Welcome to Biting-Edge, a blog shared by authors and vampire experts, Mario Acevedo and Jeanne Stein. We’ll cover urban fantasy, vampires, pop culture, and all things Joss Whedon. Unlike other fantasy blogs, we don’t insist on body cavity searches (unless you ask politely). Snarkiness is most welcome...though we won't promise not to bite back!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
A long weekend of words
Mario here:
Mark your calendars! Wednesday, Oct 7. 7PM at the Denver Press Club.
¶
posted by Mario Acevedo @ 7:45 PM
4 comments
I spent this weekend staffing a booth at the Mountain & Plains Independent Booksellers Trade Show. Thanks much to the volunteers helping me from the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and the Rocky Mountain chapter of the Mystery Writers of America.
I look forward to the trade show as I get to reconnect with my friends in the pub biz. This year was a special treat as not one, but two of my favorite authors attended. Here they are, from South Dakota, Lori Armstrong (left) and from Seattle, Jennie Shortridge (right).
Lori--and I say this as I burn with jealousy--is the much acclaimed scribe of hard-boiled noir. Her newest book is No Mercy and it won't disappoint.
She also writes erotic romance under the name of Lorelei James. Her website is so steamy, you have to verify you're over eighteen. Here's a taste of her books:
Long Hard Ride One lucky woman...three sexy cowboys. Hot!
And Jennie has taken a shift in her writing by turning a true story into this amazing novel, When She Flew.
At the show I also met Irene Rawlings who hosts the radio interview show Focus on KBCO.
I've heard a lot of great authors on her program so give it a listen.
One of the perks of the trade show is that you get tons of free books. I snagged an ARC of Robert Crais' newest Joe Pike offering, The First Rule. Gritty Los Angeles mystery at its finest.
Last June I ran pictures of what I thought was the most ghetto thing ever. From Oklahoma no less.
Here's more ghetto, from There I Fixed It:
And the winner! No one out-ghettos the ghetto!
Mark your calendars! Wednesday, Oct 7. 7PM at the Denver Press Club.
Bobby Brown, co-star of A&E's hit series, Dog the Bounty Hunter, joins the Rocky Mountain chapter of the Mystery Writers of America for dinner. RSVP through the website.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Ever heard of Norman Borlaug?
So, what kind of week has everyone had? It’s been nice to be home and actually get some work done. I could get used to this.
Lot’s of Dollhouse stuff which I’ll put at the end. Includes some Season 2 spoilers compiled by the Webmaster at the Buffy/Angel website.
First though, ever heard of Norman Borlaug? He died this month at 95 and I’ll bet most of us would not recognize the name. But he was a true hero. From the NYT:
Norman E. Borlaug, the plant scientist who did more than anyone else in the 20th century to teach the world to feed itself and whose work was credited with saving hundreds of millions of lives, died Saturday night. He was 95 and lived in Dallas…
…his work had a far-reaching impact on the lives of millions of people in developing countries. His breeding of high-yielding crop varieties helped to avert mass famines that were widely predicted in the 1960s, altering the course of history.
Largely because of his work, countries that had been food deficient, like Mexico and India, became self-sufficient in producing cereal grains.
“More than any other single person of this age, he has helped provide bread for a hungry world,” the Nobel committee said in presenting him with the Peace Prize (in 1970.) “We have made this choice in the hope that providing bread will also give the world peace.”
Full article here. Worthy of a moment of our time.
Borlaug accepting the Congressional Gold Medal in July 2007.
And a few more articles that caught my eye but have nothing to do with writing or mysteries or vampires. You can skip on down if you wish now.
1. Helicopter used in daring heist… commando style robbers used explosives to gain access to millions in a Swedish cash depot while the police were sidelined by a fake bomb planted outside their own helicopter hangar….
Can we say bestseller?????
2. Kentucky census worker hanged…the body of a field worker and teacher was found near a cemetery with “fed” scrawled on his chest….
Jesus. Remind me to stay away from rural Kentucky.
3. New under the sun: water on the moon
Can I be among the first colonists?
4. Don’t let the bedbugs bite… Denver Public Library has banned one of its most avid users for spreading the tiny insects in volumes of obscure literature that he borrows each week.
Not much I can add to that.
Now on to the stuff you expect to see here.
From Shelf Awareness 9/17/09
Notes: Lost Symbol Sells a Million Copies First Day Out
Sales of The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown on Tuesday exceeded one million copies in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., according to the publisher. In a statement, Sonny Mehta, chairman and editor in chief of the Knopf Doubleday Group, said, "We are seeing historic, record-breaking sales across all types of our accounts in North America." The company has already gone back to press for another 600,000 copies on top of the initial print run of five million copies.
Five MILLION copies. Heavy Sigh.
The National Book awards has announced 2009 finalists:
The Stories of John Cheever
Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
The Collected Stories of William Faulkner
The Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor
Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon
The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty
You can vote for your choice here and your email address will be entered for a drawing to win two tickets to the 60th National Book Awards on November 18, 2009 and two nights in the Marriott Hotel Downtown, compliments of Marriott!
Here’s a sobering article about what’s going on in the publishing business—i.e. how it’s effecting editorial employees in particular. Interesting and sobering.
From TV Guide.com: Sarah Michelle Geller and her husband, actor Freddie Prinze Jr. have become parents, TVGuide.com has confirmed.
The couple "welcomed their daughter Charlotte Grace Prinze on Saturday, Sept. 19. The family is over the moon," a rep for the actress said…
This is the first child for the couple, who have been married since 2002.
Congrats! Charlotte Grace...I think I expected something different...
Here’s a link to lots of DragonCon pictures taken by Kerri Saur, one of Charlaine Harris' Charlatons. I know some of you were looking for Steam Punk and there aren’t many here. I didn't get any good ones either so maybe if someone is reading this and has some to share, they'll send them along to jeanne@jeannestin.com and I'll publish them. BTW, how many of you caught Charlaine's cameo on the True Blood finale? Cool, huh?
