From Dead to Worse audio review ..a fast way to refresh your memory before 'Dead and Gone'.

Amberkatz reviews the 'Dead to Worse' audio book.

Do you want to read Bk 8 again before Bk 9 comes out on Tuesday ? Download the audiobook from iTunes or your favorite audio book provider. If you haven't heard a Sookie book, you'll be pleasantly surprised, it is as Katz says, a whole new experience.

Sookie Stackhouse is in trouble again and this time it is from all sides. Accidently mixed up in the were war and a vampire takeover she is also confronted with the fact that she has more family than her brother Jason. With the help of Sam and her room mate she manages to survive the newest problems life throws at her but in the end there are even more.

This book only came out last year and I remember being extremely happy that I was home ill when it arrived in the post. However while listening to this audiobook I really have to admit that I hardly remembered any of the story. Sure some bits and bobs seemed familiar but on a whole the story was practically new to me.

I loved every minute of this audiobook and have to say that the narrator is amazing. She really brings Sookie to life and I am longing to get my hands on more of these audios because they are such a joy to listen to. Also the format of the audio is great. No tracks as long as chapters but nice 3 to 5 minute tracks so you aren't forced to finish a chapter or pause in the middle of a chapter.

Read on

From Dead to Worse reviewed at Bloody Bookaholic

I just love the enthusiasm of some Sookie books reviewers. I hope everyone has re-read book 8 From Dead to Worse. ( I would recommend re-reading Bk 6 All Together Dead too ) Taschima from Bloody Bookaholic reviews FDTW.

"When the fur has finished flying and the cold blood finished flowing, her world will be forever altered."

After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the man-made explosion at the vampire summit, everyone-human and otherwise-is stressed, including Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who is trying to cope with the fact that her boyfriend Quinn has gona missing.

Its clear that things are changing-whether the weres and vamps of her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie-friend to the Pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, leader of the local vampire community-is caught up in the changes.

Read on

Sookie Stackhouse book's dedications, acknowledgments and prologues for Book 8 From Dead to Worse

