The Sookie Stackhouse Companion

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26. Bill knocks on Sookie’s door, formally dressed with the Bible in hand. Sookie is pleased to realize that he is finally going to reveal his family connection to the Bellefleurs and agrees to accompany him when he asks.

Halleigh answers the door, and Sookie explains that Bill has brought the family Bible to give to Miss Caroline. They are ushered upstairs to Caroline’s bedroom. After she and Bill begin to discuss family history, Caroline is amused and delighted to learn that Bill is her great-grandfather and the one who arranged the financial windfall that allowed her to refurbish her home. As she begins to tire, she thanks Bill, and he tells her to rest easy as he and Sookie leave. Andy and Portia follow them from their grandmother’s bedroom, and Bill graciously accepts Portia’s extended hand and then gently chides Andy when he is less accepting. Bill asks them to hold Caroline’s funeral in the evening so that he can attend, and an understanding Portia readily agrees.

THURSDAY, APRIL 27. Caroline Bellefleur passes away in the early hours of the morning.

FRIDAY, APRIL 28. Portia keeps her promise, and Caroline’s funeral is held the next evening. Bill sits with the family. Sookie realizes at the funeral how terrible Bill still looks, and she resolves to take action. When he leaves after the funeral to go with the family to Belle Rive, she sneaks into his home and steals a CD of his vampire database, determined to locate the living child of his sire and save his life.

SATURDAY, APRIL 29. Sookie is able to read the CD and discovers that Lorena’s only other child, Judith Vardamon, lives in Little Rock. An e-mail address is included, and after some soul-searching, Sookie decides that Bill’s illness is more important than other considerations and that the vampire should be given the opportunity to help him if she can. Sookie sends an e-mail explaining Bill’s situation and then leaves to return the CD to Bill’s home. As she is crossing the cemetery, she sees Andy by Miss Caroline’s new grave. When he comments that he hates that the family received charity from Bill, Sookie tells him that it was not charity, that Bill was simply a man who cared for his family and wanted to help them. A bemused Andy then tells her that Miss Caroline has left her famous chocolate cake recipe to the town and that it was received with great excitement at the newspaper office. He visibly brightens at Sookie’s equally thrilled response to the news. Sookie hurries on to Bill’s home to return the borrowed CD.

As Sookie works the afternoon shift at Merlotte’s, she is stunned when she accidentally reads the thoughts of the cook, Antoine, and discovers that he is a government informant. When he realizes she knows, he begs her to talk to him before she does anything, but Sookie goes directly to Sam. Antoine tells them that he had gotten in trouble with the law over the theft of a car when he was desperate after Katrina and that Agent Weiss came to see him in jail, bringing Agent Lattesta, who offered him a deal. Lattesta already knew that Antoine’s uncle was a Were, and the agent was convinced not only that the shifters would come out, just as the vampires did, but that there were other things out there as well. Not quite certain of Sookie’s nature, Lattesta sent Antoine to Merlotte’s to keep an eye on her. After Lattesta was ordered to leave Sookie alone, he continued to expect Antoine to report the activities of Sam and all the other supes that came into the bar. Antoine tells them he had already decided not to spy anymore and is relieved when Sam believes him and lets him keep his job. When Antoine goes back to the kitchen, Sam and Sookie begin to share their personal troubles, and both agree to go out to dinner again the next night if they don’t hear from their significant others.

Sookie is surprised to see her brother waiting for her on her front porch after work. She calls out a greeting before realizing that the man is actually Dermot. A terrified Sookie wonders if he has finally come to kill her. Dermot tells her not to be afraid and that he only wants to get to know her and Jason better. He claims he had nothing to do with the death of her parents and that Breandan had lied to him and told him that Niall had killed his brother. As they converse, Sookie realizes that her uncle is desperately trying to warn her of something but has somehow been bespelled, so he is confused and crazed. He is able to tell her of another fairy who wishes her ill and that he will be looking over her, and then he vanishes. She calls Jason, letting him know to be especially vigilant.

Going through the past few daily newspapers while her dinner is cooking, Sookie realizes that there is still a great deal of tension about the shifters. She also reads about two especially brutal gang killings in Shreveport. She receives a message from Alcide with the time and date of the pack meeting and calls Jason again to give him the information. Finally giving in to the desire to contact Eric, from whom she has not heard a word in several days, she telephones him about the upcoming pack meeting, and he asks her to come see him.

Arriving at Fangtasia, Sookie is shocked by how few customers are in the vampire bar. She finds Eric sitting with Alexei and Appius. Alexei begins to speak of his human family, taking Sookie’s hand and showing her his memories of all that was done to him and his family in order to justify his current sense of entitlement and desire to be allowed to go his own way. Sickened, Sookie tells him he still has a responsibility to live the right way. Pam interrupts them with the unwelcome news that the new area BVA representative has arrived in the bar, and Eric asks Appius and Alexei to go to his office so that he can greet her. Although it is obvious that Eric’s business is down, the rep is pleasant and too polite to comment.

Once they are alone, Eric tells Sookie that Alexei is insane and that Appius has brought him to Eric in the hopes that he could help the boy. Alexei escaped somehow from their supervision and is responsible for the two supposedly gang-related deaths. Sookie is not happy that Eric is only concerned about the interests of vampires, especially his own, and is ignoring the deaths of the two young men. As they part, Eric wearily reiterates his love for her and promises to come to her house the night after her meeting with Alcide. As Sookie walks to her car, she is joined by Pam, who tells her that Alexei will ruin Eric if he stays much longer. Sookie warns Pam to let Appius handle the situation because Eric will have to let him kill her if she takes out Alexei. Pam is touched that Sookie cares and calls her a friend.

Sookie returns home exhausted and is ready to go to bed when the doorbell rings. She doesn’t recognize the vampire female on her doorstep but, curious, opens the door, knowing the vampire can’t enter the house without an invitation. When Sookie’s unexpected visitor identifies herself as Judith Vardamon, Sookie invites her in, much to the vampire’s surprise. As they talk, Judith tells Sookie the story of Lorena and her maker, Solomon Brunswick, and about how she changed Bill because she’d fallen in love with him after seeing him through the window of his home with his family. Bill hated her and was miserable with her, but Lorena remained obsessed with him. After thirty years together, Lorena tried to make him happier by turning Judith because she resembled his wife. Lorena believed that if Bill had a companion, he would be content to stay with her. When Judith confesses her fear of Lorena, Sookie tells her of Lorena’s final death. An overjoyed Judith demands to know where to find Bill and delightedly exclaims that they are finally free to be together without Lorena’s influence. As she hurries away to find Bill, a stunned Sookie tries to come to terms with her mixed feelings and ponders the fact that she will grow old while the vampires will go on living.

