First Word

Welcome back my campy True Blood characters as June 22nd marks the beginning of the end of this truly unique vampire show that even from a non-vampire lover such as I managed to be absorbed  season after season. I have read that the sexy Viking vamp Eric Northman as played by the red-hot Alexander Skarsgard (my future daughter-in-law and I had quite a conversation about sexy men, and we had a mutual meeting of the minds that Skarsgard AKA Skarscandy wins! Well, she did have an admiration for Tatum Channing, which I can feel her on). I did ask Kirk for a hall pass should I run into Skarsgard and his eyes narrowed and he scoffed, "No! You're too pretty! He would probably go for it." LMAO ... maybe ... ;). Last season sadly went down the tubes as creator and executive producer (and master storyteller) Alan Ball stepped down and his directing team and head writers stepped up. The story line took on this discriminatory hate theme that ended with our favorite vamps locked aw...

Spoiler alert : some people hate spoilers so don't read this if you haven't seen the True Blood Season 6 Finale. Now I don't usually write spoilers, but hey! They made my favorite character Eric Northman catch fire in Sweden while he sunbathed. Many of you maybe wondering if he really died or not since we didn't actually see his demise into a pile of goo. I'm thinking our show's writers kept that window of possibility open that they did not kill off this immensely popular character played by the sexy Alexander Skarsgård. As for the rest of the finale ... sorry fan boys and girls! Ugh, it was absolutely terrible. The six-month later shift felt wrong. It was more like what? What? And what? Sookie and Alcide? Really ? When did that happen again? And I thought Eric had glamoured Alcide (season 5) into zero romantic interest in Sookie. Now Sam is mayor and Arlene owns Merlotts? What? Huh? And the most important question, why? Oh, and now we have a rapidly spreadi...

As many of my followers know, I love the HBO series  True Blood ; but many of you may have noticed I am not doing episode reviews this season. A friend of mine was watching an episode with me and made a comment that completely cemented why the show hasn't captivated my interest as much this season -- Sookie. He said, "Isn't the show supposed to revolve around her? It's all about vampires." I affirmed, "Yes, it's supposed to center on her." In the beginning, the show did, in fact, center on Sookie. After about the fourth season, it lost its focus. This season's storyline with Warlow was intriguing with the fairy/vampire hybrid and ability to walk in the sun. The Sookie/Warlow romance became just about 1/4 of the show and took a backseat to the Vampire "Internment Camp" story line that became the primary story that affected everything else. In fact, we saw more of Bill and the internment camp scenarios than anything else. When Sookie a...

I am an avid True Blood fan. This year, the show's creator Alan Ball stepped down for season six. I've been so busy I have yet to watch any of the show's trailers. I have no idea how Ball's absence will affect the show and the storytelling. I've always said Ball is a savant storyteller whose attention to details throughout the seasons is unsurpassed. I will find it curious if the storytelling takes a dive or manages to maintain at the level and quality of a Ball series. If any of you do more than just watch TV shows but study them for dialog and storytelling then I'm sure you're aware of Ball's massive gifts. He is also the show creator of Six Feet Under , which is another well-done show that I never missed an episode. Now we are on season six of True Blood , and last year's cliffhanger left us with Bill gone crazy transforming into "Billith" all covered in red blood and goo. Billith made some dinosaur-like shriek and prepared to pursue ...

How is it I missed the chance to comment on my favorite show's last episode? First, I have a lot on my mind. Second, I just forgot LOL. OK, back to Bon Tempe and the myriad story lines going forward in a season that got off to a fantastic start and veered a little and then for some reason kind of started losing me a bit. Now as a publisher and writer, I try to review the show from the writing and storytelling angles. I have enjoyed the Bill and Eric storyline and the romp with the Authority. I especially appreciated that finally they showed Eric still wants Sookie when he glamoured our resident werewolf Alcide into not having romantic feelings for her. Go Eric! And I must say, the "heat" between Sookie and Alcide ... not there! Sorry! The other favorite storyline is Tara's rising into her vampiric skin. She's going to come round just you wait and see. We've had hints of her settling in, so to speak. Then we have poor Hoyt's personal self-desctruction. What...

