Day 22: Where did the SVM/TB vamps come from?

Here's a poser.
What is the mythology of vampires in the Charlaine Harris/Alan Ball universes?
There are several back stories of how vampires came to be in literature and movies that I know, but most authors now make up their own origins for their bloodsucking men and women.
The Fellowship of the Sun I believe go with the Judas myth.
After Judas betrayed Jesus, he hung himself, flinging the 30 pieces of silver on the ground around his hanging corpse. He was not, however, allowed to die, but was forced to walk the earth, sustaining his life by living on the blood of others. His weakness to silver was caused by the "blood money" he was paid to betray Christ. The one thing missing is the fear of the cross.
Still, Harris makes clear that is just what the FOS believes, not how they really came about.
Now, in some stories, a vampire can only be killed by the same kind of tree that Judas used to hang himself.
Anne Rice went even further back to create her vampires. She used Egyptian deities Akasha and Enkil. Now, from what I remember, Enkil was cut into pieces and when he was reassembled, his penis was not found, which is why no male vampire from the Rice universe can have sex.
Now that's a big trade off: you can live forever, but you can never have sex again. Can you see Bill or Eric agreeing to that?
I now must admit I've never read any of the "Twilight" books (I have seen the movies) so I have no idea where those vampires come from either, or why they sparkle in the light.
I only know that "Vampire Diaries" vamps can walk in the sun if they own one of those rings.
As for Vlad the Impaler, aka Count Dracula, take your pick. I go with the story that he drank so much of the blood of those he killed it turned him in some fundamental way, making him both immortal and a creature of the night, hating crosses, garlic and stakes of wood and robbing him of his reflection in mirrors.
As for True Blood and the Southern Vampire Mysteries, I have no idea.
But, since those universes contain all kinds of other supernatural beings as well as us lesser mortals, they can come up with any story they like and it will be just fine.

Day 21: True Blood's kiss

Everybody here likes vampires: that's apparent.
They are sexy creatures, exuding dark sexuality, hinting at secrets of the universe, promising pleasure as they sink their fangs into any number of veins of their human, uh, willing partner (most of the time anyway).
That's the one downside. That pesky bite.
A vampire can make it pleasurable if they choose. Even the un-glamorable Sookie Stackhouse can enjoy it if it's done the right way.
She has experienced it the other way as well, and like everyone else, she prefers to enjoy it.
Before Bill and Eric used a bit of their own precious blood to instantly heal the wounds their bites left, Sookie had to wear bandannas around her neck to hide the holes.
You know the vamps had to know this trick for about as long there have been vampires, so why did it take Bill so long to do this small courtesy for Sookie?
Evidently Eric does it for her all the time, because I've never seen fang marks on her after one of their trysts.
Anyway, as someone who has had more than her fair share of needle sticks, I think a pair of fangs piercing skin would be extremely painful, at least at first.
What do vampires do to make it sound like a good idea? If it's not glamoring, what is it? Do that exude pheromones that make humans turn into willing victims of seduction by bloodshed? Do they whisper some magic words (Oh Sookeh, let meh bite yew? comes to mind in Bill's case. Maybe it varies by vampire. Eric's might be in Swedish.)? Is it part of the sexual thrall they throw off like an aura?
Seriously, I wonder.
It's got to be something that keeps you from screaming in pain, that relaxes you into the embrace of the owner of the fangs, that will keep you calm and happy while they drain you to the point of death.
Maybe they can release some sort of local anesthetic from their fangs at will, something so fast acting that it works from the time they extend their fangs to the moment they connect with your skin.
They should synthesize that and sell it to pharmaceutical companies. That is one hell of a local painkiller.
But, considering all things, I'd rather get it from a vampire, but only if I get to pick who does the biting.
Because Eric can sometimes be excitable, I think for a first bite, I'll try Bill.
Order up.

Day 20: Sookie knows what EVERYONE likes

I have an account at blip.fm and I play all my favorite songs there all time time. Generally I listen to it while I'm writing the posts for Fangathon 2012, and last night an old song came on and I started laughing, because it should be Sookie Stackhouse's theme song.

   

This is the 1980s hit "I Know What Boys Like" by The Waitresses. That was my first clue. 

Since she was a toddler, Sookie's telepathy has let her know what everyone thinks all the time, including what they think when she would tell them what she thought about what was on their mind.

So, believe me, she knows what boys--and that is boys of all ages--as well as girls, want, and she knows it all the time.

I am happy she has learned to shield her mind a lot of the time, but the background chatter has got to be annoying.

Anyway, this song details the tricks this girl uses to tease boys into submission. 

Without guile, Sookie did this to both Bill and Eric. I'm sure her fairy blood helped, but some of the song lyrics are so funny. 

"They get so angry, like pouty children, denied their candy, I laugh right at them."

You know, at some point, she's going to get enough confidence in herself to do that very thing to some guy in her life, undead or not.

However, the part of the song that made me laugh out loud is the second bridge.

The singer starts talking to some guy, assuring him in every way possible that he can do anything he wants to her. Really, he can. He can trust her, she wouldn't lie to him. Seriously. Come on.

"SUCKER."

And she performs a deep, throaty giggle.

When Bill uses Sookie's name in his baritone Southern drawl, we've heard Sookie imitate it. 

"SOOKAH."

It's awfully close, and it's hilarious.

Sookie easily is my favorite character on the series and, hey, she is the star of the books, so I'm hoping as she grows on the series, my favorite Merlotte's waitress will take a page from The Waitresses songbook and give men as good as she gets.

Day 19: Vampire I'd like to see on True Blood

There is one Anne Rice vampire, who, in her book held little interest for me, but when I saw him in the "Interview With the Vampire" movie, I was spellbound.

It was the first time I saw Antonio Banderas. I was thunderstruck. He was amazing. Long, flowing black hair, a delicious accent and his total toothiness, his sexiness oozed off the screen and into my bloodstream, never to leave.
Yes, Bill and Eric are mighty fine, but good heavens, if Armand the vampire came to me, he could have his wicked way with me all night, every night.
Jace Everett can sing "Bad Things" about True Blood vamps, but for me, Armand gets the equally sexy "Wicked Games" by Chris Isaac.