Here are the Dollhouse episode spoilers I promised. Compiled by the Webmaster at Buffy/Angel.com and posted Sept. 16. Covers episodes 1 - 7
Sept. 25 : Episode 1 of Season 2 "Vows" Fox summary (in quotes) : "Picking up a few months after the Season 1 finale, Echo (Eliza Dushku) is the new bride of a charismatic businessman (guest star Jamie Bamber), who is tied to an old FBI case that Paul (Tahmoh Penikett) was unable to close. Meanwhile, Dr. Saunders (Amy Acker) struggles with her discovery that she is a Doll and targets Topher (Fran Kranz). Written and directed by Joss Whedon."
In this episode, we briefly see Sen. Daniel Perrin, who is played by Alexis Denisof. He starts investigating the Rossum Corporation, which is the ultimate puppetmaster behind all the Dollhouses.
Oct. 2 : Episode 2 "Instinct" Fox summary (in quotes) : "When Echo is imprinted as a mother with a newborn baby, she takes too strongly to motherhood as a result of Topher’s modifications. Meanwhile, Adelle pays November a visit, and Perrin ramps up his investigation into the Rossum Corporation. Guest cast : Miracle Laurie as November/Madeline ; Alexis Denisof as Senator Daniel Perrin ; Kristoffer Polaha as Nate Jordan ; Stacey Scowley as Cindy Perrin."
When Echo is imprinted as a new mom, Sierra is imprinted as her friend.
Oct. 9 : Episode 3 "Belle Chose" Fox summary (in quotes) : "Michael Hogan guest stars as a client of the Dollhouse who comes to Adelle (Olivia Williams) for help with a psychotic family member. Topher (Fran Kranz) accidentally crosses Echo and Victor’s (Enver Gjokaj) imprints while there are on different assignments."
Reliable sources indicate that the Echo/Victor mixup results in Echo having a male imprint and Victor being imprinted with a female persona. Hogan plays Bradley Karrens, whose family member is on a killing spree.
Oct. 16 : Pre-empted for baseball
Oct. 23 : Episode 4 "Belonging" : No summary yet. But it is "Sierra-centric" and guest stars Keith Carradine, who recurs this season as Matthew Harding, a nemesis of Dollhouse manager Adelle DeWitt.
Oct. 30 : Episode 5 (Note : This item has been changed. Previously this post said that Glau first appears in Episode 6. That was incorrect). "The Public Eye" : Summer Glau’s recurring guest role begins with this episode. She plays Bennett, a Dollhouse employee who "shares a past with Echo," according to the Fox press release on Glau.
Nov. 6 : Episode 6 (Note: This item has been changed. Previously this post said that Wise first appears in Episode 7. That was incorrect)."The Left Hand" : Summer Glau appears again, and Ray Wise ("Reaper") guest stars (Michael Ausiello broke this news Tuesday). He plays a Dollhouse bigwig and he could appear again in Season 2.
Nov 13 : (Date not confirmed) : Episode 7 No episode title or info yet. We know Alan Tudyk (Alpha) isn’t in it. But Felicia Day might be.
Another note : Felicia Day, who had a role in the Season 1 episode "Epitaph One," will appear in Season 2. Her post-apocalyptic scenes were supposed to be in the season premiere, but they’ve been shifted to another episode.
An update : There’s a chance we may see Alpha (Alan Tudyk) again, but he won’t be in any of the first seven episodes (he is mentioned from time to time, but not seen in those eps). Also, the Felicia Day-Adair Tishler post-apocalyptic scenes may be included in Episode 7, but that’s not set in stone.
And for your viewing pleasure, a Dollhouse promo video.
I suppose this shouldn’t have surprised me. From Publishers Marketplace:
FILM RIGHTS Stephenie Meyer's adult novel THE HOST, to producers Nick Wechsler, Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz, with Andrew Niccol adapting and directing, by UTA and Writers House.
Castle started last Monday. Michael Connelly and Stephen Cannell had cameos. I wish they were on every week. It adds spice to the mundane and predictable story lines. My question: does every female detective carry a sexy outfit and come-fuck-me pumps in her handbag?
What fall shows have captured your imagination?
Mario mentioned the signing on Sunday. Here's a pic of me, Lady K and Vickie. Thanks, Vickie, for sharing. Note to self: NEVER get a haircut and a new body perm right before a signing. I could not look dorkier. Reminds me of when I was in elementary school and my mom insisted on cutting my bangs the day before picture day.
One piece of BSP: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance Vol II has just been released. Imagine my surprise to find out that I wasn't the only one whose stories featured Doc Holliday!!! What are the odds. Evidently Caitlin Kittredge also wrote a Doc Holliday story. Mine is called The Ghost of Leadville.
The RMFW anthology, Broken Links Mended Lives I edited with Susan Smith and Janet Lane is now available. We got this terrific blurb from NYT bestselling author Margaret Coel who wrote:
Beautifully crafted stories by writers in the Rocky Mountain region, and what a talented group they are! The stories will make you laugh and make you cry, but one thing they won’t do is let you forget them. Open Broken Links, Mended Lives at any point and settle in for a delicious treat!—Margaret Coel, author of The Silent Spirit.
And if that’s not enough, our own Mario has a story in it, too. Water Monster. Very cool, but don’t tell him I said that. Check it out here. ¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 5:02 AM 19 comments
Lot’s of Dollhouse stuff which I’ll put at the end. Includes some Season 2 spoilers compiled by the Webmaster at the Buffy/Angel website.
First though, ever heard of Norman Borlaug? He died this month at 95 and I’ll bet most of us would not recognize the name. But he was a true hero. From the NYT:
Norman E. Borlaug, the plant scientist who did more than anyone else in the 20th century to teach the world to feed itself and whose work was credited with saving hundreds of millions of lives, died Saturday night. He was 95 and lived in Dallas…
…his work had a far-reaching impact on the lives of millions of people in developing countries. His breeding of high-yielding crop varieties helped to avert mass famines that were widely predicted in the 1960s, altering the course of history.