Ah, it's Monday which means Sunday night has come and gone with a healthy dose of True Blood . I usually watch the episode twice in one night to get a really good recap for you. Last night, I was tired and only watched one. So, this might not be as "enthusiastic" as it could be if I paid closer attention. OK, I thought that at least Sookie got some better time, but the whole drunken make-out session with Alcide with her two great loves Bill and Eric watching, and their decided lack of interest in it ... not ringing true. It was less than a week ago in show time that Sookie and Eric declared their undying love. What happened here? Both have forgotten their strong feelings? This whole season love story wise with Sookie and Eric is a total numb void of non-reactions and non-reflection. I can tell you from experience (especially since I have my own love life in action and this is a not-so-subtle message to my guy), love doesn't die like that ... not real, true, connected,...

Wow! I must be totally devoted, tireless or just nuts ... I am not up to posting this blog at all ;). But here I go anyway. Last night, my favorite show True Blood episode three aired. I've loved this season very much, but now I have to say the part of the story that just was sort of the "ew" factor: the chancellor bedded three men in one night. Who exactly was the whore in that episode? Pam who slept with Eric and actually displayed genuine affection or the chancellor who bedded Bill, Eric and the supreme one whatever his name is? Mind you, the chancellor is drop-dead gorgeous (obviously) and quite seductive (obviously), but here is the slang for that: really ? And the "sloppy seconds" comment from Bill, hilarious, poor taste and true. What about that just didn't work for me? Story lines working just fine: Jason comes to his sexual reckoning that maybe he did have a big "hole" that he was unsuccessfully trying to fill with sex. His ability to ove...

So last night I came home from an errand. I now park in a parking garage, and my space is very tight. I managed to bump my neighbor's car. I was not pleased because I have nothing on my insurance record in like six years. Now my bumper corner is in need of repair ... well, I had a pretty good day yesterday and I shook my head. I decided my cup is half full ... maybe the guy who fixes my car will change my life! You never know. I had a brief chuckle that maybe he's my Prince Charming or something (for the record, highly unlikely), but that made me laugh and cheered me up (I hope I already met my prince ;). Well, so then I had insomnia really bad last night, which I was hoping I had licked. Guess not. I didn't fall asleep until 2:00 a.m. I ended up eating Ruffles and re-watching the season premier of True Blood and looking for the clues indicated by the reviewer Unreconstructed Fangirl provided in her show analysis. Um, didn't find all of them ... did Pam really tilt he...

Last night the long-anticipated True Blood Season 5 started with some fantastic and fast storytelling. Alan Ball, who is still at the helm of the campy vampire show, pushed every single story forward from the conclusion of Season 4. I don't think the season opener missed a single beat. From the pick-up where Sookie shoots Debbie and Eric and Bill go on the lamb from the Vampire Authority, it moved from scene to scene and from continuation to continuation. I have to say I think it was the best season opener I've seen so far. The only story line not ringing true is the Eric-Bill sudden alliance and friendship. Eric's sudden loyalty to Bill ... huh? Eric hates Bill. He's normally very cool toward him and the "not without Bill" statement just fell on the side of ... huh? The animosity disappeared when exactly? Additionally, Eric's blithe reaction to Sookie's fear and his statement that "she dumped both of us" and his ignoring her peril ... not r...

A few days without a cable hook-up and I was forced to dig into my DVD collection for entertainment. I decided to go back to season 1 of True Blood and re-watch. Since I really only like the Eric Northman/Sookie Stackhouse romance, it meant having to endure the original Bill/Sookie romance. I have to say the initial heat between the couple was there, but then you know Bill turned into such a controlling ass and got all paternal and "protective" to the point where you really started to dislike his treatment of Sookie as if she were a child. It's also pretty interesting reflecting on the show through the lens of the proceeding seasons that revealed Bill's true intentions from day one, which were not so honorable in that Queen Sophie Anne sent Bill to procure her. Then you have Eric Northman's interest in her and the difference in how he treats her. He lets her speak for herself and make her own decisions. He doesn't try to control her and he respects her. For t...

