Tuesday, August 2, 2011

NPR Vote For Top-100 Science Fiction, Fantasy Titles


Choose your top ten here 

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/02/138894873/vote-for-top-100-science-fiction-fantasy-titles

Charlaine Harris warns her fans to NOT believe internet rumors....

Charlaine posted to her blog today and I found this really interesting.

This is EXACTLY why I had Charlaine's long time board moderator, MCDallas on as my first guest for my last Talk Blood Radio show . If you haven't listened to the podcast do it now! 

I had noticed lots of especially Twitter umm..lets just say"untruths " or uninformed bits of information flying around and I hope we helped a little by getting out correct information in the podcast. 
Ask me if you have a question I'll help you find the right answer.


Charlaine writes .....

I'll be gone for two weeks, so please mind the babysitters – that is, the moderators – while I'm out of town. Turn off the lights when you leave the house, and lock the doors at night.
And don't take candy from strangers. That is, don't believe any of the crazy rumors you hear on other websites, without checking here to get the facts. I'm not saying this because of anything specific; but while I was touring I got an earful of stories from distressed readers who'd read statements on other websites about things I'd supposedly said. Just ask me. Sometimes, context is everything!

Listen here



Listen to internet radio with True Blood in Dallas on Blog Talk Radio

Charlaine Harris writes on her blog about finishing book #12 Deadlocked and lots more

Charlaine write on her blog...

I didn't have a chance to read a lot this past week, because I was working hard to finish DEADLOCKED, Sookie 12. I'm always experimenting with different ways to organize my work so I can keep track of what's going on during the course of the action in the book. This time, I think I made real progress.
The day I send a book to my editor (and my agent, and my continuity maven, and to Dana and Toni) is just about better than Christmas. Of course, the minute it's gone, I think of five things I should have done differently, but I'll have chances to make changes. All of those people will have suggestions, and I'll have days of slogging through the manuscript again trying to decide which changes to adopt and which ones to let fall by the wayside. I'll have plot holes to fill, factual errors to correct, and clumsy sentences to rewrite. And I know all this when I hit "send." But there's always the delightful feeling of accomplishment, the happiness of having done my best.
For a couple of weeks I can maintain the illusion that this time I haven't made any mistakes: that I haven't miscounted and had the action take place on Sunday (when Merlotte's is closed) or put Sookie's birthday on the wrong day, or made any of the million errors possible when a series has gone on for so many years with such a large cast. (I have no idea how George R.R. Martin is doing it.)

read on

Here are some books she reviewed this month

 

True Blood’s Lafayette slays gay stereotypes

While America's fascination with all things vampire seems to be cooling off, the HBO series True Blood manages to stay fresh.
Season four of the hit series is underway with one notable wrinkle central to the series being actor Nelsan Ellis' portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds, a gay cook, prostitute and "blood" dealer. Ellis' popularity on the small screen has forced producers to keep him on the show despite the character of Lafayette being killed off at the end of the first book on which the series is inspired.
What is most interesting about Ellis' portrayal of Lafayette is its departure from the norm of how most homosexual men are usually presented to television audiences. Lafayette doesn't shy away from being flamboyant yet, his flamboyance is darkly hued and coupled with a signature strength and masculinity that shows he is unashamed of who he is but fiercely defensive of the life he lives and the people he chooses to love.
The question remains, in a world still uncomfortable discussing issues of sexual orientation in an adult way, how far does a character like Lafayette go towards changing hearts and minds on what a gay man can be on screen?

read on

South African Actress To Appear In New Season Of True Blood

The fourth season of True Blood kicks off in America on Sunday night, and it has a South African cast member! No, they haven’t written the tokoloshe into the plot (yet). But they have created a “French-speaking supernatural” who will be played by our very own homegirl, Nondumiso Tembe! And it is not just a once-off appearance. She has signed up to appear in several episodes of the vampire drama!
Tembe is the latest South African actress to make it in the US, following Terry Pheto, who recently landed a role in popular soapie The Bold and the Beautiful. This multi-talented lady also released her first album, Izwi Lami, recently.
I’m afraid no other information on her role has been spilled, but we do know that the new season will focus heavily on faeries. So until Sunday when we get to see what supernational shenanigans Nomdumiso gets up to, you’ll have to be content with the first eight minutes of the new season:

http://www.2oceansvibe.com/2011/06/20/south-african-actress-to-appear-in-new-season-of-true-blood/

More about her here http://www.nondumisotembe.com/ 

You might want to follow her @nondumisotembe

Let's solve the mystery of the new spirit and now we know Mavis is her name

: The new spirit is the pretty woman we saw waving at Baby Mikey at Arlene & Terry fire scene.  I posted a photo of her earlier this week and asked who this spirit was.

The folks who commented ( thanks) also remembered seeing her in a video preview. I tracked it down and it was in the preview video shown by Alan Ball at TCA ( critics) panel.

In the video we see this same lady spirit appear to Lafayette in his house ...

Now who is she ??

Then we saw here outside in the yard of Arlene's burning house ...


 We also saw her in Ep 7 in the Merlottes kitchen singing to baby Mikey.


