Cover Characteristics (#20): Red Hair

Cover Characteristics is hosted by Sugar & Snark!

Each week we will post a characteristic and choose 5 of our favorite cover’s with that characteristic. If you want to join in and share your 5 favorite covers with the weeks particular characteristic, then just make a post, grab the meme picture (or make your own) and leave your URL in Linky (so we can visit).

You don’t even need to participate, just stopping by and saying hi would be great!

My 5 Favorite Covers with Red Hair: 

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Official Trailer #2

HOW EXCITING IS THIS?!!! I know I'm screaming, but this second trailer for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones movie is so much better and heart-pounding than the first one. If things like this keep coming out before the movie in August, I might die before I even get to see the movie itself.

Cupid Cloud Hop: Sweetheart Couple Book Spotlight (Giveaway)

The Cupid Cloud Hop is hosted by Winter Haven Books!!

This week we were asked to spotlight a book that includes our favorite book boyfriend or sweetheart couple and share what we love about these characters.

I chose one of my favorite sweetheart couple, Jace & Clary from Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments.


The Mortal Instruments on Goodreads
City of Lost Souls on Goodreads

In the beginning, Jace and Clary (but mostly Jace) agonized over the possibility that they were brother and sister, and even when that was proven false, they still had obstacles that seemed impossible to overcome. But they have overcome every obstacle in their path so far, and have come away stronger because of them. These two are a passionate couple that only have eyes for each other. And I'm hoping that by the end of the series, that these two will finally be able to focus solely on themselves and each other. There is just something about this couple that you can't help but love.

Some Jace & Clary Moments:

Credit: kara-lija

City of Bones

“And next time you're planning to injure yourself to get my attention, just remember that a little sweet talk works wonders.”

City of Ashes

“You can close your eyes and think of England, if you like."

"I've never even been to England," she said, but she shut her eyelids. She could feel the dank heaviness of her clothes, cold and itchy against her skin, and the cloying sweet air of the cave, colder yet, and the weight of Jace's hands on her shoulders, the only things that were warm. And then he kissed her.

She felt the brush of his lips, light at first, and her own opened automatically beneath the pressure. Almost against her will she felt herself go fluid and pliant, stretching upward to twine her arms around his neck the way that a sunflower twists toward light. His arms slid around her, his hands knotting in her hair, and the kiss stopped being gentle and became fierce, all in a single moment like tinder flaring into a blaze.

Credit: kara-lija

City of Glass

Clary shut her eyes. You didn't say no to an angel, no matter what it had in mind. Her heart pounding, she sat floating in the darkness behind her eyelids, resolutely trying not to think of Jace. But his face appeared against the blank screen of her closed eyelids anyway - not smiling at her but looking sidelong, and she could see the scar at his temple, the uneven curl at the corner of his mouth, and the silver line on his throat where Simon had bitten him - all the marks and flaws and imperfections that made up the person she loved most in the world. Jace. A bright light lit her vision to scarlet, and she fell back against the sand, wondering if she was going to pass out - or maybe she was dying - but she didn't want to die, not now that she could see Jace's face so clearly in front of her. She could almost hear his voice, too, saying her name, the way he'd whispered it at Renwick's, over and over again. Clary. Clary. Clary.

"Clary," Jace said. "Open your eyes.”

Credit: kara-lija

City of Fallen Angels

“You promise."

"I swear on the angel. The hell with that. I swear on us."

"Why us?"

"Because there isn't anything I believe in more.”

City of Lost Souls

“Anyway that other thing we almost did in Paris-that's probably off the table for a while. Unless you want that whole baby-I'm-on-fire-when-we kiss thing to become freakishly literal.”

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Official Still from THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES

Features Jamie Campbell Bower (Jace), Kevin Zegers (Alec) and Jemima West (Isabelle) in a Pandemonium scene.

Illustration from THE SHADOWHUNTER’S CODEX

Cassandra Clare shared this illustration from The Shadowhunter's Codex:

"The frontespiece illustration for the Shadowhunter’s Codex, by Rebecca Guay, featuring the TMi characters. This thing is actually a huge oil painting in real life. This book is going to be so pretty! (Wait till you see Charles Vess’ illustration of the Infernal Devices characters…)"

  
THE SHADOWHUNTER'S CODEX, a guide to the world of the Nephilim, is due out November 2013!

CITY OF BONES Teaser Poster #2

New CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE Snippet

The snippet features Jace and Jordan and the topic of war.  