I love spoilers -- there I said it. I like to have at least some clue where my favorite shows are heading in the new season. Well, they just released the new trailers for True Blood, Season 5 and how lame! Come on now, let's see some better clues than your past catches up with you or doesn't stay buried ... or whatever. Let's see some hints with the actual actors and not the mundane set pieces we've all seen a hundred times over. I want some action here! Some clues! A spoiler or two or three. We already know that Bill and Eric are on the run and sharing some boo-hiss "bromance" time (yuck). Does Tara get turned into a vamp or zombie. I vote zombie, that's way more off-kilter and interesting. Mark my words, Tara isn't gone. Will we get to see any Eric-Sookie loving at all? I hope so. Here is an idea, let's send Bill off to meet the sun while Sookie and Eric make mad passionate love on Eric's Barbados estate (we know he has one from Season 4...

Now that Alexander Skarsgård is out promoting his forthcoming popcorn flick Battleship , which I will go see to support my favorite actor but only with my teenage son, who loves that sort of thing; he is promoting Season 5 of True Blood . I've decided he's being cheeky about the whole notion of the Eric-Bill " bromance " nonsense. First of all, he's a funny guy anyway and is constantly making jokes. Check out his low-key joke that aliens and vampires would be lovers ... yeah, right, naturally! Second, my guess is that Eric and Bill team up and have time on the run together evading the Authority. Skarsgård's remarks about having a new appreciation for Bill, I'm going to just go on the side that he's being facetious. Maybe they won't be quite as venomously at each other's throats then in the past, but I don't see the Viking sincerely bowing to the Southern schemer anytime soon. Also, I've noticed that in years past that while small spoile...

The supporting characters in books and film matter just as much as the stars. These characters, if they're really good, steal the show or "chew scenery". I thought it would be fun to review my favorite supporting players and start with the girls since I almost always start with the guys. So, here we go: Pam and her "maker" Eric. Pam, True Blood and the Sookie Stackhouse Series -- who doesn't just love snarky and sensitive Pam. Sensitive you ask? Yes, when she cries over the potential demise of her maker Eric Northman, you see all of the love come out. She's a good girlfriend, too. She helps baby vamp Jessica in True Blood by providing her with "girl" talk and advice on how one disposes of a body. Her endless snarky comments make her fun and funny. Of course, I've more than admired her great lines. Who could ever forget: "Sookie and her stupid name and precious fairy vagina. I'm so over Sookie!" Anything Pam says is sure ...

All right here is the last word on sex and nudity (love my fierce passion, here or what). No one ever again gets to complain to me about the "written sex" scenes in my book California Girl Chronicles when we live in a media-saturated world where Vampire Diaries and True Blood compete for " best nude" covers !!! I mean come on folks! I've had a couple of mainstream reviewers flip over the sex in my book yet I routinely get stuff like this sent in my Google Alerts where the stars of major TV shows have stripped for mass consumption. Seriously! You can't possibly whine to me about written tasteful sex and then secretly go view what is nothing more than "sanctioned" mainstream porn. Look, I'm okay with the nude cover wars. You know gorgeous people naked never hurt anyone. All I'm saying is why get all uptight about written sex scenes done so tastefully and refuse to review the book, that's all. If we can compete to see which star looks b...

We all have favorite movies and heroes and heroines. When I fall in love with a hero or heroine in a well-done movie or series, I am rabid in my attention to how they're written and their character arcs, flaws and everything in between. As a writer, I always tell other writers there is no better way to hone your craft then to pay attention to the work of other writers you admire. Today we're going to focus on my favorite heroes and why I love them. Jake, Avatar -- Avatar has been replaying on HBO. I forgot how much I love this James Cameron movie. I am beyond impressed with the technological innovations and CGI that made this movie so clearly otherworldly. In fact, I can't believe the incredible level of detail Cameron provides on the planet Pandora. I truly believe he had a genius vision or astro-traveled to this world. For those who don't believe in such things, well, oh well. I do. Anyway, don't let me digress. The character of Jake is so well crafted and inte...