Largely because of his work, countries that had been food deficient, like Mexico and India, became self-sufficient in producing cereal grains.
“More than any other single person of this age, he has helped provide bread for a hungry world,” the Nobel committee said in presenting him with the Peace Prize (in 1970.) “We have made this choice in the hope that providing bread will also give the world peace.”
Full article here. Worthy of a moment of our time.
Borlaug accepting the Congressional Gold Medal in July 2007.
And a few more articles that caught my eye but have nothing to do with writing or mysteries or vampires. You can skip on down if you wish now.
1. Helicopter used in daring heist… commando style robbers used explosives to gain access to millions in a Swedish cash depot while the police were sidelined by a fake bomb planted outside their own helicopter hangar….
Can we say bestseller?????
2. Kentucky census worker hanged…the body of a field worker and teacher was found near a cemetery with “fed” scrawled on his chest….
Jesus. Remind me to stay away from rural Kentucky.
3. New under the sun: water on the moon
Can I be among the first colonists?
4. Don’t let the bedbugs bite… Denver Public Library has banned one of its most avid users for spreading the tiny insects in volumes of obscure literature that he borrows each week.
Not much I can add to that.
Now on to the stuff you expect to see here.
From Shelf Awareness 9/17/09
Notes: Lost Symbol Sells a Million Copies First Day Out
Sales of The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown on Tuesday exceeded one million copies in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., according to the publisher. In a statement, Sonny Mehta, chairman and editor in chief of the Knopf Doubleday Group, said, "We are seeing historic, record-breaking sales across all types of our accounts in North America." The company has already gone back to press for another 600,000 copies on top of the initial print run of five million copies.
Five MILLION copies. Heavy Sigh.
The National Book awards has announced 2009 finalists:
The Stories of John Cheever
Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
The Collected Stories of William Faulkner
The Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor
Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon
The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty
You can vote for your choice here and your email address will be entered for a drawing to win two tickets to the 60th National Book Awards on November 18, 2009 and two nights in the Marriott Hotel Downtown, compliments of Marriott!
Here’s a sobering article about what’s going on in the publishing business—i.e. how it’s effecting editorial employees in particular. Interesting and sobering.
From TV Guide.com: Sarah Michelle Geller and her husband, actor Freddie Prinze Jr. have become parents, TVGuide.com has confirmed.
The couple "welcomed their daughter Charlotte Grace Prinze on Saturday, Sept. 19. The family is over the moon," a rep for the actress said…
This is the first child for the couple, who have been married since 2002.
Congrats! Charlotte Grace...I think I expected something different...
Here’s a link to lots of DragonCon pictures taken by Kerri Saur, one of Charlaine Harris' Charlatons. I know some of you were looking for Steam Punk and there aren’t many here. I didn't get any good ones either so maybe if someone is reading this and has some to share, they'll send them along to jeanne@jeannestin.com and I'll publish them. BTW, how many of you caught Charlaine's cameo on the True Blood finale? Cool, huh?
Here are the Dollhouse episode spoilers I promised. Compiled by the Webmaster at Buffy/Angel.com and posted Sept. 16. Covers episodes 1 - 7
Sept. 25 : Episode 1 of Season 2 "Vows" Fox summary (in quotes) : "Picking up a few months after the Season 1 finale, Echo (Eliza Dushku) is the new bride of a charismatic businessman (guest star Jamie Bamber), who is tied to an old FBI case that Paul (Tahmoh Penikett) was unable to close. Meanwhile, Dr. Saunders (Amy Acker) struggles with her discovery that she is a Doll and targets Topher (Fran Kranz). Written and directed by Joss Whedon."
In this episode, we briefly see Sen. Daniel Perrin, who is played by Alexis Denisof. He starts investigating the Rossum Corporation, which is the ultimate puppetmaster behind all the Dollhouses.
Oct. 2 : Episode 2 "Instinct" Fox summary (in quotes) : "When Echo is imprinted as a mother with a newborn baby, she takes too strongly to motherhood as a result of Topher’s modifications. Meanwhile, Adelle pays November a visit, and Perrin ramps up his investigation into the Rossum Corporation. Guest cast : Miracle Laurie as November/Madeline ; Alexis Denisof as Senator Daniel Perrin ; Kristoffer Polaha as Nate Jordan ; Stacey Scowley as Cindy Perrin."
When Echo is imprinted as a new mom, Sierra is imprinted as her friend.
Oct. 9 : Episode 3 "Belle Chose" Fox summary (in quotes) : "Michael Hogan guest stars as a client of the Dollhouse who comes to Adelle (Olivia Williams) for help with a psychotic family member. Topher (Fran Kranz) accidentally crosses Echo and Victor’s (Enver Gjokaj) imprints while there are on different assignments."
Reliable sources indicate that the Echo/Victor mixup results in Echo having a male imprint and Victor being imprinted with a female persona. Hogan plays Bradley Karrens, whose family member is on a killing spree.
Oct. 16 : Pre-empted for baseball
Oct. 23 : Episode 4 "Belonging" : No summary yet. But it is "Sierra-centric" and guest stars Keith Carradine, who recurs this season as Matthew Harding, a nemesis of Dollhouse manager Adelle DeWitt.
Oct. 30 : Episode 5 (Note : This item has been changed. Previously this post said that Glau first appears in Episode 6. That was incorrect). "The Public Eye" : Summer Glau’s recurring guest role begins with this episode. She plays Bennett, a Dollhouse employee who "shares a past with Echo," according to the Fox press release on Glau.
Nov. 6 : Episode 6 (Note: This item has been changed. Previously this post said that Wise first appears in Episode 7. That was incorrect)."The Left Hand" : Summer Glau appears again, and Ray Wise ("Reaper") guest stars (Michael Ausiello broke this news Tuesday). He plays a Dollhouse bigwig and he could appear again in Season 2.