SUNDAY, APRIL 30. Sookie finds two envelopes that were shoved under her front door in the night. The first, from Mr. Cataliades, is her inheritance from Claudine. A stunned Sookie finds a check made out to her for $150,000. The second note is from Bill, who tells her that Judith’s blood is already healing him and that she will be staying for a week to catch up on old times. Sookie is again pondering her feelings when Claude joins her on the porch. She tells him of Dermot’s visit and of her suspicion that he has been bespelled. She confronts Claude about whether he knows anything about the other fairies still on this side, but he tells her he doesn’t want to be killed and leaves. Sookie goes to church for comfort, and she is surprised and pleased to see Sam there. She joins her friends Tara and JB for lunch and then spends the afternoon doing laundry. Jason calls, and they decide to ride together to the Shreveport pack meeting the following evening.

MONDAY, MAY 1. Sam is away at a final tax meeting with his accountant when Sookie arrives at work. An anti-shifter protester enters the bar, and Sookie tells Kennedy to call the police and then notify Sam. Sookie and the bartender persuade the protester to leave, but to their dismay, there are about thirty other protesters in the parking lot. Police officers Kevin Pryor and Kenya Jones manage to disperse the crowd without incident, and Sam, having parked elsewhere and come in the back, arrives to thank them for their help. Sookie tries to be helpful by suggesting that Sam arrange to talk to the church the protesters attend, but Sam furiously refuses to have to explain who and what he is.

Sookie stops at the grocery store on her way home from work and is aware of the silence that greets her as she shops, knowing that word of the protest at Merlotte’s has already gotten around town. She is disturbed to realize that some of the townspeople support the pending legislation that would restrict the rights of shifters.

Jason picks up Sookie on time for the drive to Shreveport, and they discuss the various suspects in the killing of Basim on their way to Alcide’s house. Jannalynn greets them at the door and escorts them into the living room, where Annabelle is on her knees all alone in the center of the floor. Jannalynn instructs Sookie to go upstairs to Alcide. She finds him in the study waiting for her, and he bluntly tells her that a pack shaman would be able to determine what had happened to Basim. They haven’t had one in four years; she is the closest they’ve got. By drinking a shaman’s potion, she should be able to discern who was involved and their degree of guilt. When she tells him that a year ago he wouldn’t have asked her to do this, he replies that a year ago she wouldn’t have hesitated. Sookie drinks the potion.

As Alcide helps an increasingly unstable Sookie downstairs, she realizes with a sense of relief that she is becoming unable to feel the vampires through her bond. Sookie views the pack through the effect of the drug, and as she concentrates, she realizes she can see them as colors and knows immediately what colors to look for. She accuses Hamilton Bond of betraying the pack by inviting government people to camp on Alcide’s land, even knowing that they were looking for dirt on the Louisiana packs to use to push through anti-shifter legislation. She gets him to admit that he was jealous of Basim, and he finally confesses that he saw Basim meeting with a fairy and heard their plan to implicate Sookie in a murder by burying a body on her property. Ham decided to kill Basim and bury him instead, and then collect the reward promised by the fairy himself. Ham tells them that he was supposed to meet the fairy on Sookie’s property after the meeting that evening. Sookie names Patricia Crimmins, originally from the St. Catherine Parish pack, as Ham’s accomplice. Patricia tries to throw herself on the mercy of the pack, as she did after the Were war, claiming that her only crime has been loving the wrong man, but Ham declares that her motive was purely retaliation for not being chosen by Alcide as his lover. Annabelle is guilty only of being unfaithful to Alcide. Jason and Sookie leave as the Weres are deciding on the punishment, and Sookie is confident that enforcer and second Jannalynn will successfully argue for the deaths of Ham and Patricia.

The drug is already wearing off as they exit the house, and Sookie is sick in the yard before she and Jason reach the truck. As her mind clears, Sookie suddenly begins to feel Eric through the bond again and becomes aware of his unhappiness and physical pain. She urges Jason to get her to Eric’s house as quickly as possible, and she fears the worst until they enter the home and Eric answers her call. They find him horribly wounded, and Bobby Burnham and his vampire girlfriend, Felicia, have been murdered. Eric tells them that Alexei finally snapped, killing the two when Appius left him alone to speak to Eric and then fleeing. Appius has gone after Alexei. Sookie orders her brother to push Eric’s broken ribs back in so that he can heal, and after doing so, Jason goes to the bathroom to wash off the blood. Sookie confronts the defeated Eric and taunts him until he reacts. When Jason staggers back into the room, he reports finding a severely injured Pam and that he has given her blood. Jason’s cell phone rings, and his girlfriend tells him that Alexei has been to his house looking for him, that Appius arrived soon after, and that she has sent them both to Sookie’s house. Sookie immediately calls Claude and warns him to get out, since the vampires can enter her house. She and a recovering Eric leave Jason with Pam and rush to Sookie’s house.

They have almost reached the house when Eric doubles over with pain that is not his own. They arrive in her yard to find the security light on and Claude and a fairy Sookie has never seen before standing back to back, armed with knives and a sword, while Alexei circles them, occasionally darting in to strike. Appius lies nearby, head bloodied, and Eric asks him if he still lives. Appius replies that his spinal cord is severed and that he cannot move until he heals. As Sookie pleads with Alexei not to kill the fairies, she learns that the stranger is Colman, the father of Claudine’s baby, and that he blames Sookie for the death of his mate and child. Alexei dashes forward between the fairy blades to punch Colman and is wounded by Claude.

Sookie realizes that Alexei is beginning to tire and runs into the house to retrieve the silver chain that the Drainers had used to restrain Bill so long ago. Returning to the yard, she edges cautiously toward the whirling Alexei, and when he comes near, she throws it over his head and pulls it tightly around his neck. The boy falls screaming to the ground, and Eric sends his sibling to his final death using a broken tree branch. While Eric stands guard over the two fae, Sookie takes advantage of his distraction to take the stake from a disintegrating Alexei and crawl toward the helpless Appius. She tells him she wants to kill him, but he answers that if she was going to do it, she would not have spoken. He predicts that she won’t keep Eric. Eric pleads with her not to kill his maker, so she comes up with a better idea. She hears a shout from Eric as Appius’s eyes look past her, and she feels Appius tell her to move. She throws herself away from the vampire just as a fairy blade slashes past her and into Appius’s body. Colman stands, stunned, looking down at his unintended victim, and then he begins to sway, a dagger protruding between his shoulder blades. Sookie turns to see who threw the blade but sees only Claude, who is looking at both of the knives still in his hands. Eric begins draining the wounded Colman.

Claude and Sookie sit side by side on the grass, and Claude explains that he had tried to persuade Colman to return to Faery and had moved in with Sookie to protect her. Dermot steps out of the woods and tells them he threw the dagger into Colman to protect Sookie. He is able to indicate to Claude and Sookie that the spell that is on him was put there long ago, and Sookie realizes that it must have been placed by Niall. She tells Claude that spells are broken by a kiss in human fairy tales, and they both lean forward to kiss Dermot. He shudders all over and intelligence begins to fill his eyes as he weeps. Claude takes Dermot into the house, and Eric and Sookie are left alone. Eric asks Sookie why she was going to spare Appius and what she was going to say to him, and she replies that she was going to make a deal to let him live if he would kill Victor. A startled Eric admits it was a good idea.

