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The HBO "It Boy"
This Swedish actor has a whiff of arrogance, as if he thinks he's superior to the rest of us. Maybe he is.
Nov. 20, 2008 |
Alexander Skarsgård has a slightly superior air about him. Something in the way he squares his shoulders, in his unapologetic stare, in his swagger, feels at once inscrutable and slightly world-weary. The set of his jaw tells us that he finds mortals like us amusing, if somewhat pathetic.
In HBO's miniseries "Generation Kill," the 32-year-old Swedish actor brought a depth and thoughtfulness to Sgt. Brad Colbert that another actor might've missed. Colbert is a complicated mix of sensitive and brutish, intelligent and simplistic, and Skarsgård knew exactly how to capture these contradictions with intensity and restraint. Even obscured by his helmet, his eyes spoke volumes about his conflicted feelings regarding his company's mission. And he looked damn good in Marine garb. Maybe his hauteur comes from his credentials. The son of legendary character actor Stellan Skarsgård, Alex has been voted Sweden's sexiest man an ego-enhancing five times.
It's no wonder Alan Ball chose him to play the top vampire in HBO's "True Blood." Skarsgård's Eric is suave and delectable enough to make even a bloodthirsty ghoul go weak in the knees. His penetrating gaze tells us that he's better than we are, plain and simple. We shouldn't relish this irresistible whiff of disapproval, or find his arrogance so appealing -- but we do anyway, in spite of ourselves.
http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/sexiest_man_living/2008/11/20/skarsgard/pri
nt.html
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The HBO "It Boy"
Come I'll buy you a blood
The food of choice for Bill Compton and other "mainstreaming" vamps is the new synthetic Japanese blood known as "Tru Blood"
http://www.trubeverage.com/
Product placement
Some brands and business really should appreciate the free advertising in Sookieuniverse
Everyone in the Sookie books love to drive to Shreveport and shop at Dillards http://www.dillards.com/
and Bill really loves his 2008 BMW 5351
The women in Bill Compton's life
We know about some of the women that Bill has be involved with. Here are the ones we know:
Caroline Holliday Compton, his human wife they lived together from 1858-1865.
You can look at his family tree here ( it's a HUUGGEE spoiler )
We find out about his human family on the last few pages of Book2 , Living Dead in Dallas.
This the photo of his human family ( Caroline and their children) we see in True Blood.
Lorena "his maker" 1865-@1938
She made him a vampire in 1868 according to the book and 1865 in True Blood.They lived together as a couple for about 80 years according to the books.
Sookie describes her in book 3, Club Dead "Her fangs were all out, and she was snarling at me over Bill's head. She was a blond, like me, but her eyes were brown and her build was smaller; she was a tiny woman. She had dried blood on her hands, and I knew it was Bill's."
Photo at right is the actress Mariana Klaveno as Lorena in True Blood. More info here 
Vampire Diane @1939
In True Blood, Diane is a previous lover of Bill. He tells Sookie "they had sex once in the late 1930's , right after she was made vampire. Vampire Diane was played by Aunjanue Ellis in the series. Photo right.
Sookie Stackhouse 2008
Dead until Dark takes place in late Spring , early summer 2004 and Bill and Sookie are together as a couple until the first paragraph of book three, Club Dead which takes place Christmas week 2004,
In the series True Blood it takes place in 2008.
Selah Pumphrey January -October 2005 (book)
Then of course, there is the human woman, Selah Pumphrey that Bill dates 4 b
ooks after Sookie (books 5- 8), Selah Pumphrey is described as slim and brunette with shoulder length hair...
In Book 5, Dead as a Doornail 'Bill brought a date into Merlotte’s that night. I assumed this was payback for my kissing Sam, or maybe I was just being proud. This possible payback was in the form of a woman from Clarice. I’d seen her in the bar before every once in a while. She was a slim brunette with shoulder-length hair, and Danielle could hardly wait to tell me she was Selah Pumphrey, a real estate saleswoman who’d gotten the million-dollar sales award the year before.I hated her instantly, utterly, and passionately.'
"Undiscovered" a full length movie starring Stephen Moyer
A group of aspiring entertainers try to establish careers for themselves in the city of Los Angeles
All I want for Christmas is my two front fangs...