Nov 13 : (Date not confirmed) : Episode 7 No episode title or info yet. We know Alan Tudyk (Alpha) isn’t in it. But Felicia Day might be.
Another note : Felicia Day, who had a role in the Season 1 episode "Epitaph One," will appear in Season 2. Her post-apocalyptic scenes were supposed to be in the season premiere, but they’ve been shifted to another episode.
An update : There’s a chance we may see Alpha (Alan Tudyk) again, but he won’t be in any of the first seven episodes (he is mentioned from time to time, but not seen in those eps). Also, the Felicia Day-Adair Tishler post-apocalyptic scenes may be included in Episode 7, but that’s not set in stone.
And for your viewing pleasure, a Dollhouse promo video.
I suppose this shouldn’t have surprised me. From Publishers Marketplace:
FILM RIGHTS Stephenie Meyer's adult novel THE HOST, to producers Nick Wechsler, Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz, with Andrew Niccol adapting and directing, by UTA and Writers House.
Castle started last Monday. Michael Connelly and Stephen Cannell had cameos. I wish they were on every week. It adds spice to the mundane and predictable story lines. My question: does every female detective carry a sexy outfit and come-fuck-me pumps in her handbag?
What fall shows have captured your imagination?
Mario mentioned the signing on Sunday. Here's a pic of me, Lady K and Vickie. Thanks, Vickie, for sharing. Note to self: NEVER get a haircut and a new body perm right before a signing. I could not look dorkier. Reminds me of when I was in elementary school and my mom insisted on cutting my bangs the day before picture day.
One piece of BSP: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance Vol II has just been released. Imagine my surprise to find out that I wasn't the only one whose stories featured Doc Holliday!!! What are the odds. Evidently Caitlin Kittredge also wrote a Doc Holliday story. Mine is called The Ghost of Leadville.
The RMFW anthology, Broken Links Mended Lives I edited with Susan Smith and Janet Lane is now available. We got this terrific blurb from NYT bestselling author Margaret Coel who wrote:
Beautifully crafted stories by writers in the Rocky Mountain region, and what a talented group they are! The stories will make you laugh and make you cry, but one thing they won’t do is let you forget them. Open Broken Links, Mended Lives at any point and settle in for a delicious treat!—Margaret Coel, author of The Silent Spirit.
And if that’s not enough, our own Mario has a story in it, too. Water Monster. Very cool, but don’t tell him I said that. Check it out here. ¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 5:02 AM 19 comments
Sunday, September 20, 2009
She popped the cherry
Mario here:
¶
posted by Mario Acevedo @ 4:53 PM
8 comments
Mario here:Big kudos to Jeanne for breaking the seal at the new Broadway Book Mall with her signing of Retribution. As usual, Ron and Nina Else proved to be the gracious hosts and provided great chocolate treats. We're waiting for the second printing, Jeanne!
If you look to the right side of this page, you'll see links to many fabulous paranormal blogs.
One cool site to visit is Midnight Moon Cafe and their current blog features one of Jeanne's favorite distractions: hunks! Such as Richard Armitage.
Jeanne said this last week but I'll repeat it anyway. Joss Whedon won an Emmy
I'm always amazed by the creativity of entrepreneurs, such as the folks at Gimme Gimme Pillow Toast, a local outlet for super-cool and wacky Asian !PoP! goods. This Saturday (Sept 26), they're hosting a Webstore KICK-OFF and Retail location closing PARTY! How's that for making lemon drop martinis from lemons? They laugh in the face of this recession (and step on the creepy pink furry).
THEN on Monday, October 5, I'm the featured artist at the First Monday Art Talk. Check out the scene at Dazzle Jazz Club, 950 Lincoln, Denver. The event is FREE, and includes free appetizers, drink specials, music, poetry-- you'll feel like one of the artistic elite.
SPOILER ALERT!
I saw the new Robin Williams' movie, World's Greatest Dad. The story is about a frustrated writer who turns tragedy into a golden opportunity to get everything he wanted.
Here goes:
Robin Williams plays Lance Clayton, a high school English teacher and frustrated writer. His son is the insufferable Kyle, a foul-mouthed, porn-obsessed, cynical teenager who is loathed by everyone (for good reason). One night, Lance finds Kyle dead, the result of autoerotic asphyxiation. Lance alters the death scene to make it look like a deliberate hanging and pens Kyle's suicide note. The suicide note is found in the police report and reprinted in the media. Everyone is astounded by Kyle's profundity. Suddenly, loser Kyle becomes a cult hero-martyr. Lance then fakes Kyle's journal and the book brings Lance fame and the promise of great fortune. He is booked on an Oprah-like talk show. A Hollywood agent follows Lance back home, with three editors of major publishing houses in tow. Just as he's on the cusp of getting everything he's wanted, Lance recants in front of everyone, runs away, strips naked and dives into the school swimming pool.
I wanted to really like the movie and I think knowing too much beforehand dimmed my appreciation. I did enjoy how this was one of the few movies that accurately showed the writer's lonely and stumbling journey. There's a great scene when Lance burns with humiliation and jealousy after a fellow teacher on the first try gets a short story published in the New Yorker. However, I figured part of Lance's frustration as a writer was that he wrote alone and never workshopped his manuscripts or met with a critique group. People kept telling him how good a writer he was, but what did they know? What really bugged me was the ending: it seemed too Hollywood (and the script came from that comic iconoclast Bobcat Goldthwait). Lance breaks from guilt and unmasks his own fraud. Huh? Remember James Frey and A Million Little Pieces? Frey didn't come clean until he and his publisher were pinned to the mat. A flood of money will cause you to rationalize a whole lot of things and World's Greatest Dad would've been funnier and even darker if Lance would've stuck to his lie.
Another important spoiler ALERT. Way too much Robin Williams paunchy middle-aged nudity to include an underwater wanger shot. You have been warned.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Whoopee!
Look who got an award!!!
Thank you, readers, for nominating us and thank you, Daily Reviewer for including us!! Very cool.
