How to use this Page

Author James Patterson recently released a novel book trailer: promoting his YA novel and his adult thriller in the same television commercial.

In the book trailer embedded above, Patterson shares the spotlight with an animated version of Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life‘s protagonist . As the video explains, Middle School was written for a YA audience while Now You See Her is an adult thriller.

Many authors write for both young readers and adults. Melissa de la Cruz‘s first adult novel, The Witches of East End, included appearances from characters her Blue Bloods YA series. Meg Cabot recently released Overbite, a sequel to her adult vampire story Insatiable. Last April, she also published the first book in her YA trilogy, Abandon. Who else can follow Patterson’s example?

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Best trailer for a book…ever! Meg Cabot‘s OVERBITE (funny the way that sentence can be misleading) comes out this week. It is book two in the INSATIABLE series and continues to follow the adventures of Meena Harper.

OVERBITE SUMMARY:

Meena Harper has never rebuffed the love of a god (unless you count the prince of darkness). But she’s always felt as though her gift was a curse, because no one’s ever believed her when she’s told them they were going to die . . . .

Until now.

Meena’s been asked to work for the Palatine, a powerful secret military unit of the Vatican mandated to guard human beings from demon possession, and to obliterate all demon life forms from the planet. The Guard has recently opened their first division in lower Manhattan, and Meena Harper is their new secret weapon. With her ability to predict how-and sometimes when-the living are going to die, the Palatine finally have an advantage over their undead enemy.

Reporting to Abraham Holtzman, head of Manhattan operations, and partnered with Alaric Wulf, the most accomplished of all demon slayers (who happens to greatly appreciate how Meena looks in a short, black dress), Meena is taking her new job seriously. There’s just one small problem: None of the guards in the Palatine’s Manhattan unit seems to like-or trust-her.

Meena can’t understand it. Sure, her ex-boyfriend is the biggest baddie of them all, Lucien Antonescu, son of Dracula, the prince of darkness. But their affair ended the night he destroyed St. George’s Cathedral-and, everyone believes, himself.

With the prince and his minions gone, the need for Meena’s predictions has never been greater. An even more vicious enemy has arisen, one that never dared cross the equator from their South American stronghold while the Dracul was in charge. They are the Lamia, the most feared clan of all vampire kind.

The Vatican has done its part-for once-by transferring to Manhattan Father Henrique, its youngest, most modern (and, thankfully, bilingual), Brazilian monsignor. He’s secretly dealt with more Lamia than anyone in the Palatine. But the press draws unwanted attention to him by dubbing him Padre Caliente (because of his sizzling hot good looks). Of course his appointment as pastor of one of New York City’s proudest accomplishments, the completely restored, soon-to-be consecrated cathedral, St. George’s, is a ruse. But is it a ruse on the Lamir, the public . . . or the Palatine?

As the date of the ceremony approaches, attacks by Lamir in North America begin to mount, and danger closes in. Meena’s best friend Leisha, whose baby’s arrival coincided with the destruction of the church, is powerfully drawn to the site. Meena’s fellow guards are increasingly vulnerable in the field, and only her daily predictions can save them from death. She’s won her colleagues’ respect-and maybe even the heart of one co-worker in particular-but not without drawing, for mysterious reasons, the attentions of Padre Caliente.

Yet no face will ever be more attractive to Meena than Lucien’s. As she begins to unravel the truth about his identity-and the fateful night the two of them last met-Meena’s loyalties will be tested, her true feelings laid bare.

Meena has always been everyone’s guardian. But this time, who will guard her?

Meg Cabot (of Princess Diaries fame) is the author of over twenty-five series and books for both adults and teens. Her most recent book is the paranormal romance Insatiable, a modern sequel to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Armed with the Oxford World Classics edition, she launched a Dracula reading group earlier this summer, and now–in an exclusive Q&A–shares her thoughts on all things vampire. Read on for the chance to test your Dracula knowledge and win prizes!

If you were bitten tomorrow, and had to choose a vampire name, what would it be?
Well, obviously, Meg Cadaver.

If someone attacked “Meg Cadaver” with a stake, and you only had Dracula to block the blow, would it work?
Absolutely.  My super vampire strength, combined with the amazing power of Bram Stoker’s prose, would easily defeat their piddling human arm and wooden stake that was probably made by Ikea.

If Dracula had a Twitter handle, what would it be?
The possibilities are so endless . . .
Longinthetooth
Vampyvlad
Undeaddandy
CoffinCasanova
Although personally, I’d probably go with a simple 8U.

What is the most fascinating thing about vampires?
They never seem to die.

What is the most boring thing about vampires?
They never seem to die.

Who is the most ultimate, hard-core, awesome vampire of all time?
I feel compelled, because of the forum, to answer Dracula. But if you weren’t here I would answer Blade.  I realize he’s a Daywalker, of course, but he has that awesome haircut.

Who is the sexiest vampire of all time?
Sadly for me it’s Michael Nourri circa 1979 as Dracula in “The Curse of Dracula” on the TV show “Cliffhangers,” which I wasn’t ever actually allowed to stay up to watch.  Which is probably why, in my feverish imagination, it’s still the best.  And now I never want to see it, as it could never live up to what I remember thinking, from the commercials: that it had to be the most fantastic show of all time.  Considering it was canceled after only one season, I think this must be untrue.  But you never know.

I’m upset that most modern vampires don’t wear cloaks. How do you feel about this?
I agree.  In Insatiable, I gave my vampire a black Burberry trench coat, the tail of which flapped around a lot in the wind during moments of high tension, to give the impression of a cloak.  But it’s definitely not the same thing. In my defense, the only way to give a vampire a cloak in a book set in modern times and not have him stand out like a big freak is to either make him be an eccentric bestselling author, have live him in the subway tunnels of NYC with the mole people, or have him work at a Medieval Times restaurant.  None of these are particularly appealing options, especially the first.

Sick of hearing about vampires? So is Meena Harper.

But her bosses are making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn’t believe in them.

Not that Meena isn’t familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you’re going to die. (Not that you’re going to believe her. No one ever does.)

But not even Meena’s precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets—then makes the mistake of falling in love with—Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side. It’s a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.

The problem is, Lucien’s already dead. Maybe that’s why he’s the first guy Meena’s ever met whom she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena’s always been able to see everyone else’s future, she’s never been able look into her own.

And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare.

Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future. . . .

If she even has one.

No one is more readable and entertaining than Meg Cabot. Known for her enormously successful young adult series, The Princess Diaries, Cabot is one of the busiest and most prolific writers today. Producing multiple books a year and updating her wildly successful blog on an almost daily basis, people have to wonder when this phenomenon sleeps. Her latest release is a gift to the world of adult readers. Insatiable is about Meena Harper, a soap opera writer who is plagued with the annoying ability to know how and when people are going to die. Did that grab you? Well it should because this is where Cabot excels, her plots are as exciting as a roller coaster ride and her dialogue and pacing are fast and furious. With Insatiable, Cabot tackles the supernatural while tapping into our nation’s current obsession with vampires in mainstream media. This is a perfect addition to your over-stuffed beach bag.