New Book Excerpts, Kristen Stewart Interview, Dollhouse Trailer

AUTHORS & BOOKS

I like the cover for the upcoming novel by Yasmine Galehorn, Night Huntress. "But being half-human, half-Fae means our supernatural talents always go haywire at the wrong time." (Yasmine Galehorn)

Kimberly Swan reviews Laurell K. Hamilton's Swallowing Darkness. "Having finally achieved her goal and gotten pregnant, Merry and her men should be celebrating the future with their unborn children." (Darque Reviews)

Read an excerpt from Richelle Mead's next Vampire Academy novel, Shadow Kiss. "My heart beat hard in my chest, and I tried to take deep breaths to steady myself and return to my own reality." (Richelle Mead)

Read an excerpt from Savannah Russe's Under Darkness, the fifth in her Darkwing Chronicles. "The footsteps - slow and measured, heavy and determined - hit the pavement behind me with the steady rhythm of a funeral drum. The sound alone told me they belonged to a man of considerable size and consequence. I didn't have to look back. I knew he meant trouble."

Read an excertp from Jamie Leigh Hansen's upcoming novel, Cursed. "Even deep in the midst of tangling green vines, trees and shrubs, the wind reached them, flowing around them both and twisting the black edges of Draven's cloak until it flapped like bat wings." (Jamie Leigh Hansen)

Bitten by Books is having another extravagant contest with lots and lots of prizes. "...this one is ALL about books and book related items! We have some great prizes coming your way." The contest runs through Sunday night. It's a good opportunity to win some novels for the cold winter months!


MOVIES & DVDS

Here's the first photo from the upcoming flick "Lesbian Vampire Killers." "What we found was the first cast photo featuring stars Mathew Horne, James Corden, Paul McGann and Myanna Buring. Horen and Corden are best known in the UK for their television series Gavin & Stacey." (Shock Till You Drop)

Interview with Kristen Stewart, who stars as Bella Swan in "Twilight." "She's been spending time at a run-down strip club in New Orleans' French Quarter called Dixie Divas, taking in the show and learning how to gyrate around a pole, though she doesn't shed many layers." (Entertainment Weekly)

Another rave review for the Swedish vamp flick, "Let the Right One In." "Based on a novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, the story centers around a creepy 12 year-old boy who is having trouble at school and his burgeoning fascination with an even creepier young girl who is having trouble at home." (San Francisco Examiner)


TELEVISION & THE INTERNETS

Watch the new trailer for Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse" starring Eliza Dushku (Faith from "Buffy"). I'm looking forward to more Whedon!




GRATUITOUS VIDEO OF THE DAY

The new season of "Dr. Who" starts this weekend! David Tennant, who replaced Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor, has said that this is his last season. Here's a very entertaining video from Flow001186.



I love this video featuring Catherine Tate, who starred in last season's "Dr. Who." Check out her fabulous companion in this clip.

Bad Blood, True Blood, and Doomed Blood

AUTHORS & BOOKS

I'm the guest blogger today at Lynda Hilburn's Paranormality and there's a contest for Happy Hour at Casa Dracula. "What kind of character do you like more -- an ordinary character (like Xander, a hapless nerd) or one who has extraordinary abilities (like Buffy)?"

Win the opportunity to name a character in Charlaine Harris's next Southern Vampire novel! "This very special opportunity has been generously donated by Charlaine Harris and all proceeds from this auction go directly to the American Heart Association - Greater Southeast Affiliate." (Best Selling Ebay)

Read an excerpt from L.A. Banks's Bad Blood. "Moving through the crowd as though having some specific destination in mind, she enjoyed flowing through the tangle of bodies to the beat of the music. Warmth, sweat, scents, the thrum of pulsing melodies… blood, heartbeats all merged as her spine became fluid, her footfalls beyond graceful." (L.A. Banks)

Lori Handeland, author of Any Given Doomsday, compares/contrasts paranormal romance and urban fantasy. "Novels of urban fantasy have a continuing character—usually a heroine but can be a hero, who is of the kick ass variety." (Novel Thoughts)

Review of Lori Handeland's Any Given Doomsday. "Elizabeth is a former cop turned barkeep who is well known for her psychic abilities. She can touch an object and know where to find someone." (Diary of an Eccentric)

Review of Night's Master by Amanda Ashley. "Vampires and werewolves are fighting each other for supremacy. The winner will go after humanity and since everyone knows they mainly live in big cities, Kathy McKenna is setting up residence in small town Oak Hollow." (Scooper Speaks)