Sookie watches as the fairy blood he took finally begins to energize Eric, and he realizes that he is free forever from his maker. Telling Sookie that she is his dearest, Eric promises to return to her when he has checked on Pam and dealt with the things he must do now that Appius has died. Sookie watches him launch into the air to return to Shreveport. She wearily showers and prepares for bed, grimly satisfied that her enemies have perished and she has again survived. As she opens the door to her bedroom, she is surprised to find Dermot and Claude, who want to share the bed with her. Too exhausted to argue, she climbs into the bed with her fae kin on either side, and to her astonishment, she feels relaxed and comforted. She falls asleep surrounded by family.

The Secret Dialogues of Bill and Eric

Phone: Eric calling Bill.

ERIC: “Bill, how are you feeling?”

BILL: “Not well.”

ERIC: “Victor is expecting a sales report for the database.”

BILL: “There are orders. They need to be packaged.”

ERIC: “Do you need help?”

BILL: “Yes.”

ERIC: “I’ll send Felicia over to your house several times a week to assist you. She can also give you blood while she is there. Perhaps that will help you heal.”

BILL: “Thank you.”

ERIC: “Bill?”

BILL: “What?”

ERIC: “If Sookie had died, I would let you suffer.” BILL: “If Sookie had died, I would already be dead.”

Phone: Eric calling Bill.

ERIC: “Bill, I need your help dealing with Victor. Come to my house Thursday night.”

BILL: “You need my help?”

ERIC: “I need your knowledge of computers. Bobby and Pam have been backing up all of Area Five’s financial records on the computer. I want several copies and I want them to be safe. And I want to be able to tell if anyone tries to access them. Can you do that?”

BILL: “Bobby can’t?”

ERIC: “I would like you to do this.”

BILL: “Of course. I’ll be there after Fangtasia closes.”

ERIC: “Should I send Pam to get you?”

BILL: “Pam? Not Felicia?”

ERIC: “Not Felicia, not for this.”

BILL: “I see.” Pause. “No. I can drive.”

ERIC: “It might be a good idea for you to drive around a bit, make certain you’re not followed.”

BILL: “Do you believe we are all being watched?”

ERIC: “I’m certain Victor knows you’ve been . . . ill and staying close to home. If you suddenly drive to Shreveport, he may hear of it. I don’t feel like coming up with an explanation.”

BILL: “You really are concerned, aren’t you?”

ERIC: “Yes. For us all. Victor has already sent Sandy back to Vegas and is running the entire state himself from New Orleans. I would not be surprised if he has bigger plans. Area Five’s dealings must be aboveboard and strictly accounted. There can be no reason for Felipe to doubt us, no way for Victor to cast aspersions upon us.”

BILL: “I’ll take steps to ensure I am not followed.”

Phone: Eric calling Bill.

ERIC: “Bill, have you seen either Bruno or Corinna lately?”

BILL: “No. Why?”

ERIC: “I’ve heard rumors that they are missing from New Orleans.” BILL: “And . . . ?”

ERIC: “And I was wondering if by chance you’d seen them, if they’d stopped by.”

BILL: “No, they did not. Have you seen them?”

ERIC: “No, I can honestly say that I have not.”

BILL: “I see.”

ERIC: “In fact, I cannot imagine why Victor’s second would be in my area without my knowledge.”

BILL: “Of course not. It would be a violation of protocol.”

ERIC: “Indeed it would. And any of my people would be well within their rights to defend themselves if they were accosted by Victor’s second.”

BILL: “Absolutely.”

ERIC: “Yes, so it’s a good thing that no one has seen them in the area. However, it’s probably best that you don’t speak of this to anyone.”

BILL: “Speak of what?” ERIC: “Exactly.”

Phone: Bill calling Eric.

BILL: “I’m calling to inform you that I have a visitor. She arrived Saturday night and will be staying with me for a week or so.”

ERIC: “She?”

BILL: “Yes. Judith Vardamon, my . . . Lorena’s other child.”

ERIC: “Well. This is a good thing for you, is it not? You already sound stronger.”

BILL: “Yes. I’m feeling much better. Please thank Felicia for me. She was here just before Judith arrived and has been a great help, but I will no longer need her.”

ERIC: “I’ll let her know.”

BILL: “Forgive me, Eric, but you don’t sound yourself. I know I have been out of sorts these past weeks, but is there something I should know? Have there been more problems with Victor?”

ERIC: “I only wish it were Victor. You are not the only one with family visitors, Bill. My maker has arrived with his child. Things are not going well.”

BILL: “I see.”

ERIC: “He is my maker. It is not for me to advise him; he must reach his own conclusions. He’s trying, but the child is . . . I see this ending badly. But he’s . . . He’s my maker.”

BILL: “I remember the feeling all too well, Eric.”

ERIC: “I imagine you do. She would have been of help to you now, though.”

BILL: “I would rather die than have asked her. If Sookie had not contacted Judith, I would never have bothered her after what Lorena did to her, did to us both.”

ERIC: “Sookie contacted her?”

BILL: “Yes. She got Judith’s e-mail from my database and told her I was ill and needed her. She and Judith then spoke when Judith arrived. Judith was much relieved to know that Lorena had met her final death, and surprised it was at Sookie’s hands. She was most impressed.”

ERIC: “Sookie is most impressive. Bobby has just arrived with some paperwork for me. Felicia is with him, so I will pass along your thanks. Good night, Bill.”

BILL: “Good night, Eric.”

Phone: Bill calling Eric.

BILL: “Eric, we’ve just arrived home. What happened at Sookie’s tonight? All was quiet when we went out, but now there are strange scents through the woods.”

ERIC: “My maker has met his final death, Bill. His child as well.”

BILL: “This is not what you wanted?”

ERIC: “I don’t know. I feel strangely free.” Pause. “What is it like to live without your maker, Bill? How did you feel when Lorena died?”

BILL: “She had been torturing me, Eric. When she died, I felt relief. Afterward, I felt somewhat adrift. I imagine it is much like any child when a parent dies, even if the parent was a poor one.”

ERIC: “I cannot remember a time when I did not feel Ocella’s presence, but I did not hate him.”

BILL: “I believe I hated Lorena, as much as a vampire can hate their maker. Twice she took me from a woman I loved.” (Silence.)

BILL: “I take it Sookie is all right?”

ERIC: “Yes. I left her with her fairy cousin and uncle.”

BILL: “Her uncle? I thought he was dangerous.”

ERIC: “He was bespelled, and he was freed tonight as well. He killed a fairy who meant Sookie harm, a fairy who killed Ocella instead.” Pause. “Bobby and Felicia are also dead. Bobby died trying to protect me.”

BILL: “I’m sorry, Eric.”

ERIC: “So am I. Pam was injured but is recovering.”

BILL: “Eric, is there anything I can do?”

ERIC: “Perhaps you could look through Bobby’s computer, help Pam with what needs to be taken care of until I find another daytime employee.”

BILL: “Of course. Shall we come to Fangtasia tonight?”

