I curl in a tight ball on the cold pavement and cry.

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I’m getting that odd “spidey-sense” feeling again. What do you guys think?

~M.

Release Date: August 3, 2010

The editors of Wolfsbane and Mistletoe and Many Bloody Returns deliver a new collection-including a never-before-published Sookie Stackhouse story.

New York Times bestselling authors Charlaine Harris, Katie MacAlister, Jeaniene Frost-plus Lilith Saintcrow, Jeff Abbott, and more-send postcards from the edge of the paranormal world to fans who devoured Wolfsbane and Mistletoe and Many Bloody Returns.

With an all-new Sookie Stackhouse story and twelve other original tales, editors Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner bring together a stellar collection of tour guides who offer vacations that are frightening, funny, and touching for the fanged, the furry, the demonic, and the grotesque. Learn why it really can be an endless summer-for immortals.

Just so you know;  Charlaine’s short story is titled, Two Blonds. The story revolves around our favorite heroine, Sookie Stackhouse, Pam and a stripper poll.

By the way, Last Bite Podcast will discuss this book on their podcast on August 8th.

Are you intrigued with the stripper poll story or any other short stories in the anthology?

~M.

As of late, a lot of fans have had discussions over the differences between the books and True Blood. Kim R., of the Re-Vamped section of this site, decided to delve deeper into the differences between the books and the show.

~M.

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The Parallel Sookieverses…

By: Kim R.

Alan Ball has taken some major poetic license when it comes to the True Blood series. He’s introduced us to new characters, prevented the death of some of our favorites and he’s added an unreal amount of sex to the story. Yet throughout all of these changes, he’s managed to keep enough of the series’ integrity to capture the fans of the Sookie Stackhouse series.

Fans, however, have been questioning lately how true Mr. Ball is staying to their beloved heroine, Ms. Sookie Stackhouse. Normally a very strong and independent woman, we’ve seen Sookie cry, sob and even own a cell phone. Has Alan Ball stayed tried and true to our favorite heroine or has he made one too many changes. Here are some similarities and differences.

You be the judge.

1. Both True Blood Sookie and Book Sookie have similar thoughts about Bill’s presence in their life. True Blood Sookie practically crumbles to pieces when she finds out about her beloved’s disappearance. She begs, pleads and threatens in an effort to get him back. When Bill breaks up with her, she turns into a blubbery mess, admitting that she needs to cry her eyes out for a week. Bill has become such an integral part of Sookie’s life, she can’t imagine her life without him in it. Her tears show viewers a vulnerable side that they haven’t seen before. She has always been a strong woman. And now, we see a side of her that has always been locked up.

Meanwhile, for Book Sookie, Bill’s disappearance is a different experience. When she learns of Bill’s betrayal, she is in denial. Once she accepts it, however, she presents herself in a calm and collected manor. Her voice barely wavers. Despite her true feelings of sadness, she puts on a brave front. Book Sookie isn’t one to show weakness.

2. Ah, the infamous cell phone. Book Sookie does not have one. Is she just not into modern technology or does she cherish her independence that much? True Blood Sookie is neither, carrying a ell phone like any modern woman in this century. She is reachable and in a sense, tied down.

3. True Blood Sookie is surrounded by many people who love and care for her. She is close with Tara, Lafayette, Arlene, Sam, Terry and more. She has a close bond with these people and is there for them through thick and thin, hell or high water. Her close friendships and relationships are shown throughout much of the series. When Gran dies, Tara and Lafayette are the only people allowed to be close to her. They comfort her and are there for her.

For Book Sookie, these friendships are not as important in terms of story. Tara is barely visible through the first three books. Sookie is much more of an independent individual and relies mainly on herself. She does not put much into other people, since she finds them not as trustworthy or reliable. Even though she considers Tara and Sam family, her friendships are very different.

4. One of the main areas where Book Sookie and True Blood Sookie always seem to merge is in their steadfast loyalty. They both show this loyalty towards people who are important to them. For Book Sookie, she was determined to put Lafayette’s death to rest. She would not let him go out on a sour note, unsure of what happened or why. She wanted to give him a proper send off by solving his murder. True Blood Sookie is loyal to Lafayette in a different way. The second she found that he was being held captive by Eric, she did whatever she had to do in order to free and protect him. Her loyalty towards those she loves is unrelenting.

What lies ahead for Book Sookie and True Blood Sookie depends on the creative forces that guide them. What is next for our sassy little heroine? Will Alan Ball be able to find a happy medium for our gal? Can he merge the two different characters into one supreme leading lady with a touch of vulnerability and some Southern charm?

What do you think? Who’s your gal: Book Sookie or True Blood Sookie?

By: Diana M. of SBLC and Paranormal Romance

And I thought my only glimpse of  Charlaine Harris at Comic-Con would be on an afternoon panel about vamps. But the author of the popular Sookie Stackhouse series popped up as a regular audience member Saturday at the “Reading with Brains: The Rise and Unrelenting Stamina of Zombie Fiction.” She smiled and waved from a fourth row seat on the side of room 7AB in the convention center as fans and zombie authors craned their necks to see where she was sitting after the panel moderator announced she was in the room.