Read an excerpt from Cynthia Eden's next novel, Midnight Sins. "An eternity of pleasure but a life lived alone. That was her lot in this world. The lot for all the succubi. She was just the only one not loving the deal." (Cynthia Eden)

Review of Kelley Armstrong's latest Otherworld novel, Living with the Dead. "We are also introduced to Robyn (human) Finn (Necromancer and homicide cop) and Damon (Ghost and dead husband to Robyn)." (Paranormal Romance Reviews)


MOVIES & DVDS

Kellan Lutz, who plays Emmett Cullen in "Twilight," will also star in upcoming "Without You." "Although little is currently known about the flick or his co-stars, Lutz said that the role will offer him the chance to stretch some dramatic muscles, while simultaneously dealing with a timely subjec" (MTV)


TELEVISION & THE INTERNETS

"True Blood" is introducing more paranormal characters. "The series began with only vampires and a mind reader, but since then both evil demons and a weredog have been introduced. With the True Blood universe getting stranger by the episode, what supernatural creatures will Sookie (Anna Paquin) run into next?" (Buddy TV)

Review of Joss Whedon's upcoming "Dollhouse" series. Article contains spoilers! "Eliza Dushku opens her eyes to find herself in a sci-fi chair/bed of brain erasure. Fran Kranz and Harry Lennix are standing over her. The former is wearing the standard TV geek uniform of short-sleeved patterned shirt over long-sleeved tee. The latter’s got on his ‘hardass with a heart of gold’ suit." (End of Show)


GRATUITOUS VIDEO OF THE DAY

I'm glad to see that "True Blood" fans are carrying on the "I'm Too Sexy" tradition with this tribute to Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) from NafterLife.



And here's a Sookie and Bill video set to "Bad Things" from Fallenangel2904.

Succubus Dreams, Vampire Schemes, and Supernatural Themes

Congratulations to President-Elect Barack Obama! I am ecstatic.

AUTHORS & BOOKS

Tez Miller previews upcoming releases and book covers that will be available in Australia this month, including Richelle Mead's Succubus Dreams. "Some days a girl just can’t catch a break…especially when the girl in question is Georgina Kincaid, a shape-shifting succubus who gets her energy from seducing men." I posted the Aussie cover on the right and the American cover on the left. I like the Down Under version better.

Read an excerpt from Richelle Mead's Succubus Dreams. "It could have been an ordinary cocktail party, almost a celebration. I hoped that meant no smiting tonight since that would have really put a damper on the atmosphere." (Richelle Mead)

Patricia Altner interviews Liz Jasper, author of Underdead in Denial. "Natasha is a gorgeous vampiress who, for the life of her, can't understand what anyone sees in a floundering science teacher who wears Dockers." (Patricia's Vampire Notes)

William Harris, creator of the upcoming Impaler comic, lists his favorite vampire characters. "Count Orlok: 'Nosferatu' The most badass vampire of them all. From the way he looked to the way he moved, everything about Orlok screamed 'unholy abomination.'"

Review of Kelley Armstrong's Living with the Dead. "...the story does introduce some new characters, the most interesting of which is Finn - the homicide detective who can see dead people - and there is some fast paced action provided by the murderous clairvoyant who is trying to kill Robyn. " (Love Vampires)

Anothger review of Kelley Armstrong's Living with the Dead. "The disappointment was purely expectations and not the book itself, mostly because Kelley Armstrong dances along that line between Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy, but the last couple books have been more PR." (Moira Rogers)

Does Stephanie Meyer promote abstinence in her Twilight series? "That said, the borderline obsession many teen girls—and twentysomething women!—feel towards the series has got to make you wonder if they are taking lessons away for their own real lives, even if the potential of falling madly in love with a 'devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful' vampire is pretty minimal." (The Frisky)


MOVIES & DVDS

Lucy Gaskell joins the cast of "Lesbian Vampire Killers." "Lucy, 27, a former St Peter's High School pupil, will star...in the spoof-horror set deep in the Welsh countryside." (Wigan Today)

In praise of vampires. "True confession. I am into vampires. Raised on Hammer Dracula films starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, when I was nine I dressed up as a Chinese vampire on Halloween." (Variety)

Perry Ferrell (Jane's Addiction) will make video of song he wrote for "Twilight." "Farrell's Twilight movie track Go All The Way was posted on author Stephenie Meyers' official website last week (ends24Oct08) and has been streamed over a million times already." (Contact Music)


TELEVISION & THE INTERNETS

Review of this week's episode of HBO's "True Blood." "Pro: Eric passes out 'flyers' for Fangtastia, hilarious. Hey, even viking vamps gotta make a living." (io9)

Another review of this week's episode of "True Blood." "Also last night, Sam gave Tara money for her to have her demon exorcised, and he explained that ever since vampires came out of the coffin, people don't know what else is out there." (Buddy TV)


GRATUITOUS VIDEO OF THE DAY

I'm kind of on a "Supernatural" kick lately. Gotta love those Winchester brothers in this video by Linkin1824.