Eric Northman and Sookie in Season 3. This blog gives a really great rundown of all of the scenes in which our Viking vampire exposes his derriere. I read the well-documented times Eric Northman gives a visual feast on his rear-end and started laughing. I don't think the writer meant it to be funny, but come on. You're documenting butt shots. Alexander Skarsgard seems to have absolutely zero qualms about giving us a feast of butt shots to choose from. I didn't post him from behind, because I have taken a vow not show naked shots on my blog LOL. But I have no problem giving you a nice look at that sublime body (Yum). Oh yeah, and my favorite female character Sookie is here, too. Go read the other blog, though, if you're a Skarsgard naked fan! It's very entertaining, I promise. I do have to say in some respects I admire a guy who can disrobe on cue and have absolutely nothing on it. Of course, this coming from the mouth of a woman who writes sexy scenes in her boo...

I noticed on Skarsgardnews that my resident favorite vampire Eric Northman on True Blood got voted in the top 10 favorite vampires. As I have more than amply said, the Viking is my favorite character from 2011 and possibly one of my favorite all-time characters. I also smiled over the reference that he is the best vampire in a track suite, too. I guess unlike Dracula, his tastes in men's fashions don't involve a cape. Well, I do think I should point out that he likes to spend a lot of time in racer-back T-shirts and tanks too. If we're going to critic the wardrobe, my favorite outfits appeared in Season 3 when he dons various Talbot-influenced garbs including the oh-so-popular blue-green sweater and the famous brown-stripped shirt he ultimately disrobes from to reveal, a-hem, his very nice body when he seduces and kills Talbot. Hey, do you suppose Talbot's choices in designer clothes has anything to do with his name and the famous women's clothing store? Hmm ... I...

Eric and Sookie Lovers Posted this Picture! I want to personally thank Erika over at the Eric and Sookie Lovers blog who has reposted two of my blogs. She also allowed me to use some of her very cool pictures, and this one to the left was her response to my big shout out, "Hell to the no" to the "bromance" idea between vampires Eric Northman and Bill Compton on the forthcoming Season 5 of True Blood . Nobody seems to be Team Erill! Or is that Errrrrrill! We all keep praying to the great shrine of Alan Ball that maybe, just maybe he's throwing us all off! No shipping Eric and Bill! Maybe he just planted that idea to send us all screaming into the Scandinavian forest in Narnia where Bill will be tossed down the Wardrobe and fed to the Lion and the Witch! How about that one?! Although my disappointed little shipper heart noticed that right before Season 4, Alexander Skarsgård hinted about what was coming, and it turns out the hints were accurate to what happens...

An authentic Skarsbrow! I wanted to find a picture of Kristin Bauer Van Straten aka as Pam on True Blood doing the infamous Skarsbrow, because I have fantasies in which I will my one eyebrow to arch solo when someone does something ridiculous or questionable. Like the other night, I so wished I could Skarsbrow when my networking buddies were grabbing each other's "girls". Yes, the moment of ass- and boob-grabbing antics was a well-deserved Skarsbrow situation. Unfortunately, I don't have the required eyebrow dexterity to pull it off. Anyway, in my search for a photo of Pam doing it (she's a woman after all), I found this hilarious link in the Urban Dictionary . Unbeknown to me, Mr. Alexander Skarsgård is so famous for the ability to lift a single brow, he got an official term for it in the dictionary. Go Skarsgård. When you're impacting the slang, you know you've made it to the big time LOL.

True Blood Season Five spoilers are starting to drop. And so it seems that my favorite Viking Eric Northman will share a hinted at "bromance" time with our "southern comfort" vampire Bill (see article ). Ugh! Who wants to see that? Not me. Bring on the great "shipping" of Eric and Sookie and forget "bromancing the bill". All right Truebies, you all raise your hands if this is what you want to see in Season Five? As my friend Sonya cites as her favorite Michelle phrase, "Hell to the no!" So not interested in this "dynamic duo". I fear we'll be put on hold minimally another 12 episodes before we see our Viking God reunited with his fairy princess. Doesn't the True Blood writing team know that we all can't get enough of Sookie and Eric? Can't we at least get a single season of how they would be as a real couple with our vampire's memory actually functioning? I mean come on, we had to spend two agonizing seaso...