“No killing,” Jordan said. “We’re trying to make you feel peaceful, so you don’t go up in flames. Blood, killing, war, those are all non-peaceful things. Isn’t there anything else you like? Rainforests? Chirping birds?” 

“Weapons,” said Jace. “I like weapons.” 

“I’m starting to think we have a problematic issue of personal philosophy here.” 

Jace leaned forward, his palms flat on the ground. “I’m a warrior,” he said. “I was brought up as a warrior. I didn’t have toys, I had weapons. I slept with a wooden sword until I was five. My first books were medieval demonologies with illuminated pages. The first songs I learned were chants to banish demons. I know what brings me peace, and it isn’t sandy beaches or chirping birds in rainforests. I want a weapon in my hand and a strategy to win.” 

Jordan looked at him levelly. “So you’re saying that what brings you peace … is war.” 

“Now you get it.”

Movie Trailer: CITY OF BONES (Teaser Trailer)

Get More: Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Jamie Campbell Bower, Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

"Welcome to the City of Bones." 

How perfect is that line?

Official CITY OF BONES Teaser Poster

First Official CITY OF BONES Movie Still!

Here, Clary brandishes one of her self-created runes — the magical symbols Shadowhunters use to protect themselves. “Clary has the ability to both create new symbols and make runes that are stronger than other people’s. In this scene, she is fending off an enemy with the first rune that she’s ever drawn on herself at the amazement of the other Shadowhunters,” Clare said. “It was very reassuring to come on set and see everything covered in runes and replicated down to the last detail. The movie was definitely made by people who love the books and wanted to do right by them.”

CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE Snippet #2

This second snippet features Jace talking to Magnus about Alec:

“I think,” Jace said, “that you don’t want to tell your secrets, so you decided to break up with Alec because..” 

An added note for Cassandra Clare:

Jace schools Magnus, CoHF.

First CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE Snippet

Check out the very first snippet from CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE, which features Jace and Alec:

Alec looked down at the shattered pieces in disbelief. “You BROKE my PHONE.”

Jace shrugged. “Guys don’t let other guys keep calling other guys. Okay, that came out wrong. Friends don’t let friends keep calling their exes and hanging up. Seriously. You have to stop.”

Alec looked furious. “So you broke my brand new phone? Thanks a lot.”

Jace smiled serenely and lay back on the grass. “You’re welcome.”

'City of Bones' News: Chris Ratz is Eric

Chris Ratz is playing the part of Eric in 'City of Bones'!

Eric is one of Simon's best friends and considers himself an avant-garde New York intellectual. Clary and Simon loyally attend his band performances and poetry readings and sometimes he turns out to be useful, but rarely on purpose.

 
The Cast So Far: 

Lily Collins as Clary Fray

Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace Wayland

Robert Sheehan as Simon Lewis

Jemima West as Isabelle Lightwood

Kevin Durand as Emil Pangborn

Robert Maillet as Samuel Blackwell

Godfrey Gao as Magnus Bane

Jared Harris as Hodge Starkweather

Leah Headey as Jocelyn Fray

CCH Pounder as Madame Dorothea 

Aidan Turner as Luke Garroway 

Kevin Zegers as Alec Lightwood 

Stephen R. Hart as Brother Jeremiah 

Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Valentine Morgenstern 

Harry Van Gorkum as Alaric

'City of Bones' News: Harry Van Gorkum is Alaric

Harry Van Gorkum is playing the part of Alaric in 'City of Bones'!

Alaric is third in command in the New York Werewolf pack and a powerful warrior and respectful of the organization of the pack.

The Cast So Far: 

Lily Collins as Clary Fray

Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace Wayland

Robert Sheehan as Simon Lewis

Jemima West as Isabelle Lightwood

Kevin Durand as Emil Pangborn

Robert Maillet as Samuel Blackwell

Godfrey Gao as Magnus Bane

Jared Harris as Hodge Starkweather

Leah Headey as Jocelyn Fray

CCH Pounder as Madame Dorothea 

Aidan Turner as Luke Garroway 

Kevin Zegers as Alec Lightwood 

Stephen R. Hart as Brother Jeremiah 

Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Valentine Morgenstern 

'City of Bones' News: Jonathan Rhys Meyers is Valentine Morgenstern

Jonathan Rhys Meyers is playing the part of Valentine Morgenstern in 'City of Bones'!








Cassandra Clare on Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Valentine Morgenstern:

So this is not me posting news so much as confirming the rumors: YES, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is going to play Valentine.

