Tuesday, March 31, 2009

True Blood - Season 2 Coming Summer 2009 Promo

Posting comments -please log in !

Please, please take the time to sign in to comment. I so enjoy the comments and we've been having some amazing discussions on some of the post threads but it gets a little ridiculous when we are saying "I agree with anony 1"

You can now sign in with Google, Yahoo, AIM or OpenID account.

I think once you sign in, the site will remember you and you wont have to log in every time.

If you don't have OpenID its pretty cool and so easy ...

I just want to be able for us to talk to each other and it's hard when we only see anonymous ..

Thanks " Dallas "

A few more tidbits about Season 2 of True Blood


I have a real feeling that maybe Eric's past has been coordinated between Alan and Charlaine as both Dead and Gone and Season 2 will delve into his past...

FromEonline
Whee! New True Blood gorgeousness!

HBO just graciously confirmed that our favorite Southern vampire friends return for season two on June 14.

BTW, our True Blood source tells us that your favorite Viking vamp, Eric, will indeed be a big part of season two. (Yay!) We'll apparently get to know another side of him when we meet an important figure from his past.

And to answer your fan Q's to tvdiva@eonline.com: Yes, season two was inspired by the second novel and it follows some but not all of its major storylines—there will definitely be a few big surprises and deviations.

Now for the part you've all been waiting for: Many new True Blood season-two photos below the jump...
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b106832_true_blood_get_first_look_season_two.html

Charlaine Harris : Guide to Literary Masters and Their Works,


Charlaine Harris was born on November 25, 1951, in Tunica, Mississippi. Her father, Robert Ashley Harris, was a local school principal, and her mother, Jean Balentine Harris, a librarian. She first developed an interest in writing in the fourth grade and began writing plays when she entered Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Eventually, she earned a B.A. in English and communication arts in 1973 from Southwestern University at Memphis. Upon graduating, Harris held a variety of jobs at newspapers in Clarkesdale and Greenville, Mississippi, including a darkroom operator from 1973 to 1974 and a typesetter from 1974 to 1978. Her first marriage ended in divorce. In 1978, she married Hal Schulz, a chemical engineer, with whom she would have three children.
Harris was living in South Carolina when she wrote her first novel, Sweet and Deadly (1980), about a female journalist's attempt tosolve mystery of her parents' murder in a small southern town. She followed this in 1984 with A Secret Rage, in which the victims of a serial rapist band together to track down their assailant. With the publication of Real Murders in 1990, Harris embarked on a prolific career as a writer of series mysteries. This novel was her first to feature Aurora Teagarden, a professional librarian and amateur detective who discovers someone in her small Georgia town is committing murders patterned on well-known murders from history.
In subsequent novels, including A Bone to Pick (1992), Three Bedrooms, One Corpse (1994), The Julius House (1995), Dead Over Heels (1996), A Fool and His Honey (1999), Last Scene Alive (2002), and Poppy Done to Death (2003), Aurora balances personal romance with murder investigations in the traditional cozy mystery fashion. Harris's penchant for creating strong, frequently underestimated female characters continued with her Lily Baird Mysteries, inaugurated with Shakespeare's Landlord in 1996. Lily is an emotionally scarred woman who survived a brutal attack and who, although educated, prefers to hold a menial job, from which she occasionally stretches to do amateur sleuthing in her town of Shakespeare, Arkansas. The Lily Baird mysteries were praised by critics for their sharp edge and complex character studies, and Harris alternated sequels in the series-Shakespeare's Champion (1997),Shakespeare's Christmas (1998), Shakespeare's Trollop (2000), and Shakespeare's Counselor (2001)-with her Aurora Teagarden novels.
In 2001, Harris inaugurated her new Southern Vampire series, a mix of supernatural fantasy and mystery. The novels, beginning withDead Until Dark, are all narrated by Sookie Stackhouse, a ditzy waitress with psychic powers who lives in a small Louisiana town in an alternate reality where supernatural creatures have rights and mingle freely with mortals. The sequels Living Dead in Dallas(2002), Club Dead (2003), Dead to the World (2004), and Dead as a Doornail (2005) all feature humorous scenarios in which Sookie grapples with werewolves, sorcerers, and representatives of the undead, and inadvertently gets into mischief with thesupernatural hierarchy that controls the destiny of her vampire boyfriend. These novels were the first of Harris's books to become best-sellers in hardcover. Harris was a member of the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters and Crime, and alternated as president of the Arkansas Mystery Writers Alliance.
Essay by: Stefan Dziemianowicz

Dead Until Dark, True Blood tie-in cover comparison

Telma from Portugal writes

Hello Dallas,
How are you? I'm very excited to listen to this week's show.
As promised I send you the Portuguese book cover of Dead Until Dark, that will be in book stores April 9th. As you will see, the cover was changed. The fangs were placed in their "traditional" place, not upfront as in the show. I really don't know why they decided to changed them, but still on the publisher's forum the peoples reaction to it is very positive and they feel it is more "natural" being portrait this way.
Also, the show and the book are named "Sangue Fresco", meaning Fresh Blood, a little different from True Blood. I guess it was just because it sounded better! So, from top to bottom you can read:

Charlaine Harris

Fresh Blood - The Saga
Dead until Dark
Read the book series that is generating one of the biggest HBO television successes in the world.