DEDICATION

Though she can’t walk or see quite as well as she used to, my mother, Jean Harris, remains the most complete person I have ever met. She’s been the bulwark of my existence, the foundation I was built on, and the best mother a woman could have.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A tip of the hat to Anastasia Luettecke, who was a perfectionist in supplying me with Octavia’s Latin. And thanks to Murv Sellars for being the go between. As always, I owe a great debt of thanks to Toni L. P. Kelner and Dana Cameron for their valuable comments and the gift of their time. My one and only minion, Debi Murray, assisted me with her encyclopedic knowledge of the Sookie universe. The group of enthusiastic readers known as Charlaine’s Charlatans gave me moral (and morale) support, and I hope this book will serve as their reward.

~~~~~~
(I would cal this a prologue but it isn't called one in the book )
If this was The Lord of the Rings and I had a smart British voice like Cate Blanchett, I could tell you the background of the events of that fall in a really suspenseful way. And you’d be straining to hear the rest. But what happened in my little corner of northwest Louisiana wasn’t an epic story. The vampire war was more of the nature of a small-country takeover, and the Were war was like a border skirmish. Even in the annals of supernatural America—I guess they exist somewhere—they were minor chapters . . . unless you were actively involved in the takeovers and skirmishes.

Then they became pretty damn major.
And everything was due to Katrina, the disaster that just kept on spreading Before Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana had a flourishing vampire community.In fact, the vampire population of New Orleans had burgeoned, making it the place to go if you wanted to see vampires; and lots of Americans did.The undead jazz clubs, featuring musicians no one had seen playing in public in decades, were special draws. Vamp strip clubs, vamp psychics,vamp sex acts; secret and not-so-secret places where you could get bitten and have an orgasm on the spot: all this was available in southern Louisiana.

In the northern part of the state . . . not so much. I live in the northern part in a small town called Bon Temps. But even in my area, where vamps are relatively thin on the ground, the undead were making economic and social strides.All in all, vampire business in the Pelican State was booming. But then came the death of the King of Arkansas while his wife, the Queen of Louisiana, was entertaining him soon after their wedding. Since the corpse vanished and all the witnesses— except me—were supernaturals, humanlaw took no notice. But the other vampires did, and the queen, Sophie-Anne Leclerq, landed in a very dicey legal position. Then came Katrina,which wiped out the financial base of Sophie-Anne’s empire. Still, the queen was floundering back from those disasters, when another one followed hard on their heels. Sophie-Anne and some of her strongest adherents—and me, Sookie Stackhouse, telepath and human—were caught in a terrible explosion in Rhodes, the destruction of the vampire
hotel called the Pyramid of Gizeh. A splinter group of the Fellowship of theSun claimed responsibility, and while the leaders of that anti-vampire“church” decried the hate crime, everyone knew that the Fellowship washardly agonizing over those who were terribly wounded in the blast, much less over the (finally, absolutely) dead vampires or the humans who served
them.

Sophie-Anne lost her legs, several members of her entourage, and herdearest companion. Her life was saved by her half-demon lawyer, Mr.Cataliades. But her recuperation time was going to be lengthy, and shewas in a position of terrible vulnerability.What part did I play in all this?
I’d helped save lives after the pyramid went down, and I was terrified I was now on the radar of people who might want me to spend my time in their service, using my telepathy for their purposes. Some of those purposes were good, and I wouldn’t mind lending a hand in rescue services from time to time, but I wanted to keep my life to myself. I was alive; my boyfriend,
Quinn, was alive; and the vampires most important to me had survived, too.As far as the troubles Sophie-Anne faced, the political consequences of the attack and the fact that supernatural groups were circling the weakened state of Louisiana like hyenas around a dying gazelle ... I didn’t think about it at all.

I had other stuff on my mind, personal stuff. I’m not used to thinking much further than the end of my fingertips; that’s my only excuse. Not only was I not thinking about the vampire situation, there was another supernatural situation I didn’t ponder that turned out to be just as crucial to my future.Close to Bon Temps, in Shreveport, there’s a Were pack whose ranks are
swollen by the men and women from Barksdale Air Force Base. During the past year, this Were pack had become sharply divided between two factions. I’d learned in American History what Abraham Lincoln, quoting the Bible, had to say about houses divided.
To assume that these two situations would work themselves out, to fail toforesee that their resolution would involve me, well ... that was where I wasalmost fatally blind. I’m telepathic, not psychic. Vampire minds are bigrelaxing blanks to me. Weres are difficult to read, though not impossible.That’s my only excuse for being unaware of the trouble brewing all around
me.

What was I so busy thinking about? Weddings—and my missing boyfriend.

Paperback version of "From Dead to Worse released next Monday!

Good new for Sookie Stackhouse lovers. The paperback version of "From Dead to Worse" by Charlaine Harris, the No. 8 book in the Southern Vampire Series and the literary origins of the HBO series "True Blood," will be released in paperback at the end of March.

Hot on its tail will be the hardback release of "Dead and Gone," the ninth book of the series.
"From Dead to Worse" finds Sookie back in Bon Temps after the terrorized attack on a vampire convention. The small town has its own problems, however, with a political split in the werewolf pack of Shreveport, the Louisiana vampires regrouping after Katrina devastated the queen's home in New Orleans and an old and beautiful fairy with streaks of the frightening visiting Sookie. Jason, Sookie's brother, is up to his usual irresponsible antics, Sookie's boss Sam shifts into something besides a dog this time and another witch joins Sookie's roommate to add to the mix.
If this all sounds convoluted, you haven't read a Sookie Stackhouse book.