That song is every bit as tortured as "Bad Things" and Chris' voice is equal to Jace's. Easily.
Now, say Armand shows up as part of the Authority. I could so deal with that. I could be his and leave both Eric and Bill in the dust. No problem. Look at the guy. He's as old as Eric but for me, he has the tall, dark and handsome thing going.
And, he'd be a vampire to be reckoned with. He could easily take care of that pesky varmint Russell Edgington and be done with  it, take over that nice house in Mississippi and I could movie right in with him.
Then, I'd invite Miss Stackhouse over for tea and we could compare notes. After all, my mother was a Fairy, so I'm no slouch in that category myself.
That's my story for today, and I'm sticking to it.

Day 18: I Wanna Do Bad Things With You

Every time I hear Jace Everett breathe those opening words, "When you came in the air went out," my heart starts to race and my mind runs towards all the possibilities of what I'll be seeing for the next hour or so.
"I wanna do bad things with you."
Oh yeah, baby.
I'd love to know who first thought of this cut for the opening credits of "True Blood." It's simply brilliant. While the fast-cuts and bizarre images flash by, I love that baritone voice implying all kinds of nasty treats in store for me.
Think of what we've seen so far.
Bill seducing an innocent Sookie. He's the first man who has seriously paid attention to her where she had no idea of what would happen next. When she said, "Yes" to him, she gave herself to him utterly, body and blood.
Eric, seeing Bill has someone strangely and utterly beguiling on his arm when Sookie makes her first visit to "Fangtasia," becomes another willing victim to Sookie's fey charm. He begins plotting to get Sookie at that second.
Eric gets some blood into Sookie in a devious way, using guilt as a weapon after he saves her life in the explosion at Godric's house.
Yes, Eric, that's a "Bad Thing."
 My all-time favorite "True Blood" scene is Sookie's erotic dream featuring Eric. After some wonderful pillow talk, my to-this-day favorite line of the series comes.
"I am a darling."
Oh Miss Stackhouse, you surely are.
Her wiles go farther than vampires, as we all know.
 Sam was sweet on her for years.
 Alcide would have succumbed but their timing has always been off. Still, they show a lot of his wereskin, and oh my, what dirty little thoughts float through my head.

 The Season 4 scene with naked Eric and Alcide nearly hyperventilated me.
Now, that's truly bad, and I loved every second of it.
Didn't you?
"I don't know who you think you are but before this night is through I wanna do bad things with you.
I wanna do real bad things with you."

Yum, Season 5 here I come.

Day 17: Breed all about it: SVM

I had such a great time writing about the series vampires as dog breeds, I thought I'd add one more, this time from the book.

It's simply this, Bubba is a Houng Dog. You know he is, he sang about it. 

Enjoy:

I love you Bubba. Always have, always will. Vamp or not, you taught us how to rock.

Day 16: Breed all about it: Letting sleeping dogs lie

I can't say how this idea came to me, but here it is.
There is no doubt that Terry Bellefleur loves his catahoula dogs, that for some reason Sam Merlotte loves becoming Dean the collie, and I personally love my dogs Caro and Woody.
Thinking about what to write today I came up with this.
If the vampires of "True Blood" were dogs, what breeds would they be?
Right away, with no thought whatsoever, I decided Eric would be a greyhound. These dogs are long, lean, elegant, seem to fly and know how absolutely, stunningly beautiful they are.
That describes Eric to a T. Also, greyhounds love to lie around and be admired. They love attention, will cheerfully wear clothes, shoes, hats, whatever will keep them comfortable in the great outdoors, and expect respect. Generally, they get it because they are the second fastest animal on the planet. This breed has been around for thousands of years and live to hunt down lesser beings, which is in their minds is everything else.
Bill Compton is a chow chow. They are a one person dog, and when their find their person, they are loyal only to them. Sookie Stackhouse is Bill's person. He is ever loyal to her, even if he does go out playing games with other dogs frequently. When he wants comfort, when he needs to protect something, it's Sookie or no one.
Pam is a poodle. I'm not talking about the ill-bred yappy kind, I'm talking the purebred, standard variety. They are regal, they too know they are beautiful, but they can be really bitchy when their nerves get jangled or things don't go their way. Poodles know when they look good and Pam doesn't leave her nest without every hair in place, perfect outfit, perfect shoes. She loves nipping at any lesser breed, which for her is everyone but her greyhound, Eric.
Russell Edgington is the Rottweiler. He is a big brute, cunning, intelligent, stubborn and powerful. Only a rottie could pull the spine out of a news anchor, then nonchalantly ask Tiffany about the weather forecast. His only loyalty was to his lovely cocker spaniel mate Talbot, and after that guy's true death, he is on the warpath with Eric and Bill in his sights.
Queen Sophie-Ann was a shih tzu. Can't you see her in her "sun room" in New Orleans, bow in her hair, curled up on her chaise, playing games all night with her coterie of fellow lapdogs? Eric and Bill stop by and pay grudging homage to her, but when they leave, they stopped to pee on everything, you know they did.

Day 15: My favorite promo

I love this promo. It has everything going for it, a woman who loves her fangstastic man, a man who loves his wife so much he will wear a cheap pair of vampire fangs for her, and a couple who love to role play.
The woman steals the show, though, because she gives great stage direction. I mean, I knew what she wanted. Didn't you?