Kisses,
Telma

Laurell Hamilton's Vampire Hunter heads to TV

The Independent Film Channel is teaming with Lionsgate for a TV movie based on the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter books, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The project is the network's first-ever feature-length production and could be the basis for more Blake projects if successful.

In the books, Blake is a vampire hunter with a lousy dating life who also works as a police consultant investigating supernatural crimes. She attempts to come to terms with her own abilities, and navigate romantic and political relationships within the vampire community.

The 16-books-and-counting Blake novels by Laurell Hamilton include elements familiar to fans of True Blood (vampires are part of regular society) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (tough young female fights supernatural forces). The project will be adapted by Glen Morgan (X-Files, Final Destination), who also serves as executive producer along with Courtney Solomon (Dungeons and Dragons). IFC is targeting the movie to its core base of men ages 18-34 and plans to air the movie next year.

"The popularity of the network in this demographic indicates that there is a clear demand for films that delve into provocative topics and nothing is more classically provocative than vampire lore," said Jennifer Caserta, executive vp and general manager of IFC. "Anita Blake fits perfectly with our successful original programming."

http://scifiwire.com/2009/03/laurell-hamiltons-vampire.php


True Blood Season 2 photos: Keep the party going !

Now let's take theses photos one at a time and carefully look at them.

(from left to right) Chris Bauer and Michelle Forbes in HBO's TRUE BLOOD(2009).


Let's keep the party going ! This might be episode 2.
This maenad ( Maryann ) knows how to party and she's got Andy ( Detective Bellefleur, to you ) into the act..I think that's Tara dancing with Mike Spencer in back right ?
Not sure , what do you guys think ?

True Blood Season 2 photos: Awww Sookie and Bill

So far so good for Bill. She's still speaking to him after learning about Jessica, huh ? Ha!

So what's with the shirt Sook ?

She still has the curly hair like from S1E12 and S2E1- but Bill is in a different shirt. It doesn't look like a t-shirt Bill would own and it's not a Henley. Everyone thinks he's wearing the shirt we saw him in the behind the scenes shot here

Could this be after the maenad attack ? This would be Eric's shirt ?- I think it was a dress shirt in the book, it's not a Fantasia shirt ? Dont know ..

hmmm, what do you guys think ?

True Blood Season 2 photos : Being all fanged up with Eric, Pam and Chow

Unless they are just having fun here being all fanged up..I have no idea.

I would think this is the famed Fangtasia basement and this is in episode 3 "Scratch my Back" and this the scene where Dr Ludwig is treating Sookie for the maenad scratch by having all the vampires partially drain her...

(from left to right) Kristin Bauer, Alexander Skarsgard and Patrick Gallagher in HBO's TRUE BLOOD(2009).



[DR. LUDWIG]
A female LITTLE PERSON, she is a no-nonsense, take-charge medical healer who tends to a severely wounded Sookie (Anna Paquin). Clearly disdainful of Eric (Alexander Skarsgard), Dr. Ludwig is "no fan of the fang," but tolerates vampires as their blood is of great value to her profession.sptv050769..4 speeches & 9 lines, 3 scenes (8)

True Blood Season 2 photos: Daphne, the new waitress at Merlottes

Daphne, the new Merlotte's waitress and Sam squeeze ?

Ashley Jones in HBO's TRUE BLOOD(2009).

This would have to be Episode 1 because we know this from the casting call

[DAPHNE]
Late 20s / early 30s - Daphne is sexy and down to earth, a real country girl, not the greatest waitress, but Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) couldn’t care less, once he gets to know her better. Common sense, no-nonsense, funny, definitely not neurotic. Nudity is preferable in this role…6 episode arc beginning with this episode.

(from left to right) Carrie Preston and Ashley Jones in HBO's TRUE BLOOD(2009).



I'm guesssing she and Arlene won't hit it off...

What else ???

True Blood Season 2 photos: Fellowship of the Sun

Ted and Sarah Newlin
*shudder*

I just can't stand the FotS




Jason with Sarah Newlin

(from left to right)Ryan Kwanten and Anna Camp in HBO's TRUE BLOOD(2009). © HBO/ Jaimie Trueblood

The Light of Day Institute is the FotS Camp that Jason attends . Remember the bus that was spotted on a True Blood shoot last month in Encino, CA.
HERE
What else ? Besides that Jason has clothes on ? Episode unknown -first few I'd think

True Blood Season 2 photos: Sookie meets Jessica

Mom, she just followed me home -can we keep her ? ( like finding a little lost puppy)

Bill tries to explain Jessica to Sookie
I'd say this is Episode one - Sookie is just home from the bar

Bill has on his piano playing clothes from episode 12
(from left to right) Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer in HBO's TRUE BLOOD(2009


Same episode but Bill has made Jessica change and is trying to encourage True Blood ..

Anything else ?

True Blood Season 2 photos:Oh My God, Lafayette is dead !

Now let's take theses photos one at a time and carefully look at them.

Now, I think this is the moment of discover for Sam of Layette's body in the car...he would come out of Merlotte's in response to their screams..

What think you guys ? Anything else we should notice here ?

Note :Sookie and Tara have on their "two week later " clothes ( see below)

Anna Paquin: The Courageous Heart of Irene Sendler

If you sign up under 'press' on the Hallmark site you can watch many movie clips of the movie as well as see photos from the film, the movie looks FABULOUS! Also click on Interviews and you can watch a great interview with Anna.

