Bad to the Bone: FRANKLIN, DEBBIE, RUSSELL

True Blood: Three Big Baddies and a Revenge Plot
Kris De Leon, BuddyTV.com >>LINK TO ARTICLE

With all the casting rounds these past couple of months, it's safe to assume that True Blood season 3 is going to be daring, bolder, and more kick-ass than ever before. Just think about it, season 3 will feature three big baddies just to dethrone last season's main villain, maenad Maryann.

"We have a triumvirate of evil this season," exec producer Alan Ball reveals to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. "I'm talking about Franklin Mott, Russell Edgington, and Debbie Pelt. They are all bad to the bone. They're not just crazy, they're evil." For more information about these villains, check out our True Blood spoiler section.

Among the three antagonists, Alcide's psycho ex-girlfriend, Debbie Pelt, who is yet to be cast, will have a bigger role than what was originally planned by Ball. "We actually beefed up Debbie," he says. "She's going to be in more episodes, so maybe that will have an impact on [what actress] we can get for her, which is a big question right now."

Meanwhile, True Blood fans can look forward to another side plot going into the third season of the HBO vampire series. It turns out Eric has an ongoing vengeance plot that will gradually unfold.

"I'd say it's about revenge," said Alex Skarsgard, who plays Eric on True Blood. "He will continue to explore the whole Sookie thing and what that's all about. He's trying to figure out what's different about her. He's intrigued by that. And in addition to that, there's something that happened a thousand years ago that he's still carrying in his heart. All I'll say is he's trying to avenge someone."

True Blood at least going through season 4

Highlights from an interview with Alan Ball

Taken From: Alan Ball Interview
By Abbie Bernstein, Buzzy Multimedia Publishing


As True Blood continues, Ball says, “I think we’re always going to use the books as sort of a foundation, but I just don’t see how, as time goes on, you can’t diverge from them a little bit more each season. I don’t know, though. We’re starting to work on Season Three and we actually are really, really sticking to the books, at the beginning at least.”

“Season Three is a big Eric [the vampire played by Alexander Skarsgard] season and Season Four is really big for Eric’s character, according to the books.”

“I got into Sookie and the world and the characters, and I looked forward to going to bed every night, because I knew I was going to read the book before I went to sleep, and I would tell myself, ‘Okay, I’m just going to read two chapters,’ and I would read seven. I just felt, ‘This is kind of a phenomenon.’ I read first four books, [which] at that time [was what] had been published, and I wanted more. So I called [Harris]. At that time, she had given the rights to a film producer, but those rights were set to run out in a couple of months. They ran out and I convinced her to let me take a stab at it.”

The series Ball created based on the books, True Blood, has successfully been set up at HBO and it would be fair to call the results a phenomenon. The cable network is so pleased with Ball and company that, Ball relates, "I just closed a deal to show-run for two more seasons, so I would assume that [the series is at minimum] going through Season Four.”

Read the entire article here..

Dead in the Family (Book 10) cover and Chapter 1 peek!

Read Chapter One of DEAD IN THE FAMILY, from Charlaine Harris' website!

Crystal Norris character in Season 3 of True Blood

From DreadCentral.com

True Blood Adds Yet Another Recurring Character for Season Three

And the powers-that-be behind HBO's popular series True Blood still aren't done filling out the character roster for Season Three. Today another new female was added, one named Crystal Norris, who shares an "electric connection" with Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten).

According to The Hollywood Reporter Crystal, a beautiful "barefoot, sundress-wearing woman", will be portrayed by Lindsay Pulsipher, whom genre buffs will likely recognize from the Masters of Horror episode "The Fair Haired Child". Most recently she's been in A&E's The Beast.

In the Charlaine Harris books on which True Blood is based, Crystal is a full-blooded werepanther who is first introduced in the fourth novel and reappears throughout the storyline up until the ninth book, Dead and Gone. We'll see how much showrunner Alan Ball deviates from that formula come June, 2010, when the third season premieres.