Day 14: Lonely hearts

Here's a thought : have you ever stopped to consider how lonely Sookie Stackhouse must be?
She has lived her whole life listening to other people live their daily lives. When she intimates by thought, word or deed that she knows more than she should about someone, most of the time she is shunned.
School was a nightmare for her. Dating was worse.
No matter your sex, imagine how truly awful it would be to hear ever all the things flitting through your date's head, from the ridiculous (do I smell funny?) to the downright nasty (I'll bet he's/she's hotter than hell naked). How would Sookie feel, since she has no way of knowing that all these thoughts are totally normal, natural and acceptable. Because a person thinks these things does not mean this person expects any of that to happen right now.
She is friends with Tara because she promised to stop reading her thoughts. Same with Jason.
Was the reason she fell so hard for Bill that she could not know what he was thinking? There is every reason to believe he was having the same kind of flitting thoughts through his head the entire time he was with Sookie, she simply couldn't read them.
It was restful for her certainly, but really, not diametrically different from going out with a human. He had his way with her, but since she didn't know what was coming, that made it different for her.
Still, he betrayed her.
Eric does the same thing.
How does Sookie deal with daily life? She has a well-rehearsed smile she plasters on her face when things get to be too much -- both at work and any where else.
She realizes most of the town refers to her as "Crazy Sookie." That has got to hurt. She can't trust most people because she can read every thought that flashes through their head from the moment she asks them something to the time they answer her questions.
I admire the fact she is always trying to better herself. From her "Word a Day" calendar to watching the game show "Jeopardy" when she can, she wants to educate herself.
One of the saddest moments on the series was when she and Bill were imagining  themselves in a normal life and relationship.
She wanted to be a real estate agent, a job that requires extensive public interaction, savvy negotiation skills and a great wardrobe.
That is something she could do anyway. It doesn't have to be a fantasy. Actually, her telepathy would come in handy in matching the right buyer with the right house, but the years of being hurt by everyone has convinced her she can't do it.
At this point both in the books and the series, she is on her own. In the books, she has broken the blood bond, saved the one man who has believed in her and is getting ready to start a new life.
On the series, the blood bond still exists, but she has lost her best friend and has dumped both Bill and Eric. She could start new there too, but that will never happen, because Alan Ball doesn't care about Sookie, but about the vampires. She is a necessary evil. She has to be around to attract the vampires and keep them safe during the day.
Still, in both universes, she is lonely.

Day 13: How I'd End the Final Book, Part 2

~~~
"Hello, Eric," she said as she opened the door and stood aside so the tall, blonde vampire could glide in.
"Hello, wife," he said, reminding her of the vampire ceremony she had unwittingly participated in at Fangtasia.
"You sure about that?" she asked. "I'm going to find out what it takes to get a divorce, just so you know. I'm giving you the information you did not give me. I broke our blood bond and now I'm undoing this, so you can just take yourself to Oklahoma and marry Freyda.
"How dare you think I'd use the last fairy magic I had to get you out of a situation you can take care of yourself?"
As she kept going, she felt herself losing her temper.
"I cannot believe you thought enough of yourself, and so little of me, to think I would take all the heat for you not marrying a woman when your maker -- the maker who is DEAD NOW -- set up for you. How dare you think I could take care of this little problem for you. If you needed that much proof of my love, well, you can simply forget it. I'm glad I saved Sam. Sam has been a better friend to me that you ever have."
As she said it, she was aware of things clicking into place and a new and amazing idea bloomed in her mind.
"Sam has always been there for me. He has always been my friend. He has always been kind to me, even when I didn't deserve it. We have been friends for so long.
"We kissed you know," she said, remembering sitting on the same couch in Sam's arms. "If Bill hadn't walked in right then, who knows what would have happened."
"I'd sure like to find out."
Sam's drawl rocketed thorough the room, surprising both Sookie and Eric.
"Chere, I know I'd be dead right now if you hadn't done whatever it is you did," he said, staring at her with a new, soft light in his eyes. "I'm looking forward to finding out."
"Eric, it's time for you to go," Sookie said, realizing she meant it with all her heart. "You go back to Shreveport and we'll talk more about this later. Sam and I have some catching up to do."
Eric was staggered, horrified that his selfishness had now cost him the one thing he had wanted since she sashayed into his bar.
"Sookie, please," he began.
"Eric, don't make me rescind my invitation to you. Please, for once, be a gentleman and leave," Sookie said steadily. "Go now."
He left.
She turned to face Sam almost shyly. It had come back to her that the Cluviel dor only worked if the wish she made was based in love.
"Hi Sam. You hungry? I'll fix you something."
At that moment, a voice she loved interrupted her sun-drenched reverie.
"Shug, lunch is ready. You want to grab the kids and come inside now?" Sam said.
"Yup. We're on our way," she said, recalling their brief courtship, his sweet proposal, their simple and lovely wedding and her surprise pregnancy which probably happened on their honeymoon in Miami.
~~~
The rest of "Dead Ever After" would be the details of her conversations with Bill and Eric, Eric's decisions about Freyda and the vampires' final acceptance of Sookie's real love for Sam Merlotte and how they would carry on with their eternal lives without Sookie Stackhouse, who had made her choice and moved on.

Day 12: How I Would End the Final Book, Part 1

I'm not Charlaine Harris and I'm glad I'm not, but if I could creep into her consciousness long enough to write the final Sookie Stackhouse book, "Dead Ever After," here's what I would do.
I'd set it five years from the end of "Deadlocked."
~~~
 Sookie would by lying outside her much-improved home on her chaise, soaking up the sun, and not far away would be a kiddie pool with two small children splashing away.
Sam would walk out the front door, carrying a plate of raw hamburgers and hot dogs. The grill would be heating up nearby and he'd stop by the chaise and give Sookie a loving kiss right on the mouth, saying, "Hey there, Sook."
"Hi, honey," Sookie would answer. "You might want to put a little more sunscreen on Sammy and Adele. The last thing they need is a sunburn."
"Sure," Sam said. "Right after I get this meat on the grill."
As the meat sizzles, Sam picks up his twins and with a lot of giggling and hugs, he re-applies suncreen to his little blonde children.
"What's up for tonight?" he asks.
"I think Eric and Bill both are coming over to see their 'teacup human' godchildren, and Jason and Michelle will be bringing Jason Jr. over and they're going to babysit so you, me, Eric and Bill can go out for dinner tonight to celebrate our anniversary."
"Which one?" Sam asks with a twinkle in his eye.
"Oh, all of them," Sookie replies airily.
Closing her eyes again, Sookie thinks back to how this all came about. She never thought it would end like this.
Five years ago tonight, she brought back Sam from the dead, using the Cluviel dor. Eric wouldn't return her calls and Bill was impressed she had stood up to the Viking. She knew Bill expected that she would run back to him right after Eric said he was going to marry Freyda.
Eric surprised everyone. He broke of all contact with the Queen of Oklahoma and came back to Sookie, expecting for her to forgive him like she always had.
He was in for a shock. So was Bill.
She remembered the private conversation she'd had with each.
Bill checked in first, as always.
He'd come by as soon as he was up, showered and dressed. Sam and Sookie were in the house, getting ready for bed in separate rooms. After Sam was alseep,  Sookie took a deep breath and walked into her living room.
She had told him then that breaking their bond was the best thing she had ever done. She was free to be with her human friends, to do things that lasted all afternoon into the night without worrying about who would think what when a vampire walked in.
She hugged him then, a warm, close hug, and whispered into his ear, "Bill, I will always love you because you were my first love, first in so many things. You made me the woman I am today, but I will never be yours. Never."
Bill was quite surprised, but stepped back and took a good look at her.
"You've changed," he said, stunned. "I believe you mean this."
"Oh, I do, Bill. I do," she said.
The handsome vampire stayed a while longer, drinking a glass of True Blood and considering what the woman he would love for eternity had said. He began to realize she meant it.
After a few hours, he bade her good night and with a kiss to her forehead, he left.
She was asleep on her couch in front of her TV when she heard another knock on her front door. She had no doubt who it was.
~~~