True Blood Gift List
1. Sookie books from Amazon, Barnes and Noble etc
2. Sookie audio books from itunes, buy cds from bookstore etc
3. Vamp related items Cafe press http://shop.cafepress.com/true-blood
4. True Blood Shirts, Cups, Posters from the HBO Store http://store.hbo.com
5. Posters from the Sookie books illustrator, Lisa Desimini http://www.lisadesimini.com/
True Blood Ailments and Allergies
*Hep D -the only blood born pathogen to which Vampires are susceptible. This is a Hepatitis mutation which makes Vampires weak for a month or so.
*Garlic - an irritant to vampires.
*Lemons and Limes - fairies are allergic to lemons and limes.
* Silver - burns the skin of vampire and can be used to tie up and incapacitate vampires.* Iron - can kill fairies
Sookie Stackhouse books and short stories
Below you will also find a basic chronological list for the books and Sookie short stories. You will also find a timeline, bibliography and my notes.
The timeline is according to Sookie's world for the 9 books and short stories, where Sookie appears. There are real life things like Hurricane Katrina that happen in the books so we do have specific dates to work around.
This is not the timeline for the True Blood TV series but I have done an episode timeline and you can find it here for Season One.
Books and Stories are to be read in this order if possible.
Books are numbered# / Short Stories are *( you can find short story anthology info below)
1. Dead Until Dark
2. Living Dead in Dallas
3. Club Dead
4. Dead to the World
* "Fairy Dust" from Powers of Detection
5. Dead as a Doornail
* "Dracula Night" from Many Bloody Returns
* "One Word Answer" from Bite
6. Definitely Dead
* "Lucky" from Unusual Suspects
7. All Together Dead
8. From Dead to Worse
* "Gift Wrap" from Wolfsbane and Mistletoe
9. Dead and Gone
* "Bacon" from Strange Brew
* "The Britlingens Go to Hell" from Must love Hellhounds
* " Dahlia Underground"
* "Two Blondes” from Death's Excellent Vacation
10. Dead in the Family
11. Dead Reckoning
* “If I Had a Hammer” from Home Improvement: Undead Edition
* New Sookie Novella - The Sookie Stackhouse Companion
* "Death by Dahlia" from Down these Strange Streets
Book Actual Timeline ( the date in the books)
(this is the Sookieverse timeline for all 11books and short stories with Sookie)
1. Dead until Dark- between April 4th and June 21st 2004
2. Living Dead in Dallas - Early September 2004
3. Club Dead -December 1-13th 2004
4. Dead to the World -First weeks of January 2005
* "Fairy Dust" from Powers of Detection - Late January 2005
5. Dead as a Doornail - End of January 2005
* "Dracula Night" from Many Bloody Returns -February 8th 2005
* "One Word Answer" from Bite- late February 2005
6. Definitely Dead - March 21st - March 31st 2005
* "Lucky" from Unusual Suspects - late April early May 2005
7. All Together Dead- week of September 19th 21- 2005 (Shortly after Hurricane Katrina)
8. From Dead to Worse - very last weeks of October 2005
* "Gift Wrap" from Wolfsbane and Mistletoe -Christmas Day, December 25th 2005.