 **We know from casting calls this is Mavis played by the actress,Nondumiso Tembe and she is schedule to be in 4 more episodes this season.

The casting call describes Mavis as a sad-eyed girl dressed in a modest 1930s dress, African-American, age 20-30, and speaks with a Cajun accent. She will appear in flashbacks but it is not clear who’s flashbacks. This a recurring guest role and we can assume that she will be part of either Jesus or Lafayette’s history.

OK could she could be related to the "Great-Great-Great Grandma Mae" who was an ancestor of Lafayette Reynolds and a witch??

Here we see Great-Great-Great Grandma Mae with her daughter, Winnie. This is a scene we see in Season 3 during the Lafayette Jesus V Trip - check out video below.


During the times of slavery, Mae would mix mystic powders and herbs around her bed to ensure that she would never have to share a bed with her master. Jesus called Mae a conjurer, so she most likely practiced voodoo (also called Rootwork) an African-American folk magic tradition.


Home Improvement: Undead Edition includes new Sookie short story RELEASED TODAY!

  This new short story anthology includes a new Sookie short story “If I Had a Hammer” by Charlaine Harris.

This short story finds Sookie with Sam, helping Tara and JB do some home modification on their house to accommodate their new twins. In the knocking down of a closet door they find a bloody hammer and uncover an 70 year old mystery. As it turns out, a boy next door (back in the 30s) was bludgeoned to death with said hammer. Now there is an angry and sad spirit plaguing the house and causing all those gathered, including their new clairvoyant nurse Quiana to feel it. Now Tara, JB and their twins need the help of clairvoyant Quiana, telepath Sookie, and bloodhound Sam to eradicate the spirit from the house.

It was a nice little read at only about 27 pages.

True Blood Soundtrack

The "True Blood" Soundtrack has an array of entertaining and well-sung music. Each of these songs from the HBO series are great to listen to and can help you remember different moments from the series. If you want songs that truly represent "True Blood," then these are the songs for you.

  1. Lee Dorsey, "Give it Up": This is an upbeat unique song that has passionate vocals. It includes Lee Dorsey's fun vocals coupled with a choral background. The song has unique instruments, including a trumpet, that make this one of the best songs on the "True Blood" soundtrack.
  2. Jace Everett, "Bad Things": This "True Blood" Soundtrack song has the deep sexy voice of Jace Everett in this country song. It is a romantic song that you'll want to listen to many times again. The lyrics are great and coupled with a wonderful country beat.
  3. CC Adcock & The Lafayette Marquis, "Bleed 2 Feed": This song is quite appropriate as part of the "True Blood" soundtrack. The lyrics fall in line with the vampire theme and the moderate pace of the song gives an allure of darkness. It's an amazing song with vocals anyone can enjoy listening to.
http://www.screenjunkies.com/tv/genres-tv/sitcoms/true-blood-soundtrack/ 

  

    Interview: Anna Paquin Spills on True Blood

    BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Truth be told, Anna Paquin looked nothing like True Blood's Sookie Stackhouse on this day.
    The Winnipeg born, New Zealand-raised actress who plays Sookie in Oscar-winning writer-filmmaker Alan Ball's trippy, twisty vampire drama based on the popular series of novels by Charlaine Harris, appeared both resplendent and visibly relaxed in an immaculate ivory cocktail dress and sensible shoes as she made her way from the Beverly Hilton lobby to the main ballroom, through a shaft of reflected sunlight, accompanied by her beau and husband of 11 months, Stephen Moyer.
    The real -- some would say surreal -- world of Hollywood glitz and glamour is a far cry from the ill-fated telepathic diner waitress and emotional roadkill Paquin plays on TV, where her character is chased, day and night, by all manner and matter of vampires, werewolves, Wiccans, creepy babies and shapeshifters -- each and every one of them hidebound determined to see that Sookie not live to see another sunrise.

    Chris Bauer talks about being Andy Bellefleur

    Some goodies from the Sam Trammell chat ...

    Q: “how do you feel about sam’s new love interest?”
    A: Sam Trammell”Janina is an exceptional actress and fun and funny–so I love working with her–and I think Luna is good for Sam right now (she’s not leading him to be staked in the heart at least).”
    Q: “What has been your favourite experience while filming True Blood?”
    A: Sam Trammell”It’s been great to be in Louisiana filming, especially season 1 running naked in the woods near Doyline where a lot of my family is from.”
    Q: “Your work has been out of the park this season. Sam as Tommy was so fun and last week – the look on your face when you had to go to the back of the van was too perfect. We’ve all been (kinda) in that spot of “what the hell am I going to do.” Thanks! “
    A: “I loved playing Tommy this week–one of my very favorite episodes for the whole series.”
    Q: ”How did you prepare for your transformation into Tommy? ”
    A:”I of course spent a lot of time with him on set–that’s almost all I needed–though I did watch and re watch his season 3 performances.”

    read all here http://connect.hbo.com/conversations/true-blood/sam-trammell

    Suzuki Ingerslev and decorating King Bill’s House ( Video)