Here are several more of the new HBO promos for the second season of True Blood.
Bill Compton. For some reason, people like him. I'm hoping they haven't read the books. Personally, I'm all for staking him outside and waiting for dawn.
Bill and Sookie promo.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
True Blood Season 2 Promos Galore
In addition to the trailer for True Blood Season 2, HBO has begun airing shorter promo clips. The videos take a while to upload, so these will likely be broken up into several posts.
Eric Northman. Not quite the viking warrior of the books, but still quite hot.
Sookie Stackhouse, heroine extraordinaire
I put these two promos together simply because I'm hoping that happens in the series. Television, book, I don't really care at this point. I'd like to see some actual relationship (not just wild sex) out of these two.
Eric Northman. Not quite the viking warrior of the books, but still quite hot.
Sookie Stackhouse, heroine extraordinaire
I put these two promos together simply because I'm hoping that happens in the series. Television, book, I don't really care at this point. I'd like to see some actual relationship (not just wild sex) out of these two.
Thoughts on True Blood
I've had a varied relationship with the HBO series True Blood. Since the premature cancellation of CBS's Moonlight, I've needed something vampire related gracing my television with at least semi-frequency. Enter True Blood, based off Charlaine Harris's delightful southern vampire series, also known as the Sookie Stackhouse series. Now, despite being a rural vampire tale told entirely in first person (a POV that generally turns me off within the first page), I love this series. I really do. I had just finished the first book in the series (Dead Until Dark) when the first season of True Blood premiered. If you are unfamiliar with the series, the first book supplies the plot for the first season - at least loosely.
As television series and movies are want to do, many liberties were taken with the original subject matter. The TV series was made darker and sexier, with far more subplots than the actual book accounts for. That makes sense. The book series is told all in first person. If Sookie doesn't know something the audience doesn't know it either. That's one of the limitations of first person; the reader sees the world through a single character's perception. The TV series has more flexibility. Actions can take place around Sookie without her knowledge, the audience privy to information Sookie lacks.
Despite this, certain aspects of the TV series bother me. Some changes are made seemingly without cause. Actions are changed. Character's are made weaker or more ignorant than they are meant to be. Characters are left out (HELLO, Bubba anyone?). Sookie just seems more needy and less independent. Like I said, parts of the series bother me Even so, I'm excited for season 2 because I'm hoping that as the series grows in popularity, it will be able to draw more information from the books that provide the original source material. Only time will tell.
The first season of True Blood goes on sale tomorrow. Incidently, its release date coincides with Helena Sparrow's birthday. Happy birthday, Helena :)
~ Lily
As television series and movies are want to do, many liberties were taken with the original subject matter. The TV series was made darker and sexier, with far more subplots than the actual book accounts for. That makes sense. The book series is told all in first person. If Sookie doesn't know something the audience doesn't know it either. That's one of the limitations of first person; the reader sees the world through a single character's perception. The TV series has more flexibility. Actions can take place around Sookie without her knowledge, the audience privy to information Sookie lacks.
Despite this, certain aspects of the TV series bother me. Some changes are made seemingly without cause. Actions are changed. Character's are made weaker or more ignorant than they are meant to be. Characters are left out (HELLO, Bubba anyone?). Sookie just seems more needy and less independent. Like I said, parts of the series bother me Even so, I'm excited for season 2 because I'm hoping that as the series grows in popularity, it will be able to draw more information from the books that provide the original source material. Only time will tell.
The first season of True Blood goes on sale tomorrow. Incidently, its release date coincides with Helena Sparrow's birthday. Happy birthday, Helena :)
~ Lily
Sunday, May 17, 2009
A link for paranormal lovers
I just read an excellent blog entry on the Romantic Inks blog about the appeal of vampire novels and the paranormal romance subgenre at large.
"There’s a deep sexuality in the alpha hero in most paranormals that makes them an ideal escape read.
I couldn't have said it better myself. Check it out here.
~Lily
"There’s a deep sexuality in the alpha hero in most paranormals that makes them an ideal escape read.
I couldn't have said it better myself. Check it out here.
~Lily
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Review - Dark Lover by JR Ward
Well, this is a bit outdated. I mean, Dark Lover was released back in 2005. It was the first in a series that is now 7 books deep. Why choose now to review it? For several reasons, actually:
1) I'm constantly talking Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series up to others; especially people who do not normally read paranormal stories. What better way to break them in? Anyway, my friends and coworkers who haven't already read the series always want to know why it's so special. Really, it would be so much easier to send them a link to a review than to gush on for an hour about why I love the series so much. Especially since that gushing usually just ends with me saying "I love Zsadist!" over and again.
2) I am interested in reviewing her current release, as well as her future books, but the anal part of me will not let me review books in a series out of order. Nope, just can't.
