True Blood added some new promotional images for the cast of True Blood on Facebook.
We have our first glimpses of new characters for this season including Rutger Hauer and Jurnee Smollett. Images in the gallery below. Photo credit : HBO J. Johnson 2013
The final Sookie Stackhouse book is almost here!! There is a Prologue posted on the Penguin site. Here is an excerpt:
UPDATE: Since this post was written a HUGE SPOILER has been leaked concerning the final book. I see a lot of hits for this post. I do not have that spoiler on this site. May 7 will soon be here. Just prepare your self for the final book. I know I was quite surprise and yes very saddened in the end of the series.
Prologue
JANUARY
The New Orleans businessman, whose gray hair put him in his fif¬ties, was accompanied by his much younger and taller bodyguard/ chauffeur on the night he met the devil in the French Quarter. The meeting was by prearrangement.
“This is really the Devil we’re going to see?” asked the bodyguard. He was tense—but then, that wasn’t too surprising.
“Not the Devil, but a devil.” The businessman was cool and col¬lected on the outside, but maybe not so much on the inside. “Since he came up to me at the Chamber of Commerce banquet, I’ve learned a lot of things I didn’t know before.” He looked around him, trying to spot the creature he’d agreed to meet. He told his bodyguard, “He convinced me that he was what he said he was. I always thought my daughter was simply deluded. I thought she imagined she had power because she wanted to have something . . . of her own. Now I’m willing to admit she has a certain talent, though nowhere near what she thinks.”
It was cold and damp, even in New Orleans, in the January night. The businessman shifted from foot to foot to keep warm. He told the bodyguard, “Evidently, meeting at a crossroads is traditional.” The street was not as busy as it would be in the summer, but there were still drink¬ers and tourists and natives going about their night’s entertainment. He wasn’t afraid, he told himself. “Ah, here he comes,” the businessman said.
The devil was a well– dressed man, much like the businessman. His tie was by Hermes. His suit was Italian. His shoes were custom made. His eyes were abnormally clear, the whites gleaming, the irises a pur¬plish brown; they looked almost red from certain angles.
“What have you got for me?” the devil asked, in a voice that indi¬cated he was only faintly interested.
“Two souls,” said the businessman. “Tyrese has agreed to go in with me.”
The devil shifted his gaze to the bodyguard. After a moment, the bodyguard nodded. He was a big man, a light–skinned African Amer¬ican with bright hazel eyes.
“Your own free will?” the devil asked neutrally. “Both of you?”
“My own free will,” said the businessman.
“My own free will,” affirmed the bodyguard.
The devil said, “Then let’s get down to business.”
“Business” was a word that made the older man comfortable. He smiled. “Wonderful. I’ve got the documents right here, and they’re signed.” Tyrese opened a thin leather folder and withdrew two pieces of paper: not parchment or human skin, nothing that dramatic or exotic—computer paper that the businessman’s office secretary had bought at Office Max. Tyrese offered the papers to the devil, who gave them a quick glance.
“You have to sign them again,” the devil said. “For this signature, ink is not satisfactory.”
“I thought you were joking about that.” The businessman frowned.
“I never joke,” the devil said. “I do have a sense of humor, oh, believe me, I do. But not about contracts.”
“We actually have to . . . ?”
“Sign in blood? Yes, absolutely. It’s traditional. And you’ll do it now.” He read the businessman’s sideways glance correctly. “I promise you no one will see what you are doing,” he said. As the devil spoke, a sudden hush enveloped the three men, and a thick film fell between them and the rest of the street scene.
The businessman sighed elaborately, to show how melodramatic he thought this tradition was. “Tyrese, your knife?” he said, looking up to the chauffeur.
Tyrese’s knife appeared with shocking suddenness, probably from his coat sleeve; the blade was obviously sharp, and it gleamed in the streetlight. The businessman shucked off his coat and handed it to his companion. He unbuttoned his cuff and rolled up his sleeve. Perhaps to let the devil know how tough he was, he jabbed himself in the left arm with the knife. A sluggish trickle of blood rewarded his effort, and he looked the devil directly in the face as he accepted the quill that the devil had somehow supplied . . . even more smoothly than Tyrese had produced the knife. Dipping the quill into the trail of blood, the busi¬nessman signed his name to the top document, which the chauffeur held pressed against the leather folder.
After he’d signed, the businessman returned the knife to the chauf¬feur and donned his coat. The chauffeur followed the same procedure as his employer. When he’d signed his own contract, he blew on it to dry the blood as if he’d signed with a Sharpie and the ink might smear.
The devil smiled when the signatures were complete. The moment he did, he didn’t look quite so much like a prosperous man of affairs.
He looked too damn happy.
“You get a signing bonus,” he told the businessman. “Since you brought me another soul. By the way, how do you feel?”
“Just like I always did,” said the businessman. He shrugged his coat back over his shoulders. “Maybe a little angry.” He smiled suddenly, his teeth looking as sharp and gleaming as the knife had. “How are you, Tyrese? ” he asked his employee.
“A little antsy,” Tyrese admitted. “But I’ll be okay.”
“You were both bad people to begin with,” the devil said, without any judgment in his voice. “The souls of the innocent are sweeter. But I delight in having you. I suppose you’re sticking with the usual wish list? Prosperity? The defeat of your enemies?”
“Yes, I want those things,” the businessman said with passionate sincerity. “And I have a few more requests, since I get a signing bonus. Or could I take that in cash?”
“Oh,” the devil said, smiling gently, “I don’t deal in cash. I deal in favors.”
“Can I get back to you on that?” the businessman asked after some thought. “Take a rain check?”
The devil looked faintly interested. “You don’t want an Alfa Romeo, or a night with Nicole Kidman, or the biggest house in the French Quarter?”