9. Dead and Gone - Takes place first 2 week of January 2006
10. Dead in the Family - 1st week of March 2006
* "Two Blondes" from Death's Excellent Vacation- February 2006
11. Dead Reckoning Late May 2006
Sookie short stories can be found in these anthologies
Sookie appears
Fairy Dust : Powers of Detection (contains short story, “Fairy Dust”) Ace 2004, ISBN 0-441-01197-7
One Word Answer : Bite (contains short story "One Word Answer") Jove 2005, ISBN 0-515-13970-X
Lucky: Unusual Suspects (contains short story, “Lucky”) Ace, December 2008, ISBN-10: 0441016375;
Dracula Night: Many Bloody Returns (contains short story, “Dracula Night”) Ace 2007, ISBN-10: 0441015220
Gift Wrap: Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (contains short story, “Gift Wrap”) Ace, October 7, 2008, ISBN-10: 0441016332;
Two Blondes Death's Excellent Adventure (contains short story, “Two Blondes”) Ace, August 3, 2010, ISBN-10: 0441018688; ISBN-13: 978-0-441-01868-0 (H)
If I Had a Hammer : Home Improvement: Undead Edition (contains short story, “If I Had a Hammer”)Ace Hardcover; 1 edition August 2, 2011 ISBN-10: 0441020356
NewSookie Novella - The Sookie Stackhouse Companion (Aug 2011) Ace ISBN-10: 0441019714
Other Sookieverse stories ( no Sookie)
My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (contains short story "Tacky") St. Martin's Griffin 2006, ISBN 0312343604
Night's Edge (contains the novella "Dancers in the Dark") Harlequin, Oct. 2004, ISBN 0373770103
Strange Brew ( contains the short story "Bacon") St Martin’s Griffin 7th July 2009 0312383363
Must Love Hellhounds ( contains the novella " The Britlingens Go to Hell ") Berkley Trade September 1, 2009 0425229599
Crimes by Moonlight (contains short story “Dahlia Underground" ) Prime Crime, April 6 2010, ISBN-10: 0425235637
Down These Strange Streets (contains short story "Death by Dahlia") Penguin, October, 2011, ISBN-13: 978-0-441-02074-4
buy them all here :
Publication dates for books and stories
1. Dead Until Dark (2001)
2. Living Dead in Dallas (March 2002)
3. Club Dead (May 2003)
4. Dead to the World (May 2004)
- "Fairy Dust" in Powers of Detection (October 2004)
- Dancers in the Dark (novella) in Night's Edge (Harlequin Enterprises) (October 2004) (a Sookie-universe story without the character of Sookie Stackhouse)
- "One Word Answer" in Bite (2005)
5. Dead as a Doornail (May 2005)
6. Definitely Dead (May 2006)
- "Tacky" in My Big, Fat Supernatural Wedding (2006) (a Sookie-universe story without the character of Sookie Stackhouse)
7. All Together Dead (May 2007)
- "Dracula Night" in Many Bloody Returns (September 2007)
8. From Dead to Worse (May 2008)
- "Gift Wrap" in Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (October 2008)
- "Lucky" in Unusual Suspects ( December 2008)
9. Dead and Gone (May 2009)
- "Bacon" in Strange Brew ( July 2009)
- "The Britlingens Go to Hell" in Must Love Hellhounds ( Sept 2009)
Touch of Dead - short story collection ( Oct 2009)
- "Dahlia Underground" Crimes by Moonlight (April 2010)
10. Dead in the family (May 2010)
-" Two Blondes" Death's Excellent Adventure ( Aug 2010)
"If I Had a Hammer" Home Improvement: Undead Edition Aug 2011
The Sookie Stackhouse Companion (Aug 2011)
- "Death by Dahlia" Down these Strange Streets ( Oct 2011)
Book Time Line Notes
1. Dead until Dark- between April 4th and June 21st 2004
Spring is mentioned and Gran says they are on Daylight savings time. The first day of daylight saving time was April 4 that year and the first day of summer was 22nd of June.
2. Living Dead in Dallas - September 2004
Sookie says it's almost fall pg 5 and it's was unbearably hot in Dallas --sounds like early September in TX.
3. Club Dead -December 1-13th 2004
We know the book opens on that night in December and then there are a certain number of days that Bill is missing. When Alcide shops for Christmas presents, it is 2 Saturdays (2 weeks) until Christmas.
4. Dead to the World -First weeks of January 2005
Sookie finds Eric on New Year's Day and he's at her house a couple of weeks.
* "Fairy Dust" from Powers of Detection - Late January 2005
Spring night, we know she meets Claude before Dead as a Doornail
5. Dead as a Doornail - End of January 2005
Book opens on January 25th , the first full moon because Jason turns for the first time. Sookie says it's the end of January on pg 3, 5 and 51. Eric says to Sookie 4 pages from the end of the book that he needs to hire her in early March.
* "Dracula Night" from Many Bloody Returns -February 8th 2005
Dracula Night is February 8th and the Fangtasia invitation Sookie receives has that date for the party. I don't know why according to the CH bibliography the story is listed in October.
* "One Word Answer" from Bite- Late February 2005
Trimming bushes with Bubba at night, it's 62 degrees at night and it's been 4 weeks since Hadley's murder ( Quinn did the hierarchical wedding in January)
6. Definitely Dead - March 21st - March 31st 2005
It's been about 6 weeks since Hadley's murder. Spring begins on March 21st and Claudine says it's March.