Day 11: A good use for V

Hello, and welcome to Day 11.
Though they don't sell V in the books, it's a popular recreational drug on True Blood. In the books, we see how vampire blood affects humans after Sookie has a sip of Bill. She feels better, her hair is more luxurious, all kinds of things.
The way vampire blood seems to cure almost anything made me start thinking:
In either or both universes, why doesn't the human medical community ask willing vampires to donate their elixir  of life to seriously ill people? Think of the good it could do.
Surgeries would go much better, a small amount put into in IV would hasten healing. Say someone was hit by a car, a little V would have them walking out of the ER within minutes.
In the books, however, it doesn't help blood diseases. Remember Pam had a girlfriend with leukemia whom she couldn't turn because she could not get permission. The woman died. I have to think Pam had tried to let her drink her blood and it must not have worked.
It would certainly give vampires a lot of leverage where equal rights are concerned. They could get about anything they liked for the price of a blood donation. What if they asked for an even trade: human blood for an injection of V?
I'm sure a lot of vampires would volunteer because it would increase the size of their donor pool.
And, since it seems that V from a vial doesn't create a blood bond with the donor vampire, there wouldn't be all these vampires having feelings about all the people they helped.
It's just a thought, a supposition, but it has some interesting ramifications.

Day 10: I do not like...

I have tried since Season One to like Detective Andy Bellefleur.
I can't really say why I don't like the character but I do not, neither in the books nor on the series.
I'm sure actor Chris Bauer is a great guy, so he must do a fabulous job playing the biggest hick on the show.
Maybe it's because he is a bigot on so many levels, or maybe because he's a hypocrite. Here is a man who has loved hassling Jason Stackhouse for years, but got himself hooked on V.
If his cousin Terry Bellefleur had not stepped in, Andy would still be on V.
Maybe he simply is jealous of Jason and his success as an athlete, a lover and his ability to make friends with little or no effort.
The only time Andy has been sympathetic was when he stepped up to help Sam with MaryAnne. He let Sam live with him in his hotel, but while Sam worked to find out how to defeat the demigod, Andy drank. And drank. And drank.
Does Andy have any real friends? His grandmother Caroline bullies him, retired sheriff Bud Dearborne barely tolerated him, taking his badge and gun away wheAndy saw Dawn as a pig and tried to report it.
I am stumped why a fairy could choose him, out of all the available men in Bon Temps, to have her wicked way with in the woods. The only interesting thing about that is if she'll have a baby that has fairy-like powers and what affect that will have on Sookie.
Can Andy be redeemed?
It looks like an overhaul may be underway for Season Five.
He finally is dating Halleigh Robinson, a waitress at Merlotte's. In the book, they are married and a daughter on the way. On the show, will his night with the fairy jeopardize all this, or will he simply not mention it to his girlfriend and go on business as usual?
Even though Bill is his several times great-grandfather, it's never clear what he thinks about this. We know Portia had to be glamored to stay away from Bill, and Caroline Bellefleur reveres him as the relative he is.
So there it is. The one regular actor on True Blood I could live without.
Easily.

Day 9: Battleship is no True Blood: minor spoilers

Hi ya'll.
I was a movie critic for 15 years, and one of the best perks of all time is seeing movies for free, so today I availed myself of that and went to an 11:35 a.m. showing of "Battleship."
What follows is a tiny bit of a review, but mostly just the thoughts that ran through my brain as the the story unfolded.
The movie opens with a story of how Earth finds a planet in another galaxy that is a whole lot like Earth. So of course, we build a satellite to send a message to them. Well, they answer and it's not a friendly visit.
The one thing I thought would happen did. I won't spoil it, but if you've watched the trailers, I'm betting you can figure it out without much arm twisting.
Of course, my absolute favorite part of the movie was seeing Alexander Skarsgard starring as Stone Hopper. It's even a great soldier name.
He stars as a Navy commander who makes his brother Alex (the equally dishy Taylor Kitsch) join the Navy to keep him out of trouble.
Some time later, they are stationed on separate destroyers in Hawaii.
It's time for war games with several allied countries and the movie really gets going when Alex and a Japanese naval officer get into a fight and the admiral (Liam Neesom) tells Stone his brother will be thrown out of the Navy as soon as the exercises are over. Stone travels to his brother's ship to tell him in person.
Luckily for Alex, it's about this time that radars worldwide light up with a group of objects heading right our our home sweet home. Yup, it's ET come to visit, and they do not want to sit with you and me and watch "True Blood." No, they are coming to look over their newest vacation property, planet Earth.
One ship crashes in the atmosphere, taking out a big hunk of Hong Kong and several other countries. The rest land in the Pacific Ocean right near Hawaii. When Alex and two other sailors take a small boat out to investigate the big metal thing sticking up out of the water, a simple touch causes it to light up and put a protective dome over a Japanese destroyer and two American ones -- the ones with Stone and Alex on them, as well as the Hawaiian Island chain.
All communications inside the dome are cut off from the rest of the planet, so the rest of the ships in the war games only know there are three ships in the dome with Lord knows what from outer space.
Glorious.
The aliens turn out to have taken the reptilian path of evolution, unlike the mammals on Earth. The humans are outgunned and have a steep learning curve before they find a plan that works to fight the aliens.
Skarsgard, while showing no fangy goodness, did a good job of playing a serious, by-the-book soldier who loves his brother and will do almost anything to keep Alex out of trouble and most importantly out of jail.
Alex is in love with the admiral's daughter Sam (Brooklyn Decker). They want to marry but she insists that Alex must ask her father for her hand in marriage. Stone thinks it's funny and hopes the relationship will help his brother group up.
Skarsgard and Kitsch have great chemistry in their scenes together.
It's interesting to see our Sheriff Eric in a more buttoned-down role, and best of all, we get to see him in the sunlight. A whole lot. In one scene, he's wearing soccer gear and man, he has great legs.
Alex looks great both in dress whites and in the blue camouflage uniform, and if he ever needs a costume to wear on the "True Blood" set, say for Halloween, New Years Eve, Arbor Day, whatever, I think the Navy whites would be splendid.
If you want to know more about the movie, well, either go see it or ask me and I'll tell you what you want to know. Otherwise, I'm not giving anything else away.

