Meljean Brook Interview & Contest, "New Moon" Director, the Many Faces of Keanu

AUTHORS & BOOKS

NEWS ABOUT VAMPIRE CHATS: At some point in the middle of the night it struck me that another blog was too many, so I will be hosting weekly author interviews and book contests here on vampire wire, instead of a separate blog. Today my guest is Meljean Brook, so scroll up and learn more about Meljean and her dark urban fantasy series, the Guardians.

Kimberly Swan of Darque Reviews has named Vampire Wire for a Kreative Blogger award! Thanks, Kimberly, and I'll get right back to ya once I have a minute.

SciFi Guy reviews M.L.N. Hanover's Unclean Spirits. "The Demon Riders are an interesting twist on the usual paranormal cast of vampires, demons and werewolves; in this case demons usurp the bodies of humans casting out their souls."

Review of Dead After Dark by Sherrilyn Kenyon, J.R. Ward, Susan Squires, and Dianna Love. "This anthology was truly a mixed bag. One story I loathed, one I loved, one I liked, and one…meh." (The Good, The Bad, The Unread)

Review of J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series. "I’ve enjoyed this series a lot and not just because it’s main characters are vampires either. Ward’s books are truly interesting and truthfully, since the author has made her vampires so different it’s sometimes quite easy to forget that is what they are." (Review of Things)

Sidhe Vicious has a list of December book releases including Undying by V.K. Forrest and Phantom's Touch by Julie Leto.

Michelle Hauf, author of The Devil to Pay, wants your suggestions about having a new vampire site. "But is there something missing? Some part of the vampire genre that needs to be addressed? I'm not sure. Have you looked at the Ultimate VampList? Go take a look, and send suggestions for a blog." (Dusted by Whimsy)


MOVIES & DVDS

Well, this is a bummer: because "Twilight" is such a huge hit, a remake of the dark and edgy "Near Dark" will probably be canceled. "But I’m concerned that, conceptually, that ‘Near Dark’ and ‘Twilight’ are too similar in terms of a vampire movie." (MTV) Seriously, WTF? Katheryn Bigelow's cult western/trailer trash/vamp movie cannot be compared to sparkly "Twilight."

Author Catherine Karp has a terrific and comprehensive list of upcoming vampire movies. " I'll be updating the list throughout 2009. Enjoy!" (Suburban Vampire)

Watch a vastly entertaining slide show of Keanu Reeve's fabulous facial expressions. (New York Magazine) It's called ACTING!

Chris Weitz has been named the director of "New Moon," the sequel to "Twilight." "On the one hand, Weitz has shown his skill at adapting popular modern novels for the screen -- 'About a Boy,' from the Nick Hornby novel..." (Los Angeles Times)

Stephanie Meyer confirms that Chris Weitz has been named as the "New Moon" director. "I've had the chance to talk to Chris, and I can tell you that he is excited by the story and eager to keep the movie as close to the book as possible." (Stephanie Meyer)

"Kiss of the Vampire" to be released on DVD soon. "Hamilton, Ohio was a sleepy little town. That is until a covenant of vampires decides to feed there." (Horror Yearbook)

Another "Blade" movie will be made and take the franchise in a different direction. "[David Goyer] had some good news for anyone hoping to see another film based on Marvel’s day-walking vampire hunter, Blade." (Splash Page)

Information about Joss Whedon's horror movie project, "A Cabin in the Woods." "Few writers have shown an ability to tweak and play with the conventions of genre like Joss Whedon." (Box Office Prophets)


TELEVISION & THE INTERNETS

I don't know where this goes, but black lipstick was big on the runway this year. "Not to be outdone, Smashbox created Sultry exclusively for Sephora — the result is a subtle red-black gloss for those unwilling to totally cross over to the dark side." (New York Magazine)


GRATUITOUS VIDEO OF THE DAY

Here's a tribute to Kathryn Bigelow's terrific vampire movie "Near Dark." The song's a little too "Footloose" for me, but the intention is appreciated.



Which brings us, of course, to "Footloose." Here is the thrilling, edge-of-your seat tractor race. It couldn't have been any more exciting unless they used Big Wheels. Amazingly, Kevin Bacon survived this movie and remains sizzle-licious.