So, as Mario mentioned, we attended the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold Writers Conference last weekend. What he didn’t mention, is that he serves as unofficial bartender every year in the hospitality room. Well.. at least he did until I managed to snap the following pictures.
See what he’s doing? Now watch…
Sad news this week: Patrick Swayze died of pancreatic cancer at 57. More here from Huffington Post. Never saw him on The Beast, did any of you? The teasers I caught were too painful to watch.
From the Whedonverse:
Ray Wise moves into ’Dollhouse’
It’s not James Marsters but this will do nicely…
Dollhouse has tapped spooky-cool Ray Wise to join the cast in the potentially recurring role of Howard, an intelligent higher-up in the Dollhouse who has huge presence and humor.
Wise is coming off of a two-year stint as Lucifer on The CW’s Reaper. Of course, to me, he’ll forever be the dude who offed Laura Palmer.
Dollhouse, which kicks off season 2 a week from Friday, is amassing quite the impressive talent roster this season. In addition to Wise, upcoming guest stars include Jamie Bamber, Keith Carradine, Alexis Denisoff, and Summer Glau.
I guess this means Reaper is no more. Too bad. I liked that show.
Again from the Whedonverse, an interesting article:
10 things True Blood Owes to Buffy
There’s been a lot of discussion around here of whether or not True Blood has been de-gayed this year. I don’t have a strong opinion on that one way or the other, but one thing I have noticed : As the show moves beyond the source material from the Charlaine Harris novels on which it is based, Alan Ball’s HBO series seems to be morphing into a racier version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
If you’re familiar with both shows, you’ve probably noticed some similarities between the world of True Blood and that of Joss Whedon’s Buffyverse. And not simply the obvious things (i.e. vampires), or similarities that were already present in the Sookie Stackhouse book series. I’m talking about characters, plot elements, and general themes that weren’t ported over from the Charlaine Harris books and instead seem borrowed from Buffy. And in particular, Buffy season 5.
Don’t believe any Buffy/True Blood similarities are intentional ? Here are 10. You decide whether or not these parallels are simply coincidence.
1. The Big Bad
Every season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer had its "Big Bad" : A major foe who percolated throughout the season before boiling over and being ultimately vanquished in the finale. There was The Master (Seasons 1 & 2), The Mayor (Season 3), Adam (Season 4), Glory (Season 5), Bad Willow (Season 6), and The First Evil (Season 7). True Blood has its very own Big Bad in the form of Maryann. Her ominous storyline has run through the entire season and clearly the upcoming finale will culminate in a big showdown with her. Maryanne is strikingly similar to season 5’s Glory. Both are immortals who can’t be killed and both are attempting a ritual that the protagonists are trying to stop.
2. The Crazy Henchpeople
Glory sucked the brains out of many of the citizens of Sunnydale. For the most part they just ran around acting crazy, but towards the end the crazies become her henchmen, helping her prepare for the coming ritual. Maryann does the same thing.
3. The Sacrificial Tower
In Sunnydale, Glory had her minions build an ominous metal tower for her. Maryann makes hers of meat.
4. The Key
Glory needs to bleed Dawn. Maryann has her sacrificial sights set on Sam
5. The Love Triangle
Sookie is torn between good vampire Bill or blonde bad boy, Eric. Does this triangle sound familiar ? (Although, to be fair, this similarity was present in the Charlaine Harris books)
6. The Weapons Expert
In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xander had no particular skill set so, as if to compensate, in a bit of a plot contrivance he was made a "military weapons expert." Jason gets the same military upgrade in season 2 after a brief stint in the Children of the Sun compound.
7. The Vengeance Demon (origin)
Okay, this one may be a stretch, but in season 5 of Buffy we learned more about Anya and how she got her start as a vengeance demon. Back in Viking days, the human Anya had a boyfriend who cheated on her, so she gives up her humanity to become a vengeance demon and turn him into a troll.
In last week’s True Blood, the vampire queen explains how Maenads like MaryAnn came into being : "You’re a wild young girl who is married to some jerk who treats you like property and is also f#*king some 14 year old boy...."
8. Tara
Okay, aside from the name, which is surely only coincidental, both the Buffy Tara and the True Blood Tara lose themselves to the Big Bad, And saving them from the Big Bad becomes a major motivation in taking on the seemingly invincible foe.
9. The Teenage Ward
In season 5, Buffy gets a little sister seemingly out of nowhere. (Well, actually out of nowhere come to think of it.) And when mother Joyce dies, Dawn becomes Buffy’s obnoxious teenage ward. In True Blood it’s Bill who gets the ward, in the form of Jessica. And just like Dawn, she’s dealing with typical teenage issues (although being a cable show, Jessica’s are far more R-rated).
10. The Scooby Gang
A lot of Buffy fans (myself included) think the success of that show had very little to do with Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy and far more to do with the cast of supporting characters - Buffy’s gang, her Scoobies, without which she would never be able to defeat the Big Bad. This season of True Blood is shaping up to be similar, with weapons expert Jason, the vamps, the shifters, and Sookie herself all working together to defeat the otherwise invincible Maryanne.
So, True Blood watchers, what do you think ? Any similarities between Buffy and TB that I’m missing ? Do you think these similarities are intentional and Alan Ball is using Buffy as a sort of playbook ?
What do you all think?
And last but not least, Dr. Horrible won an Emmy for Outstanding Special Class – Short format Live-Action entertainment Program…
Who doubted it?
From the Guardian UK-- JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer to get comic-book biographies
Female Force's graphic stories will be 'very fun, respectful and unique', promises publisher
Full article here—
Hey, for all you present and former Southern Californians who know and love Mystery & Imagination book store, here’s your chance to vote it in as the Best Book Store in LA. Go here and vote (early and often). Let’s get Christine and Malcolm Bell the attention they deserve.
There's an interview on Amberkatze’s Book Blog featuring moi. Check it out. Prizes offered! And, Amber, thanks for the beautiful spread.