Harris throws at this poor telepathic girl every paranormal being in mythology and fiction, placing us in her shoes and being equally astonished at what she sees, yet provides us with good laughs and endless entertaining suspense.

Every book opens up a new world as well. By the time you get to the end, all of Sookie's love interests have developed in new ways, tension starts anew and suddenly her family has grown by two. Don't miss it.
And according to the jacket of "Dead and Gone," it looks like the weres may be coming out of the - woods? - and a war is brewing with "a race of unhuman beings." The book will be out in stores in May, just before HBO starts up the next season of "True Blood."

http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20090322/LIFESTYLE/903220301

From Dead to Worse ( No.8) released in paperback

Dead to Worse will be released as a paperback at the end of the month.

The price is $7.99 , you can now preorder. This title will be released on March 31, 2009.

Louisiana Book News: Stackhouse releases paperback

Good new for Sookie Stackhouse lovers. The paperback version of From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris, the No. 8 book in the Southern Vampire Series and the literary origins of the HBO series True Blood, will be released in paperback at the end of March.
Advertisement

Hot on its tail will be the hardback release of Dead and Gone, the ninth book of the series.

From Dead to Worse finds Sookie back in Bon Temps, Louisiana, after the terrorized attack on a vampire convention. The small town has its own problems, however, with a political split in the werewolf pack of Shreveport, the Louisiana vampires regrouping after Hurricane Katrina devastated the queen's home in New Orleans and an old and beautiful fairy with streaks of the frightening visiting Sookie. Jason, Sookie's brother, is up to his usual irresponsible antics, Sookie's boss Sam shifts into something besides a dog this time and another witch joins Sookie's roommate to add to the mix.

If this all sounds convoluted, you haven't read a Sookie Stackhouse book. Harris throws at this poor telepathic girl every paranormal being in mythology and fiction, placing us in her shoes and being equally astonished at what she sees, yet provides us with good laughs and endless entertaining suspense.

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090308/LIFESTYLE/903080325

Charlaine Harris Interview : Sookie's love life in Dead to Worse

From Dead to Worse to be released in paperback March 31st

Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire Series #8


Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Pub. Date: March 31, 2009
ISBN-13: 9780441017010

*note them have the HBO medallion, CH said they are embedded in the covers not stickers

This week's New York Times Bestsellers

I know I post the NY Times Bestseller's Sookie books ranking frequently but it amazes me every time.

In hardcover:

Charlaine Harris' From Dead to Worse is up thirteen positions, ending its fifteenth week on the bestseller list at number 19.

In paperback:

Six of Charlaine Harris' seven Sookie Stackhouse novels rank from number 9 to number 28.

Bill tells Sookie about Selah moving away

bk 8

Bill stepped out of the woods and strolled silently over to the yard set.He sat in one of the other chairs.
We didn’t speak for several moments. I didn’t feel the surge of anguish I’d felt over the past few months when he was around. He barely disturbed the fall night with his presence, he was so much a part of it.
“Selah has moved to Little Rock,” he said.
“How come?”
“She got a position with a large firm,” he said. “It was what she told me she wanted. They specialize in vampire properties.”
“She hooked on vamps?”
“I believe so. Not my doing.”
“Weren’t you her first?” Maybe I sounded a little bitter. He’d been my first, in every way.
“Don’t,” he said, and turned his face toward me. It was radiantly pale. “No,” he said finally. “I was not her first. And I always knew it was the vampire in me that attracted her, not the person who was a vampire.”
I understood what he was saying. When I’d learned he’d been ordered to ingratiate himself with me, I’d felt it was the telepath in me that had gotten his attention, not the woman who was the telepath.
“What goes around, comes around,” I said.
“I never cared about her,” he said. “Or very little.” He shrugged. “There’ve been so many like her.”
“I’m not sure how you think this is going to make me feel.”
“I’m only telling you the truth. There has been only one you.” And then he got up and walked back into the woods, human slow, letting me watch him leave.
Apparently Bill was conducting a kind of stealth campaign to win back my regard. I wondered if he dreamed I could love him again. I still felt pain when I thought of the night I’d learned the truth. I figured my regard would be the outer limits of what he could hope to earn. Trust, love? I couldn’t see that happening.

Charlaine Harris forum and tour hints from Dead to Worse tour

Cryssforeric posted this about what Charlaine Harris has said on her website forum and questions she answered from her 2008 From Dead to Worse tour.


1. Sookie will not become pregnant with a vampire - neither by magical nor chemical means.

2. Sookie's readings of vampire minds is entirely random.

3. She won't answer whether or not the blood bond with Eric will be weakened or destroyed.

4. Eric will not be killed off.

5. Although it is possible for Sookie to have a longer life-span with magic, it's not going to happen.

6. Eric did start out as a minor character, and she decided to change that when she realized he was fun to write.

7. She decided the exact character with whom Sookie would end up before she wrote LDID.

8. Sookie exhibits "typical behavior" in wanting to work out painful things herself before sharing them with close friends, or at work.

9. She doesn't know if Quinn's mother and sister will come back in later books - may even show up in Book 9.

10. She hasn't decided how many books to write in the series.

11. She hasn't decided yet at what point in the series Sookie will end up with The One.

12. Not very much of Sookie's behavior in FDTW was the result of the blood bond. The clumsy break-up with Quinn was due to Sookie's inexperience in relationships.

13. A sense of humor is very important.

14. Lily might have another cameo.

Book Eight moments with Bill and Sookie

Book Eight moments with Bill and Sookie

From his chair, Bill caught my eye and silently put his hand over his heart.
It was a romantic and totally unexpected gesture, and for a moment I softened toward him. I very nearly smiled, though Selah was right there by his side. Just in time, I reminded myself that Bill was a no-good rat bastard, and I swept on my painful way.
~~~