The businessman shook his head decisively. “I’m sure something will come up that I do want, and then I’d like to have a very good chance of getting it. I was a successful man until Katrina. And after
Katrina I thought I would be rich, because I own a lumber business. Everyone needed lumber.” He took a deep breath. He kept on telling his story, despite the fact that the devil looked bored. “But getting a supply line reestablished was hard. So many people didn’t have money to spend because they were ruined, and there was the wait for the insurance money, for the rest. I made some mistakes, believing the fly–by–night builders would pay me on time. . . . It all ended up with my business too extended, everyone owing me, my credit stretched as thin as a condom on an elephant. Knowledge of this is getting around.” He looked down. “I’m losing the influence I had in this city.”
Possibly the devil had known all those things, and that was why he’d approached the businessman. Clearly he was not interested in the businessman’s litany of woes. “Prosperity it is, then,” he said briskly. “And I look forward to your special request. Tyrese, what do you want? I have your soul, too.”
“I don’t believe in souls,” Tyrese said flatly. “I don’t think my boss does, either. We don’t mind giving you what we don’t believe we have.” He grinned at the devil, man to man, which was a mistake. The devil was no man.
The devil smiled back. Tyrese’s grin vanished at the sight. “What do you want?” the devil repeated. “I won’t ask again.”
“I want Gypsy Kidd. Her real name is Katy Sherboni, if you need that. She work at Bourbon Street Babes. I want her to love me the way I love her.”
The businessman looked disappointed in his employee. “Tyrese, I wish you’d asked for something more lasting. Sex is everywhere you look in New Orleans, and girls like Gypsy are a dime a dozen.”
“You wrong,” Tyrese said. “I don’t think I have a soul, but I know love is once in a lifetime. I love Gypsy. If she loves me back, I’ll be a happy man. And if you make money, boss, I’ll make money. I’ll have enough. I’m not greedy.”
“I’m all about the greed,” said the devil, almost gently. “You may end up wishing you’d asked for some government bonds, Tyrese.”
The chauffeur shook his head. “I’m happy with my bargain. You give me Gypsy, the rest will be all right. I know it.”
The devil looked at him with what seemed very much like pity, if that emotion was possible for a devil.
“Enjoy yourselves, you hear?” he said to both of the newly soulless men. They could not tell if he was mocking them or if he was sincere. “Tyrese, you will not see me again until our final meeting.” He faced the businessman. “Sir, you and I will meet at some date in the future. Just give me a call when you’re ready for your signing bonus. Here’s my card.”
The businessman took the plain white card. The only writing on it was a phone number. It was not the same number he’d called to set up the first rendezvous. “But what if it’s years from now?” he said.
“It won’t be,” said the devil, but his voice was farther away. The businessman looked up to see that the devil was half a block away. After seven more steps he seemed to melt into the dirty sidewalk, leav¬ing only an impression in the cold damp air.
The businessman and the chauffeur turned and walked hastily in the opposite direction. The chauffeur never saw the devil again. The businessman didn’t see the devil until June.
JUNE
Far away—thousands of miles away—a tall, thin man lay on a beach in Baja. He was not in one of the tourist spots where he might encoun¬ter lots of other gringos, who might recognize him. He was patronizing a dilapidated bar, really more of a hut. For a small cash payment, the proprietor would rent patrons a large towel and a beach umbrella and send his son out to refresh your drink from time to time. As long as you kept drinking.
Though the tall man was only sipping Coca–Cola, he was paying through the nose for it—though he didn’t seem to realize that, or per¬haps he didn’t care. He sat on the towel, crouched in the umbrella’s shade, wearing a hat and sunglasses and swim trunks. Close to him was an ancient backpack, and his flip–flops were set on the sand beside it, casting off a faint smell of hot rubber. The tall man was listening to an iPod, and his smile indicated he was very pleased with what he heard. He lifted his hat to run his fingers through his hair. It was golden blond, but there was a bit of root showing that hinted his natural color was nearly gray. Judging from his body, he was in his forties. He had a small head in relation to his broad shoulders, and he did not look like a man who was used to manual labor. He didn’t look rich, either; his entire ensemble, the flip–flops and the swim trunks, the hat and the dark glasses, had come from a Wal–Mart or some even cheaper dollar store.
It didn’t pay to look affluent in Baja, not with the way things were these days. It wasn’t safe, gringos weren’t exempt from the violence, and most tourists stayed in the established resorts, flying in and out with¬out driving through the countryside. There were a few other expats around, most unattached men with an air of desperation . . . or secrecy. Their reasons for choosing such a hazardous place to live were better not discovered. Asking questions could be unhealthy.
One of these expats, a recent arrival, came to sit close to the tall man, too close for such proximity to be an accident on a thinly popu¬lated beach. The tall man gave the unwelcome newcomer a sideways look from behind his dark glasses, which were obviously prescrip¬tion. The newcomer was a man in his thirties, not tall or short, not handsome or ugly, not reedy or muscular. He was medium in all aspects, physically. This medium man had been watching the tall man for a few days, and the tall man had been sure he’d approach him sooner or later.
The medium man had carefully selected the optimum moment. The two were sitting in a place on the beach where no one else could hear them or approach them unseen, and even with satellites in the atmosphere it was probable that no one could see them without being spotted, either. The taller man was mostly hidden under the beach umbrella. He noticed that his visitor was sitting in its shadow.
“What are you listening to?” asked the medium man, pointing to the earbuds inserted in the tall man’s ears.
He had a faint accent, maybe a German one? From one of those European countries, anyway, thought the tall man, who was not well traveled. And the newcomer also had a remarkably unpleasant smile. It looked okay, with the upturned lips and the bared teeth, but somehow the effect was more as if an animal were exposing its teeth preparatory to biting you.
“You a homo? I’m not interested,” the tall man said. “In fact, you’ll be judged with hellfire.”
The medium man said, “I like women. Very much. Sometimes more than they want.” His smile became quite feral. And he asked again, “What are you listening to?”
The tall man debated, staring angrily at his companion. But it had been days since he’d talked to anyone. At last, he opted for the truth. “I’m listening to a sermon,” he said.