I have no idea why they are hiding all this stuff...but just sign in and enjoy!

This was a little part of an interview with Anna ..there is also a teacher section which has not yet had information added but Hallmark Hall of Fame educational materials are usually fantastic.

MORE HERE

ANNA PAQUIN (Irena Sendler)

QUESTION: When the script first came to you, what made you want to play this part, and help tell this story?

ANNA PAQUIN: I hadn’t heard of Irena Sendler before I got the script, and as I read it I thought, ‘She sounds so incredible she can’t actually be real.’ But of course, she is real. The fact that she saved thousands of lives during the war, got nominated for a Nobel Prize, and lived to be 98 – it seems almost unreal that one person could’ve done so much in one lifetime.After the initial ‘Wow!’ I thought, ‘Please, please let me get this part!’ I also thought, ‘You don’t hear a lot of women’s stories from World War II. The story of this remarkable woman and the dozens of women in her underground network is one that needs to be told. They are role models for us all – tough, brave, strong.’The more I read about Irena Sendler, the more research I did, the more fascinated I became.

Q: What did your research tell you about Irena’s character?

She was extraordinarily strong. And she was extraordinarily modest.She had no sense of being in any way special or heroic. She was angry aboutwhat was happening to the Jews she knew personally, and the thousands more she didn’t know. She said the only way she could live through that terrible time was to do something. She felt she had no choice. When she was asked years later, ‘Weren’t you scared?’ sheanswered, ‘Yes – but my anger was stronger.’ It speaks to her sense of mission and her sense of humility that
for the rest of her life, looking back on those war years, she felt she
hadn’t done enough.

Q: It’s winter here in Riga [Latvia] – what’s it been like filming,especially the exteriors?

It’s been freezing cold, with snow blizzards, but I love beingpart of something that feels so real. I’ve seen photographs of Warsaw andthe Warsaw Ghetto in the 1940s, and this looks very real. Sometimes it’s alittle depressing, recreating that sad history here – but the fact thatwe’re doing something important counterbalances that. When we shot the scene where I’m smuggling my best friend and grabbing them and throwing them into trucks. Yes, you’re ‘just’ making a film, but it’s still frightening.

Q: You’re working with a lot of children in this film. What’s that been
like?

We are so lucky, we have so many naturally talented young people in this cast. Some have acting experience, like Rebecca Windheim, from Montreal. She’s only 10, but she’s incredible. When I’m doing scenes with her it feels completely real. The casting people have done an amazing job finding all these young people, many of whom have never acted before, and our director, John Kent Harrison, has done a great job coaching them and capturing
heartbreaking images of them on film.

Q: What do you hope viewers will take away from this film?

From my research into Irena, I can tell you that she didn’t take no for an answer. If someone said, ‘That’s not If you really believe in something, you’ll figure out how to overcome the obstacles. I think that’s a powerful attitude to have toward life.

Anna Paquin will star in Irene Sendler story : what's the Irene Sendler Project ?

This is a fascinating project and you will want to know more about it and the life of the amazing woman that Anna will portray.

Protestant kids from rural Kansas, discover a Polish Catholic woman, who saved Jewish children. Irena Sendler and students from Uniontown, Kansas have chosen to repair the world (Tikkun Olam). This web site shares the legacy and life of Irena Sendler, plus her 'discovery' for the world.

In the fall of 1999, a rural Kansas teacher encouraged four students to work on a year long National History Day project which would among other things; extend the boundaries of the classroom to families in the community, contribute to history learning, teach respect and tolerance, and meet our classroom motto, “He who changes one person, changes the world entire”.

Students from rural Kansas, discover a Catholic woman, who saved Jewish children. Few had heard of Irena Sendlerowa in 1999, now after 270 presentations of Life in a Jar, a web site with huge usage and world-wide media attention, Irena is known to the world. How did this beautiful story develop? Read on for the answers.

http://www.irenasendler.org/

What's more undead than goth fashions? Vampire fashion.

The LA Times picks up on the Vampire fashion craze

Last winter, we listed the goth resurgence as one of the top 10 fashion moments of 2008, after L.A. fashion house Rodarte went to the dark side in February of that year and brands like Lancôme, Yves Saint Laurent and Dior did black lip gloss. Not that the look had gone too far underground, witness the goth weddings we profiled in 2007 (see pictures here).

The sensibility's still emphatically undead. Aside from goth, goth and more goth at L.A. Fashion Week, things seem to be trending toward, how shall we put it -- vampire-specific style.The website Trend Hunter shows us what's at stake with this video.



HERE

Vampire Bill's house featured on The Exterminator -it's a Racoon haunting



Ha Ha, this has really tickled me, Poor Bill. Thanks to my birdie for the tip!

Does this house look familiar ? It's vampire Bill Compton's house in Bon Temp from True Blood. I have done tons on research on it HERE

His house was infested by raccoons and was featured on a recent edition of the A&E program called, The Exterminators

'The Racoon Haunting' --haunting/ hunting get it, huh? Ha !
Watch the video HERE

True Blood behind the scenes : Baton Rouge casting

Extra casting from Glorioso casting for Shreveport and Baton Rouge

Thank you for taking the time to register with Glorioso Casting.This registration form will take several minutes to fill out, so take a deep breath, relax and really think about your answers.