So did the sore spot in my heart labeled Bill Compton.
~~~~~

"You got you a girlfriend," I said. "You go on back to Selah." I looked down to make sure I'd gotten the little strap on the second sandal unlatched. I worked the shoe off. When I glanced back up, Bill's dark eyes were fixed on me.
"I would give anything to lie with you again," he said.
I froze, my hands in the act of rolling the thigh-high hose off my left leg.
Okay, that pretty much stunned me on several different levels. First, the biblical "lie with." Second, my astonishment that he considered me such a memorable bed partner.
Maybe he only remembered the virgins.
~~~~

"Selah has moved to Little Rock," he said.
"How come?"
"She got a position with a large firm," he said. "It was what she told me she wanted. They specialize in vampire properties."
"She hooked on vamps?"
"I believe so. Not my doing."
"Weren't you her first?" Maybe I sounded a little bitter. He'd been my first, in every way.
"Don't," he said, and turned his face toward me. It was radiantly pale.
"No,"
he said finally. "I was not her first. And I always knew it was the vampire in me that attracted her, not the person who was a vampire."
I understood what he was saying. When I'd learned he'd been ordered to ingratiate himself with me, I'd felt it was the telepath in me that had gotten his attention, not the woman who was the telepath.
"What goes around, comes around," I said.
~~~~~

"There is much you don't know about Sookie," Bill said. It was the first time he'd spoken since Madden had entered. "Know this: I will die for her. If you harm her, I'll kill you." Bill turned his dark eyes on Eric. "Can you say the same?"
Eric plainly wouldn't, which put him behind in the "Who Loves Sookie More?" stakes. At the moment, that wasn't so relevant. "You must also know this," Eric said to Victor. "Even more pertinently, if anything happens to her, forces you can't imagine will be set into motion."
~~~~

As for me, I felt a little weak in the knees, and my thoughts were in such a tumult they could scarcely be called thoughts. Bill's arm went around me, and he lowered me to the chair Eric had vacated. I felt his cool lips brush my cheek. I would have to possess a heart of stone not to be affected by his little speech to Victor-I hadn't forgotten it, no matter how terrifying the night had been-and my heart is not made of stone.
Bill knelt by my feet, his white face turned up to me. "I hope someday you'll turn to me," he said. "I'll never force myself or my company on you." And he got up and walked outside to meet his new vampire kin.

Bill explains more to Sookie about being sent by the Queen

book 8

Except that when Sophie-Anne told me to pursue you . . . I was reluctant, Sookie. At first, I didn’t want to even pretend to have a permanent relationship with a human woman. I thought it degraded me. I only came into the bar to identify you when I couldn’t put it off any longer. And that evening didn’t turn out like I’d planned. I went outside with the drainers, and things happened. When you were the one who came to my aid, I decided it was fate. I did what I had been told to do by my queen. In so doing, I fell into a trap I couldn’t escape. I still can’t.”