4.6 billion. Of that, breast cancer received 12%, prostate cancer 7%; while all 12 major groups of pediatric cancers combined less than 3%.  So, if you have a chance to meet Peter Facinelli and pay for an autograph or a photo with him, it is money well-spent!

What do you think about the rumors of James Franco joining the Twilight cast?  If he were to join the cast for “Breaking Dawn”, who do you think that he might play?  Perhaps he could be Jasper’s friend, Peter? 

As far as Frances Bean turning down the role of Bella Swan, I’m calling bullsh** on this one.  Considering the fact that the source is Courtney Love of all people…  There’s no filmography profile for Frances Bean on iMDB as an actress and she would have been around 14 years old when the casting for the film took place. 

What do you think of today’s Twilight news?  Join us in the forum and share your thoughts.  We’d love to hear from you!

Robert Pattinson’s Fame Won’t Last?

www.reelempire.com: Robert Pattinson’s fame won’t last? Do you remember Aidan Quinn? Of course you don’t. It’s like he vanished from the face of the earth. He was an 80′s heartthrob who starred alongside Madonna in “Desperately Seeking Susan.” While he’s maintained a steady acting career, he hasn’t been considered a superstar for decades and because of this, he’s offered “Twilight” superstar Robert Pattinson a few words of advice.

Twilight Stars Get Major Raises for “Breaking Dawn”

AllVoices.com recently reported on the salaries for the stars of the Twilight Saga, citing what they were making in their original contracts and what they will reportedly bring home for filming “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn”.   Here’s how it breaks down:

Original Contracts:

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart:  $2 Million each for Twilight; $12 Million each for New Moon

Ashley Greene: $104,000 per minute

Jackson Rathbone: $121,000 per minute

Elizabeth Reaser: $194,000 per minute (she only had 54 seconds of screen time in New Moon)

Nikki Reed: $149,000 per minute (she had 5.04 minutes of screen time combined in Twilight and New Moon)

Kellan Lutz: $273,000 per minute

Breaking Dawn Deals:

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, & Taylor Lautner: $25 million each (for both installments) plus 7.5% of the films’ theatrical gross, which could result in a final payout of $41 million each

Ashley Greene: $1.25 Million per installment

Jackson Rathbone: $750,000 per installment

Elizabeth Reaser: $750,000 per installment

Nikki Reed: $750,000 per installment

Kellan Lutz: $1.25 Million per installment

Source

Kristen Stewart On Freedom “Twilight” Has Given Her

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer

Kristen Stewart, on the freedom the Twilight series has given her (i.e., she doesn’t have to worry about her next job). The Twilight Saga: Eclipse just passed $245 million; she plays a teenage stripper in New Orleans opposite James Gandolfini in Welcome to the Rileys (out in November).

“I’ve been given every opportunity,” says Stewart. “I couldn’t be in a more creative, free, easy position. Like I don’t feel like I have to do anything. . . .

“I have a clean horizon, and I can’t wait to get excited about the next project.”

More here

Wow!  I am blown away by the salaries that Rob, Kristen, & Taylor are getting.  It’s not that they don’t deserve them, but because they are so young.  I cannot fathom being 18 or in my young 20′s and raking in $41 Million!!  What’s even more amazing is the fact that they will make more from shooting the last two films than the budget for the first film.

The first story fits nicely with Kristen’s statement on having a “clean horizon” for choosing her next project.  When you’re sitting on a mountain of money and you aren’t worried about the mortgage, rent, or where your next meal will come from, there is a tremendous amount of freedom out there!

What do you think about today’s Twilight news?  Do you think that any of the other actors are still seriously underpaid for the upcoming shoots?  Join us in the forum and share your thoughts.

Robert Pattinson loves his busy Twilight life

Robert Pattinson has confessed that he loves the hectic schedule he has when he’s filming for the Twilight films.

The actor said his busy work life made a nice change from all the years when he only had one or two jobs a year.

Robert said, “I just want to work as much as I am now. I like working all the time because I spent so many years before Twilight just doing stuff for two or three months of the year. The rest of the time I’d do nothing, or I’d just have tiny little jobs.”

As much as he welcomes the steady work, Rob says he won’t be sorry when the fame dies down after the films finish.

He said, “I find periods to escape from it and places to get away to as much as possible. I try and tell myself that it’s just a job and that all this craziness won’t last forever.“

(source)

‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’ nears a half billion in sales, mentioned in early Oscar discussions

The latest box office figures for the film point to a worldwide total of $456 million so far, resulting from a $237 million domestic gross and a successful $81.1 million on the international front this weekend (adding up to $219 million so far, internationally).

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse has also been a part of a recent Variety discussion on early Academy Awards predictions. The publication suggested that Eclipse‘s music was one of a few “strong contributions” in the category of music, opening up the possibility that The Twilight Saga: Eclipse could be in the Oscar pool (as was The Twilight Saga: New Moon with Lykke Li’s “Possibility”). Though, Variety also suggests that “popular” songs are not the type of material considered by the Academy.

(source)

Designer applies her talents to vampire game

Alifelong Rogue Valley resident and mother of three has created an iPhone application — called an “app” — that she designed specifically for “Twilight” fans.

Independent game designer Sophie “Rosie” Roberson, 32, of Central Point, used art and computer experience — with the help of software she downloaded onto her iPad — to draw the illustrations for her new app, “Vampire Oracle.”

