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.

True Blood and Philosophy: We Wanna Think Bad Things with You

Want to take a bite out of philosophy? Here's you chance with Alan Ball's hit show 'Trueblood'.

The book takes a looks at philosophical issues behind Charlaine Harris's New York Times bestsellers The Southern Vampire Mysteries and Alan Ball's adaption True Blood television series.

Teeming with complex, mythical characters in the shape of vampires, telepaths, shapeshifters, and the like, True Blood has a rich collection of themes to explore, from sex and romance to bigotry and violence to death and immortality. The goings-on in the mythical town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, where vampires satiate their blood lust and openly comunicate with ordinary humans, presents no shortages of juicy metaphysical morsels to sink your teeth into.

Now True Blood and Philosophy calls on the minds of some of history's greates thinkers to perform some philosophical bloodlettting on such topics as Sookie and the metaphysics of mindreading; Maryann and sacrificial religion; werewolves, shapeshifters and personal identity; vampire politics, evil, desire, and much more.

True Blood and Philosophy is the perfect companion to the start of the third season on HBO and the release of the second season on DVD. It is smart and entertaining, and provides food--or blood--for thought, and a fun, new way to look at the series.

For all of our Trubies out there, True Blood and Philosophy, will be out for purchase June 2010.

Take a bite out of that!!!

Charlaine Harris' Harper Connelly goes Comic!

--- OFFICIAL RELEASE ---

Acclaimed author Charlaine Harris, the writer of the Sookie Stackhouse series, is joining the Dynamite Entertainment family in 2010! We are proud to announce that the first book of her hit Harper Connelly series, Grave Sight, will be adapted by Dynamite Entertainment in 2010! Her Sookie Stackhouse novels became the basis for one of today's most successful television shows, the hit HBO series True Blood! Dynamite is extremely proud to present Charlaine Harris' first comic adaptation!

For the past five years, readers have been thrilled by the Harper Connelly series. Featuring Harper Connelly, a woman who has what you might call a strange job: she finds dead people. She can sense the final location of a person who's passed, and share their very last moment. The way Harper sees it, she's providing a service to the dead while bringing some closure to the living-but she's used to most people treating her like a blood-sucking leech. Traveling with her step-brother Tolliver as manager and sometime-bodyguard, she's become an expert at getting in, getting paid, and getting out fast. Because for the living it's always urgent-even if the dead can wait forever.

"I'm thrilled to join such great writers," says Charlaine Harris. "I'm excited about seeing a different vision of my novels, and I've seen enough of the Dynamite Entertainment to know this will be an interesting and entertaining process."

"Charlaine has thrilled millions of readers with her novels, and millions more with the adaptation of her Sookie Stackhouse series as the TV Show known as True Blood. We at Dynamite are honored to be the first comics publisher to be granted the right to adapt her novels in to the first ever comics adaptation. And Charlaine's kind words on our comics and confidence in our ability to execute will be rewarded with Dynamite's placing the best talent available on these adaptations!" Stated Dynamite President and Publisher Nick Barrucci.

ABOUT CHARLAINE HARRIS:

CHARLAINE HARRIS, Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, Charlaine Harris is best known for her paranormal mysteries -- a sly, wry blend of humor, horror, that has been called "cozies with teeth."

ABOUT DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT:

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT, the publishing division of DYNAMIC FORCES, INC., was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including Red Sonja, Project Superpowers, The Boys, Army of Darkness, Battlestar Galactica, The Lone Ranger, Zorro and more!
In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and best selling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Alex Ross, John Cassaday, Garth Ennis, Michael Turner, Jim Lee, Michael Avon Oeming, Brian Reed, Mel Rubi, Marc Guggenheim, Stephen Sadowski, Mike Carey, Jim Krueger, Greg Pak, Brett Matthews, Matt Wagner and a host of up and coming new talent and fan favorite creators!
DYNAMITE is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their more recent launches - including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger's PROJECT SUPERPOWERS - have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors. In 2005 Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%). The company has also been nominated for several industry awards, including the prestigious Eisner Award.
Aside from their monthly periodical comic book series, DYNAMITE also produces new and classic material, including Tim Truman's SCOUT, Carlos Trillo and Eduardo Risso's BORDERLINE and TALES OF TERROR, Jim Starlin's DREADSTAR, as well as well as reprint editions of classic RED SONJA material.

Charlaine Harris European Book Tour

EUROPEAN TOUR

ITALY
March 2 – 9:30 pm Shan Go, via San Saba 11, Rome, Italy – Interview with Rosaria Renna and signing

POLAND
March 4 – 5 pm Empik Mega Krakow, Rynek Glowny 5/ Sienna 2, 31-042, Krakow, Poland – signing

March 5 – 2 pm Wirtualna Polska – Chat video

March 5 – 6 pm Empik Giga Junior, Ul. Marszalkowska, 116/122 00-017, Warsaw, Poland – talk and signing

UNITED KINGDOM
March 9 – 6:30 pm The Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Place, London England -Talk and signing – Tickets 8 pounds call 020 7494 3654 or www.princecharlescinema.com

March 10 – 12:00 pm Waterstones, 1-5 Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham, England – signing

March 10 – 7:00 pm Waterstones, 91 Deansgate, Manchester, England – signing

PORTUGAL
March 12 – 6 pm Maxime, Praca da Alegria Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal – presentation and signing – Tel: 213467051

March 13 – 9 pm FNAC, Columbo center Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal - presentation and signing – Tel: 711 4200

Podcast: Book 10 Dead in the Family chapter 1 review and speculations

Charlaine Harris has posted the first chapter of her upcoming Sookie book Dead in the Family and Brandi, Luz and Dayna are sharing their thoughts and opinions.

Download NOW

If you want to read the first chapter of Charlaine's book, check it out here.