ERIC: “Please. I need to rely on you and Pam while I am attending to Ocella’s final arrangements, Bill. I cannot afford to let anything slide. We cannot afford it. Victor remains a threat to us all.”

BILL: “I’ll see you tonight.”

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2006. Sookie decides to take advantage of the fact that Dermot and Claude are still staying at her house and enlists the pair to help her clean out the attic. Setting aside the family photos, documents, and other items Sookie thinks might be worth selling in the living room, they eventually pile the most obviously dilapidated and worthless in the driveway to be burned. At work at Merlotte’s that evening, Sookie tells Sam of their activity, and much to her surprise, he is able to recommend a shop in Shreveport that appraises and purchases antiques. Sam tells her that he needs to stop in to look for a birthday gift for Jannalynn, so they make plans to visit the shop the next day.

Business is sparse that night. Not only has Sam come out as two-natured, but there is also a new bar nearby that is drawing a crowd. Kennedy Keyes and Danny Prideaux come in for a drink just as it is getting dark, and Sookie is closing the front curtains when she sees suspicious activity in the parking lot. A Molotov cocktail is thrown through the window, setting a table on fire and scattering flaming napkins through the bar. Sam grabs the fire extinguisher to extinguish the flames. As customers race out of the bar through the back door, Sookie grabs pitchers of tea and water to put out the small fires created by the burning napkins. Sam sees Sookie’s hair catch on fire and sprays her with the fire extinguisher before she even realizes what has happened. Together, they are able to douse the blaze before the fire department arrives. Eric storms in a few minutes later, having felt Sookie’s distress through their bond, and insists on taking Sookie home; however, she convinces him to allow Sheriff Bud Dearborn and the fire chief to question her for their investigation into the arson.

Eric contacts Pam to bring a hairdresser to Sookie’s house, and the female vampire is waiting with Immanuel Earnest, a stylist from Shreveport, when Eric and Sookie arrive. Immanuel sets up in the kitchen and gets to work, cutting off several inches of Sookie’s hair while Eric glowers.

While showering, Sookie thinks about the firebombing and suspects that the being that did it was not human. She returns to the kitchen, and Immanuel cuts again, evening out her hair. Pam, who is in a bad mood after receiving a text, begins complaining about Victor still being in charge, then she shifts her annoyance to the items from the attic piled in Sookie’s living room and driveway. She finally questions Eric on what kind of husband he is, allowing his wife to live with other men, and Eric attacks her. Immanuel pulls Sookie out of the kitchen while the two vampires battle it out. The hairdresser reveals that Pam is frustrated because she wants to turn her lover, Miriam—Immanuel’s sister who is suffering from leukemia—but has not been given permission to make her own child. Sookie finally has enough, fills a pitcher from the bathroom with cold water, goes into the kitchen, and throws it on the two vampires rolling around on the floor, then leaves the two to settle down. When Eric and Pam finally emerge, Sookie sends everyone home, shooing the vampires out of the front door as Claude and Dermot arrive home from work and enter from the back. Exhausted, Sookie heads off to bed.

THURSDAY, MAY 25. Sookie is awakened by someone knocking and finds Sam at her door, ready to head to Splendide, the antique shop in Shreveport. Sam is dismayed at the mess left in Sookie’s kitchen from Pam and Eric’s fight, but Sookie tells him she expects Eric will replace any damaged items. They straighten up, and then Sam shares donuts with Dermot while Sookie showers. As Sookie and Sam get into his truck to head to Shreveport, he comments on how well Dermot treats Sookie. Sam tells her that he has researched fairies in the library of information kept by shifters about supes and that a familial connection would not deter a fairy from pursuing a possible relationship. Sookie assures him that she doesn’t think of Dermot that way, and that they regard themselves as family only. The conversation shifts when they both admit that they believe that the arsonist was a twoey. Although Sam doesn’t think that it was a hate crime targeted at shifters and their supporters, he does feel that there is hatred involved. The question is whose.

They arrive at Splendide, and Sookie pokes around while Sam picks out a gift for Jannalynn, who loves antiques. He finally selects a pair of earrings, with Sookie’s input, and then she makes an appointment for the shop owners to come to her house to appraise the items from her attic. After leaving the shop, Sam suggests that they stop for lunch. He expresses concern about his relationship with Jannalynn, worrying that they are not on the right track, and then Sookie expresses her own concern about the side effects of her proximity to her fae family. She asks Sam if he could do more research for her in the shifter library, but he suggests going right to the source and asking Claude and Dermot in person. They decide to detour to Claude’s club, Hooligans, on the way back. Remy Savoy calls while they are at the restaurant and asks Sookie if she can babysit Hunter for the weekend, but she isn’t sure of her work schedule and is unable to commit. After asking Sam about her schedule, she calls Remy back to tell him she can’t babysit, and he takes the opportunity to ask her to accompany him and Hunter to kindergarten orientation. Sookie is surprised but agrees.

Sookie and Sam are greeted at Hooligans by an elf named Bellenos and taken to Claude’s office. Dermot accompanies them. Sam cuts to the chase, bluntly asking why Sookie is feeling more and more fae. He reprimands the two fairies for not educating Sookie about her heritage and suggests that they have ulterior motives for staying with her. Instead of answering, Claude leads them farther into the club, which is filled with beings of varying degrees of fae blood. One of them welcomes her as one of their own, but Sookie declines the invitation and leaves the room, asking Claude and Dermot what is going on. Dermot tells her that he and Claude will speak with her that evening when they get home. She quietly mourns her gullibility on the way back to Bon Temps.

Sookie works the late shift again and stays up for a while after getting home to wait for Dermot and Claude, who do not come home at all.

FRIDAY, MAY 26. Sookie works the early shift but stays an extra two hours when her replacement suffers a flat tire, and Eric is waiting for her by the time she gets to her house. He has a dress for her and tells her they are going to Vampire’s Kiss, Victor’s new dance club. Immanuel arrives to do her makeup and hair. On the way to the club, Sookie finds out from Eric that it is Victor who has forbidden Pam from turning Miriam.

Sookie and Eric arrive at Vampire’s Kiss to find that Pam has been assaulted by Victor’s minions for trying to get into the club to make certain it is safe for Eric. He is furious, as is Pam. Once inside, they see that Victor has brought Miriam there to provoke Pam. Sookie finds out that Victor is also the owner of Vic’s Redneck Roadhouse, the new bar that is drawing patrons from Merlotte’s. Victor serves Eric and Pam bottled blood along with glasses. The server “thinks” to Sookie not to allow her vamps to use the glasses, as they have been rubbed with fairy blood. Sookie sends a wave of negativity to Eric, who drinks from the bottle. Pam follows suit.

After exchanging words with Victor, Eric, Sookie, and Pam leave, taking Miriam with them. They are approached in the parking lot by two of Victor’s followers, who claim they wish to ally themselves with Eric, but he sends them away, believing they are trying to trap him. When Sookie comments on the tension between Eric and Pam, Pam blurts out that Eric has received a letter. Before she can continue, Eric grabs her throat and orders her to be silent. As he is driving at the time, Sookie is disturbed on many levels. He tells Sookie to leave it be. When they arrive at her house, Sookie does not invite the vampires in.