3) I love the book and kinda just want to review it. Yeah, 'nuff said.
Dark Lover by JR Ward
The rough streets of Caldwell, NY are home to more than just drug dealers and working girls. Deep in the shadows wages a centuries old war between Vampires and the Lessening Society, a group of soulless humans dedicated to their destruction. At the forefront of the war is the Black Dagger Brotherhood (BDB), a powerful group of 6 vampire warriors, bred and trained to be the defenders of their race. The leader of the group is Wrath, the last pureblood vampire in existence and reluctant king of the vampire race.
Vengeful as his name would suggest, Wrath carries the burden of being forced to watch his family's murder at the hands of the Lessening Society centuries ago. Wrath is content as a warrior and nothing more, until tragedy strikes and he finds himself keeping a promise to care for the halfblood daughter of a dear friend. It's a promise he's reluctant to keep, until he gets his first blurry glimpse of Beth Randall. He's immediately attracted to the spunky woman, determined to see her through her dangerous transition into the Vampire world, and maybe even take her as his queen. But the Lessening Society has other plans, and even if Beth manages to make it through her transition and the Lesser's tricks, will she return Wrath's feelings?
Dark Lover is more than just a romance novel covering the burgeoning relationship between its hero and heroine; it is the introduction to a world hidden deep within our own and a cast of rich characters who are everybit as real as the author putting them on the page. While Dark Lover tells Wrath and Beth's story as a romance is expected to, it also introduces the rest of the brothers who comprise the BDB, introducing their individual conflicts and subtly paving the way for each of the books to come.
Combining romantic themes with dramatic situations, erotic encounters, and dark humor, Dark Lover blurs the lines between paranormal romance, erotic fiction, and urban fantasy. Romance lovers will enjoy the fast pace, sexual tension, and happily-for-now ending that includes not only Wrath and Beth as a couple, but as leaders for their race. Erotica fans will enjoy the sexual heat. Reading about these two is like standing too close to a bonfire; you're bound to be scorched . Ms. Ward is certainly a master of crafting sex scenes that are hotter than hell. It's a talent she only inproves upon throughout the series. Finally, paranormal and urban fantasy fans will be blown away by the depth of the world Ward has created.
While the series continues to build, becoming more vibrant and compelling with each new edition, this is the story that started it all. Dark Lover is a great read. Pick it up. I'll be surprised if you can put it down before traveling the distance between the covers.
Rating: 4/5
Until next time,
~Lily
1) I'm constantly talking Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series up to others; especially people who do not normally read paranormal stories. What better way to break them in? Anyway, my friends and coworkers who haven't already read the series always want to know why it's so special. Really, it would be so much easier to send them a link to a review than to gush on for an hour about why I love the series so much. Especially since that gushing usually just ends with me saying "I love Zsadist!" over and again.
2) I am interested in reviewing her current release, as well as her future books, but the anal part of me will not let me review books in a series out of order. Nope, just can't.
3) I love the book and kinda just want to review it. Yeah, 'nuff said.
Dark Lover by JR Ward
The rough streets of Caldwell, NY are home to more than just drug dealers and working girls. Deep in the shadows wages a centuries old war between Vampires and the Lessening Society, a group of soulless humans dedicated to their destruction. At the forefront of the war is the Black Dagger Brotherhood (BDB), a powerful group of 6 vampire warriors, bred and trained to be the defenders of their race. The leader of the group is Wrath, the last pureblood vampire in existence and reluctant king of the vampire race.
Vengeful as his name would suggest, Wrath carries the burden of being forced to watch his family's murder at the hands of the Lessening Society centuries ago. Wrath is content as a warrior and nothing more, until tragedy strikes and he finds himself keeping a promise to care for the halfblood daughter of a dear friend. It's a promise he's reluctant to keep, until he gets his first blurry glimpse of Beth Randall. He's immediately attracted to the spunky woman, determined to see her through her dangerous transition into the Vampire world, and maybe even take her as his queen. But the Lessening Society has other plans, and even if Beth manages to make it through her transition and the Lesser's tricks, will she return Wrath's feelings?
Dark Lover is more than just a romance novel covering the burgeoning relationship between its hero and heroine; it is the introduction to a world hidden deep within our own and a cast of rich characters who are everybit as real as the author putting them on the page. While Dark Lover tells Wrath and Beth's story as a romance is expected to, it also introduces the rest of the brothers who comprise the BDB, introducing their individual conflicts and subtly paving the way for each of the books to come.
Combining romantic themes with dramatic situations, erotic encounters, and dark humor, Dark Lover blurs the lines between paranormal romance, erotic fiction, and urban fantasy. Romance lovers will enjoy the fast pace, sexual tension, and happily-for-now ending that includes not only Wrath and Beth as a couple, but as leaders for their race. Erotica fans will enjoy the sexual heat. Reading about these two is like standing too close to a bonfire; you're bound to be scorched . Ms. Ward is certainly a master of crafting sex scenes that are hotter than hell. It's a talent she only inproves upon throughout the series. Finally, paranormal and urban fantasy fans will be blown away by the depth of the world Ward has created.