It is important to us that your answers be honest and thoughtful.At the end of the form, you will have to download a picture. If you need to, scoot out now to find that perfect pic. It should be a smaller resolution and clearly show your face. Come back after you have selected it!Thanks again!

First Name *Last Name *

Address *

City *State *Zip Code *

What is the best number for us to reach you? We sometimes call last minute, so a cell would be best.

We don't want to talk to your roommate, spouse, mother or answering machine.

We need you!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.gloriosocasting.com/

True Blood Season 2 double talk


This from frear.net and this is perfect example of the TB Season 2 double talk-hahha

1.season 2 will closely follow the plotline of the second novel, Living Dead in Dallas
2.some but not all of its major storylines – there will definitely be a few big surprises and deviations

So it's the same but it's different !

Our favorite TV vamps finally have a premiere date for season 2. According to E! Online, HBO's True Blood will return to the small screen June 14th. The series, based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris, takes place in the Louisiana bayou, in a world where vampires walk amongst humans without needing to feed, thanks to a synthetic blood created by the wacky Japanese. Of course, fresh human blood is always tastier than the Twinkie version. What will season 2 be about? Hit the jump to find out.

According to E! Online, season 2 will closely follow the plotline of the second novel, Living Dead in Dallas (much like Dexter's formula of one-book-per-season). Dallas sees Sookie (played by Anna Paquin) attacked by a poisonous creature. When a vampire sucks out the venom – thereby saving her life – Sookie agrees to return the favor, and use her telepathic power to find a missing vamp. But don't think just because you've read the book you can skip this season. E! Online tells us that the season follows "some but not all of its major storylines – there will definitely be a few big surprises and deviations."

http://www.fearnet.com/news/b15220_we_bite_into_true_blood_season_2_goodies.html

True Blood : Australia

Thanks to Althea for sending us the True Blood Australia web site !

Cool site and videos ..

http://www.showtime.com.au/series/trueblood/videos.php

True Blood Music Video of the Day:Slap by Ludacris



Slap by Ludacris
Thanks Noctunraraven

Monday, March 30, 2009

Great new leaked True Blood Season 2 cast photos !

from the web page Ropes of Silicon
( click photos to enlarge)

I covered HBO’s “True Blood” as long as they were sending me review copies, and as it turned out they only sent me the first five episodes and then left me high and dry. I guess I could give it a second look when it hits DVD and Blu-ray on May 19 and catch up on the eight episodes I missed prior to the upcoming Season 2 premiere on June 14th, but we’ll have to wait an see on that since HBO also never sends me review copies of their TV DVDs and I have so many as is I really only end up buying stuff I already know I want. I am not a huge blind buy consumer.

Nevertheless, “True Blood” is returning to HBO on June 14 and they have sent over ten preview images from the upcoming season including photos of Anna Paquin who plays the lead in the film named Sookie Stackhouse as the story of vampires in Bon Temps, Louisiana unfolds. You also get a look at Alexander Skarsgard (seen in the photo above) who plays Eric Northam, the oldest vampire to be introduced in the series while I was watching. Skarsagard is also rumored to be the star in the upcoming Thor comic book adaptation for Kenneth Branagh in the title role.

There are a few more photos on the site

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/ten-sneak-peek-photos-at-true-blood-season-2

All photos are credited to HBO and JaimieTrueblood.














Season Two Photos

The Sookieverse : Dallas talks to True Blood/ Sookie fans around the world ( Episode 16)

Loving True Blood in Dallas Blogtalk Radio ( there is a little technical glitch at the beginning be patient audio begins at 2:00)


The Sookieverse : Dallas talks to True Blood/ Sookie fans around the world

This has been a thrilling show to put together and tonight is Part One of a Two Part program where I talk to Soookie Stackhouse book and True Blood fans from all over the world. I have recorded Skype interviews with fans from 6 of the 7 continents on the earth and then we will also be talking to other International fans who will also be calling in live ...

This is amazing fun ...

Please join me ... you can call-in and have fun in the chat room !

9:00 pm central time if you miss the live program the podcast is usually up by midnight and it will also be on iTunes by tomorrow !

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/True-Blood-in-Dallas/2009/03/31/The-Sookieverse-Dallas-talks-to-True-Blood-Sookie-fans-around-the-world-

<>

True Blood Season Two June 14th : HBO finally makes it official !

We've know for a couple of weeks from Charlaine's website that Season 2 of True Blood was going to premier on June 14th but I guess HBO has now decide to finally make it official.

This is the schedule so far and what I have on the Season Two Episodes.

201 June 14 2009 Nothing But the Blood
202 June 21 2009 Keep This Party Going
203 June 28 2009 Scratch My Back
204 July 5 2009 Let's Take a Trip Together
205 July 12 2009 Never Let Me Go
206 July 19 2009 Friend Is a Four Letter Word
* 207 July 26 2009 Release Me (I don't know why this isn't listed on the HBO wiki ?)

Die, Vampires, Die: It's Time To Bury The Bloodsucker Trend

Great article from the New York Observer and they go on to talk about Vikings ...*wink*

Vampires don't really live forever—it just feels like they do. Lately, you can't turn on the TV, go to a bookstore, see a movie, or go to a high school without being besieged by vampires and their enchanted human enablers.

On March 25, Variety's Michael Schneider reported that Ian Somerhalder, who played the overly-tweased stipple-bearded Boone on Lost, had been tapped to co-star in an ABC pilot called The Vampire Diaries. According to Variety, the show "centers on a woman who falls for two vampire brothers—one good and one evil."