SATURDAY, MAY 27. Dermot and Claude are home when Sookie wakes, and they are ready for their talk. They mention troubles at the club, and Sookie guesses that a fairy is missing and tells them about the fairy blood Victor used the night before. The two fairies are angry to have lost a female, Cait, to the vampires.

The fairies tell her that Niall was able to arrange a visit with Jason when he was a baby and realized that he lacked the “essential spark.” Niall assumed Sookie would also lack any fairy traits and didn’t attempt to contact her, but eventually he thought to ask Eric, with whom he had business dealings, to check up on her. It was Eric who informed Niall that she wasn’t a normal human. Niall first sent Claudine and then decided to meet Sookie himself. Unfortunately, it was Niall’s interest in his great-granddaughter that precipitated the fairy war and the sealing off of Faery, leaving not just the two of them but others outside. Claude and Dermot acknowledge that Sookie is gaining power from them and that the fae are all gaining power from each other. They are greater than the sum of their parts. Claude and Dermot also reveal that there is still a fairy portal in her woods. Sookie continues to question their motives, but they all finally settle down in an uneasy truce. They discuss the firebombing at Merlotte’s, and Sookie asks them to let her know if they hear any talk about it at Hooligans.

Dermot helps Sookie clean the attic and suggests that she could partition off another bedroom while still leaving an area for storage. To her shame, Sookie realizes that she did not give any consideration to Dermot and Claude having to share a bedroom. Dermot has actually been sleeping on a cot in the sitting room. They discuss what to do, and Dermot is excited at the prospect of having his own space.

The owners of Splendide, Brenda Hesterman and Donald Callaway, arrive to appraise the goods from the attic. Donald finds a secret cubby in the big desk and gives Sookie its contents, a faded letter in an old envelope and a velvet bag. She immediately recognizes the handwriting on the letter as her grandmother’s and puts it aside to read privately later. The partners buy several pieces, taking a few items with them and arranging for one of their trucks to pick up the rest.

Jack and Lily Leeds, the private investigators who questioned Sookie about Debbie Pelt’s death, come into Merlotte’s while Sookie is working that night to give her a warning about Sandra Pelt. Sandra is still obsessed with Sookie. The Leedses reveal that the attorney for Sandra’s parents’ estate, Mr. Cataliades, instructed them exactly when to arrive at Merlotte’s to speak with Sookie, and she instantly realizes that Mr. Cataliades somehow knows there is going to be trouble and sent the Leedses in as backup. Sure enough, four toughs come into the bar, high on vampire blood. Sam, who is standing behind the bar talking with Jannalynn, tries to calm the situation even as both he and Jannalynn react instinctively to the danger. Most of the patrons move away, with the exception of the Leedses, Andy Bellefleur, and Danny Prideaux. The thugs indicate that they are after “the blonde,” and weapons are drawn on both sides. There is a short struggle, resulting in one bullet wound, a few minor injuries, and several broken bones. The four thugs are subdued, the police are called, and Lily takes Jack, who took the bullet, to the hospital. Because Lily and Sookie were standing together when the comment was made about “the blonde,” the police assume Lily was the intended target, and Sookie breathes a sigh of relief.

SUNDAY, MAY 28. Sookie wakes to an empty house. After going over the events of the previous evening, she calls Mr. Cataliades but is only able to leave a message on his machine. She then calls Amelia to ask if she can help locate Sandra Pelt, and Amelia decides to come up, bringing Bob Jessop, who is back in her life, to help out and renew the wards around the house. Sookie decides to read the letter from her grandmother, which explains, to the best of Adele’s knowledge and ability, Fintan’s involvement in her life. According to the letter, the object in the velvet bag is a cluviel dor, a gift from Fintan delivered to Adele by a stranger whom Sookie recognizes from the description: Mr. Cataliades. A fairy gift, the cluviel dor holds a powerful spell that will work only one time. Sookie feels an attachment to the object and gains pleasure in holding it. Worried about its potential, she hides it in her makeup drawer.

MONDAY, MAY 29. Andy, who is in Merlotte’s with Bud for lunch, tells Sookie that he and his wife, Halleigh, are expecting a girl, whom they will name Caroline Compton Bellefleur, and that his sister, Portia, is pregnant as well. He shyly asks if Sookie will tell Bill, who is his great-great-great-grandfather, the good news. After Andy leaves to take Halleigh a milkshake, Sandra Pelt storms into the bar and screams at Sookie. Sandra admits her attempts to harm Sookie and asks what it will take to kill her. Sam passes the wooden bat he keeps behind the bar to Terry Bellefleur, who hits Sandra as she pulls a gun on Sookie. Terry freaks out, and Sookie comforts him as he mumbles about the shining man and the blond man who told him to keep watch over Sookie and keep her safe. The EMTs give Terry a shot to calm him, and she and Sam take him to Sam’s trailer to sleep off the effects. Terry whispers that the men promised to protect his dog and make his dreams stop.

Having again felt Sookie’s fear through their bond, Eric is waiting for her outside Merlotte’s. They go to her house to talk about the blood bond, their marriage, and their future. Eric is amazed when Sookie tells him that she doesn’t want to be a vampire. Amelia and Bob arrive, interrupting the discussion, and Eric soon leaves. Tired from their drive, Amelia and Bob turn in. Sookie hears a quiet knock at the back door and opens it to find Bill, who asks her to come outside to talk with him. Thanks to the blood of his “sibling,” Judith, he is healed from the silver poisoning he suffered while rescuing Sookie from the fae, but he explains that he had not contacted Judith himself because she had previously been somewhat obsessed with him. Once she arrived, he hoped to love her and that a relationship with her would free him from Sookie, but he still doesn’t have feelings for Judith. Having followed him to listen in, Judith overhears his words and, with great dignity, announces that she will leave and will get over her attachment to Bill. When Bud Dearborn calls with the news that Sandra has escaped from the hospital where she was taken for treatment, Bill tells Sookie that he will guard her house that night.

TUESDAY, MAY 30. Sookie works half of the early shift so that she can attend Hunter’s kindergarten introduction with Hunter and Remy in Red Ditch. She and Hunter both get a reading from one of the prospective teachers, and Sookie advises Remy to make sure Hunter is not assigned to that classroom. They stop at Dairy Queen afterward for Blizzards and run into Erin, Remy’s new girlfriend, who joins them. Sookie ask Erin to sit with Hunter for a moment and takes Remy outside to offer the money from Hadley’s estate for Hunter, but Remy turns her down. He prefers to provide for the child Hadley left behind himself.