While the series continues to build, becoming more vibrant and compelling with each new edition, this is the story that started it all. Dark Lover is a great read. Pick it up. I'll be surprised if you can put it down before traveling the distance between the covers.
Rating: 4/5
Until next time,
~Lily
Monday, May 4, 2009
HBO's True Blood, Season 2
HBO has just released the trailer for the upcoming second season of hit series True Blood, based off the Southern Vampire Series (also known as the Sookie Stackhouse series) by Charlaine Harris.
The accompanying song is Bob Dylan's "Beyond Here Lies Nothing," and sets the mood perfectly for the trailer. Check it out.
~ Lily
The accompanying song is Bob Dylan's "Beyond Here Lies Nothing," and sets the mood perfectly for the trailer. Check it out.
~ Lily
Link to Dead and Gone Review
Looking for a great review of Charlaine Harris's newest book in the Southern Vampire (aka Sookie Stackhouse) series, Dead and Gone? Click here.
~ Lily
~ Lily
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The one that started it all
After an extended break from the blog (though not from the inspirational subject material), I've decided to return with a post paying homage to the book that started it all. Well, maybe not "ALL" in the sense of the genre as a whole, but "all" in the sense of my introduction to the paranormal romance genre. No, that's not right either. Not only was this book my introduction to the wonderful and varied world of paranormal romance, it was my introduction to romance as a genre.
Let me set the scene. Roughly a year and a half ago, I was a recovering English major getting my masters in Communication. I read text books. I read classic literature. When feeling lighthearted, I read Neil Gaiman. I DID NOT, nor would I ever, read romance. It was crass, it was trashy, it was unsophisticated, and it was certainly below my standards of literary enjoyment (not that I was biased, or anything). I was content in my superior (see: unnecessarily prejudiced) understanding of genre fiction. Then I went home for Christmas break and was quite literally assaulted by my mother, bearing a copy of J.R. Ward's Dark Lover.
"READ THIS!" She told me in the loving-yet-fear-inspiring tone that only a mother can use.
I argued that I didn't read romance. Couldn't she understand that? Romances were read by bored housewives who didn't understand the joys of reading GREAT LITERATURE. Mom wasn't buying it. I got the ultimate mom blackmail; the look that says "I went through labor for you, read the damn book or I'll end the life I so generously gave you." Who can argue with that? (As a sidenote, my mother's a total badass. But seriously. As in, for her midlife crisis she skipped buying a new car and changed professions...becoming a professional firefighter...in her 40s. Yeah, she's not someone you mess with.) I took the book.
The book, as mentioned above, was J. R. Ward's Dark Lover. I reluctantly sat to read in front of the Christmas tree. I stayed there for 8 hours. I read the book in one sitting, rereading some passages two and three times. In the course of a night, I saw the error of my ways. Without any reference beyond my own narrowminded beliefs, I had summarily dismissed an entire (and thriving) genre of fiction. A genre that I was amazed to discover I *loved*. I returned to my mother, book in hand, praising her superior knowledge and begging to borrow the rest in the series. I whipped through the next two books in the series just as quickly. My pace slowed over the next few books simply because I returned to grad school and my professors actually expected me to read academic literature. Didn't they understand I had just discovered a vibrant new world? A world of vampires and magic and incredible, mind-blowing sex? Alas, they did not. Their lack of support for my fledgling addiction did nothing to thwart my desire to immerse myself completely in the pararom world, and that's exactly what I've done.
Time has passed. While I still adore J. R. Ward, I am now versed in many pararom series besides her's. I also happily acknowledge my drastic change of heart. I've gone from a snooty, nose-in-air, faux intellectual, to a woman proud to admit my great appreciation for a thriving genre that allows me to indulge my darker fantasies in mythical worlds where the supernatural is common and creatures of all kinds go bump (and grind) in the night.
So, without further ado, I want to honor J. R. Ward for writing Dark Lover, the book that introduced me to the romance genre and showed me all I was missing.
Until next time,
Lily
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Irony...it makes me love these novels more!
I'm curled up on the bed, enjoying Dark Lover, and I erupt in laughter. It's not because something is explicitly funny in the book, but rather something I experienced reading the book. This is where I might also add in a disclaimer: I am by no means knocking the genre- in fact I'm actually impressed. Why? Irony.
Ever since I had high school English and learned about irony I've always been impressed by effective use of irony. What is irony? I'm lazy so I'll use the Internet dictionary.
