Novelist Charlaine Harris sinks her teeth into DragonCon

From the Atlanta Constitutional Blog

We had to battle past Starfleet ensigns, storm troopers, the Green Giant and yes, a few members of the undead to reach writer Charlaine Harris during the DragonCon convention this weekend at the Hyatt downtown.

Thanks to the success of the new HBO hit “True Blood,” based on Harris’ series of Southern vampire Sookie Stackhouse novels, the Magnolia, Arkansas resident has become a rock star on the sci-fi/comics convention circuit.

Still, Harris was to sit quietly in the hotel lounge, observing the bizarre buffet of people-watching in front of her completely undisturbed.

Well, until we showed up anyhow.

She’s still getting used to her new celebrity status. Of her packed panel session this summer at Comic-Con in San Diego with Marietta’s “True Blood” executive producer Alan Ball, she told us: “It was hell. “It was so huge and a little overwhelming. And when you have so many TV and movie people around you, there’s a lot of security.”

Thankfully, the author says only one car-load of overly zealous Sookie Stackhouse readers have actually driven to her Southern Arkansas hometown to pay an unscheduled visit.

“But the chamber of commerce lady tells me she gets a lot of calls!” Harris says laughing. “I honestly don’t know what people expect to see. I’m a boring middle class, middle aged wife and mother. There aren’t any vampires and werewolves in my back yard. I just have a very rich inner life!”

read on