Sookie arrives home to find Amelia and Bob renewing the wards around her property. Sookie wanders off to find the fairy portal, which she locates in a clearing less than a quarter mile from her house. Over dinner Amelia tells Sookie that she knows how to break the blood bond, and the trio performs the ceremony at sunset. Eric calls almost immediately, concerned that Sookie has suddenly been cut off from him. He is furious that Sookie has intentionally severed the link, and he ultimately hangs up on her.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31. Sookie goes to work but is so distracted that Sam sends her home early. She asks Bob and Amelia to go to the movies, certain Eric will come by. He arrives after sundown. They reaffirm their love for each other and have passionate monkey sex on the front porch swing. Afterward, they discuss the situation concerning Pam and Miriam, and the vampire politics currently affecting them all. Sookie suggests that they contact the waiter who warned her about the drinks. Sookie and Eric drive over to Vampire’s Kiss. While they wait in the lot for the bar’s closing, Eric tells Sookie that he has hired a lone-wolf Were to replace Bobby as his daytime guy. When the waiter, Colton, leaves the bar, they follow him to his trailer and identify themselves. They meet his girlfriend, Audrina Loomis, and find out that Victor killed Colton’s mother. They make plans to meet again the next night at Sookie’s place to plot the death of Victor.

Exhausted, Sookie spends the night at Eric’s, alone in an upstairs bedroom.

THURSDAY, JUNE 1. Sookie leaves bright and early to drive back to her house. She finds Alcide half-naked and asleep in her bed; having heard from Amelia that she broke the blood bond, he came to Sookie’s house to try to reignite their chemistry. Sookie is offended and sends him away. Mustapha Khan, Eric’s new day guy, arrives with a friend to pick up Eric’s car. After they leave, Sookie chastises Amelia and Claude, who let Alcide in, for interfering in her life. Sookie tells everyone to get out of her house. When the others have departed, she finds Dermot sitting on the back steps. Knowing Claude was the real instigator of the two fae, she allows Dermot to stay. She gives him some money and lets him take her car to Home Depot to get more supplies to refinish the attic area.

At Merlotte’s, Sam confides that the bar is in a real slump, the worst he’s ever faced. Sookie doesn’t know what to say and can offer only small comfort. She leaves work late, stopping to fill up her gas tank and to get some milk and synthetic blood. Pulling up to her house, she is first irritated by the open back door but then recognizes danger and tries to retreat, only to be blocked by a tree falling across the drive. She escapes from her car, smacking a potential attacker with a quart of milk, and runs toward Bill’s house in the pouring rain. She’s able to find the spare key on his front porch and get into his house, but first she discards her soaking clothes and shoes into the bushes so she won’t leave a trail.

Though Bill never told her, Sookie had figured out the likely location of his daytime resting place while they were dating. Aware of the renovations he has done, she zeros in on a small room off the kitchen and is able to pry up a trapdoor hidden in the floor. Naked and in the dark, she carefully feels around for Bill and finally locates his inanimate naked body in the corner. Sookie can hear her pursuers overhead as Bill struggles to wake, but it takes him several attempts to fully rouse. He finally comes to completely and leaves to search for her assailants while Sookie waits. He returns and dresses, and she wraps herself in an old shawl for the drive back to her house. They find Dermot bleeding and unconscious in the attic, and Bill is intoxicated by the scent of the fairy blood. He manages to leave the house and checks the property. Sookie calls Hooligans to get help for Dermot, and Claude sends Bellenos, who arrives in a matter of minutes. Sookie apologizes to Dermot, explaining that Amelia’s protection wards should have kept the intruders out, but Dermot admits that he deconstructed Amelia’s wards, planning to put up his own because he felt they would be much stronger. Bellenos treats Dermot’s head wound by breathing into him. As soon as Dermot is able, the two leave to hunt for Dermot and Sookie’s attackers. A bit later, Pam and Eric arrive just in time for Dermot and Bellenos to return with the severed heads of the attackers.

After the fairies leave, taking the heads with them, Sookie, Pam, and Eric discuss who could be behind the attempted kidnapping. When Eric quickly leaves the room to take a phone call, Sookie realizes that something is going on. Sookie faces Eric down and forces him to admit that his maker, before his death, had arranged a marriage for Eric with a vampire queen. So far, Eric has not succeeded in extricating himself.

Bubba peers in the window, concerned for Sookie because Eric sent Pam outside. Sookie puts her feelings aside as Audrina and Colton arrive, and Pam reenters the house as well to start planning Victor’s assassination. Several ideas are put forth, but Sookie finally comes up with a winner involving Bubba.

Alone again, Eric asks Sookie for understanding, but she cannot imagine honoring such a deal brokered by a dead maker. Eric doesn’t stay the night. Sookie sees Bill in the yard and goes out to talk to him, briefly telling him about the situation, but Bill actually does understand Eric’s responsibility to his maker.

FRIDAY, JUNE 2. After sleeping late, Sookie begins preparations for Tara’s baby shower, which is to be held the next day. Dermot returns home and, upon hearing about the shower, asks if he can attend. He begins looking at the old photographs from the attic and points out that some photos of Mitchell, Adele’s husband, are actually Fintan in Mitchell’s form.

Thinking about her own current fiscal health, Sookie suddenly figures out a simple way to help Sam through his financial hardship and takes him a check to pull the bar through until it can get back on its feet. Sam reluctantly accepts her offer but insists that they draw up legal paperwork for the loan.

Afraid Sookie wouldn’t accept her call, Amelia asks Sam to tell Sookie to check her e-mail, which Sookie often forgets to do. Sookie has not only an e-mail from Amelia but also one from Mr. Cataliades. He advises her to think hard before using the cluviel dor and also warns her about Sandra Pelt. Amelia apologizes in her e-mail and tells Sookie that a cluviel dor is a fairy love token that contains a wish for the bearer, a wish so powerful that it can drastically change a life. When Sookie leaves for the Kill Victor party, she takes the cluviel dor with her.

Once at Fangtasia, Sookie waits in Eric’s office for the bar to close. Pam is silent, and Sookie realizes that Miriam has passed away, another victim of Victor, who denied Pam permission to turn her sick lover. After closing, a few vampires loyal to Eric casually spread themselves around the bar as they help the human staff clean up and set the stage for the show. Bubba is going to sing. Colton and Audrina remain, ostensibly as potential donors. Immanuel and Mustafa Khan stay as well. Victor and his entourage, including his new second, Akiro, arrive and settle in for the spectacle. Bubba is breathtaking during his ballads, easily holding the visiting audience’s attention, but the faster rock numbers aren’t as riveting. Eric makes his move, swinging a stake at Victor’s heart. Unfortunately, he is thwarted by Akiro, and the battle begins.