Election Holiday

I'm taking the day off to watch the news obsessively. Please go out and vote.

Karen Chance, Twilight Romance, Vampire Tramps

AUTHORS & BOOKS

The Book Spot has a very nice new review of my first novel, Happy Hour at Casa Dracula. "I loved the secondary characters who all had their own little quirks and personalities which made you love each of them individually...10/10."

Jaded Vixen shines the spotlight on Paige Tyler, author of Animal Attraction. "Frustrated when none of the real newspapers will hire her as a reporter, Eliza Bradley takes the only job she can get – at a paranormal magazine. Her first assignment takes her to Fairbanks , Alaska to investigate the possibility that a werewolf has killed two local hikers.

Review of Hunter's Prayer by Lilith Saintcrow. "Jill Kismet, exorcist/hunter of Santa Luz, hasn’t had a vacation in a long time. Her werecat lover/partner, Saul Dustcircle, wants to introduce her to his people, but with eviscerated prostitutes turning up and a seminary student becoming possessed, Jill has no time for personal matters." (Scooper Speaks)

Review of Anya Bast's The Chosen Sin. "Daria Moran is an agent for the Allied Bureau of Investigation. She is obsessed with obtaining vengeance and justice on the vampire who betrayed her." (Vampire Genre)

Read an excerpt from Patricia Brigg's "Star of David" in the Wolfsbane and Mistletoe anthology, to be released 12/08. "As soon as she was gone, Stella opened the folder and looked at the pictures of the crime scene again. They were duplicates, and doubtless Clive, her brother the detective, had broken a few rules when he sent them to her..." (Patricia Briggs)

Read sample chapters from Karen Chance's upcoming Cassie Palmer novel, Curse the Dawn. "Stalking a time traveler is hard work, even if you are one. Especially when said traveler totally has you made. 'Can we talk?' I screamed, as I dodged behind a column to avoid a spray of bullets." (Karen Chance)

Karen Chance guest blogs about her latest novel, Midnight's Daughter. "Dorina Basarab is a dhampir, with a human mother and a vampire father. She’s also stark staring mad. It’s the result of a human body combined with the vampire killing instinct, and while she isn’t insane all the time, she does have frequent psychotic episodes." (Midnight Moon Cafe)

Andrea Philpotts cogitates on vampire vs. werewolf personalities. "Why was I drawn to the warm werewolf over the cool vampire? Perhaps there was something there. Maybe we all could be divided into vampire or werewolf people and these archetypes determined our personalities, our preferences, our love interests." (BC Local News) As usual, no one wants to be a cannibal zombie.


MOVIES & DVDS
Cast of "Twilight" will be touring the U.S. and stopping in Hot Topic stores. "The tour dates and locations have just been confirmed -– check them out! One of the stars just might be coming to your mall!" (Blast Magazine)

Interview with Robert Pattinson, Kellan Lutz, and Nikki Reed, who star in "Twilight." "During the conversation, the trio easily dissolved into laughter, teasing one another and displaying the same generally convivial vibe that took root during the weeks they spent together on set in the remote Pacific Northwest with director Catherine Hardwicke." (Los Angeles Times)

Contest for "Twilight" items, including the companion book, poster, etc. "Then email me a paragraph on why Edward will always be a better choice for Bella than Jacob (note: if you don't believe this you can try to convince me to join Team Jacob - but your task will be mighty)." (Film.com)

Listen to Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen, mumbling a song from the soundtrack of "Twilight." Robert Pattinson soulfully sings that he’s in love in the song 'Never Think' on the Twilight soundtrack, due out in stores on November 4th.

Review of "Dracula A.D. 1972." "... a wild combination of gothic Hammer 'devil cult' stuff and a 1970's hippie freak-out. We also get to see the lovely Caroline Munro writhing around in black lingerie so that alone makes this movie worth a rental." (Pickle Press)


TELEVISION

Review of HBO's "True Blood." "[Alan] Ball offered up a kitschy town full of oddballs and misfits with seriously fake Southern accents. For someone who grew up in the South, these exaggerated drawls couldn't be more chafing. Imagine a British guy attending a production of 'Hamlet' put on by a bunch of 8th graders in Texas, and you get the idea." (Salon)


GRATUITOUS VIDEO OF THE DAY

Oh, my coffee is getting cold so I'm just gonna go back to the tried and true.