Don’t forget: the launch party for Retribution continues this Saturday at Nina and Ron’s new Who Else! Books. Address: 200 So. Broadway. The fun starts at 3. The new store is in The Broadway Book Mall on the southeast corner of Broadway and Cedar, across from the post office. I can promise fun and prizes.
PS Speaking of prizes-- for all of you waiting for a copy of Retribution, I haven't forgotten....I'm still waiting for my own copies to arrive from the publisher. If I don't receive them by Friday, I'm going to send out the rest of the prizes and the books will follow. I PROMISE. ¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 11:23 AM 14 comments
Look who got an award!!!
Thank you, readers, for nominating us and thank you, Daily Reviewer for including us!! Very cool.
So, as Mario mentioned, we attended the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold Writers Conference last weekend. What he didn’t mention, is that he serves as unofficial bartender every year in the hospitality room. Well.. at least he did until I managed to snap the following pictures.
See what he’s doing? Now watch…
Can we say ewwwwww... that's our Mario!
Sad news this week: Patrick Swayze died of pancreatic cancer at 57. More here from Huffington Post. Never saw him on The Beast, did any of you? The teasers I caught were too painful to watch.
From the Whedonverse:
Ray Wise moves into ’Dollhouse’
It’s not James Marsters but this will do nicely…
Dollhouse has tapped spooky-cool Ray Wise to join the cast in the potentially recurring role of Howard, an intelligent higher-up in the Dollhouse who has huge presence and humor.
Wise is coming off of a two-year stint as Lucifer on The CW’s Reaper. Of course, to me, he’ll forever be the dude who offed Laura Palmer.
Dollhouse, which kicks off season 2 a week from Friday, is amassing quite the impressive talent roster this season. In addition to Wise, upcoming guest stars include Jamie Bamber, Keith Carradine, Alexis Denisoff, and Summer Glau.
I guess this means Reaper is no more. Too bad. I liked that show.
Again from the Whedonverse, an interesting article:
10 things True Blood Owes to Buffy
There’s been a lot of discussion around here of whether or not True Blood has been de-gayed this year. I don’t have a strong opinion on that one way or the other, but one thing I have noticed : As the show moves beyond the source material from the Charlaine Harris novels on which it is based, Alan Ball’s HBO series seems to be morphing into a racier version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
If you’re familiar with both shows, you’ve probably noticed some similarities between the world of True Blood and that of Joss Whedon’s Buffyverse. And not simply the obvious things (i.e. vampires), or similarities that were already present in the Sookie Stackhouse book series. I’m talking about characters, plot elements, and general themes that weren’t ported over from the Charlaine Harris books and instead seem borrowed from Buffy. And in particular, Buffy season 5.
Don’t believe any Buffy/True Blood similarities are intentional ? Here are 10. You decide whether or not these parallels are simply coincidence.
1. The Big Bad
Every season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer had its "Big Bad" : A major foe who percolated throughout the season before boiling over and being ultimately vanquished in the finale. There was The Master (Seasons 1 & 2), The Mayor (Season 3), Adam (Season 4), Glory (Season 5), Bad Willow (Season 6), and The First Evil (Season 7). True Blood has its very own Big Bad in the form of Maryann. Her ominous storyline has run through the entire season and clearly the upcoming finale will culminate in a big showdown with her. Maryanne is strikingly similar to season 5’s Glory. Both are immortals who can’t be killed and both are attempting a ritual that the protagonists are trying to stop.
2. The Crazy Henchpeople
Glory sucked the brains out of many of the citizens of Sunnydale. For the most part they just ran around acting crazy, but towards the end the crazies become her henchmen, helping her prepare for the coming ritual. Maryann does the same thing.
3. The Sacrificial Tower
In Sunnydale, Glory had her minions build an ominous metal tower for her. Maryann makes hers of meat.
4. The Key
Glory needs to bleed Dawn. Maryann has her sacrificial sights set on Sam
5. The Love Triangle
Sookie is torn between good vampire Bill or blonde bad boy, Eric. Does this triangle sound familiar ? (Although, to be fair, this similarity was present in the Charlaine Harris books)
6. The Weapons Expert
In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xander had no particular skill set so, as if to compensate, in a bit of a plot contrivance he was made a "military weapons expert." Jason gets the same military upgrade in season 2 after a brief stint in the Children of the Sun compound.
7. The Vengeance Demon (origin)
Okay, this one may be a stretch, but in season 5 of Buffy we learned more about Anya and how she got her start as a vengeance demon. Back in Viking days, the human Anya had a boyfriend who cheated on her, so she gives up her humanity to become a vengeance demon and turn him into a troll.
In last week’s True Blood, the vampire queen explains how Maenads like MaryAnn came into being : "You’re a wild young girl who is married to some jerk who treats you like property and is also f#*king some 14 year old boy...."
8. Tara
Okay, aside from the name, which is surely only coincidental, both the Buffy Tara and the True Blood Tara lose themselves to the Big Bad, And saving them from the Big Bad becomes a major motivation in taking on the seemingly invincible foe.
9. The Teenage Ward
In season 5, Buffy gets a little sister seemingly out of nowhere. (Well, actually out of nowhere come to think of it.) And when mother Joyce dies, Dawn becomes Buffy’s obnoxious teenage ward. In True Blood it’s Bill who gets the ward, in the form of Jessica. And just like Dawn, she’s dealing with typical teenage issues (although being a cable show, Jessica’s are far more R-rated).
10. The Scooby Gang
A lot of Buffy fans (myself included) think the success of that show had very little to do with Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy and far more to do with the cast of supporting characters - Buffy’s gang, her Scoobies, without which she would never be able to defeat the Big Bad. This season of True Blood is shaping up to be similar, with weapons expert Jason, the vamps, the shifters, and Sookie herself all working together to defeat the otherwise invincible Maryanne.
So, True Blood watchers, what do you think ? Any similarities between Buffy and TB that I’m missing ? Do you think these similarities are intentional and Alan Ball is using Buffy as a sort of playbook ?
