On the off-chance that you haven’t seen this yet, here’s a bit of silliness that both Debbie and I found hilarious. Enjoy!

Yes! Check out this press release. The Wicked series has been optioned for the big screen. Squee!

DreamWorks Studios Acquires Rights to Young Adult Book Series “Wicked”

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–DreamWorks Studios has acquired the rights to the young adult book series “Wicked” it was announced today by Mark Sourian and Holly Bario, Co-Presidents of Production for the studio. Aaron and Matthew Benay have signed on to write the adaptation based on their own pitch. The Gotham Group will produce.

A New York Times bestselling series and published by Simon & Schuster, “Wicked” is a five book series written by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié. The first two books, “Witch” and “Curse,” were published in 2002, followed by “Legacy” and “Spellbound” in 2003. The fifth book, “Resurrection,” was published this past summer.

Story follows the journey of a young woman who learns she is a descendent of a powerful coven of witches. Complications arise when she falls in love with a boy who turns out to be a member of a rival coven sworn to destroy her family.

“’Wicked’ has all the elements for a great movie–adventure, mystery, star-crossed lovers, bitter enemies, and the supernatural,” said Mark Sourian. “Aaron and Matthew came in with an intriguing take on the books and a story that we feel will really speak to all audiences.”

Aaron and Matthew Benay, who are brothers, wrote the script for “1906,” which Pixar, Warner Brothers, and director Brad Bird are readying for release in 2012.

Best-selling author Nancy Holder has published sixty books and more than two hundred short stories. She has received four Bram Stoker awards for fiction from the Horror Writers Association, and her books have been translated into more than two dozen languages. She has written or co-written twenty Buffy and Angel projects based on the characters from the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” film and television series.

Debbie Viguié is author of the Once upon a Time novels “Scarlet Moon” and “Midnight Pearls,” as well as the Sweet Seasons novels “The Summer of Cotton Candy,” “The Fall of Candy Corn,” “The Winter of Candy Canes,” and “The Spring of Candy Apples.”

About DreamWorks Studios

DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company led by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The new company is a continuation of DreamWorks Studios which was formed in 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen. The company expects to put into production 5 to 6 films per year.

(This press release is all over the net, but I’ve borrowed it from Nancyholder.com)

We’ve received a pic of Wicked: Witch and Curse that was apparently taken at a Grandparents’ house. As near as we can tell, the person who sent it is called…Inspired? Did we get that part right? Please let us know, and thanks for the pic!

Okay, here are Becca’s five random questions for me today along with my answers.

     A:  It’s a tie between Three Musketeers and Twix.

Q:  What was the name of your first stuffed animal (as near as you can recollect)?

     A:  My first stuffed animal was a bear, the first named one was Mickey Mouse.

Q: If you suddenly found yourself in the old West, what employment would you undertake?

     A:  Fantasy – Gunfighter.  Reality – Pulp novelist.

Q: Who would win in a fight? Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris?

     A:  Chuck Norris.  The only thing that scares him is The Joker. 

Q. Tea or coffee?

     A:  Tea for drinking.  I love the smell of coffee but hate the taste.

Calling all fans of Debbie Viguie’s books!

Do you have a camera/camera phone/image capture device? Do you frequent book stores? Yes?

We’d like you to take pictures of Debbie’s books and send us the pictures (which we will post here) with a little note telling us where the picture was taken (and perhaps your first name.) Photos of any of her books will do, but it would be even better if you can locate any of her non-Wicked books. It would be really nice to see where her other books can be found. Where the heck did we get this idea? Well, a while back I began sending Deb pic messages from my phone whenever I found her books in a store. It amused her mightily, so I continued ever since. It’s like a treasure hunt, so we thought that you all might like to join in the fun.

So, to participate:

- Take a picture of one of Debbie’s books (or a whole group of Debbie’s books) in a bookstore (as long as it’s not against the rules.)
- Add a small note about where you found the book(s).
- Send the image to viguiebooks at gmail.com
- The images will remain your property, but in sending them to us you grant us the right to use them here on the blog.

Thanks, and we hope to see your pics soon.

Okay, another five totally random questions from Becca which I will answer.  (What could she possibly ask next?!)

Q: Which would you rather wear? Zebra print or leopard print clothng.

A:  I’ve worn both before.  I would prefer tiger stripe, but if I have to choose between the other two, leopard print.

Q: Who do you prefer, Smith or Jones?

A:  Jones, definitely Jones.  In case you’re wondering what on earth we’re talking about, it’s the tv show Alias Smith and Jones, a western from the 70s about two outlaws trying to go straight.  Jones’ real name was Kid Curry and he was the gunfighter.

Q: Which is your favorite cooking show?

A:  Um, I don’t have one.  Although I have seen a couple of episodes of that show where two or more teams have to race to complete meals with a mystery ingredient with a live audience watching.  That was fun.

Q: What would you do if you were trapped in EPCOT overnight?

A:  Have the best time ever!  I would walk around and check out backstage, go through all the cast entrances, and just generally enjoy the magic of it all.  I would spend some serious time in the Norweigan village at the end of the Maelstrom ride and then I would curl up and go to sleep on the benches in the waiting area for the show at the China pavillion.

Q:  Do you prefer apples or oranges?

A:  Apples to eat.  Oranges to drink. 

So, we’re starting a new thing here on my website.  Every Friday Becca is going to ask me five random questions she wants me to answer.  If you have questions you’d like to suggest, submit them via the comments.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of Jello?

A: It comes in flavors other than strawberry?!?!    Strawberry followed by lime.

Q: What would you do if Yogi Bear stole your Picnic Basket?

A: I would chase after him and attempt to educate him on the meaning of the word ”share”.  Of course, I’d be happy if I could teach my cat that word!

Q: Which is your favorite Snoopy sibling?

A: Marbles.

Q: What is your favorite kind of fruit juice?

A: Orange juice – it makes me hyper.  I prefer Donald Duck brand.

Q: Have you ever watched an episode of Pokemon?

A:  Nope, not a one.

It’s Wednesday and it’s time to talk Wicked.  Send me your questions and I’ll answer them.  Here’s a common question:  Who is your favorite character?

I feel like that’s a bit of a trick question.  I’m a writer so I have to love my characters, right?  While that is essentially true, there are some characters that are more enjoyable to write than others and some I would actually choose as friends.  For the female characters, ultimately it’s Nicole.  She started out as my least favorite of the three Ladies of the Lily and ended up as my favorite.  For the men it’s a three-way tie between Richard, Armand, and Eli.  I love writing all four of these characters. 

Check them out at www.audible.com/wickedseries !!

We’re very excited that all five of the Wicked books are now available as audiobooks.