Day 8: Love in Bon Temps

Bon Temps, like anywhere else on earth, has its problems, but one thing it doesn't lack is love.
Yes, there is a lot of petty jealousies, feuds, spats and all out fights, but there never is any shortage of love (or even better, lust) in this tiny town.
Let's start small and work our way up shall we?
Since Lafayette doesn't exist past the first book, we'll start with him. He has to deal with his grief at killing Jesus, and the probable death (in some form) of Tara before he can move on, and that may take some time for him. I'd say he's probably out of the love department this season.
Andy Bellfleur is an unlikely candidate to be the object of anyone's affection, but he finally scores big, both in the book and on the show. It takes quite awhile, but Detective Bellfleur finally lands a wife, Halleigh Robinson. They're not yet married on the series, and in that universe, Andy has a late night tryst with a fairy. Perhaps we'll see this season what happens there. Maybe there will be another human/fae hybrid in Bon Temps, giving Sookie someone else to protect from her fangy friends. In the book, Andy and Halleigh are expecting a daughter, to be named Caroline, after Andy's grandmother.
Police officer Kenya has an officer boyfriend in the book, but she's not so lucky on the series. I love the idea of the beautifully black Kenya living with her partner, shocking his white family, but love is love, and all lawmen need affection as much as, if not more, than everyone else.
Series lawman Jason has real women trouble on the series. He and Jessica are hot and heavy, causing poor Hoyt Fortenberry to lose both a girlfriend and a best friend. This season, it looks like he's going to become a fangbanger. In the book, there is no Jessica, so Hoyt falls in love with another Merlotte's waitress, Holly. She and her son fit nicely into his life in the book, and they are set to marry. Let's hope he gets as lucky this season on the series.
But, back to Jason. In both universes, he's had plenty of woman trouble. Some are dead, some left town and some simply keep their mouth shut about their time with Jason. In the book, Crystal is dead,  he's dating Michelle, and they are planning a backyard wedding with Sookie's blessing.
Sam and Luna seem happy on the series, but it looks like this year will be a bad one for the shifter, as he as killed the Shreveport wolf pack leader. In the book, his luck is equally bad. He is dating Jannalynn, the enforcer of the Shreveport pack, and her fate is not a happy one. We'll all have to wait and see what happens to him, both on the page and on the screen.
Bill Compton will always love Sookie, that's a fact. He realizes he made a huge mistake by withholding the real reason he was sent back to his original home town, but will all his apologies ever make an impact on his former flame? He accidentally dated a distant great-granddaughter, tried to rekindle old relationships with both his maker and his vampire sister, and has probably tried to date all kinds of other women, but nothing will ever compare to the beautiful, blonde, telepathic Miss Stackhouse. I think he's simply out of luck.
Pam presents an entirely different problem. She prefers the company of women, but has dated her share of men. In the book, the last woman she really loved died before Pam could turn her, and I think she is still really pissed off about that. On the series, she has a several relationships but none -- except the one with her maker Eric -- seem to matter to her. I am wondering if she'll be the one to turn Tara in the Season 5 premiere June 10, and since Tara started batting for the home team, will those two form some kind of lasting relationship? That would be very interesting to me, and it would do Sookie good to have a best friend as a member of Eric's family.
One never knows about Eric. Yes, he loves Sookie, but their relationship is left in the air in the book series, and who knows what's in store for our two favorite blondes in the series this year? I wish he would have her bring him the ceremonial knife this season (fans of the book know what this means) because it was the most stable relationship Sookie has ever had.
Most of all, I want Sookie to be happy. I think that's all any of us want, really, and it will be up to two different writers to her fate.
As for me, I simply love that both universes exist.

Day 7: True Blood Tunes

If we're blogging in the Fangathon, then every one of us knows Jace Everett's tune "Bad Things" and if we ever got together, we could probably manage some pretty good harmony while we sing it, don't you think?
We know Sookie sings with the radio and she tends to like powerful women singers like Mariah Carey and Carrie Underwood.
Still today, I'm going to have some fun and speculate what music our favorite residents of Bon Temps play to when they're listening to their radios, MP3 players, etc.
Sookie's musical tastes follow her mood. If she's happy and things are going well with her vamp of the moment, it's Black Eyed Peas because every woman has a little Fergie in her. I also can hear some Katy Perry in there too. "Firework" and "California Gurls" much, much more than "I Kissed a Girl." If she's depressed, I'm betting there is some Adele in her collection, as well as James Blount ("You're Beautiful" is surely there) and John Mayer. When she's had enough, I'm going for "Wish You Hell" by All American Rejects and Cee Lo Green's "Forget You," and if she's mad enough, she'll change the words.
Pam, now, will go for "I Kissed a Girl." I think she also likes bands like Nine Inch Nails, say "Closer," or a personal favorite of mine, "Sanctified." The best lyrics in it say "Heaven's just a rumor she dispells, as she shows you through the nicest parts of hell." Sound like anyone you know? I'm betting men all over the world think of the Kinks song "Lola" and sigh, remembering their one night with Pam. I'm also thinking she may like chamber music on occasion when she remembers her past, and maybe ragtime.
Eric probably has an extensive collection of everything from Gregorian Chants to Kanye West. With a thousand years of seduction under his belt, he's a connoisseur of music that helps women want to shed clothing--all the way from the days of lace-up corsets and petticoats to zippers and hooks. You know he's got Barry White tucked away in there somewhere, as well as some Abba, A-ha and Golden Earring (all bands from the Netherlands). I'm thinking that the music collection at Fantasia is one of the largest in the vampire world.
Bill is more of a classical guy with a slant toward the Blues. His days as a Confederate soldier have given him a love for the tales of men and women done wrong, and his dalliance with Lorena made him a teaser of the ladies as he tickled the ivories and sang tunes with suggestive lyrics. He probably heard LeadBelly and JellyRoll Morton in person and has an amazing knowledge of all music based in the South. On the show, Bill and Sookie's theme is the most haunting regular piece of music played. The mournful fiddle says it all.
Jason likes any rock and country music you can drink or screw to. I can seen him guzzling a beer and screaming "Freebird" at a Lynyrd Skynyrd outdoor jam as well as screaming lyrics along with the likes of Toby Keith or Tim McGraw. Sam, though he likes rock and country too, seems to be a bit more laid back. Picture him sitting on his porch, feet propped up, cracking open a cold one to any Kenny Chesney beach song, or listening to an old Journey or Boston album. I'll bet he's got a copy of several Brad Paisley albums too, because his sense of humor could not resist "Ticks" and "I'm Gonna Miss Her."

