Stephen Moyer on how he pissed off all the 14 year olds on the planet

I must say, Stephen does a fantastic 14 year old impression. I love this!

Charlain Harris European Tour Stop Interview

Q&A with True Blood author Charlaine Harris
Posted by: This is Nottingham.co.uk

AMERICAN author Charlaine Harris is best known for vampires-in-the-deep-south True Blood novels featuring heroine Sookie Stackhouse. On Wednesday, she's signing books in Nottingham.

What inspired you to start writing vampire/supernatural stories? Is the deep south really that spooky or did you grow up watching Hammer Horror films?

I had reached a crossroads in my career, and decided to write something different. It seemed interesting to write about a young woman who was dating a vampire. Any region of the US can seem creepy, I'm sure; I just specialise in the south.

You've created a world of "supes" although the fairies have gone. (I'll miss 'em, I love the way you gave them Irish names). Are there any new beings to come?

In the next book there's an incidental character who's of another race. And there are still some fairies hanging around. Hope you enjoy them.

What did you think of the True Blood TV version and were you able to have any input in the series? (They did seem to go overboard on the sex.)

I love the TV show, and I really enjoy seeing my work through Alan's interpretation. (Alan Ball, who created American series Six Feet Under, is creator and producer of the True Blood television series.) My input lies in writing the books the show is based on.

What did you think of our true Brit Stephen Moyer's performance as Bill Compton?

I admire Stephen. I'm so pleased he's in the series, and I think he's given Bill depth and great appeal.

What's in store for Sookie, as the next book is out in May? Will the FBI come back to recruit her?

You'll have to find out then. You'll be surprised.

Why do you think the world's gone bats over vampires?

In depressed economic times people turn to fantasy literature, and my books fit the bill. In our youth obsessed society, vampires represent the ideal in keeping their looks, never ageing, never getting ill.

You also write crime fiction with the Harper Connelly "grave" stories. Would you like to see Harper get the same small screen treatment as Sookie? The latest instalment, Grave Secret, seems to flesh out some characters, such as Manfred and Harper's sisters, aunt and uncle, so there seem to be plenty of cast members for a TV series. Was this deliberate?

No, I fleshed out the characters because they were an integral part of the story. But there has been TV interest in the Harper books, and it may happen, may not.

How do you divide your time between the genres, as we're told writers have to be very focused and disciplined?

It's like switching heads. It's a nice change of pace.

How do you relax?

I read. Sometimes my husband and I go to the movies. We watch my daughter play baseball. I e-mail friends.

You're only making three stops in the UK and Nottingham is one. Do you have a fan club here or is it a hot spot for sales?

As I understand it, it is a hot spot for sales. I don't book my own tours in the US or overseas, and I enjoy seeing different places and different fans.

Priest Casting: True Blood meets Twilight

'Priest' Director Discusses Film's 'True Blood'-Meets-'Twilight' Casting
Rick Marshall, mtv.com news

We have just shy of a year before "Priest" arrives in theaters, but with its popular manga source material and prominent actors from the "Twilight" and "True Blood" franchises playing major roles in the film, we're pretty sure there will be no shortage of buzz as the film's release date nears.

"It was funny,actually — when casting 'Priest' it was kind of hard to find someone who hasn’t played a vampire before," he laughed. "There are so many people playing vampires these days. ... But I love genre movies and I love to take them very seriously, even when the tone is meant to be fun. That means trying to cast them with really great actors."

In this case, the vampire-savvy actors Stewart are "True Blood" star Stephen Moyer and "Twilight" alum Cam Gigandet, who play a pair of humans (not vampires) in an apocalyptic world ravaged by vicious bloodsuckers and their subordinates.

"Cam Gigandet is great," said Stewart. "This is really the role for him. ... You've got some James Dean and Brad Pitt happening with him, and he's not even trying. It’s pretty awesome to see. We really gave him a look and a character that allowed him to be that. We also gave him some grit and some challenges as a character, and I think some emotional struggle to go through, which was fun."

As for Moyer, Stewart offered similar levels of praise for the actor who plays brooding vampire Bill Compton on the hit HBO series.

"What a treat," said Stewart. "I had never met him before and we had dinner, talked about the part. He just embraced it and took it. ... There’s a good reason why every girl I know, when they found out he was going to be in the movie, was like, 'Can I visit in the days he works?'"

For those wondering about any "Twilight" vs. "True Blood" rivalry on the set, Stewart said the two actors' bloodsucking background didn't go unnoticed by the cast and crew, and went from being a mark against them to a positive in the casting process.

"They was certainly joking about it by us on the producing side," he said. "There were actually some other people considered at various points who were also pretty well-known vampires, but it wasn’t because we had this conscious desire to find people who had been vampires in other movies. At first, I didn't want to do that, but it just sort of happened."

"Eventually, I was like, 'Maybe we should try to do that,'" said Stewart of going for actors in the rival vampire series. "Once you get two, you might as well get five. And it did end up working out that way. I was very pleased with the way the cast came together."

"Priest" is scheduled to hit theaters in January 2011.