The medium man exhibited only mild surprise. “Really? A sermon? I wouldn’t have pegged you for a man of the cloth.” But his smile said otherwise. The tall man began to feel uneasy. He began to think of the gun in his backpack, less than an arm’s length away. At least he’d opened the buckles when he’d put it down.
“You’re wrong, but God won’t punish you for it,” the tall man said calmly, his own smile genial. “I’m listening to one of my own old ser¬mons. I spoke God’s truth to the multitudes.”
“Did no one believe you?” The medium man cocked his head curi¬ously.
“Many believed me. Many. I was attracting quite a following. But a girl named . . . a girl brought about my downfall. And put my wife in jail, too, in a way.”
“Would that girl’s name have been Sookie Stackhouse?” asked the medium man, removing his sunglasses to reveal remarkably pale eyes.
The taller man’s head snapped in his direction. “How’d you know? ” he said.
For the rest of the prologue please click on the link below:
Dead Ever After – Charlaine Harris – Penguin Group (USA).
The final Sookie Stackhouse book titled “Dead Ever After” will be released on May 7, 2013. Charlaine Harris is in the video below reading an excerpt from “Definitely Dead”. Spoiler warning for “Dead Ever After”. Waiting for the last book has really sucked but it will soon be here!!
Amazon has an audio sample of the final Sookie Stackhouse book “Dead Ever After” on their partner site. SPOILERS ahead on Link here:
The scene in the audio sample involves- Copley Carmichael (Amelia’s father) and Tyreese his chauffeur and yes of all beings- the Devil. Seems that Copley has fallen on financial hard times after Hurricane Katrina and has made a deal with the Devil for his soul. Tyreese also makes a deal for his soul. The book was rumoured to have additional voices but I never thought we would see this at all! I never trusted Amelia or her father and after listening to this scene I trust them even less. Perhaps Amelia leaked to her dad that Sookie had the Cluviel D’or? Maybe Copley is going to bargain with the devil for that?
Here is an excerpt of the prologue being heard on the audio:
The final Sookie Stackhouse book is almost here!! There is a Prologue posted on the Penguin site. Here is an excerpt:
Prologue
JANUARY
The New Orleans businessman, whose gray hair put him in his fif¬ties, was accompanied by his much younger and taller bodyguard/ chauffeur on the night he met the devil in the French Quarter. The meeting was by prearrangement.
“This is really the Devil we’re going to see?” asked the bodyguard. He was tense—but then, that wasn’t too surprising.
“Not the Devil, but a devil.” The businessman was cool and col¬lected on the outside, but maybe not so much on the inside. “Since he came up to me at the Chamber of Commerce banquet, I’ve learned a lot of things I didn’t know before.” He looked around him, trying to spot the creature he’d agreed to meet. He told his bodyguard, “He convinced me that he was what he said he was. I always thought my daughter was simply deluded. I thought she imagined she had power because she wanted to have something . . . of her own. Now I’m willing to admit she has a certain talent, though nowhere near what she thinks.”
It was cold and damp, even in New Orleans, in the January night. The businessman shifted from foot to foot to keep warm. He told the bodyguard, “Evidently, meeting at a crossroads is traditional.” The street was not as busy as it would be in the summer, but there were still drink¬ers and tourists and natives going about their night’s entertainment. He wasn’t afraid, he told himself. “Ah, here he comes,” the businessman said.
The devil was a well– dressed man, much like the businessman. His tie was by Hermes. His suit was Italian. His shoes were custom made. His eyes were abnormally clear, the whites gleaming, the irises a pur¬plish brown; they looked almost red from certain angles.
“What have you got for me?” the devil asked, in a voice that indi¬cated he was only faintly interested.
“Two souls,” said the businessman. “Tyrese has agreed to go in with me.”
The devil shifted his gaze to the bodyguard. After a moment, the bodyguard nodded. He was a big man, a light–skinned African Amer¬ican with bright hazel eyes.
“Your own free will?” the devil asked neutrally. “Both of you?”
“My own free will,” said the businessman.
“My own free will,” affirmed the bodyguard.
The devil said, “Then let’s get down to business.”
“Business” was a word that made the older man comfortable. He smiled. “Wonderful. I’ve got the documents right here, and they’re signed.” Tyrese opened a thin leather folder and withdrew two pieces of paper: not parchment or human skin, nothing that dramatic or exotic—computer paper that the businessman’s office secretary had bought at Office Max. Tyrese offered the papers to the devil, who gave them a quick glance.
“You have to sign them again,” the devil said. “For this signature, ink is not satisfactory.”
“I thought you were joking about that.” The businessman frowned.
“I never joke,” the devil said. “I do have a sense of humor, oh, believe me, I do. But not about contracts.”
“We actually have to . . . ?”
“Sign in blood? Yes, absolutely. It’s traditional. And you’ll do it now.” He read the businessman’s sideways glance correctly. “I promise you no one will see what you are doing,” he said. As the devil spoke, a sudden hush enveloped the three men, and a thick film fell between them and the rest of the street scene.
The businessman sighed elaborately, to show how melodramatic he thought this tradition was. “Tyrese, your knife?” he said, looking up to the chauffeur.
Tyrese’s knife appeared with shocking suddenness, probably from his coat sleeve; the blade was obviously sharp, and it gleamed in the streetlight. The businessman shucked off his coat and handed it to his companion. He unbuttoned his cuff and rolled up his sleeve. Perhaps to let the devil know how tough he was, he jabbed himself in the left arm with the knife. A sluggish trickle of blood rewarded his effort, and he looked the devil directly in the face as he accepted the quill that the devil had somehow supplied . . . even more smoothly than Tyrese had produced the knife. Dipping the quill into the trail of blood, the busi¬nessman signed his name to the top document, which the chauffeur held pressed against the leather folder.