What do you all think?
And last but not least, Dr. Horrible won an Emmy for Outstanding Special Class – Short format Live-Action entertainment Program…
Who doubted it?
From the Guardian UK-- JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer to get comic-book biographies
Female Force's graphic stories will be 'very fun, respectful and unique', promises publisher
Full article here—
Hey, for all you present and former Southern Californians who know and love Mystery & Imagination book store, here’s your chance to vote it in as the Best Book Store in LA. Go here and vote (early and often). Let’s get Christine and Malcolm Bell the attention they deserve.
There's an interview on Amberkatze’s Book Blog featuring moi. Check it out. Prizes offered! And, Amber, thanks for the beautiful spread.
Don’t forget: the launch party for Retribution continues this Saturday at Nina and Ron’s new Who Else! Books. Address: 200 So. Broadway. The fun starts at 3. The new store is in The Broadway Book Mall on the southeast corner of Broadway and Cedar, across from the post office. I can promise fun and prizes.
PS Speaking of prizes-- for all of you waiting for a copy of Retribution, I haven't forgotten....I'm still waiting for my own copies to arrive from the publisher. If I don't receive them by Friday, I'm going to send out the rest of the prizes and the books will follow. I PROMISE. ¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 11:23 AM 14 comments
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Colorado Gold
Every once in a while Born manages to squeeze out a bit of entertainment such as on his video, Literature and Lead, where he takes loads of cheap shots at the deserving Jeff Shelby and Joe Konrath.
You can order a gun bra of your own here at the Hollow Fang.
¶
posted by Mario Acevedo @ 6:53 PM
4 comments
Mario here:
The 2009 Colorado Gold conference is history. For you Biting-Edgers, you know I was voted RMFW's Writer of the Year, aka the WOTY.
The crown Jeanne gave me, while magnificent, lacked two attributes. First, it didn't come with minions, which left me as king of a kingdom of one. Second, the crown was awesome yet too small to express my pride as being honored as this year's WOTY. So I handcrafted the giant WOTY fez.
Our fabulous conference speakers, (left to right), New York Times Bestseller and smart guy Joseph Finder (keynote speaker), acclaimed (?) Florida mystery author James O. Born (farewell address), and fantasy novelist and screenwriter überman Eldon Thompson (kickoff speaker).
All three charmed us with their wit and delivery (Born at least tried). He rides the little bus in a blog of really cool mystery writers at Naked Authors.
The conference was a great opportunity to catch up with friends and share news. We had five PEN awards for first novels. Lots of food, fun, and adult beverages. Too many excellent workshops. I played bartender in the hospitality room and was responsible for punishing many livers with Margaritas, Screwdrivers, and the retro yet popular Tequila Sunrises.
Writer pal Lynda Sandoval acting a little dweebish during the Saturday banquet. (Check out her cheater glasses.)
After dinner, we had to snuggle. Relive the action at Facebook.
Jeanne and Warren Hammond trying to stay awake while Born was gassing on about nothing. A heroic effort on their part.
From Publishers Lunch.
Good news about a fellow mystery writer:
Neil Plakcy's MAHU BLOOD, a Hawaiian detective series starring a gay police detective, to Don Weise of Alyson Books, by Richard Curtis of Richard Curtis Associates (world).
Every once in a while Born manages to squeeze out a bit of entertainment such as on his video, Literature and Lead, where he takes loads of cheap shots at the deserving Jeff Shelby and Joe Konrath.
PS The WOTY fez isn't my only prop. I first made the infamous gun bra for Jeanne which is modeled here by
Jaye Wells at the 2009 RT.
You can order a gun bra of your own here at the Hollow Fang.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Dragon*Con
Before we get to the fun stuff, Dragon*Con, here are a few articles that caught my eye this week.
Who would have thunk it? From the Wall Street Journal:
Amish Romances Are Hot
Nicknamed “bonnet books” or Amish love stories, most “are G-rated romances, often involving an Amish character who falls for an outsider. Publishers attribute the books' popularity to their pastoral settings and forbidden love scenarios à la Romeo and Juliet. Lately, the genre has expanded to include Amish thrillers and murder mysteries. Most of the authors are women.”
And from Shelf Awareness:
Tolkien Trust and Harper UK Settle Lord of the Rings Film Suit
The Tolkien Trust and Harper UK have settled the lawsuit they brought last year against New Line Cinema concerning their share of proceeds from the Lord of the Rings films. "The precise terms of the settlement are confidential," the statement says. The suit originally asked for "in excess of $150 million in compensatory damages," based on a claim that the original film rights contract gave them 7.5 percent of gross proceeds. But attorney for the Tolkien estate Bonnie Eskenazi tells the WSJ "that demand increased after we got closer to a trial because discovery revealed additional financial impropriety." Warner Bros. President Alan Horn said in a statement the studio deeply values "the contributions of the Tolkien novels to the success of our films." Most importantly, they want to start shooting their adaptation of The Hobbit, which they hope to begin next year.
I am sure there were lots of other things of interest going on in the publishing world last week, but honestly, I was too busy to notice!!
Now--
First day at DragonCon it was my immense pleasure to host the writer on writer interview of Charlaine Harris. She is no doubt the nicest writer in the business and we had a lot of fun doing this panel.
Here are a few pictures from the event.
Jaye Wells (author of Red Headed Stepchild) submitted a question that I asked Charlaine: Does she find herself picturing the actors and settings from the HBO show when writing new books?
Her answer: Not really. Some of the characters, Sam, for instance, and Andy, are exactly as she imagined them. But others are not. The setting for Merlotte’s is pretty much as she envisioned except for the pool table. None in the books, though she said she should have included one! Of course, Merlotte’s would have a pool table.
Which leads me to this picture—several of Charlaine’s fans came dressed as waitresses at Merlotte’s. Complete with a bottle of TruBlood.