The app came out July 1, in tune with the release of the third movie of the Twilight saga, “Eclipse.” The software can be used on Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

“The reason I originally did this was because I was asked to create the ‘Twilight Oracle’ for a company,” Roberson said, referring to a game geared especially for the “Twilight” audience. “They didn’t go forward with the idea.”

“Vampire Oracle” consists of 32 cards with a book of associated meanings. The cards represent attributes, emotions and experiences of well known vampires, used to encourage thought and provide guidance in making decisions. They’re similar to Tarot cards, which have been used by mystics since the 18th century.

More here

‘Twilight Saga: Eclipse’ Leads New Teen Choice 2010 Nominees

No matter which way you slice it, the night of August 9 is likely to be a big one for “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.” With final nominations announced on Monday (July 12), the teen vampire drama leads all nominees at the Teen Choice Awards 2010 with 17 nods total, including 11 for Taylor Lautner.

The Choice Summer Movie race has major firepower, with a battle brewing between “The A-Team,” “Despicable Me,” “Grown Ups,” “Inception,” “The Karate Kid,” “Knight and Day,” “The Last Airbender,” “Salt,” “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.” Male movie stars vying for the prize include: Zac Efron in “Charlie St. Cloud,” Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson in “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” Adam Sandler in “Grown Ups” and Jaden Smith in “The Karate Kid,” while the female category will focus on Cameron Diaz in “Knight and Day,” Selena Gomez in “Ramona and Beezus,” Angelina Jolie in “Salt,” Emma Roberts in “Twelve” and Kristen Stewart in “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.”

More here

‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion’ becomes best-seller

Mark Cotta Vaz’s The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion has finally hit USA Today’s Bestseller book list, landing in eleventh place.

The companion, a book filled with interviews, articles, and photographs from The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, rests just below Stephenie Meyer’s Eclipse on the list.

Meanwhile, Stephenie Meyer’s The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella is hanging tough on the list in second place, having been on the list for three weeks.

(source)

Wow, it’s amazing that Taylor has so many nominations! He has really put so much hard work the past few years, and I really liked how Eclipse turned out. In my opinion, David Slade did a good job combining the fight scenes and romance. The music was amazing, the score complemented the scenes really well and the soundtrack had great new bands, that I hadn’t heard before.

Do you think the Twilight Saga: Eclipse score has a chance for the Oscar?

What do you think of the Teen Choice nominations?

Have you purchased your Movie Companion copy? What did you think about it?

What do you think of the Vampire Oracle? Would you iPod users be getting it?

Join us in the discussion!

First Look at New Twilight Spoof – “Vampires Suck”

Source: Examiner.com

We all saw it coming. Can’t say we all wanted it though. The guys who brought us ‘Date Movie,’ ‘Epic Movie,’ ‘Meet the Spartans’ and pretty much every other terrible spoof movie is now giving us the ‘Twilight’ spoof we could’ve predicted years ago.  The movie hits theaters August 18.

More here

Stephenie Meyer To Write About Mermaids?

In an interview on the black carpet at the premiere for “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”, Twilight author Stephenie Meyer talks about possible topics for future books.  As revealed before in other interviews, she talks about the possibility of writing about mermaids in a different way as well as revisiting aliens and a fascination for time travel.   Only time can tell what’s next for her!

Dakota Fanning Talks About Her “Jane” Cutout

Source: MTV

It’s not quite so weird that the majority of the cast of “The Twilight Saga” have cardboard cutouts designed after them (a new version for each film, we might add), but what’s weird is what the fans do with them. But the real question is: when you’re an actor with a cutout made of you, how do you use it to your benefit?

“Sometimes my dad puts it out and you go downstairs in the middle of the night for some water or something and you’re like, oh my god, who is this person?” Dakota said with a laugh. “For the first month we had it, it scared everyone.”

More here

“Twilight” Not At Comic-Con This Year

Source: EW

Angry die-hard comics fans have something to be happy about today, though: Summit Entertainment has just released their Comic-Con schedule, and in a surprising move, the Twilight franchise will not be making an appearance on the panels.

More here

Breaking Dawn Part 2 Release Date Not Yet Set for Summer 2012

Source: MTV

In June, Summit Entertainment announced that “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn” will be released as two separate films, with the first part arriving on November 18, 2011. Though no release date for the second part has been announced, the conventional wisdom has been that the second part would follow in the summer of 2012.

Not so fast. Summit distribution chief Richie Fay told MTV News that no such decision has been made and that the studio is still exploring multiple release dates, not just ones in the summer.

“We’ve targeted a number of dates, and we have yet to determine when it will happen,” Fay said. “We haven’t even determined that it will be the summer. It’s still the source of discussions.”

More here

While I’m sure that if I sat through the entire “Vampires Suck” movie, I’d be wishing that I could get that hour and a half of my life back, I have to admit that there are some funny scenes in that trailer.  The wolf pack dancing to “It’s Raining Men”…good one!!

What do you think of Stephenie Meyer’s thoughts on writing a book on mermaids?  Do you think that she should branch out or stick with vampires and aliens?

What would you do with a cardboard cutout of yourself?  Would you actually display it in your home?

In probably our biggest Twilight-related story posted today, we’ve learned that Twilight will not be a part of this year’s Comic-Con.  Did anyone already have plans to go?  What are your thoughts on Twilight being a part of the convention?  Are you among those who feel that it doesn’t belong in that venue?

What do you think of today’s Twilight news?  Join us in the forum and share your thoughts.  We’d love to hear from you!