Sookie is able to send Bubba to the relative safety of the back hall, and he is led away by Bill. Pam is taken down by Victor. Seeing Sookie with Akiro’s sword in her hands, Pam orders Sookie to kill Victor. She wavers, afraid that she will swing too hard and kill Pam as well, but is able to bring the sword down hard enough to incapacitate him, giving Pam the opportunity to get up, grab the sword, and do it herself. A badly wounded Akiro refuses to yield to Eric, who ends the other vampire’s suffering. When the blood and ash settle, all of Victor’s loyal minions are dead. Audrina has been killed as well, and Colton weeps over her body. Thalia struggles to reattach her severed arm, a procedure only old vampires can accomplish. Although Sookie is unable to respond physically to Eric when he kisses her, she still offers him her neck to help him heal his wounds. He strikes carelessly, angered by her conflicted emotions. She finally pinches his ear to get him to stop and pulls away, flinching when he tries to kiss her good night. Bill drives her home, and he calmly reminds her that she knew there would be death and blood, and that they only did what they needed to do to survive. Sookie knows he is right but is still disheartened by the carnage. She changes the subject, asking Bill about the Queen of Oklahoma and telling him Freyda is the bride Eric’s maker arranged for him. Bill is surprised by the prospective bride’s identity, and he tells Sookie that Eric will have to put her aside if he marries Freyda. Sookie admits that she broke the blood bond, and Bill gives her advice as a friend to let Eric make up his own mind. Sookie goes into her home, cleans herself up, and gets into bed, both relieved and disquieted that she thinks she’ll be able to sleep.

SATURDAY, JUNE 3. Mr. Cataliades knocks on Sookie’s back door during Tara’s baby shower, which is a rousing success. He waits in the kitchen until the shower winds down and the guests depart. Sookie questions him about his history with her family, both fae and human, and discovers that Fintan had his good friend Desmond Cataliades give a gift to Fintan’s progeny, a gift they could only accept if they had the essential spark. As their sponsor, Mr. Cataliades gave the family the gift of telepathy, a gift that he believed would give Fintan’s descendants an advantage over most of the rest of humanity. Mr. Cataliades then tells Sookie that he is being pursued by some of his enemies and must leave.

Sam calls to let her know that someone dropped off a package for her at the bar, and Sookie can tell by his tone that there is something amiss. She asks him to bring her the package instead, and after a muffled consultation with another person, he agrees. Sookie grabs her shotgun and hides in the woods to wait for Sam and whoever is with him. They pull up in Jannalynn’s car, and Sookie is not surprised to see Sandra Pelt get out of the vehicle with a rifle in her hands. Sookie emerges from the woods and fires, hitting Sandra in the left arm and cheek. Jannalynn takes full advantage of Sandra’s shocked reaction and attacks, taking the other shifter on in hand-to-hand combat. Sookie and Sam circle the battling women, trying to help Jannalynn, and Sam gets a broken nose for his efforts. Sookie is finally able to grab Sandra’s arm and forestall a punch, giving Jannalynn time to get her own punch in. The fierce Were breaks Sandra’s neck with one blow. When she realizes that Sandra isn’t yet dead, Jannalynn finishes the job. They debate calling the sheriff but opt instead to dispose of the body, with Sookie suggesting a place it won’t be found. She helps Sam carry Sandra’s body to the fairy portal, and they squeeze it through, hearing a yapping and snarling from the other side. Convinced that there is nothing left of Sandra Pelt, they make their way back to the house. After Sam washes off Jannalynn’s car and the blood spots on the ground, Jannalynn sets his broken nose, and the two leave, taking Sandra’s gun to toss into the woods on the way back to Sam’s place.

Sookie muses over recent events and decides to settle back to watch Jeopardy! on TV with a glass of ice tea.

The Secret Dialogues of Bill and Eric

To: Eric@Fangtasia.com

From: WCompton@vmail.com 05:33 am

This is to inform you that Judith Vardamon is no longer staying in Area Five.

William Compton

To: WCompton@vmail.com

From: Eric@Fangtasia.com 05:46 am

Lost another one, Bill?

Eric

To: Eric@Fangtasia.com

From: WCompton@vmail.com 05:52 am

GFY. Let me know if you need help with that abbreviation, Sheriff.

Bill

Phone: Bill calling Eric.

BILL: “I had an interesting discussion with Sookie after you left.”

ERIC: “She talks to you too much.”

BILL: “Perhaps you talk to her too little. I assume you’re trying to get out of the contract.”

ERIC: “Of course I am.”

BILL: “Be sure to let me know how that goes. Have a good sleep, Eric.”

Phone: Eric calling Bill.

ERIC: “Did my wife get safely home?”

BILL: “Of course. But from what I understand, she may not be your wife for much longer, Consort.”

ERIC: “Watch yourself, Bill.”

BILL: “A queen. Bad enough any marriage, but I doubt a queen will release you, Eric. I understand that Pam had to push you into telling her.” (Silence.)

BILL: “Just as you pushed me. As my human neighbors say, ‘What goes around comes around.’ Now you know how it feels to be forced by a queen to betray Sookie.”

ERIC: “I did not betray Sookie. This was Ocella’s doing, not mine.”

BILL: “I actually do understand your loyalty to your maker, Eric. I even respect that you still wish to honor his word. Nonetheless, Sookie will see it as a betrayal. And your treatment of her tonight didn’t help.”

ERIC: “Don’t think this means you will get her back, Bill.”

BILL: “Perhaps not. But I do take pleasure in the possibility that you won’t keep her, either.”

Writing short stories is not like writing a very short novel. The pacing is different, the timing is different, and the way you end the story is really different.

At this moment, there are seven Sookie short stories and one novella. They weren’t published in the order in which they should be read if you’re trying to stick to Sookie’s chronology. I backtracked and filled in a little as ideas came to me. For clarity, I’m discussing them in the order in which they fit chronologically between the books.

By the way, the first five of these stories can now be found in one volume: A Touch of Dead. Before my publisher put the collection together, you had to buy separate anthologies to read about Sookie’s adventures. I think that’s a good thing, because then you get to sample a lot of outstanding stories by other writers, but there’s no denying it’s convenient to have the one book.

On to the discussion.

Though not the first short story I’d ever written, “Fairy Dust” was the first piece of Sookie short fiction I’d attempted, and I learned a lot in the process. The story first appeared in a wonderful anthology, Powers of Detection . In “Fairy Dust,” Sookie is asked to investigate the death of Claudette, the triplet of Claude and Claudine, Sookie’s fairy acquaintances. Since Claude and Claudine are questioning human co-workers from the strip club that employed both Claude and Claudette, they believe Sookie can help them get to the bottom of the mystery. Of course our heroine can help, and we learn a lot about the fairies and their outlook on life in general and on humans in particular. These events take place after Dead to the World.

On the heels of “Fairy Dust” follows “Dracula Night.” I really enjoyed writing this one because we get to see an almost childlike side of the usually pragmatic Eric. Sookie, along with other members of the supernatural community, is invited to celebrate one of the few big dates on a vampire’s calendar—the annual party held in honor of the first modern vampire, Vlad Tepes, popularly known as Dracula. The vampires believe that every year the real Vlad makes an appearance at one of these parties, and Eric hopes it will be at his. Eric gets his wish . . . and he doesn’t. The timing of the party in the original version of “Dracula Night,” published in Many Bloody Returns, was gradually perceived to be improbable, and by the time the story appeared in A Touch of Dead, the invitation date had been changed to a more credible January 13. The book that follows this bit of lore is Dead as a Doornail.