After he’d signed, the businessman returned the knife to the chauf¬feur and donned his coat. The chauffeur followed the same procedure as his employer. When he’d signed his own contract, he blew on it to dry the blood as if he’d signed with a Sharpie and the ink might smear.
The devil smiled when the signatures were complete. The moment he did, he didn’t look quite so much like a prosperous man of affairs.
He looked too damn happy.
“You get a signing bonus,” he told the businessman. “Since you brought me another soul. By the way, how do you feel?”
“Just like I always did,” said the businessman. He shrugged his coat back over his shoulders. “Maybe a little angry.” He smiled suddenly, his teeth looking as sharp and gleaming as the knife had. “How are you, Tyrese? ” he asked his employee.
“A little antsy,” Tyrese admitted. “But I’ll be okay.”
“You were both bad people to begin with,” the devil said, without any judgment in his voice. “The souls of the innocent are sweeter. But I delight in having you. I suppose you’re sticking with the usual wish list? Prosperity? The defeat of your enemies?”
“Yes, I want those things,” the businessman said with passionate sincerity. “And I have a few more requests, since I get a signing bonus. Or could I take that in cash?”
“Oh,” the devil said, smiling gently, “I don’t deal in cash. I deal in favors.”
“Can I get back to you on that?” the businessman asked after some thought. “Take a rain check?”
The devil looked faintly interested. “You don’t want an Alfa Romeo, or a night with Nicole Kidman, or the biggest house in the French Quarter?”
The businessman shook his head decisively. “I’m sure something will come up that I do want, and then I’d like to have a very good chance of getting it. I was a successful man until Katrina. And after
Katrina I thought I would be rich, because I own a lumber business. Everyone needed lumber.” He took a deep breath. He kept on telling his story, despite the fact that the devil looked bored. “But getting a supply line reestablished was hard. So many people didn’t have money to spend because they were ruined, and there was the wait for the insurance money, for the rest. I made some mistakes, believing the fly–by–night builders would pay me on time. . . . It all ended up with my business too extended, everyone owing me, my credit stretched as thin as a condom on an elephant. Knowledge of this is getting around.” He looked down. “I’m losing the influence I had in this city.”
Possibly the devil had known all those things, and that was why he’d approached the businessman. Clearly he was not interested in the businessman’s litany of woes. “Prosperity it is, then,” he said briskly. “And I look forward to your special request. Tyrese, what do you want? I have your soul, too.”
“I don’t believe in souls,” Tyrese said flatly. “I don’t think my boss does, either. We don’t mind giving you what we don’t believe we have.” He grinned at the devil, man to man, which was a mistake. The devil was no man.
The devil smiled back. Tyrese’s grin vanished at the sight. “What do you want?” the devil repeated. “I won’t ask again.”
“I want Gypsy Kidd. Her real name is Katy Sherboni, if you need that. She work at Bourbon Street Babes. I want her to love me the way I love her.”
The businessman looked disappointed in his employee. “Tyrese, I wish you’d asked for something more lasting. Sex is everywhere you look in New Orleans, and girls like Gypsy are a dime a dozen.”
“You wrong,” Tyrese said. “I don’t think I have a soul, but I know love is once in a lifetime. I love Gypsy. If she loves me back, I’ll be a happy man. And if you make money, boss, I’ll make money. I’ll have enough. I’m not greedy.”
“I’m all about the greed,” said the devil, almost gently. “You may end up wishing you’d asked for some government bonds, Tyrese.”
The chauffeur shook his head. “I’m happy with my bargain. You give me Gypsy, the rest will be all right. I know it.”
The devil looked at him with what seemed very much like pity, if that emotion was possible for a devil.
“Enjoy yourselves, you hear?” he said to both of the newly soulless men. They could not tell if he was mocking them or if he was sincere. “Tyrese, you will not see me again until our final meeting.” He faced the businessman. “Sir, you and I will meet at some date in the future. Just give me a call when you’re ready for your signing bonus. Here’s my card.”
The businessman took the plain white card. The only writing on it was a phone number. It was not the same number he’d called to set up the first rendezvous. “But what if it’s years from now?” he said.
“It won’t be,” said the devil, but his voice was farther away. The businessman looked up to see that the devil was half a block away. After seven more steps he seemed to melt into the dirty sidewalk, leav¬ing only an impression in the cold damp air.
The businessman and the chauffeur turned and walked hastily in the opposite direction. The chauffeur never saw the devil again. The businessman didn’t see the devil until June.
JUNE
Far away—thousands of miles away—a tall, thin man lay on a beach in Baja. He was not in one of the tourist spots where he might encoun¬ter lots of other gringos, who might recognize him. He was patronizing a dilapidated bar, really more of a hut. For a small cash payment, the proprietor would rent patrons a large towel and a beach umbrella and send his son out to refresh your drink from time to time. As long as you kept drinking.
Though the tall man was only sipping Coca–Cola, he was paying through the nose for it—though he didn’t seem to realize that, or per¬haps he didn’t care. He sat on the towel, crouched in the umbrella’s shade, wearing a hat and sunglasses and swim trunks. Close to him was an ancient backpack, and his flip–flops were set on the sand beside it, casting off a faint smell of hot rubber. The tall man was listening to an iPod, and his smile indicated he was very pleased with what he heard. He lifted his hat to run his fingers through his hair. It was golden blond, but there was a bit of root showing that hinted his natural color was nearly gray. Judging from his body, he was in his forties. He had a small head in relation to his broad shoulders, and he did not look like a man who was used to manual labor. He didn’t look rich, either; his entire ensemble, the flip–flops and the swim trunks, the hat and the dark glasses, had come from a Wal–Mart or some even cheaper dollar store.
It didn’t pay to look affluent in Baja, not with the way things were these days. It wasn’t safe, gringos weren’t exempt from the violence, and most tourists stayed in the established resorts, flying in and out with¬out driving through the countryside. There were a few other expats around, most unattached men with an air of desperation . . . or secrecy. Their reasons for choosing such a hazardous place to live were better not discovered. Asking questions could be unhealthy.