RK Charron asked if the demands of fame and fortune have impacted her writing. She replied the only big difference now is that she has more money!! The writing process is the same.
One tidbit you may or may not know—In October, the last Harper Connelly book will be released. Charlaine says she’ll wrap the series up in a way that should satisfy her readers. The reason? Time.
Pictures after the panel-- with fan Ron Marler.
Ron was nice enough to bring a picture he took with me from last year's D*C-- thanks so much for that, Ron!
Charlaine, me and writer pal, Jackie Kessler.
Saturday opened my hotel room curtain to find I had a perfect view of the parade. Couple of pics to give you an idea.
Pal Carol Malcolm (who splendidly moderates many of the panels in the Dark Fantasy Track) and I ordered room service and enjoyed the spectacle.
I realize these pics are fuzzy, but they're from 22 floors up! Just wanted to show this was a real parade! I was impressed!
Only at DragonCon can you find Hermoine and Harry chatting on cell phones while eating Chik-Fil-A.
Some members of the League of Reluctant Adults and friends hanging. What makes these photos so unusual is that no one has an alcoholic beverage in hand.
I brought back some Dragon*Con swag (including something from Charlaine Harris) so the first person who identifies the four authors in this picture, wins it!
Now, I have lots more pics--including many costumes--and as soon as I figure out how to upload them on Facebook (Yes, I'm on Facebook now so befriend me, please!!!) I will. But this one is special because as most of you know, Mario made me a gun bra that is now famous. Here's a rocket bra that is almost as good. ALMOST.
No posting about Dragon*Con would be complete without a thank you to Derek Tatum, the director of the Dark Fantasy track. He is a marvel.
So, to finish up, a couple of personal notes:
Mysterious Galaxy reported Retribution was the Numero Uno bestseller for August. Thank you all—
And if you're interested in what my writing space looks like, Maddie James of Examiner.com did an interview and included a picture. Go here.
See you next week-- ¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 3:37 PM 18 comments
Who would have thunk it? From the Wall Street Journal:
Amish Romances Are Hot
Nicknamed “bonnet books” or Amish love stories, most “are G-rated romances, often involving an Amish character who falls for an outsider. Publishers attribute the books' popularity to their pastoral settings and forbidden love scenarios à la Romeo and Juliet. Lately, the genre has expanded to include Amish thrillers and murder mysteries. Most of the authors are women.”
And from Shelf Awareness:
Tolkien Trust and Harper UK Settle Lord of the Rings Film Suit
The Tolkien Trust and Harper UK have settled the lawsuit they brought last year against New Line Cinema concerning their share of proceeds from the Lord of the Rings films. "The precise terms of the settlement are confidential," the statement says. The suit originally asked for "in excess of $150 million in compensatory damages," based on a claim that the original film rights contract gave them 7.5 percent of gross proceeds. But attorney for the Tolkien estate Bonnie Eskenazi tells the WSJ "that demand increased after we got closer to a trial because discovery revealed additional financial impropriety." Warner Bros. President Alan Horn said in a statement the studio deeply values "the contributions of the Tolkien novels to the success of our films." Most importantly, they want to start shooting their adaptation of The Hobbit, which they hope to begin next year.
I am sure there were lots of other things of interest going on in the publishing world last week, but honestly, I was too busy to notice!!
Now--
First day at DragonCon it was my immense pleasure to host the writer on writer interview of Charlaine Harris. She is no doubt the nicest writer in the business and we had a lot of fun doing this panel.
Here are a few pictures from the event.
Jaye Wells (author of Red Headed Stepchild) submitted a question that I asked Charlaine: Does she find herself picturing the actors and settings from the HBO show when writing new books?
Her answer: Not really. Some of the characters, Sam, for instance, and Andy, are exactly as she imagined them. But others are not. The setting for Merlotte’s is pretty much as she envisioned except for the pool table. None in the books, though she said she should have included one! Of course, Merlotte’s would have a pool table.
Which leads me to this picture—several of Charlaine’s fans came dressed as waitresses at Merlotte’s. Complete with a bottle of TruBlood.
RK Charron asked if the demands of fame and fortune have impacted her writing. She replied the only big difference now is that she has more money!! The writing process is the same.
One tidbit you may or may not know—In October, the last Harper Connelly book will be released. Charlaine says she’ll wrap the series up in a way that should satisfy her readers. The reason? Time.
Pictures after the panel-- with fan Ron Marler.
Ron was nice enough to bring a picture he took with me from last year's D*C-- thanks so much for that, Ron!
Charlaine, me and writer pal, Jackie Kessler.
Saturday opened my hotel room curtain to find I had a perfect view of the parade. Couple of pics to give you an idea.
Pal Carol Malcolm (who splendidly moderates many of the panels in the Dark Fantasy Track) and I ordered room service and enjoyed the spectacle.
I realize these pics are fuzzy, but they're from 22 floors up! Just wanted to show this was a real parade! I was impressed!
Only at DragonCon can you find Hermoine and Harry chatting on cell phones while eating Chik-Fil-A.
Some members of the League of Reluctant Adults and friends hanging. What makes these photos so unusual is that no one has an alcoholic beverage in hand.
I brought back some Dragon*Con swag (including something from Charlaine Harris) so the first person who identifies the four authors in this picture, wins it!
Now, I have lots more pics--including many costumes--and as soon as I figure out how to upload them on Facebook (Yes, I'm on Facebook now so befriend me, please!!!) I will. But this one is special because as most of you know, Mario made me a gun bra that is now famous. Here's a rocket bra that is almost as good. ALMOST.
No posting about Dragon*Con would be complete without a thank you to Derek Tatum, the director of the Dark Fantasy track. He is a marvel.
So, to finish up, a couple of personal notes:
Mysterious Galaxy reported Retribution was the Numero Uno bestseller for August. Thank you all—
And if you're interested in what my writing space looks like, Maddie James of Examiner.com did an interview and included a picture. Go here.
See you next week-- ¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 3:37 PM 18 comments