Nope. She didn’t make any comments about zombies later during her panel discussion on vampire literature. But during the hour-long discussion and following Q&A she did talk about:

–Book 11: She says she’s kind of looking forward to finishing Sookie’s story. Still no name for book No. 11, but she’s just about to finish it. “Maybe even tomorrow (Sunday),” she said.

–Sookie’s name: For fans who don’t know where she got the name for Sookie, she reiterated that it was the name of her grandmother’s best friend. “It’s a common name in the South.”

–Why she developed her vampire world: She wanted to anchor her vampire stories in a blue-collar culture. She knew she wanted the story to be told through the eyes of someone in the working class. And she wanted the vampires’ struggle to join society to be told through that human’s eyes.

–On sticking to vamp lore: With creatures as strong as vampires, you have to stick to some vampire lore. So her vampires — for example — can’t go out during the day and silver is deadly. You need some rules so they don’t overtake human society, she says. “You’ve got to keep them in their place — which is the coffin.”

–On vampires/metaphors: In Rome, the journalists told her they thought her vampires symbolized capitalists, Harris said. But not for her, she says. “Vampires can be symbols for everything. Sometimes a vampire is just a vampire.”

On how she writes: She does not like to do research. “I hate prep work. … I’d rather just make it up as I go along.” But she admits that’s gotten her into some continuity problems with the Sookie books so she has an editor just to double-check her consistency now. She doesn’t listen to any special music — although when she mentioned bagpipes the other panelists thought that was a bit unusual — but she prefers to simply write in solitude in her room. OK — she does say she plays the soundtracks from the True Blood series when they send them to her.

On why vamps are popular: In economic hard times people want to think about super creatures, she said. Maybe it has to do with living forever when things are uncertain. “I do not want to live forever,” she says.

At Comic-Con’s “Fang Girls and Fang Boys: The Popularity of Vampire Lit” — which probably should have been renamed “Fang Girls and Fang Boy,” since author Christopher Farnsworth (BLOOD OATH) was the only dude on the panel — we found out what works influenced these vamp authors when they were kids:

Rachael Caine (The Morganville Vampire series): SALEM’S LOT

Heather Brewer (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod): CARRIE

Chris Farnsworth (Blood Oath): CARRIE

Chris Marie Green (The Vampire Babylon series): FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC

Charlaine Harris (The Sookie Stackhouse series): Anything by Edgar Allan Poe or Jane Austen.

Richelle Mead (The Vampire Academy series): Dungeons and Dragons (because that’s what her brothers played)

Jeanne C. Stein (The Anna Strong series): ROSEMARY’S BABY

The Spotlight Series with author Charlaine Harris was held today and she reiterated the same information she has stated in her past appearances:

Charlaine revealed that she’s under contract to pen three more Sookie Stackhouse books, with the next coming in May.

Also, she has a short story coming up in an anthology titled Death’s Excellent Vacation (Edited by Toni L.P. Kelner and Charlaine Harris). The short story, Two Blondes, features Sookie, Pam, and a stripper pole.

In February, we’ll be seeing the Sookie Companion containing: A FAQ by Charlaine, an interview with Alan Ball, recipes, secret emails between Bill and Eric, and a original novella with Sookie, Sam, and Quinn.

But, the biggest news for the crowd was that Sookie would never be turned into a vampire, even though Eric will ask her about it in the next book. That does not mean that it would never happen on the show.

She also stated that Sookie’s telepathy is not related to her fairy blood and happily added that Bubba will be in the next book.

She was asked if she would ever considers adding any of the new characters from the TV show into the books. She screamed emphatically, “No!” Continuing that they are “separate entertainment vehicles … two experiences for the price of one.“

By the way, Death’s Excellent Vacation comes out in a couple of weeks… on August 3rd.

True Blood Sightings:

Yes, you can stop by and get a pint.

True Blood is everywhere.

The True Blood Comic-Book was launched at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con.

~M.

Here is the cover art for the next book.

~M.

Our resident reviewers have had their noses buried in a slew of books…

Naomi M. has posted reviews for the following fan favorites:

Book #1 of the Morganville Vampires series, Glass Houses by Rachel Caine and the 1st book in the Georgina Kincaid series, Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead.

While Diana M., who will be attending San Diego Comic-Con along with Becca R., has reviewed the Wake Trilogy by Lisa McMann.

Also, listen to Maria review Insatiable by Meg Cabot here.

If you would like to reach out to our reviewers with your suggestions for books that you would like to see on our site and on the podcast just email sookiestackhouseadmin@gmail.com w/ the subject: SBLC.

0.0

~M.

So …

We alread discussed the first chapter of Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost on our podcast …

Now, the book has a trailer …

I don’t know about you, but I sure think Mencheres is HOT!

Kelly

Our resident bookworm, Naomi, reviews:

• Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
• Witch Blood by Anya Bast
• Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs
• Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur

Also, Becca reviews Shades of Midnight by Lara Adrian.

Check out the reviews here.

Have a great weekend!

~M.