One of these expats, a recent arrival, came to sit close to the tall man, too close for such proximity to be an accident on a thinly popu¬lated beach. The tall man gave the unwelcome newcomer a sideways look from behind his dark glasses, which were obviously prescrip¬tion. The newcomer was a man in his thirties, not tall or short, not handsome or ugly, not reedy or muscular. He was medium in all aspects, physically. This medium man had been watching the tall man for a few days, and the tall man had been sure he’d approach him sooner or later.
The medium man had carefully selected the optimum moment. The two were sitting in a place on the beach where no one else could hear them or approach them unseen, and even with satellites in the atmosphere it was probable that no one could see them without being spotted, either. The taller man was mostly hidden under the beach umbrella. He noticed that his visitor was sitting in its shadow.
“What are you listening to?” asked the medium man, pointing to the earbuds inserted in the tall man’s ears.
He had a faint accent, maybe a German one? From one of those European countries, anyway, thought the tall man, who was not well traveled. And the newcomer also had a remarkably unpleasant smile. It looked okay, with the upturned lips and the bared teeth, but somehow the effect was more as if an animal were exposing its teeth preparatory to biting you.
“You a homo? I’m not interested,” the tall man said. “In fact, you’ll be judged with hellfire.”
The medium man said, “I like women. Very much. Sometimes more than they want.” His smile became quite feral. And he asked again, “What are you listening to?”
The tall man debated, staring angrily at his companion. But it had been days since he’d talked to anyone. At last, he opted for the truth. “I’m listening to a sermon,” he said.
The medium man exhibited only mild surprise. “Really? A sermon? I wouldn’t have pegged you for a man of the cloth.” But his smile said otherwise. The tall man began to feel uneasy. He began to think of the gun in his backpack, less than an arm’s length away. At least he’d opened the buckles when he’d put it down.
“You’re wrong, but God won’t punish you for it,” the tall man said calmly, his own smile genial. “I’m listening to one of my own old ser¬mons. I spoke God’s truth to the multitudes.”
“Did no one believe you?” The medium man cocked his head curi¬ously.
“Many believed me. Many. I was attracting quite a following. But a girl named . . . a girl brought about my downfall. And put my wife in jail, too, in a way.”
“Would that girl’s name have been Sookie Stackhouse?” asked the medium man, removing his sunglasses to reveal remarkably pale eyes.
The taller man’s head snapped in his direction. “How’d you know? ” he said.
For the rest of the prologue please click on the link below:
Dead Ever After – Charlaine Harris – Penguin Group (USA).
HBO showed a trailer before the Game of Thrones season premiere last night that included new footage for their Spring 2013 line up. Many shows were featured Newsroom, VEEP and yes True Blood. Some of the scenes were already shown in the teaser trailer but there were a few new items in this video.
Looks like Jason and Niall (Ok that is Rutger Hauer..he could be Macklyn but he looks too comfortable in that kitchen) are in Jason’s house? or is it Sookie’s?
This looks like Sookie walking through the woods:
The HQ video is below from youtube. The gallery has the True Blood screencaps. Waiting sucks but at least the new season will be here soon!! (ok not till June 16th but time flies)
HBO finally gave fans a sneak peek into upcoming season 6! They posted the teaser trailer #1. I’m hoping that means that a # 2 is soon to follow.
Screencaps are below. Don’t blink or you might miss something! I did see a few scenes that I was able to see them rehearsing earlier this year. Waiting sucks but at least now we have new footage and a season 6 release date of June 16, 2013.
We see Rutger Hauer in the scene below. Almost looks like Jason is bloody faced from the Authority escape. Was Niall waiting for him in his truck? (or maybe he was at his house?)
Jason is here in this scene:
Charlaine Harris posted a bit of news related to the coda which will be released after “Dead Ever After”"
I hope a lot of you read this thread today, because I’ve chosen it to make a little announcement. I just saw the cover for “After Dead,” which is the coda to the Sookie books. My publisher decided to publish it before Christmas in a separate volume. It will be a slim book containing what happens AFTER “DEA” to many of the characters I’ve created over the years. And Lisa is drawing a Sookie alphabet for the book. There are several other features under consideration for this volume, which is intended as a stocking stuffer. I’ll post more when I know it.
Here’s what Charlaine wrote earlier re. the coda:
6915 Maker 2012-09-17 11:24: I just finished writing the Coda, which will comprise the futures of many of the important characters in the Sookieverse. I can’t possibly cram all of them into the last book. We’re still deciding how and when to make the Coda public.
Amazon has the coda already available on their site. Not a lot of information of yet (title to be released October 2013)
The last Sookie Stackhouse book will be out in May 2013. It will be sad to see the series end but it is great to hear we will get a little bit more after the book in the coda.
EOnline has a vote up for fans to vote for “TV”s Top Couples”. True Blood’s Eric Northman and Sookie Stackhouse are in the running in Game 1.7. They are up against Cam and Mitchell from Modern Family.
Do you hear that? That’s the sound of fandoms across the Internet warming up their mouse-clicking fingers in anticipation of our annual TV’s Top Couples tournament.
After thousands and thousands of nominations submitted by you guys through the comment sections, email and twitter, we have a list of 64 couples that are ready to do battle in round one.
Have fun and play nice! No name-calling, wedgie-pulling or cheating. We are watching your every move! (And by the way, you have lettuce in your teeth.)
Round one closes on Tuesday, Jan. 29 at 9 p.m. PT. Good luck!
SOURCE: To vote please click on this link:
Christmas is a little early for Sookie Stackhouse fans! Charlaine Harris posted the artwork for the endpapers for the final Sookie book “Dead Ever After”. The artwork is shown above. I see Sookie Stackhouse and Eric Northman on there! Also see a wolf (representing Alcide perhaps), Dean the dog (Sam’s favorite go to shift) , a tiger (pretty sure that’s Quinn) and a few bats.