(1): incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result (2): an event or result marked by such incongruity b: incongruity between a situation developed in a drama and the accompanying words or actions that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play
Needless to say I don't believe anything in the song "Ironic" by Alanis is actually irony...but alas that is neither here nor there...
Back to Dark Lover, I was impressed by this following passage:
"Besides, they irritate me. Look at how their folklore portrays our species. There's Dracula, for Christ's sake, an evil bloodsucker who preys on the defenseless. There's piss-poor B movies and porn. And don't get me started on the whole Halloween thing. Plastic fangs. Black capes. The only things the idiots got right are that we drink blood and that we can't go out in the daylight. The rest is bullshit, fabricated to alienate us and stimulate fear in the masses. Or just as offensive, the fiction is used to create some kind of mystique for bored humans who think the dark side is a fun place to visit."
So perfectly hilarious and I am in love. Bring on the fun playground of lust and vampire erotica!
~eVie
Ever since I had high school English and learned about irony I've always been impressed by effective use of irony. What is irony? I'm lazy so I'll use the Internet dictionary.
(1): incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result (2): an event or result marked by such incongruity b: incongruity between a situation developed in a drama and the accompanying words or actions that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play
Needless to say I don't believe anything in the song "Ironic" by Alanis is actually irony...but alas that is neither here nor there...
Back to Dark Lover, I was impressed by this following passage:
"Besides, they irritate me. Look at how their folklore portrays our species. There's Dracula, for Christ's sake, an evil bloodsucker who preys on the defenseless. There's piss-poor B movies and porn. And don't get me started on the whole Halloween thing. Plastic fangs. Black capes. The only things the idiots got right are that we drink blood and that we can't go out in the daylight. The rest is bullshit, fabricated to alienate us and stimulate fear in the masses. Or just as offensive, the fiction is used to create some kind of mystique for bored humans who think the dark side is a fun place to visit."
So perfectly hilarious and I am in love. Bring on the fun playground of lust and vampire erotica!
~eVie
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Lily on Lynsay Sands
Now that Helena has taken the time and pains to introduce herself and the point of this blog, I feel it is necessary to follow suit. I am Lily Ghates, lover of vampires and debauchery alike. Like my friends and blog compatriots, I am a fledgling paranormal romanceaholic and writer. My favorite paranormal romances (PR) are JR Ward's Brotherhood of the Black Dagger series and Lynsay Sands' Argeneau series, both exceptional additions to the PR field. There is some confusion with Sands' series, though, and I plan to address it now.
Lynsay Sands, for whatever reason, decided against writing her books in order. That's correct. Her first published Argeneau book "Single White Vampire" is actually the third book in the series. The fourth book to be published "A Quick Bite," is actually the first book in the series. Confused? Well, I was when first I started reading. To save others this same confusion, I offer up a proper reading list for anyone interested in the wonderful fantasy world Sands presents:
1. A Quick Bite
2. Love Bites
3. Single White Vampire
4. Tall, Dark, and Hungry
5. A Bite to Remember
6. Bite Me If You Can
7. The Accidental Vampire
8. Vampires are Forever
9. Vampire, Interupted
Why go to the trouble of correcting the book order? Because Sands' books are just damn good. These books have provided me with some of the most valuable reading time I've spent with paranormal romances. Her take on the vampire myth is fascinating, primary because she imbues the myth with a scientific background. Sands uses science to explain the existence of the vampires, called "immortals," in her books. This scientific backing explains all of the strengths and weaknesses that render her characters so delightful. While I don't have the time to go into a proper review of each of Sands' books at the moment, I have read all save the last two (one of which I am over halfway through), and the series most definitely gets my stamp of approval.
Until next time,
Lily
Lynsay Sands, for whatever reason, decided against writing her books in order. That's correct. Her first published Argeneau book "Single White Vampire" is actually the third book in the series. The fourth book to be published "A Quick Bite," is actually the first book in the series. Confused? Well, I was when first I started reading. To save others this same confusion, I offer up a proper reading list for anyone interested in the wonderful fantasy world Sands presents:
1. A Quick Bite
2. Love Bites
3. Single White Vampire
4. Tall, Dark, and Hungry
5. A Bite to Remember
6. Bite Me If You Can
7. The Accidental Vampire
8. Vampires are Forever
9. Vampire, Interupted
Why go to the trouble of correcting the book order? Because Sands' books are just damn good. These books have provided me with some of the most valuable reading time I've spent with paranormal romances. Her take on the vampire myth is fascinating, primary because she imbues the myth with a scientific background. Sands uses science to explain the existence of the vampires, called "immortals," in her books. This scientific backing explains all of the strengths and weaknesses that render her characters so delightful. While I don't have the time to go into a proper review of each of Sands' books at the moment, I have read all save the last two (one of which I am over halfway through), and the series most definitely gets my stamp of approval.
Until next time,
Lily
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