* "Lucky" from Unusual Suspects - late April -early May 2005
Sookie says Amelia has been living with her for about a month
7. All Together Dead- week of September 19th 21- 2005 (Shortly after Hurricane Katrina)
Sookie says it's the 3rd week of September on pg 5.
8. From Dead to Worse - very last weeks of October 2005
Sookie says its October on page 32/ Portia's wedding was moved from the 2nd Saturday in April until late October because of Caroline's illness/ Sookie talks about Halloween.
* "Gift Wrap" from Wolfsbane and Mistletoe -Christmas Day, December 25th 2005
Preston comes to Sookie on Christmas Day.
Politics sneaks into the Sookieverse
Photo found hanging above the bar at Fangtasia
Comments:
Arlene: Do you even know what’s between a woman’s legs, Lafayette?
Lafayette: I know every man, whether straight, gay, or George ma-fuckin’ Bush is terrified of the pussy.
Terry : I can't listen to politicians no more I get a seizure.
Lafayette : Too often we are governed by criminals and hypocrites .. I applaud the effort you are making against the poor and disenfranchised especially the vampire and the gays.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Sookie book cover illustrator: Lisa Desimini
The Art of Books: Lisa Desimini…
…and the Southern Vampire Novels
Sometimes, we really do get what we see when it comes to book covers.
I’ve made no secret about my love of the Southern Vampire novels by Charlaine Harris. I also happen to find the covers as enthralling as what they contain. It’s no surprise when I stand in front of my bookshelves, contemplating what to read, and I pull one of the SV books out just to look at the cover art. Again.
I’d always been delighted with the books’ outer, child-like illustrations juxtaposed against the humorous and sometimes much darker stories. The covers represent, for me, a somewhat innocent whimsy, a sort of shy invitation to come closer…no, closer still…till I’m opening the thing and beginning the journey it intended for me in the first place.
It’s a very humble beginning with the cover of Dead Until Dark at first glance, until you look closer. It’s hard to see in the example above, but Sookie’s expression is closed, yet dazed and so trusting – innocent, as we came to know her in her introduction to the world of readers. She is unaware of the danger that has her in its grip, one Bill Compton, vampire computer geek extraordinaire. Extending ever so unobtrusively over his cape is one tiny fang, accompanied by a seemingly calculating gaze. The cover goes on to prepare us for the dark and sinister with the small burning house in the background. The house is very much alone. But is Sookie? In some ways yes, others - no.
As it turns out, Lisa Desimini, the creator of the wonderful SV covers, is in fact a children’s author, who pens and illustrates her own books as well.
I found it refreshing to visit her site and see where Ms. Desimini’s inspiration comes from. Oh, it definitely comes from the books, I don’t think anyone would dispute that the Southern Vampire book covers represent what is at the heart of each installment, yet looking over the work put into her children’s art as well, it’s no wonder at all where her sense of style comes from. I think it is whimsical, as well as strange, striking, scary, provocative to the senses. All things I find the Sookie books to be, actually.
Readers like for the books they read to have covers that match them, match the stories within. It completes the package, and with the Sookie Stackhouse books, I feel like I’m getting that entire package. The laying of hands on a new SV book, seeing that obviously dedicated work in the cover, is one of the highlights of my reading life each year. I must say, as a reader that does not prefer hardbacks, the artwork looks absolutely gorgeous on the hardback editions. On the mass market releases, the artwork does its job very well; it snags the eye, presents a bit of humor, danger, yet downplayed by vibrant hues and soft touches here and there. On the hardback copies though, this art really comes alive and shines. It’s as if I’m getting an excerpt of the book right on the cover.
I believe book covers should represent what is inside. I believe what is inside should live up to that cover, and vice versa. The Southern Vampire books and Charlaine Harris’ writing do just that; it is a marriage most excellent.
To learn more about Lisa Desimini and her work, visit her site.
Sookie Stackhouse mysteries also on audio book
Audio Books for download from itunes
http://www.apple.com/itunes
True Blood Music : message board for the songs and they are linked for download /ringtones etc
http://truebloodwiki.hbo.com/wiki/truebloodwiki/page/True+Blood+Music
Frozen Hawaiian Pie
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large banana)
1 large orange, peeled and sectioned
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup maraschino cherries
2 (9-inch) ready-made graham cracker crusts
Garnishes: chopped pineapple, maraschino cherries, chopped walnuts, whipped topping, toasted coconut, fresh mint sprigs
RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS Stir together condensed milk and whipped topping. Fold in next 7 ingredients. Pour evenly into graham cracker crusts.Cover and freeze 12 hours or until firm. Remove from freezer, and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish, if desired.