I’ve liked JRM since he was in Velvet Goldmine and I have to admit that image was what sprang immediately to mind when the producer called me and said “…Jonathan Rhys Meyers?”

I was like, “Velvet Goldmine!”

And Robert, who is German and very practical, was like, “I hope you have seen things he is in since then or I will assume you do not go to the theater.”

So yes I should probably also mention that JRM plays Henry the 8th on The Tudors, and does a very good job of being charismatic, power-hungry, and cold.

Also a man who appreciates his weaponry.

Did Henry the Eighth own unbuttoned white shirts? And unlaced pants? Either way I suppose we now see why Valentine got so many people to follow his crazy schemes. I suspect by the end of the movie everyone will be going “Just do what that good-looking guy tells you to do, you crazy kids!”

I should probably also mention that he was great in Match Point and Bend it Like Beckham and lots of my other favorite movies. So, in sum: Ireland, we have cleaned you out of   your hot men. Sorry about that. You can have them back in three months when they’re done filming. In the meantime, Sarah Rees Brennan has offered to go onset and paint shamrocks on all the trailers.

[Also I apologize for my absenteeism these past few days. I hate it when there are rumors and I can’t confirm them so I decided to pretend to be dead until I got the confirmation letter news, which was very good for Clockwork Princess, on which I got a lot of revision work done, if not necessarily for my sanity.]

And because I still love Velvet Goldmine (watch it if you haven’t).

 

The Cast So Far: 

Lily Collins as Clary Fray

Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace Wayland

Robert Sheehan as Simon Lewis

Jemima West as Isabelle Lightwood

Kevin Durand as Emil Pangborn

Robert Maillet as Samuel Blackwell

Godfrey Gao as Magnus Bane

Jared Harris as Hodge Starkweather

Leah Headey as Jocelyn Fray

CCH Pounder as Madame Dorothea 

Aidan Turner as Luke Garroway 

Kevin Zegers as Alec Lightwood 

Stephen R. Hart as Brother Jeremiah

'City of Bones' News: Stephen R. Hart is Brother Jeremiah

Stephen R. Hart is playing the part of Brother Jeremiah in 'City of Bones'!








Cassandra Clare on Stephen R. Hart as Brother Jeremiah:

“The Silent Brothers are archivists, but that is not all they are,” interrupted Hodge, sounding as if he were running out of patience. “In order to strengthen their minds, they have chosen to take upon themselves some of the most powerful runes ever created. The power of these runes is so great that the use of them—” He broke off and Clary heard Alec’s voice in her head, saying: They mutilate themselves. “Well, it warps and twists their physical forms. They are not warriors in the sense that other Shadowhunters are warriors. Their powers are of the mind, not the body.”

Brother Jeremiah, who brings Clary and Jace to the Silent City, is:

Stephen R Hart

Dude seems appropriately creepy to me. Also he will be buried under pounds of makeup and robes. Interested to see how the Silent Brothers turn out visually.

The Cast So Far: 

Lily Collins as Clary Fray

Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace Wayland

Robert Sheehan as Simon Lewis

Jemima West as Isabelle Lightwood

Kevin Durand as Emil Pangborn

Robert Maillet as Samuel Blackwell

Godfrey Gao as Magnus Bane

Jared Harris as Hodge Starkweather

Leah Headey as Jocelyn Fray

CCH Pounder as Madame Dorothea 

Aidan Turner as Luke Garroway 

Kevin Zegers as Alec Lightwood

'City of Bones' News: Kevin Zegers is Alec Lightwood

Kevin Zegers is playing the part of Alec Lightwood in 'City of Bones'!









Cassandra Clare on Kevin Zegers as Alec:

So yes, thank goodness, finally, all the paperwork is signed and I can tell you that YES IN FACT, YES ACTUALLY Alec is going to be Kevin Zegers.

So in fact the gossip sites got it right but at the time there was no signed paperwork and he wasn’t actually cast yet so — there wasn’t anything I could say. Especially after we already had one Alec and lost him. So really I’ve been ripping out my hair since then. I think there are just pieces left.

Kevin was actually one of the first actors approached to play Alec but his schedule didn’t work with the filming originally so they went with someone else; then the scheduling changed once again and it didn’t work for Alec Mark Two, but did work for Kevin. Such are the vagaries of casting.

I’ve always liked Kevin, since Transamerica, and I had him on my website for Sebastian for ages which is funny in retrospect because now I’ve seen him play Alec so I think he’s much too nice for Sebastian.