Add this to the list that includes the just purchased script by Marc Haimes for Elevator Men, which The Hollywood Reporter's Jay A. Fernandez described as "a less romanticized look at the human-vampire interactions"; last week's U.K. release of the delicately named Lesbian Vampire Killers; and the soon-to-be released adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' The Informers.

read on

Can't stand the wait for Sookie book # nine, Dead and Gone ? Maybe try Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

Kelly on her blog, 'Book Sanctuary' reviewed 'Grave Sight' which is the first book in the Harper Connelly book by Charlaine Harris.. if you are gnawing at your nails waiting for Book Nine of Sookie books maybe try this ...

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

No. of pages:
263
Rating: 5/5
Series: Harper Connelly (Book 1)

Synopsis
: Harper Connelly had a lucky escape when she was hit by lightning: she didn't die. But sometimes she wishes she had died, because the lightning strike left her with an unusual talent: she can find dead people - and that's not always comfortable. Everyone wants to know how she does it: it's a little like hearing a bee droning inside her head, or maybe the pop of a Geiger counter, a persistent, irregular noise that increases in strength as she gets closer. It's almost electric: a buzzing all through her body, and the fresher the corpse, the more intense the buzz. Harper and her brother Tolliver make their living from finding the dead, for desperate parents, worried friends . . . and police departments who have nowhere else to look. They may not believe in her abilities, but sometimes the proof is just too much for even the most sceptical of police chiefs to deny. But it's not always easy for someone like Harper, for the dead *want* to be found - and too often, finding the body doesn't bring closure; it opens a whole new can of worms.

Review: This is the first book I've read by Charlaine Harris, and what a great introduction to someone who I'm sure will become a favourite. I love her style of writing, it's so easy to read, but it keeps you gripped throughout. Harper and Tolliver are great characters, and you feel like you really get to know them during the book. Harper was hit with lightening when she was 15, and since then, she's been able to sense dead bodies and tell what they died from. So she and Tolliver, her brother, travel around the country tracking missing people, for a fee of course. When they go to the Ozarks to find a missing, but believed dead, teenage girl for the county officials, it's just another job...until they get accused of murder. As a result, Harper goes on a mission to find out what's really happening in this small town, with some shocking results.

Read on

Vote for Eric as Alpha Dog



Little birdies are asking that I remind you to vote for our True Blood Alpha Male, Eric Northman !
VOTE **VOTE **VOTE **VOTE
The Viking is not winning right now !

True Blood Music Video of the Day: Like I love you by Justin Timberlake



Like I love you by Justin Timberlake LYRICS

Trevor250990

Sunday, March 29, 2009

'Cold Ground ' the title song for True Blood Season One Episode Six

I recently did a Season 2 Spoiler show for my Blogtalk radio show, where we looked at what we might know about the upcoming episode by examining the title song for that episode.

I can't tell you how many emails I received from folks saying they felt so stupid for not realizing that the True Blood episodes were named for songs. It's OK but I thought it might be a good idea to look back at the song, the artist and the lyrics for each of last season's episode title songs.


So let's look back to Season 1, Ep 6: Cold Ground which originally aired : 10/12/2008

Cold Ground by Rusty Truck from the 2003 album Broken Promises

When it came time to record his first album, former Rolling Stone chief photographer Mark Seliger was savvy with his connections. He obviously befriended the right people along the way and his band, Rusty Truck, reaped the benefits. Broken Promises is the fruit of five years' work, a countrified, blues-tinged, no-nonsense rock & roll blend that's real in heart and soul. Rusty Truck gives Seliger the chance to prove himself on another level and it's a pleasant surprise. Having guest spots from the likes of Jakob Dylan, Lenny Kravitz, Sheryl Crow, and Willie Nelson doesn't hurt, but Seliger and co. make it known that this is more than an all-star bash. Broken Promises is a rare occasion, an emotive set of songs that explore genre-blending boundaries that gives back to the basics of rock & roll. From the easy-listening title track duet with Kravitz to the high lonesome gems with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings ("Cival Wars/Luck's Changing Lanes," "Tangled in the Fence"), the band's stripped compositions clue a listener in to Seliger's main intention of telling a story. Broken Promises doesn't do anything new as far as molding country and rock, but it's an honest effort and it's solid. Who knew Seliger was a real artist behind the lens? by MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide

Lyrics:
They say that lightning strikes again
It's true a whisper might have done us some good
A big old house to play pretend
Lead you into bitter solitude

Chorus
I come to see you in the night
I wanna see you lying down, into that cold, cold, cold, cold ground

Close the door and turn the key
I locks the door
And it's time to sleep
And all those pretty treasures are deep
Once revealed inside a dream
Diamonds shine on a water's edge
Never make it back from sea
To pray for nothing short of breath
Oh no never do we breathe

Chorus
I come to see you in the night
I wanna see you lying down, into that cold, cold, cold, cold ground

They don't know what they don't see behind closed doors
Is it real or just something we have ignored
When little wings have been clipped and bound
And tied to this cold, cold, cold, cold ground

Chorus
I come to see you in the night
I wanna see you lying down, into that cold, cold, cold, cold ground



True Blood to air in Singapore and what a very small world it is

I'm getting pretty excited about my upcoming blogtalk radio show on Monday night. This past week, I have been interviewing True Blood and Sookie Stackhouse fans from all over the world and it's been a blast . Tune in Monday night 9pm for more!