Definitely looks like the moon in the artwork. Sad to see the final book coming but great to see this beautiful work by Lisa Desimini. To purchase prints of the covers by Lisa visit her site here:
I think the way the papers will fold up will show Eric and Sookie together. The space to the left of Sookie is about the same space that Eric is taking up with his cape!! It almost looks like they are parallel to each other: ( I drew in a yellow line to show:)
Sookieverse blog posted an unoffical synopsis for the final Sookie Stackhouse book- “Dead Ever After”.
Sookie finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back at Merlotte’s. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut. He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.
Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.
But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating the killing, she’ll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough…
Rising Shadow posted the synopsis on their site here:
USA Today posted the new cover art for the final Sookie Stackhouse book! We see quite a few characters in the artwork (tiger tail, bats, Dean the dog) and yes Sookie Stackhouse! From their article: SOURCE:
Dead Ever After, the 13th and final novel in Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series, will be published May 7, and USA TODAY has this first look at the cover, which shows Sookie walking off into the sunset.
Inspiration for the HBO hit True Blood, starring Anna Paquin, the novels tell the story of a telepathic waitress who mixes it up with all sorts of paranormal creatures.
Asked why she’s shutting down the series, Harris says, “I felt that I’d told the story I set out to tell. I thought continuing it, which I could have done, would have been a disservice to readers who have stuck with me this long.”
The First Sookie novel, Dead Until Dark, was published in 2001. There are more than 20 million copies of the series in print.
It will be sad to see the last book! (but I can’t wait to get my hands on it!) So what do you think will be in this last book? My theory-she will be saying good bye to some of the prior suitors in this book- Quinn (the tiger tail), Sam- (shows as Dean the dog), Alcide (the wolf). They are behind her in the art work. She is walking towards the sunset and is closest to the bats. The bats are a symbol for the vampires in her life (even though they don’t turn into bats). There are 3 there representing 3 important ones in her life, Eric, Pam and Bill. Her hair is pointing towards the bats and they are closest to her. The bat closest to Sookie is bigger than the other 2 so that one could be Eric and his wings are pointing downward as if going to land next to Sookie. In Dead and Gone, Sookie’s hair pointed towards Eric on that cover. (she was between Eric and Bill and did choose Eric in that book) Yes of course I still see it as Eric and Sookie being together in the end!!
UPDATE: there are other symbols on the cover-
Tomato can symbolize domestic happiness (yes Sookie will be happy in the end)
Rose is a symbol of love and beauty.
The flower to the right of Sookie looks like an aster to me. There is a purple one called Celeste. The symbolism per teleflora for Asters:
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With their wildflower beauty and lush texture, asters have long been considered an enchanted flower. In ancient times, it was thought that the perfume from their burning leaves could drive away evil serpents. Today, they’re known as a talisman of love and a symbol of patience. Also known as starworts, Michaelmas daisies or Frost flowers, the name aster is derived from the Greek word for “star ” The flower could also be a “coneflower” Echinacea (they come in this color). The symbolism for coneflowers: are a symbol of strength and – depending upon the genus – healing. It is believed that carrying this blossom with you will keep your spirit strong during turbulent times; they are sometimes presented as spiritual offerings, and are thought to enhance the power of any spell that is cast. Pre-orders are available on Amazon: |
It has been a week since the True Blood season 5 finale aired. Fans are still wondering just what did they see in the finale and what will it mean for the new season next summer.
Here are a few questions I know I have:
Maurella delivered not just one baby on the pool table at Merlottes but FOUR! She left the babies in Andy’s care with the comment that it is his duty to make sure at least half of them make it to adulthood. Will they grow quicker than human babies? Will Andy manage with 4 newborns? Holly is a saint for helping deliver the babies. Not sure she will be willing to raise the babies (but she just might to help Andy out). Alan Ball hinted that the babies may go live with the fairies as protection (in the TV Guide interview)
Jason is seen in the bonus scene shown on HBO Go calling out that he’s out for “Warlow”. Nora looks quite puzzled that Jason is aware of that name. Sounds like Nora will have some insight for him as to the identity of Warlow. What will he want with Sookie? What will it mean? Is he a friend or foe? He did kill the Stackhouses (or so we are led to believe). Have we already met this vampire? (Or will he be a new one shown in solid form not the spirit form shown in season 5)
Inside True Blood blog posted that : The blood of Lilith should come with a warning label. May cause a thirst for power and possible hallucinations. Or is she real? “Whether this creature is an apparition or a deity, it doesn’t really matter,” says Alan Ball in the Inside the Episode video. “She’s pitting them against each other to get the strongest to survive.” In the interactive features on HBO GO, Stephen Moyer says Lilith is setting up “a giant, bloody game of ‘Survivor.’
In the season 5 finale Bill Compton drank the vial that contained the ‘blood of Lillith’. This caused him to liquify and what appeared to be a ‘final death’. Looks were definitely deceiving when we next see Bill rise up from the blood and appear to be the new version of “Lillith”. Just what is this incarnation? (Billith) Is it still Bill Compton? Vampire Bill did go very dark in season 5 so now this new incarnation is another shock for fans.
No I don’t just mean in the same scene. Will they rekindle the romance they shared while Eric had amnesia? (I might have hated the whole witches story line but Marnie’s spell did give us a great chance to see Amnesia Eric). Eric and Sookie did share a tender moment when they both thought that Bill was truly dead. Will they join forces to battle Billith?
Will they find that love again? Eric has admitted his love for Sookie. Will any of that be shown in season 6? Again Alan Ball teased fans with “But right now we don’t know how Sookie feels about vampires. The fairy elder said, “There’s a reason you give your heart out to every fangster you meet.” That’s going to be very interesting to find out why.”
The season finale of course answered and finalized some story lines but also left even more open for season 6. Hopefully the storylines will make sense and not cause for cluttered and rushed episodes. Season 6 will only have 10 episodes so how it will all play out will be interesting.