Day 6: Lions and tigers and shape shifters, Oh my!

I've been reading all the Fangathon blogs and I've noticed something: Sam's pretty much a no-show, so today, I'm writing a love letter to Sam Merlotte, owner of Merlotte's bar and grill in Bon Temps.
Well, we all knew that, and we know he's a shape shifter. We also know he has been sweet on one of his employees since day one.

Even in the first book, Charlaine Harris made it plain that Sam has it bad for Sookie. He was about ready to ask her out the fateful night Vampire Bill walked into his bar.
Makes you want to compare Sam to Rick, the world weary bar owner in Casablanca.
"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world he walks into mine."
First, Bill breaks Sookie's heart. Then, she and Alcide are always out of step. She's interested, he's not, and vice versa. Then, Eric wins her over when he can't remember what he did. In the book, Quinn and Sookie have all the right intentions of having a relationship, but a bomb literally blows that relationship to kingdom come. Eric steps back in, but the in book does something much more surprising than anything imagined in True Blood.
Actually, way back in the early days of both the books and the show, Sookie and Sam kiss, but that's quickly quashed by an extremely jealous Bill.
In the book, Sam has dated several other women, ending with werewolf Jannalynn, the Shreveport Pack's enforcer. If you're read "Deadlocked," you know how that turns out and you also know there is a very big "IF" left at the end of the book, leaving fans practically drooling for the final Sookie Stackhouse novel, "Dead Ever After."
In True Blood he had a standard booty call with Tara. Other than that, most of his relationships end badly. The jury is still out on how his relationship will go with Luna, a fellow shape shifter who was married to a werewolf, who happened to be Shreveport's Pack Leader. He's gone now, thanks to Alcide, so the jury is out on how this will affect Sam and Luna's dating life.
I like the way Sam is described in the book. I love the "red gold" description of his hair, the way he is always just a tiny bit scruffy. He's a good-hearted guy, the kind most girls would be happy to take home to mom and dad. He just doesn't seem to ever get that far, which I find sad.
Did I mention he has a killer smile?
I'll go out on a limb here and flat out say that I wish Sookie and Sam would wind up together. So many people think I am insane, that either Bill or Eric would be better for her because she can't read their minds, but she has trouble reading Sam's a lot of the time too.
Sam has never hurt Sookie. (Well his brother did when he was pretending to be Sam in the show, but Sam himself never has). He respects her as a person and her decisions, even when he disagrees with them. He doesn't make decisions for her, like both vampires have.
Also in his favor, he has saved Sookies like more than once, just like Bill and Eric. In my world, he's a serious contender. In the book, he shifts into a lion to defend Sookie. A LION. Now that's someone willing to protect you in any way possible.
And, since he still has a beating heart, he can stay out in the sun, something Sookie won't give up. She loves the daylight and she can only share it with Bill and Eric if they get a big ole Sookie cocktail before they step outside, and even then they can only stay a little while.
And hey, if they had a fight and Sookie told him he was in the doghouse, he should simply shift to Dean to collie and go for it. What more could a girl want?
So Sam, this blog's for you. You're a great guy, you deserve a great girl and I hope you find one. Personally, I hope it's Sookie, both in the book and in the series.

Day 5: Charlaine Harris characters I'd Like to See on True Blood

Since it's Day 5 in this great Fangathon, it's been suggested we make a Top Five list of some kind.
So, I thought about it most of the day and have picked five characters from the SVM books who would fit in well in the True Blood universe.
No. 1: JB du Rhone.
JB  is probably the only person in Bon Temps as dim as Jason Stackhouse. Believe it or not, JB is better looking than Jason. Yes, there is enough eye candy on this show already, but really, can there ever be too much? JB has several jobs. He has worked in a gym, at a home improvement warehouse and as a male stripper. He helped Sookie with physical therapy after one particularly nasty session with bad fairies and is one of the few humans she can stand to be around because his thoughts are restful and he is is a nice guy. In the book, JB and Tara get married and have twins. I don't think Tara is going to care one way or another about humanity much longer, so he'd be a free agent in the series. I can see Chris Evans playing this part.
No. 2: Bubba
If you read my Day 4 post, it's about Bubba, whom I love. I know it would be hard to get all the permissions you would need, and there would be rules about what he could and could not do on the show, but damn kids, having Elvis Presley sneaking in and out of Bon Temps would be so cool. I think even Russell Edgington would allow Bubba to do anything he liked, because sometimes, when he's happy or it's Christmas, you might hear him sing. "Blue Christmas" anyone? Chris Isaac has the voice and there are fat suits for a reason.
No. 3: Quinn
While there are no shortage of big beefy men in both the SVM and "True Blood," I think John Quinn would be a welcome addition. First, he is a very endangered species, a weretiger. Only Sam can match him in the shifter world, simply because Sam could turn into a tiger if he felt like it. However, Quinn has the advantage of being a veteran of the supernatural fight world pit matches. The fact he survived makes him a real bad-ass. Also, his looks are amazing. He's described as tall, extremely handsome with "pansy colored eyes." Sounds good to me. In the books, he and Sookie date a few times and then break it off, but the blonde waitress has enough men wanting her attention. He'd simply be more eye candy to me, but a weretiger in town might make those werepanthers in Hot Shot behave. There have been discussions on True Blood websites about who would be the best Quinn, but because I love his gravelly voice, I'd go with Vin Diesel. Personally, I'd love to see him and Alcide play some shirtless football. Yum.
No. 4: Desmond Cataliades
A lawyer from New Orleans, Mr. Cataliades also is a demon. We haven't had a demon on True Blood yet, at least not one we've known about. He's a beefy guy, with two nieces who serve as messengers between him and Sookie when needed. She's helped him too, saving his life, and he has been helpful in filling in some of her numerous questions about her past and explains Gran's final gift to her. I think William Shatner would be perfect as the demon, but if you want someone more menacing, try Vincent D'Onofrio.
No. 5: Amelia Broadway
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we've had our fill of bad witches in Season 4, but Amelia is a witch who uses her powers for good. She and Sookie meet in New Orleans when Sookie comes down to claim her cousin Hadley's estate. Amelia is able to recreate what happened in the apartment, helping everyone find out who killed her cousin (You remember Hadley, her son Hunter is telepathic too). After a spell-soaked sexy session with her boyfriend Bob turns him into a cat, Amelia needs to lay low for while, so she and Bob come stay with Sookie until the heat dies down and she can find a way to reverse Bob's spell. Sookie needs a mostly-normal friend, it would be relaxing for a change. Her talents would come in handy to recreate crime scenes involving supernatural beings, and her magic wards on Sookie's house would keep her (mostly) safe from harm. Also, it would be fun to see some good magic, especially one that would bring Bob back to his human form. Talking about Bob though, would mean six characters, and that's not the assignment is it? I'll let you readers cast this one yourself.
