Fashion faux pas in Sookieville: Eric's outfit to the orgy
book 2
"The last time I wore an animal hide; but this time I settled for this." Eric had been wearing a long trench
coat. Now he threw it off dramatically, and I could only stand and stare. Normally, Eric was a
blue-jeans-and-T-shirt kind of guy. Tonight, he wore a pink tank top and Lycra leggings. I don't know
where he got them; I didn't know any company made Lycra leggings in Men's X-tra Large Tall. They
were pink and aqua, like the swirls down the sides of Jason's truck.
"Wow," I said, since it was all I could think of to say. "Wow. That's some outfit." When you've got a big guywearing Lycra it doesn't leave a whole lot to the imagination. I resisted the temptation to ask Eric to turn around.
"I don't believe I could be convincing as a queen," Eric said, "but I decided this sent such a mixed signal, almost anything was possible." He fluttered his eyelashes at me. Eric was definitely enjoying this. "Oh, yes," I said, trying to find somewhere else to look.
"Shall I go through your drawers and find something for you to wear
?" Eric suggested. He had actually opened the top drawer of my bureau before I said, "No, no! I'll find something!" But I couldn't find anything more informally sexy than shorts and a tee shirt. However, the shorts were some I had left over from my junior high days, and they encased me "like a caterpillar embraces a butterfly," Eric said poetically.
"More like Daisy Dukes," I muttered, wondering if the lace pattern of my bikini underwear would be
imprinted on my butt for the rest of my life. I wore a matching steel blue bra with a dipping white tank top that exposed a lot of the decoration on the bra. This was one of my replacement bras, and Bill hadn't even gotten to see it yet, so I sure hoped nothing happened to it. My tan was still holding up, and I wore my hair loose.
"Hey, our hair's the same color," I said, eyeing us side by side in the mirror.
"Sure is, girlfriend." Eric grinned at me. "But are you blond all the way down?"
"Don't you wish you knew?"
"Yes," he said simply.
"Well, you'll just have to wonder."
"I am," he said. "Blond everywhere."
"I could tell as much from your chest hair."
He raised my arm to check my armpit. "You sillywomen, shaving your body hair," he said, dropping my arm.
I opened my mouth to say something else on the topic, suddenly realized that would lead to disaster, and said instead, "We need to go."
Spunky Hollow Honey Pineapple Pie
Filling Ingredients
Icing
3 whole eggs
1 C. honey
1/4 of a 32-0z can crushed pine-apple (reserve remaining pineapple and
juice)
CAKE:
3 10-z bars cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
1/4 C. pineapple juice
CRUST:
3/4 C. all-purpose flour
2 T. honey
1 egg yolk
6 T. margarine
Mix all the CRUST ingredients together to make a dough.
Press dough into cheesecake pan that has been coated with an oil spray.
Mix all CAKE ingredients and pour into the crust.
ICING: Boil the icing ingredients together, until slightly thickened. Then mix in remaining pineapple and reserved pineapple juice. Spread icing over top of cheese cake. Bake at 385 degrees for 50 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool for 15 minutes. Remove cheesecake ring off pan, cool at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.
List of pies from Big Patty’s Pie shop
List of pies from Big Patty’s Pie shop
Fried Apple Pie
Frozen Hawaiian Pie
Chocolate Pecan Praline Pie
Chess Pie
7 Layer Jell-O Pie
Peanut Butter Pie
Spunky Hollow Honey Pineapple Pie
Texas Special Sawdust Pie
Sam say "Big Patty's is off I49 south near Bunkie "
View Larger Map
Big Patty's Texas Special Sawdust Pie
Ingredients
7 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell (frozen is fine)
whipped cream
banana, sliced
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine egg whites (unbeaten) and sugar by hand; stir in graham cracker crumbs, coconut and pecans until well-blended.
Pour mixture into pie shell.
Bake 25 to 35 minutes, until glossy and set.
Do not overbake.
Let cool to room temperature before serving.
When serving, top with whipped cream and banana slices
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