Behind True Blood, a fight for vampire rights

from Globe and Mail Canada

Before I spoke with novelist Charlaine Harris, I was prepared to dislike her … intensely. Dislike? Hate.

Be patient with me, please. Like Harris, I write neo-Gothic novels. Unlike Harris, my novels have not been turned into a wildly successful, very clever HBO drama, nor have any of them wound up on The New York Times bestseller list, where Harris has placed seven. What is there for a fellow writer not to hate?

The novels in question are the Sookie Stackhouse series, about a young telepath who falls in love with a brooding, sexy vampire – known to television watchers as the award-winning, soapy dramedy True Blood . Imagine Dark Shadows crossed with Steel Magnolias , and you're halfway to understanding the show's uniquely Southern appeal.

While awaiting the second season of True Blood (Sunday, 9 p.m., HBO Canada), I chatted with Harris, an Arkansas mom with a lilting but tough Dolly Parton accent, and found myself unexpectedly mollified, even charmed.

It's hard to hate nice people who've worked very hard for their success.

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