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Day 4: Takin' Care of Bubba's business

I love Bubba.
Hey, I adore Sookie, Bill, Eric, Pam and all the others in Sookie Stackhouse's literary universe, but I love Bubba.
For those who are "True Blood" purists and don't crack open the SVM books, here's the deal.
When Elvis Presley died in 1977, there was a vampire secretly working in the morgue (they hadn't yet come out of their coffins). And, even though The King had been pronounced dead some time before, this vampire sensed a spark of life deep within the drug-riddled corpse.
And, while the spark was there, it was a mistake to try to blow it back into the full flame that was Elvis. Try though he might, the vampire couldn't resurrect the man who used to be Elvis.
What he got was a big guy who looked, moved and sounded exactly like the super-sized version of the singer, but any memory he had of who he used to be was gone. He was a scared, erratic, simplified version of the superstar.
 He became so upset when anyone called him by his given name his maker started referring to him as the "Man from Memphis" and it quickly devolved to Bubba and was important to keep his existence a big secret. He can sing when he wants to, but no one dares remark on who he sounds like because when he is upset, he tends to wander off and people start reporting Elvis sightings at all sorts of places.
What touches me about Bubba was his instant liking of one telepathic waitress. For some reason, he can see her gentle soul and likes to hang out in her woods, feeding off unfortunate feral cats and protecting Sookie.
For her part, the first time she saw the "Man From Memphis" she was floored. She got the Cliffs Notes version of "Bubba 101" and a friendship was born. She treats him with a sweet courtesy reserved for a favorite relative, making sure that relative is well fed and in bed by dawn.
Think of how cool that is.
Sookie could talk to any vampire and casually mention "Bubba came by last night to watch me eat a peanut butter and banana sandwich," or "I thought I heard something in the woods last night and when I went out on the porch to check, it was just Bubba singing 'Burnin' Love.'"
Now that's the kind of party conversation I'd like to overhear.
It speaks well of Bill that Bubba also trusts him. Bill treats him like a young boy, promising treats and surprises so Bubba will comply freely with Bill's wishes.
I secretly wish Bubba would show up on "True Blood," but I fully understand why it probably won't happen.
First, Elvis Presley Enterprises is extremely particular about whom they let use The King's likeness, sing his songs, or pretend to be the Real Deal.
Second, EPE probably wouldn't care for Elvis being portrayed as a brain-addled vampire nicknamed Bubba.
Also, the royalties due for any song Bubba sang would probably be tremendous, and Bubba wouldn't be Bubba if he didn't at least hum some of his favorite songs.
If, however, EPE could see the humor of the situation like I do and said yes, I'd like to see singer/songwriter Chris Isaac play the part. He  has the look, the swagger and the voice, if not the girth, to pull it off. Still, I'm sure somewhere in this wide world is a man who could do justice to the part of Bubba.
When this happens, I'll call HBO and say, thankyouverymuch.

Day 2: A Tale of Two Vampires

Like so many others, I have a thing for tall, blonde and handsome vampires.

The thing is, I like two of them. One, naturally, is Viking Eric Northman. His rival is Lestat de Lioncourt, a creation of another vampire fan, author Anne Rice.

Going by literary age, Lestat is tall, has flowing blonde hair and a French accent. He was created against his will and left with little knowledge on how to be a proper vampire. It turned out well for him. He found his way to the New World -- New Orleans to be exact -- and did very well for himself, ending up as a late 20th Century rock star.

When it was time to make the movie "Interview with the Vampire," a much shorter Tom Cruise took on the role of Lestat. Cruise did a wonderful job of bring the arrogant vamp to life, but I still prefer the book version.

The two men also have a dislike for wolves in common, though Lestat's fight with them was as a mortal. Before his conversion to the undead, Lestat lived in the French countryside with his human family. It was there he fought an entire pack of wolves, killing them all. He made a cape of their pelts.

Rice's vampires have a decidedly homo-erotic slant and sadly for all women, it's rare to see Lestat with a woman. Damn.

Charliane Harris created our Viking vampire, Eric Northman, as Scandinavian as the day is long. In the books, the human Eric was married with a family, though in the show his maker had him playing for both teams, though it's plain the Area 5 Sheriff prefers those with two XX chromosomes. Thank heaven for me. 

In "True Blood," Eric's maker Godric made him a partner, bringing death to all their prey. 

Both in the books and in the show "True Blood" we know Eric was a very bad-ass Viking back in

the day and that in present times he is extremely well off.

Still, I wonder. When Eric goes to New Orleans, does he ever run into Lestat? Do they know of each other and what does one think of the other? Would Lestat deign to drink True Blood, and does his visit Queen Sophie-Anne at all?

Have the two ever gone hunting together, knowing their looks would attract all kinds of attention, bringing pulsing blood oh-so-close?