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Join Brandi, Luz and Dayna as we discuss the movie release of New Moon and then how the Twilight series compares to Southern Vampire Series.

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Vamp out your holiday tree!

Dear Santa, I want a VIKING VAMPIRE wrapped in a BIG RED BOW .... with CHOCOLATE.

Yes, finding Eric Northman under the tree would be a great holiday gift! Get your ornament NOW

Vampire Travels

On the trail of vampires

Even before 'Twilight' and 'True Blood' helped raise their pop-culture profiles, vampires had left their marks in many places. The garlic is optional.

By Krista Simmons | LATimes.com

Vampires have long been objects of fascination in history, literature and lore. With the Nov. 20 release of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," HBO's "True Blood" and their countless imitators, Americans are welcoming vampires into their homes again. Though many consider Transylvania to be the lair of vampirism, there's plenty of vampire culture right here. Whether you have just come out of the coffin or long thirsted for night life, these locations offer plenty of opportunities to explore the dark side.

Exeter, R.I.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries in New England, many believed vampires were the source of the rampant transmission of tuberculosis. According to folklorist Michael Bell, author of "Food for the Dead," there are at least 40 documented cases in which corpses were exhumed and their vital organs burned and stakes driven through the hearts in attempts to halt the alleged vampires from spreading the disease.

The most famous case of exhumation is that of Mercy Brown of Exeter, whose brother Edwin had contracted tuberculosis. Because of the cold temperatures and the fact that she had recently died, Mercy's heart still contained blood that was not frozen or blackened. It was decided that she was a vampire, Edwin was forced to drink her blood, and Mercy's vital organs were burned. H.P. Lovecraft, who's buried in Providence's Swan Point Cemetery, wrote about Mercy's case in "The Shunned House." It's also said that Bram Stoker used Mercy as reference for "Dracula."

The Providence Biltmore, a historic building with imposing chandeliers and a giant '20s-style ballroom, is an ideal spot to stay while visiting. The hotel is near Swan Point Cemetery and 20 minutes from the more bucolic Exeter, where Brown is buried in Chestnut Hill Cemetery. With the advent of winter, this New England sojourn will undoubtedly supply plenty of darkness for the photosensitive.

Providence Biltmore Hotel:

11 Dorrance St., Providence, R.I.; (800) 294-7709, www.providencebiltmore. Doubles from $119.

New Orleans

Whether it's the fictional town of Bon Temps in the "True Blood" series or the setting of Anne Rice's vampire novels, New Orleans and environs are well-known in vampire lore.

Oak Alley Plantation, built in 1839, was the location for Lestat's mansion in the movie version of "Interview With the Vampire." Its antebellum plantation cottages now have been converted into a bed-and-breakfast at this house on the banks of the Mississippi River about an hour from New Orleans.

Though "True Blood's" Fangtasia bar has no true brick and mortar, there are plenty of other watering holes for the undead in New Orleans' historic French Quarter: Sip a Dragon's Blood cocktail at Ye Olde Original Dungeon, which is decorated with coffins and cages.

Before you head out into the night, you might want to stock up on some vampire gear at Boutique du Vampyre, where you can get the Vamp N.R.G. drink or vampire-attracting perfume. Historic New Orleans Tours offers twilight excursions through the French Quarter that visit locations in Rice's novels as well as for "Interview With the Vampire" and "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant."

Oak Alley Plantation: 3645 Highway 18, Vacherie, La. (225) 265-2151, www.oakalleyplantation. Doubles from $200. Ye Olde Original Dungeon, 738 Toulouse St., New Orleans; (504) 523-5530, www.originaldungeon.com. Boutique du Vampyre, 712 rue Orleans, New Orleans; (504) 561-8267, www.feelthebite.com/home.html; Historic New Orleans Tours, (504) 947-2120, www.tourneworleans.com.

New York

Its dark, monochromatic interior makes Gotham's Night Hotel an ideal haven for bloodsuckers and night dwellers. Designed three years ago by Mark Zeff, the hotel's décor is accented with giant Gothic-style pillars, black-and-white leather chairs, black horsehair couches, pillows, antique wooden armoires, bookshelves and black-and-white erotic photographic prints.