One of the things I really liked about Kevin was that one of Alec’s audition scenes was the scene where Alec shouts at Clary in City of Bones and tells her she endangered Jace’s life. And a lot of the actors who auditioned played it yelling and really mean so you just thought, boy, Alec. What a jerk that guy is. Kevin played it with a quiet sort of intensity that grew through the scene so you could see through the cracks of the anger and think: wow, this guy is really scared and vulnerable. Because that is the Alec people love.

Also he will not have to wear contacts to get Alec’s baby blues because he already has them. Which is just a fortunate plus.

So yes, welcome Kevin!

The Cast So Far: 

Lily Collins as Clary Fray

Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace Wayland

Robert Sheehan as Simon Lewis

Jemima West as Isabelle Lightwood

Kevin Durand as Pangborn

Robert Maillet as Blackwell

Godfrey Gao as Magnus Bane

Jared Harris as Hodge Starkweather

Leah Headey as Jocelyn Fray

CCH Pounder as Madame Dorothea 

Aidan Turner as Luke Garroway

'City of Bones' News: Aidan Turner is Luke Garroway

Aidan Turner is playing the part of Luke Garroway in 'City of Bones'!









Cassandra Clare on Aidan Turner as Luke:

Luke — Clary’s surrogate father figure, he has a hell of a dark past despite his current mild-mannered, bookstore-owning ways. The scars he bears belie his gentle heart — but he could tear you apart with his teeth if you threatened something he cared about.

He was terrific in Being Human and there’s massive buzz about his upcoming role in the Hobbit. He’s Irish so perhaps he and Robert Sheehan can sit around and talk about Irish things.

Looking more the flannel-shirt wearing Luke we know and love. Harald was so excited to work with him he was hopping around. I’m pretty excited about him playing Luke myself! Welcome Aidan!

The Cast So Far: 

Lily Collins as Clary Fray

Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace Wayland

Robert Sheehan as Simon Lewis

Jemima West as Isabelle Lightwood

Kevin Durand as Pangborn

Robert Maillet as Blackwell

Godfrey Gao as Magnus Bane

Jared Harris as Hodge Starkweather

Leah Headey as Jocelyn Fray

CCH Pounder as Madame Dorothea

'City of Bones' News: CCH Pounder is Madame Dorothea

CCH Pounder is playing the part of Madame Dorothea in 'City of Bones'!







Cassandra Clare on CCH Pounder as Madame Dorothea: 

Madame Dorothea was a lot of fun to write. She’s Clary’s downstairs neighbor and a “witch” — the kind with crystal balls and Tarot cards. Her secret is that none of that magic is at all real: it’s a cover for the powerful position she actually does hold in the secret society of Downworlders.

You may know her from The Shield. Or The X-Files. Or Warehouse 13. Or ER. Or The West Wing. Or pretty much every cool show in the known universe. Our director’s wanted to work with her for ages and I think she will be amazing. Welcome, CCH!

The Cast So Far: 

Lily Collins as Clary Fray

Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace Wayland

Robert Sheehan as Simon Lewis

Jemima West as Isabelle Lightwood

Kevin Durand as Pangborn

Robert Maillet as Blackwell

Godfrey Gao as Magnus Bane

Jared Harris as Hodge Starkweather
Leah Headey as Jocelyn Fray

'City of Bones' News: Lena Headey is Jocelyn Fray

Lena Headey is playing the part of Jocelyn Fray in 'City of Bones'!









Cassandra Clare on Lena Headey as Jocelyn: 

Jocelyn is a really fun character to write. She’s overprotective (but for a reason) and often really unyielding and unsympathetic, but she’s also a heroine who saved the world from Valentine, endured a lot of loss, and can execute some pretty badass moves. Moral ambiguity is always fun to play and who does it better than the gorgeous and talented Lena Headey. You probably know her best as Cersei from Game of Thrones.

I have had an actress crush on Lena for years so when they told me she was cast I did a happy dance and hit Sarah Rees Brennan on the head with a spoon. Actually I would have done that last bit anyway. Lena is amazing and I think she will be amazing as Jocelyn. I am super psyched.

The Cast So Far:

Lily Collins as Clary Fray

Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace Wayland

Robert Sheehan as Simon Lewis

Jemima West as Isabelle Lightwood

Kevin Durand as Pangborn

Robert Maillet as Blackwell

Godfrey Gao as Magnus Bane

Jared Harris as Hodge Starkweather