One more thing. Since Lestat drank from his Egyptian Vampire Queen Akasha, he can walk in the sun if he likes with little damage. Eric can only do this after he drains a fairy, or gets a really good swig of Sookie, and his wears off. Does Eric think of having a taste of Lestat to spend some time outside with his love, our own blonde fairy-tale princess of Bon Temps?

Now there is an episode of "True Blood" I'd like to see.

Day 3: Fairy Lee

Happy Mother's Day to all of you, whether your children have two legs or four.

My mother is now in the Summerland with her other kin. She was born in the Missouri Ozarks where her mother named her as a hint to her heritage. Her name was Fairy Lee.
Her father was around while she was young, but left one day never to return, leaving her mother pregnant with her youngest brother. She, a child in the middle, wondered what just happened.
She grew up in a tiny town, watching her littler brothers and sisters while her mother worked. They loved their sister Fairy, with her ladylike touch and ability to make everything a little nicer.

Everyone who knew her said there was always something special about little Fairy Lee. Whether it ws her startlingly dark hair, pale skin and big brown eyes, her brilliant mind or her wistful smile, no one could ever say exactly what it was that made her so special.

She never spoke about it, but she knew she was different. She knew things before others, she was able to sense a situation before it happened, giving her the ability to comfort those who needed it most, congratulate the people who finished second in the contest while the winner gloated.

She was so shy, her brothers started calling her Flower after the lovely little skunk in "Bambi." They called her that the rest of her life.

She had big plans for her life. She knew she was meant for more than her little town could offer. She was Harvest Queen her senior year of high school, and she was named valedictorian of her graduating class and received a college scholarship.

Providentially, a well-to-do aunt and uncle offered to let her live with them and go to college. They paid her fees to join a sorority, smiling secretly as they did so. They knew her true heritage, as did the elder women of the sorority. Her first day there, she was gently taken aside and told that from now on, she would be referred to as Lee, that her first name gave too much away about her true heritage.

She was stunned.

"Yes, they call us the special sorority for a reason. Each girl here as a special gift, left by her father. Did you father look like any of these men?"

As they opened the big black book, she saw several men she had seen often in her tiny town, and one that made her gasp.

"That's my father," she said.

"We know," the women said.

As she got her degree, she honed her skills as best she could with the teaching provided in the sorority house. When her sister was old enough, she came to the college too, but while she was lacking Fairy Lee's skills, she could sing like a nightingale.

Fittingly, Fairy Lee got a degree in history. After her graduation, her father came to see her and offered her a place to spend the summer --  his home in a tiny Arkansas Ozark town. 

She loved it there. One moon-drenched night, she met her man. She knew immediately he was hers forever and nothing anyone could say or do could change her unshakable faith that they would marry.

They said their "I dos" in a tiny ceremony, hurried because the new life within her wouldn't wait, and started their life together. 

They moved to a bigger city where no one could know her past or her gifts. Their sons were handsome, but it was her only daughter who got the gifts from both sides of the family. 

Fairy stayed home with her children until they were well established in school. They couldn't quite say why their mother was different from all the their friends' mothers, but knew she was. 

We thought maybe she was the Tooth Fairy, I mean the name was there, but all we got was a little smile and a "don't be silly."

That is not a denial.

My cousins loved my mother. They called her "Aunt Fairy" and everyone I knew who knew her always spoke of what a lady she was, show she could always make them feel better than anyone else.

 As we got older, my mother began teaching elementary school. She choose to work in the poorest areas, places where children needed a her gifts -- and maybe a little magic -- simply to get by.
  Oddly, she never went back to her hometown, not for weddings, funerals or class reunions. She would simply stay away. 

She chose her friends carefully, dressed beautifully and knew her sons and daughter would always love and care for her.

She lived long enough to see grandchildren and a few great-grandchildren, but one day she could hear her distant kin calling her to come home. 

She left, taking a little sparkle with her when she left.

I know she's with family members now, spending sun soaked days in their small town in the Summerland.

I miss her every day.

Rhinestone Shades or Cheap Sunglasses?

Had the radio on in my car the other day and there it was, the fuzzy guitar, driving bass and the steady drumbeats that create ZZ Top's up-way-too-ate-drinking anthem, "Cheap Sunglasses." It made me think, as I sang along with it at the top of my voice, that vampires, like sunglasses, come in two classes.
Depending on who's writing, how old the book or movie is, those creatures who subsist on blood are either filthy, skeevy, nasty critters who would just as soon rip your throat to pieces as not, or they are spectacuarly beautiful, dressed in the latest edgy fashion and sip their red nectar through discreet bitemarks in a hard-to-see places.
Well, Bill didn't do that the first time he tasted Sookie, so for that he gets some cheap sunglasses. He knew then he could have "erased"  those telltale fanghole-hickies with little effort on his part, but maybe it was part of his plot to show "Sookie is mine!"
Eric doesn't leave those marks on Sookie, nuh uh. Designer shades for that cool cat. He plays his cards close to his chest, letting Sookie think she had some choice in the manner.
Pam probably has a room full of designer sunglasses to go with those amazing clothes she wears. Still, every once in a while (especially when she's had enough of some snotty blood bag at Fangtasia), she'll rip out her cheap shades and go to town.
Franklin never owned a decent pair of sunglasses. He bought his in the bargain bin at Big Lots. Look at how he savaged Tara over and over. No class, crappy glasses.
Nan probably has glasses that look like rhinestone shades, but her's are probably bought on a street vendor's table in New York City. Looks good for a day or two, then they fall apart, sort of like her plans to wreak havoc in Louisiana's Area  Five.
Humans, thank heaven, don't have this pressing problem. If they're hungover, they go to the Grabbit Kwik and get some dark lens sunglasses, a sports drink and aspirin and then take their drive of shame home, where they can lie in the dark and swear they won't drink again.
I don't think there is anyone rich enough in Bon Temps (except Bill) who could afford a real pair of designer sunglasses--but I'm betting the Grabbit Kwik has a few pair of rhinestone shades for the more adventurous in  town --Arlene and LaFayette come to mind.

Hi Trubies,
This is my official Fang-a-thon site. Hope you enjoy my posts as much as I'll enjoy reading yours!
Waiting Sucks,
Sandi