One of the things that I asked in these interviews was is there anything I could do more of on the blog that would help our international friends and one of them said that they appreciated all the international articles that I post (I kind of love it as well as the foreign language Sookie book covers) and they'd love to see posts especially with dates so they can forward to their friends.
So here goes overseas friends ... If you are in Singapore ( I'd love to interview you!) and

Singapore. True Blood lands on our shores on 9th April on Cinemax StarHub Channel 59. It debuts with a whopping 4 episodes back to back and double episodes on subsequent Thursdays. Wow...a true True Blood overload. If it is as good as everyone says it is...I won't mind. I'm seriously thinking about subscribing to the channel just to watch the series...sure its probably going to be heavily edited...but when else will I be able to catch the series.

http://addictedtofilms.blogspot.com/2009/03/true-blood-lands-on-april-9.html

BREAKING: Vampires, Gays Insufficiently Frightening; Children in Grave Danger of Inappropriate Sucking

I've been thinking for days about writing about this and just couldn't figure out how to do it- I WOULD not be a National Review reader but I did stumble recently on to an article posted there about vampires and how the author thought " Our pop culture has turned the vampire from monster to hip Other" I had much the same reaction to it that 'Thers' did at Firedoglake Blog ( I blog I do read).
I'll encourage you guys to read both and reach your own conclusions.



Over at NRO, the very serious cultural commentator Tony Woodlief warns the nation that just like the gays, vampires are becoming disturbingly fashionable. This is a disturbing trend. In the good old days, real life gays and fictional vampires were, quite rightly, destroyed on sight as incorrigibly evil suckers of various repulsive bodily fluids. But nowadays, sadly, as a sign of our fallen moral world, we no longer consider either inherently evil as an inevitable consequence of their basic nature. Why, sometimes we even go so far as to portray them in films or on the teevee as misunderstood or even sympathetic, shudder.

We have fully reversed the symbolism of Stoker’s vampire, who represented a demonic assault on a virtuous community. Today’s vampire is the hip Other, and the community around him is either bungling, intolerant, or simply a source of comedic relief (as in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Lost Boys, and Fright Night, for example). The modern vampire is in touch with his sexuality, but the community suppresses it. The modern vampire is coming to take away your girlfriend, and she kind of likes it. The modern vampire is the guy you wish you had been in high school, or the guy you wish you’d dated in high school, and Meyer has turned that into gold.

The trouble with this evolution is that fictional monsters serve a valuable cultural purpose. They remind us that we live in communities, and that our communities must be defended from those who would rend them asunder.

Read on

I don't think I fully get why the Firedog lake entry included this video from the Young Ones ( A Brit comedy that you may have seen on PBS ) but it's pretty funny.

The importance of Sookie short stories: An Anthology Just for One Story?

Our friend Bella over at 'Confessions of a Bibliophile' blog writes about the short story " Lucky"
I preach the sermon of Sookie short stories every place a get a soap box -so, thanks to Bella for helping me with my mission !

Here is the complete list and time line for all the Sookieverse short stories and novella.

Does anyone get anthologies for just one story?

I got this one from the library just so I could read Lucky by Charlaine Harris. The story was very much enjoyable, especially as I'm out of Sookie Stackhouse stories until Dead and Gone is released, and I may end up reading a few of the other stories.

Lucky is the story of Amelia and Sookie investigating the recent break-ins of their local insurance agent, Greg Aubert. During their investigations they come across vampires-in-hiding, and a little too much luck floating around.

This story is set between All Together Dead and From Dead to Worse, and is a must for Sookie fans, like me, that are waiting for Dead and Gone to be released.

http://convicted-bibliophile.blogspot.com/2009/03/anthology-just-for-one-story.html

True Blood Music Video of the Day: Breathe me by Sia



Breathe me by Sia LYRICS

Thanks, piperkent

Saturday, March 28, 2009

You've watched too much True Blood if


You know you've watched too much True Blood when you want to travel to Sweden

You hear a song on the radio and think "this would make a good Loving True Blood in Dallas "True blood video of the day song."

Every time I do something really stupid I think "Jason Stackhouse, you is one stupid bitch."

Sookie all of a sudden sounds like a good name for your firstborn. Or Bill, if it's a boy.

Fan Art by the amazing shanaimal on deviantART


sookie stackhouse by ~shanaimal on deviantART

Sookie Stackhouse book's dedications, acknowledgments and prologues for Book 7 All together Dead


This book is dedicated to a few of the women I'm proud to call "friend":
Jodi Dabson Bollendorf, Kate Buker, Toni Kelner, Dana Cameron, Joan Hess, Eve Sandstrom, Paula Woldan, and Betty Epley. All of you have meant something different to me, and I feel grateful to know you.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are a few people I've thanked before and need to thank again: Robin Burcell, former cop and present writer, and FBI Agent George Fong, who were great about answering my questions about security and bomb disposal. I appreciate the input of Sam Saucedo, the former newscaster and now writer, who explained a few things about border politics to me.
I also need to thank S. J. Rozan, who was happy to answer my questions about architecture, though the vampire part was a distinct shock. I may have misused the information given me, but it was in a good cause. As always, I owe a great debt to my friend Toni L. P. Kelner, who read my first draft without laughing in my face. And my new continuity person, Debi Murray, gets a tip of the hat; from now on if I make mistakes, I have someone to blame. I owe a lot to the many wonderful readers who visit my website
(www.charlaineharris.com)
and leave messages of encouragement and interest. Beverly Batillo, my fan club president, has given me a boost many a time when I was down in the dumps.