Inside the hotel's lounge, Nightlife, a jail cell door keeps the bartender behind the bar. Check out the NewGothCity website at www.newgothcity.com for goth events and parties.

For a less vamp-sclusive outing, a must-do is Death & Co., which features cocktails such as the Sleepy Hollow Fizz (rum, lemon juice, maple syrup, pumpkin purée and egg yolk) and the aptly named 18th Century cocktail (Batavia Arrack, crème de cacao, vermouth and fresh lime juice). You might also stop by the Vampire Freaks clothing store to pick up new threads and info on the East Village's gothic and vamp parties.

Night Hotel: 132 W. 45th St., N.Y.; (212) 835-9600, www.night. Doubles from $199. Death & Co., 433 E. 6th St., N.Y.; (212) 388-0882, www.deathand. Vampire Freaks, 189 Ave. A, New York; (212) 505-8267, http://vampirefreaks.com/store.

Forks, Wash.

The success of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" saga has turned this town batty, and the Pacific Inn Motel is no exception. The six "Twilight" rooms offer fans an unusual overnight experience. Each is painted black and red, embellished with posters of the characters and are stocked with apples to munch on (they're meant to recall the novel's cover). The bathrooms have black towels with "Twilight" embroidered on them, but you'll have to bring your own glitter soaps and lotions if you want to get a glow like Edward's.

Dazzled by Twilight leads daily theme tours through Forks and the seaside town of La Push, but the innkeepers recommend that you take a trip through the stunning Hoh Rain Forest, where the giant trees and ominous fog dominate the scenery in the movie.

You can also stop for a meal at Bella Swan's favorite eatery in Port Angeles, Bella Italia (watch the garlic!), and take a picture next to Bella's cool old truck at the Chamber of Commerce.

Yet another "Twilight"-oriented restaurant is scheduled to open early next year. Now called the Lodge, it originally was named Volterra after the "New Moon" location. It will include a downstairs bar appropriately named the Dungeon.

Pacific Inn Motel: 352 S. Forks Ave., Forks, Wash.; (360) 374-9400, www.pacificinnmotel.com. Doubles from $66. Bella Italia, 118 E. 1st. St., Port Angeles, Wash.; www.bella. Dazzled by Twilight, 61 N. Forks Ave., Forks, Wash.; (360) 374-8687, www.dazzledbytwilight.

Santa Cruz, Calif.

The view from the Cliff Crest Bed & Breakfast Innoverlooks West Cliff Boulevard and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, two prominent locations in the '80s vampire flick "The Lost Boys." The rooms in this Queen Anne Victorian have king-size beds with hand-carved posts and canopies, lace-covered windows and fireplaces.

Although gentrification and the expansion of UC Santa Cruz have transformed the city, the movie's motorcycle culture is very much alive.

Check out riding with the Vampires Motorcycle Club, or visit the Red Restaurant & Bar, whose lounge is decked out with blood-red walls, roaring fireplaces and seductive low lighting that makes even the whitest pallor look delicious.

For a mid-morning feed, have brunch at the reputedly haunted Brookdale Inn & Spa, just north of Santa Cruz on Highway 9, which is said to be visited by the spirit of a former owner's niece who drowned in the creek that runs through the dining room.

Make sure you check out some of the rocky caves at Panther Beach, which look strikingly similar to the "vampire hotel" where the Lost Boys resided.

Cliff Crest Bed & Breakfast Inn: 407 Cliff St., Santa Cruz; (831) 427-2609, www.cliffcrestinn.com. Doubles from $145. Red Restaurant & Bar, 1003 Cedar St., Santa Cruz; (831) 425-1913. Brookdale Inn & Spa, 11570 Highway 9, Brookdale; (831) 338-1300, www.brookdaleinnandspa. Vampires Motorcycle Club, www.vampiresmc.com

krista.simmons@latimes.com

Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times