True Blood season 5 ended last Sunday. Yes this is the first Sunday in a while that fans do not have a new episode to enjoy. Still recovering from the finale fangover? Well here are a few favorite True Blood quotes to make the wait less painful:
The image above has one of my favorite quotes from Vampire Pam. She has had over the seasons some of the best quotes ever! The one featured in the image:
“My mad face and my happy face are the same” is one of my favorites from season 5. Kristin’s delivery and timing make it extra sarcastic and oh so enjoyable to hear her say it!
These quotes below are from the Season 5 Finale: “Save Yourself”:
Pam: “Must all roads lead to f—cking Sookie?
Andy: “Her kind don’t welp in the hospital.” (little did Andy know that Maurella would really be having that many babies!)
Arlene: “Who knew watching an alien give birth could be so comforting?”
Lafayette: (to Arlene): “It’s always the weird stuff that’s the best.”
Eric: Oh sweetie dont be a fool.
Jason: If I want to be a fool then I will be a fool! That is my God given right as an American!
This exchange between Eric and Jason was my favorite from the finale:
Jason: “Something funny, fanger?”
Eric: “Yes, blood bag.”
Jason: “Leach.”
Eric: “”Breather.”
Jason: “Dead f***.”
Eric: “Meat sack.”
Jason: Before things what, spin out of control? That train has already sailed.
Jason Stackhouse has had his fair share of funny quotes. You have to love a character that can say what he says and not crack himself up.
Rosalyn complains about Bill and Salome: “Compton and Salome are off buttering each others’ biscuits half the time.”
Bill: “I told you, the first night we ever met: Vampires often turn on those they love the most.”
Pam said this in the season 5 premiere: “I’m wearing a Walmart sweatsuit for y’all. If that’s not a demonstration of team spirit, I don’t know what is.” (the sweat suit she wore for the episode was recently auctioned for the “Out of Africa” charity and raised over $1000!)
Pam has had some of the best quotes this season. Would love to hear some of your favorites from the show. These were just a few of the many quotes in the finale.
HBO enlisted chef Marcella Bienvenu to create the new “True Blood” themed cookbook. The book titled, “True Blood: Eats, Drinks, and Bites from Bon Temps” will be availabe for sale on September 5, 2012.
Chef Marcelle Bienvenu explained to Access how she crafted the scrumptuous Bon Temps-inspired recipes in the book, including the cake on the cover, which she’s already indulged in several times.
AccessHollywood.com: When you got the call to contribute to a ‘True Blood’ cookbook, what went through your head?
Chef Marcelle Bienvenu: I don’t get HBO. I was kind of wondering about it because I knew it was set in Louisiana, and of course, I teach culinary at a university and the students knew about it, so they were just wild! And of course, when they sent me all the series to look at, I went ‘Woah!’ (laughs). But it was interesting and there is so much mention of South Louisiana food in the show that it was really kind of a big challenge to be able to pick up the dishes that they mentioned and work on them.
Access: What were some of the dishes that you had to try and figure out how to make?
Chef Marcelle: The first ones we did — and it was really fun — [were] the drinks that they served at the Fangtasia bar. So it was like Tequila Moonrise instead of Tequila Sunrise. We had a Vamp-Aid instead of Kool-Aid. We had Lovin’ in the Coven, we had a Dead on the Beach drink, so it was kind of fun trying to find drinks that would be something that you could drink, that would tie in with the series. The dishes were pretty easy. We had a shrimp cocktail, we had an oyster po boy, we had red beans and rice and an okra gumbo, crawfish boil, chicken fried steak, chess pie, fried apple pie — so it was very southern, very Louisiana, so it was not that hard to come up with real recipes.
Access: It’s still before breakfast here, but just hearing you read those titles, yum!
Chef Marcelle: Working on it, I gained about 8 pounds, because not only do I teach culinary [at Nicholls State University], I had to test all these, and of course, I had some of the students help me because they were just so excited about it, but eating all of the food I have to eat in class, plus this, really put on some weight.
Access: Were any recipes easier to come up with than others?
Chef Marcelle: I think probably the easier ones were like the shrimp cocktail or a gumbo. They wanted me to do a [vegetarian] burger which I went, ‘Nahhhh!’ but we finally came up with something that was pretty good. And they wanted to do several things with crawfish… Instead of a sweet donut, we made like a little savory puff, and that took a little while to kind of come up with something that would work. Also they wanted to do things like fiery chicken wings, with a dipping sauce. We, of course, ran into a lot of things that had red in color. We [made] a white cake, but it had to have a berry sauce dripping over it, so it looked like blood, but it looks very good. I made four of those!
Access: How many did you consume yourself?
Chef Marcelle: I became very popular on campus, all the faculty were coming over to the kitchen where we were testing things, so they had a good treat.
Access: What did you think of the show? And are you watching now?
Chef Marcelle: I’m definitely hooked, and at school, we watch it on Monday nights because there’s several of us who have been following it, so now I’m hooked. I have to admit it.
Access: Do you have a favorite vampire?
Chef Marcelle: Bill. I like Bill. I’ll stick with Bill.
Access: Stephen Moyer is British, how do you think his accent is?
Chef Marcelle: He does remarkably well! I mean, I was afraid they’d make it to Georgia southern, I was afraid they’d make it too Cajun-y, but they do pretty well. I’m very pleased with it… Plus, he’s darn fine good looking too.
Access: And how about that Alcide, the wolf?
Chef Marcelle: Um… I kind of like him (laughs). All the guys love Sook!
Here is one of the recipes from the book: “Sookie Stackhouse’s Fried Chicken”
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Lard or vegetable oil… for deep frying
Two 3-3 1/2 pound broiler-fryer chickens cut into serving pieces
Combine the flour, salt, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne in a large plastic or paper bag. Shake to mix.