California dreamin': True Blood Paleyfest Los Angeles- will you be there ?

OK, my bags are packed and I'm ready to go ... ( see note below)

We really are all ready: we have tickets to the True Blood Paleyfest panel discussion, airline reservations, our hotel and car rented ... YIPPEE! The lovely Nocturnalinnc and my traveling buddy, ObjectDesire will be traveling in "Team Dallas "

I have been in contact with about 15 others who I know from wiki, the blog or the radio show who will also be there and I am collecting contact info for the various teams and individuals who'd like to maybe meetup with some other fans.

We are planning at least 2 meetups while there, if you are going and want to know about the meetups send me an email !

Put "True Blood Paley" in the subject please .

Email: True Blood in Dallas

This first line in this email is actually a line from a Sookie book, I got this wonderful email recently from RFlatstone.

Hey Dallas,

I noticed this ...

“My bags are packed…” I sang.

“Well, I’m not so lonesome, I could cry,” Amelia said.

All Together Dead, chapter 8
These are a reference to the first and last line, respectively, of the first verse of the Peter, Paul and Mary song “Leaving on a Jet Plane.

Thanks Flat ! Well, it's a song popularized by Peter, Paul & Mary and from their 1969 album called, Album 1700. It was however, written by John Denver in 1967.

The stanza is:

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go
I'm standing here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin, its early morn
The taxis waiting, hes blowin his horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could cry.

Fascinating videos
Peter, Paul and Mary and umm John



1972


California Dreaming by the Mamas and Papas 1965

Earth Hour 09 : Vampires must just LOVE energy saving darkness world wide

8:30-9:30 pm tonight wherever you live !

The darkness will do you and the whole world some good ( Thank God, our iPhones and BlackBerrys will still work!)

For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour.
Saturday, March 28, 8:30-9:30pm. Find our MORE HERE

Here is Dallas from last night


True Blood: bloody Gothic camp with psychological depth

Spatula blog in New Zealand nails it with his descritpon of True Blood ...

This week in television shows: We've finally gotten the HBO TV series "True Blood" on the air down here, starring New Zealand's very own Oscar-winning Anna Paquin, whom I must say has, er, filled out since "The Piano." I've only seen two episodes so far but I rather dig this new spin on the vampire mythology by "Six Feet Under" creator Alan Ball. Brief synopsis: thanks to the invention of a "blood substitute" drink, vamps have come out of the closet and are trying to integrate into human society, and "True Blood" focuses on one small Louisiana town's reaction to the vampires in their midst. Paquin is quite good, doing a decent Southern accent, and I like the way the very adults-only show straddles bloody Gothic camp and psychological depth. The satire of other minority movements is great ("God hates fangs" reads one sign). It really captures the relaxed, sultry yet tense feeling of the American South without descending into caricature. (The South is frequently larger than life, and "True Blood" is honest there.)

http://spatulaforum.blogspot.com/2009/03/this-week-in-assortment-of-random.html

Vampire cupcake

Maybe I'll make some of these for our local True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse book club meeting the night after Book 9, 'Dead and Gone 'comes out...

I knew I wanted a white cupcake (vampires are pale, after all) and had a recipe in mind to use already. The question that remained to be answered was how I was going to decorate it. There are a ton of articles, primarily in family-oriented magazines, that describe how to make a cartoony vampire faceon top of a cupcake. I rifled through them feeling unsatisfied. Then I found a picture of some cupcakes on a blog called horror gourmet that really struck a chord with me and I decided to make a cupcake that not only looked like it had been bitten into by a vampire, but that would bleed when you bit into it.

I baked my cupcakes, used the cupcake-filling technique I used on my devil’s food cupcakes to fill the cakes up with pureed cherry pie filling (canned or homemade) and topped them off with white icing to best accentuate the red bite marks. I made the marks using a skewer dipped in leftover cherry filling, making sure to leave a clear impression of a fang bite, rather than just a red streak on top of the cake.

The result was even better than I could have hoped for. They looked fantastic and tasted even better. The cherry filling worked surprisingly well in the vanilla cupcake and didn’t get absorbed by the cake at all, so it stayed nice a runny even after two days (how long the batch lasted before being devoured). The recipe makes 18 cupcakes, but you will probably have leftover filling and frosting, especially if you opt for canned cherry pie filling, so feel free to bake up a second batch to use everything up.

Vampire cupcake:
You know, this listed a scratch white cake mix recipe ( you can find it at link below) but Dallas says : use a good quality boxed white cake mix ! Sorry I'm sure i"m not DIY enough....

Turn cupcakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 18 cupcakes.

Filling
1 can cherry pie filling

Puree cherry pie filling - a syrupy mix of sugar and cherries, usually - in a food processor until fairly smooth. Very small pieces of cherries are ok.
(A photo how-to of the assembly method can be found on page link below ) Take a cooled cupcake and, using a small pairing knife, cut a cone of cake (1-inch across by 1-inch deep) out of the top. Trim off the pointy end of the cone, leaving a flat circle of cake. Set aside and repeat this process for all the cupcakes.
Take the cherry filling and spoon about tablespoon or so into each cupcake cavity, filling it almost to the top with filling. Top off with the flat circle of cake you just removed to seal the hole and hold the “blood” filling in place.

Marshmallow Frosting
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large egg whites, room temperature
1/3 cup water
2 tsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk sugar, egg whites, 1/3 cup water, light corn syrup, and cream of tartar in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch simmering water). Using handheld electric mixer, beat on medium speed until mixture resembles soft marshmallow fluff, about 5-7 minutes.
Increase mixer speed to high and beat until mixture is very smooth and thick, about 3 minutes longer. Remove bowl from over simmering water. Add vanilla extract and continue beating until marshmallow frosting is completely cool, about 5-7 minutes longer.

Assembly
Using a butter knife or a small offset spatula, frost each cupcake with a layer of the cooled marshmallow frosting by placing a dollop of icing in the center of the cupcake (on top of the cut out circle of cake) and spreading from the center to the sides of the cupcake.
Dip a wooden toothpick or skewer into some leftover cherry pie filling and poke two fang-holes, about 3/4 inch apart, in the frosting on one side of the cupcake. Dribble a little extra filling from the holes for effect.
Repeat until all cupcakes are frosted and decorated. You will probably have frosting leftover for another batch if you are baking more.

Makes 18 vampire cupcakes.
http://bakingbites.com/2007/10/vampire-cupcakes/

Food for the dead : Michael Bell


Michael Bell: Folklorist and Vampire Hunter


Michael Bell has spent the past twenty years tracking down vampires in the cemeteries of southern Rhode Island, northern Connecticut, and Vermont. His book, Food for the Dead: On the Trail of New England's Vampires (2001) documents his journey into the dimly lit world of nineteenth-century vampire practice, where, when one's children began to die from a mysterious, crippling disease, it sometimes became necessary to exhume the bodies of the dead, find out which one was possessed, cut out the heart of the corpse, burn it to ashes, and feed it to the living in order to put an end to the vampire's reign. Although Bell's vampires never wore capes, hissed, or even bothered to leave the grave, he maintains that they were much more terrifying than the monster we've become familiar with through movies and television. "They killed their kin while still lying, apparently dead, inside their coffins," he says. "How can you escape from something like that?"

More terrifying, perhaps, is that when I met Bell at a small restaurant around the corner from my house, he looked so much like a vampire hunter-at least, the way a proper vampire hunter should look-that I hesitated to call him over to my table. He is a narrow, handsome man who radiates a vehemence not unlike Christopher Plummer in his turn as Dr. Van Helsing in Wes Craven's Dracula 2000. It is so easy to picture him, wooden stake in hand, struggling atop a mound of freshly dug soil with a shrieking, reanimated corpse, that I found it difficult to focus on the interview at all. But some two hours later, I know a few things I did not know before. The good news:
The golden age of the vampire seems to be over. The bad news: You may be alive today only because a distant relative ate the charred remains of a possessed family member.

Read on HERE

House of Night series:Never let patriarchy get in the way of a good vampire book

A mother-daughter writing team from Tulsa, Okla., is driving a stake through Stephenie Meyer's stranglehold on teenage vampire fiction. P.C. Cast, 48, and Kristin Cast, 22, recently released Marked, the fifth book in their House of Night series, which debuted at No. 1 on The Wall Street Journal's fiction best-seller list. The series revolves around Zoey and her crew of fledgling vampires who serve the Goddess of Night Nyx. The Casts were in Toronto this week for book store appearances. They spoke with David Lipson about completing each other's sentences, raging hormones, and good vs. evil. Why is teen paranormal fiction so big right now?

P.C. I think vampire teen fiction is especially hot right now because teenagers identify with vampires. Vampires think they are immortal; teenagers think they are immortal ... A blood lust could equate to the flooding of hormones that teenagers get. Teenagers really identify with them. They identify with having to overcome these huge emotional obstacles and these desires – and they think they are immortal.

http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/story.html?id=1436265

Portland's 7th Annual Vampire's Masquerade Ball


http://www.vampireballpdx.com/

7th Annual VMB Tickets Available online now!

Prices are as follows:
Mar 23rd - Mar 28th $30

Tickets are also available at:
Alteration Nation
3341 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland
503-234-2045


What is the VMB . . .

It's a night of elegance, decadence, and prestige that is exclusively held one night a year in the city of Portland, OR. It's our local goth/industrial community's night to shine! Complete with regional vendors, dj's, performers, professional event photographers, and catering (cheeses, breads, meats, desserts, chocolate fountains, etc). The success of the prior six years with attendance now exceeding 800 will ensure the 7th Annual Vampire's Masquerade Ball will be sure to impress.

Using "vampire" in the name is meant to touch on dark romanticism, having an appreciation for all that we find beautiful in the gothic community. While this event is not put on by the vampire community itself, to date they have been very supportive and are very welcome to attend.

Being that this is a formal gothic/industrial event (and not to be confused for a costume party) the majority of attendees are of that subculture. The diversity this night encourages can be easily seen in the attire of those who attend. You will encounter individuals from such genres as romantic goth, death rock, fetish, corporate goth, industrial, victorian, edwardian, steam punk, etc. Although masks are encouraged, they are not required.

Darkest Regards,