Heat about 2 inches of lard until it registers 360 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer in a large, heavy pot. Put four chicken pieces in the bag, and shake well. Add the chicken to the hot fat and deep-fry until golden brown and cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.
Drain the chicken on paper towels.
Repeat the process with the remaining chicken.
Serve hot or warm.
True Blood: Eats, Drinks, and Bites from Bon Temps Hardcover Book
True Blood season 5 finale was one that left fans hollering for more! Well it definitely left them yelling during some scenes! I know I was really surprised by the turn of events at the end.
Here are a few of my “favorites” from the finale:
Russell finally had his drink of a whole fairy in episode 5.11. Unfortunately for him that left him quite drunk on fairy blood and allowed Eric Northman to suprise him and stake him. At first it looked like the fairy blood may have made him immune (we could see light coming from his face). Even Eric looked surprise but then the light stopped glowing and the staking did result in is final death. With one last word F#ck, Russell Edginton was no more.
Eric finally had revenge against Russell for killing his parents. Took 1000 years but revenge was sweet. I’m sad to see Denis O’Hare leave the show but it was time to say goodbye to Russell. (I also liked how Eric was able to do this in front of Sookie and the fairies. It was because of Sookie’s fear vibe that Eric was able to get there in time to stop Russell from killing more fairies)
Loved how protective Eric was towards Sookie. Nora caught a whiff of Sookie and was enthralled. Sookie asked Eric to please tell his sister not to eat her (or something to that effect). He made Nora swear on Godric that she would not harm Sookie. It was funny to see Nora sniffing away!! Eric also was chastizing Nora for having such little self control. (sounded so much like a big brother there!)
Andy Bellefleur had a surprise visit from the very pregnant fairy Maurella. A lot of the scene showing Maurella delivering the set of quadruplets was a bit over the top for me. The part I did like was the look on Andy’s face when Holly (who was a saint for helping deliver the babies) handed Andy the baby. He looked like such a proud poppa.
Season 6 will have Andy raising 4 female fairies. It’s his duty as the dad to raise them and make sure that at least half make it to adulthood. Little did Andy know when he had sex with Maurella he’s be a dad a short time later to some “alien” babies! Not sure he knows what he is in for!
Sam Merlotte shifted into a fly to help Luna rescue Emma. While Luna skin walked as Steve Newlin and shifted back into herself on tv, Rosalyn was hollering her head off.
Sam took that chance and flew into her mouth.
Next we see Rosalyn explode since Sam shifts back into a human.
One of the grossest but coolest ways we’ve seen a vampire meet the true death so far on True Blood.
The tumblr link here has a snippet of the back and forth word exchange between Eric and Jason. So funny to see them going at it like that.
Jason and Sookie are sharing some brother sister time during a drive (on their way to the vampire Authority). Eric hitches a ride on the truck and asks Jason to let him in. Upside down and pleading “Pleeaaassseeee”. It was a bit of fun comic relief in a pretty tense episode. It felt good to giggle at the Viking Vampire.
Tara opened up Pam’s jail cell even though it was silver. Yes the burn on her hand was very worth it. Pam plants one heck of a kiss on her progeny! It has been hinted that they would become a couple and finally some spark is on screen! Season 6 will hopefully have this couple steaming up the screen!
One of my favorite moments from the finale was seeing Pam and Eric together in a scene again. The smile on their faces and the way Pam placed her hand on Eric’s chest spoke volumes to me. Despite being released by her maker there is still a strong bond there and one I hope we see more of again in season 6.
Another interesting element to this photo is the look on Sookie’s face in the image above. It almost looks like she is a bit jealous perhaps of the relationship between Eric and Pam. Sookie does not know that Eric released Pam. Pam is not very fond of Sookie (and based on the look on Sookie’s face the feeling might be mutual). 
The finale brought Sookie and Eric together to help rescue Pam, Jessica and Bill from the Authority. They were successful in getting Pam and Jess out but neither Sookie nor Eric were able to reason with Bill. He drank the rest of the sacred blood and wound up liquifying in front of them. (after Bill was pretty mean to Sookie). Both Eric and Sookie appeared quite affected by Bill’s ‘demise’. The screen cap image above showed Sookie and Eric sharing a moment together. There really have not been many scenes in season 5 with the two of them (or at least with Sookie not being ticked off at the Viking)
Nora and Eric sneak Sookie, Jason and Tara into the Authority in plain sight. The guard catches a whiff of Sookie (who’d been with full fairies and picket up their scent) and comments how the blonde smells amazing. Eric replies yes she is amazing and MINE. Loved hearing Eric say that. Sookie does not like to “belong” to any vampire but she will need some protection. Hopefully season 6 will have Eric staking a claim to the telepathic waitress.
Sookie and Eric tried to reason with Bill Compton to not drink the kool aid/sacred blood. No amount of reasoning or pleaded worked. After chugging the vial of blood we see Bill start to dissolve and look like he was liquifying and meeting a final death. That scene was truly a shocker for me. I screamed my head off! Never in a million years did I think Alan Ball would allow Bill Compton to finally die.
Well that shock would soon be replaced with a bigger shock. We see Bill rise up from the blood in the same fashion we had seen Lillith rise up from the blood. Bill now newly incarnated shrieks in a primal scream (much like the way Lilltih did) and is sporting a new set of really long fangs.
The end credits of the finale show Eric telling Sookie to RUN!! Didn’t take long for fans to call this version of Bill Compton “Billith”. I know the whole “Lillith” story line was not one of my favorite ones from season 5. I’m a bit apprehensive that now in season 6 we will be seeing another variation of this perhaps with Bill taking on the role of what might be a vampire “god”. What will this Bill be like in the new season? Who knows. The writers have not yet started the new season work. I just hope it makes sense and not just another silly story line.
These were just some of my favorite scenes from the True Blood season 5 finale. Feel free to leave your comments or add what you enjoyed in the finale. Fangover therapy day 4 hopefully will help fans in their withdrawal from the show. Waiting sucks!