“One Word Answer” is the most serious of the short stories and contains information important for understanding the action in the next book. (It falls between Dead as a Doornail and Definitely Dead.) I apologize to readers who for years wondered if they’d missed a book somehow. I won’t put vital information in a short story again. I’ve returned to treating the short stories as little side trips from the main action of the books.

In “One Word Answer” (which first appeared in Bite), Sookie and her friend Bubba are raking in Sookie’s yard (at night, of course) when a limousine arrives. It contains the lawyer Mr. Cataliades, the vampire Waldo, and a secret passenger. Sookie finds out about the death of her cousin Hadley Delahoussaye, she discovers that Hadley had become a vampire before that second death, and she is told that Hadley had become the lover of the vampire Queen of Louisiana. In the course of their conversation, Sookie realizes that Waldo was so jealous of Hadley he may have had a hand in her death. The secret passenger in the limo is Sophie-Anne, Queen of Louisiana, and she’s come with her own agenda.

“Lucky” was first published in Unusual Suspects, and it’s lighter in tone. Sookie’s insurance agent, Greg Aubert, has been casting spells to ensure that he won’t have to pay out on policies. His clients simply have better luck than other people in Bon Temps, thanks to Greg’s witch training. But Greg is worried because someone is coming into his office at night, and as Sookie and her friend Amelia investigate, they discover that other insurance agents are really suffering because of Greg’s track record. And maybe one of them has decided to do something about that. “Lucky” should be read following All Together Dead.

My Sookie Christmas story, “Gift Wrap,” should be read before Dead and Gone. It’s the only thing I’ve ever written about Sookie that contains another point of view. Sookie is lonely at Christmas; everyone seems to have big plans but her. Her great-grandfather Niall knows this, and he collaborates with some supes to give Sookie a wonderful Christmas Eve gift, though it’s not one she would have normally accepted. I got several messages of protest after the publication of “Gift Wrap” in Wolfsbane and Mistletoe , but I wrote the story to let the reader know something important about Niall.

“Two Blondes,” the sixth of the Sookie short stories, is one of my favorites. It’s in the anthology Death’s Excellent Vacation, and it’s a Sookie-and-Pam story set after Dead and Gone. Victor sends the two to investigate an offer he’s gotten from the owner of a sleazy “gentleman’s club” north of the casinos in Tunica, Mississippi. Sookie and Pam enjoy a little entertainment at a casino show before they drive up to keep their appointment. It’s not a huge surprise that this meeting turns out to be a trap, and Sookie and Pam form close acquaintances with stripper poles before the night is through. “Two Blondes” was published after A Touch of Dead was on the shelves, so it’s not included.

The novella “Small-Town Wedding,” which appears in this book, occurs chronologically between Dead in the Family and Dead Reckoning.

The seventh story, one I finished not too long ago, is “If I Had a Hammer,” included in Home Improvement: Undead Edition. This story should be read after Dead Reckoning because the du Rone twins have been born. While Sookie and Sam are helping Tara and JB with some much-needed home renovation, they uncover a terrible secret that has lain buried for decades.

RELATED STORIES

Dahlia Lynley-Chivers

I thought I’d enjoy writing about another character in some short fiction, so I’ve written several pieces about Dahlia Lynley-Chivers, a little, very old, very cold vampire who loves her high heels and her men. The adventurous and judgmental Dahlia lives in Rhodes, the city Sookie visits in All Together Dead, and Sookie sees her there, but the two do not talk. Some of the Dahlia stories (“Tacky” from My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding and “Bacon” from Strange Brew) take place before the summit at Rhodes. “Tacky” is about the wedding of Dahlia’s best friend—yes, even Dahlia has a best friend—which is rudely interrupted by terrorists, who don’t live to regret it. “Bacon” is a revenge story in which Dahlia hatches an elaborate plot to bring a witch to justice.

In “Dahlia Underground” (from Crimes by Moonlight), my favorite vampire is hauled up out of the rubble by rescue workers after the explosion of the hotel housing the vampire summit. After a bit of recuperation, she’s directed to pursue the perpetrators by her sheriff, Cedric.

And finally, in Glamour’s holiday issue, we have a Dahlia Christmas story: “A Very Vampire Christmas.” Dahlia actually embraces the spirit of the season in her own way, and she gets to kill some elves in the process.

Another Dahlia story is scheduled for release in Down These Strange Streets, publishing in October 2011.

Sean and Layla

Sean, an Irish vampire with freckles, and Layla, a modern young woman who has a serious problem with a stalker, meet in the novella “Dancers in the Dark,” which first appeared in Night’s Edge. The beautiful Layla, who’s trying to remain anonymous in the Northern city of Rhodes, has fled from the South to hide from her stalker, a rich man who attacked and mutilated her after getting her pregnant. Layla is running out of money, so she auditions for a job with Blue Moon, a company that keeps a stable of dancers who appear at parties and gala events. The teams are usually composed of one vampire and one human, and the human gets bitten at the end of the dance. Layla comes to know and sympathize with the other members of the dance troupe, and they in turn respect her talent and help her when her stalker catches up with her. Sean falls in love with her in his quiet way. In the end, he has to bring Layla over when she suffers terrible blood loss during an attack by her stalker.

Sookie meets Sean and Layla in Rhodes at the vampire summit in All Together Dead.

The Britlingens

Sookie meets the Britlingens in All Together Dead, too. Batanya and Clovache are hired to protect the King of Kentucky at the summit in Rhodes, and against all odds, they succeed in their mission. They’re incredibly tough bodyguards from another dimension. Clovache and Batanya were raised and trained by the Britlingen Collective, whose motto is “What is the law? The client’s word.” We learn more about the two women in “The Britlingens Go to Hell,” in Must Love Hellhounds. Burdened with a dubious client (a thief) and an impossible task (to retrieve a ball from Hell), the two saddle up and head into trouble. Along the way, they encounter Amelia Earhart, Narcissus, assorted strange beings, and the Lord of Hell himself. They also discover that their client is one of the few surviving members of a race with an unusual physical attribute.

The last couple of years have been one big learning curve. I got nothing against change. Considering I wasn’t a happy camper before I met my first vampire, I have to say that change is a good thing. Some days I just feel like I have learned as much new stuff about the world as I can handle. However, so far I’m coping.

There is one real positive thing about my hometown of Bon Temps, Louisiana: Though it isn’t all that big, it can sure adapt.

Back in high school we were studying Shakespeare, and there was this quote in Hamlet that seems to describe the last few years: “There are more things in heaven and on earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” Everyone trots that out in bad horror movies, but there’s a reason for that. It really does say it all.

I always thought that life, and society, wouldn’t change in my little corner of Louisiana. That was before the whole world got shocked one evening when we found out that vampires were real and not just something that you saw in cheesy late-night movies.

Two years later, a real vampire walked into my life one night in Merlotte’s and pulled me smack-dab into the middle of his world. There are times that I wish I had not been working that night, but I know it would have happened one way or another.

THE VAMPIRES

I love the sun. I felt so sorry for vampires when I really considered what it would mean to live your life in the darkness—to never see the blue sky, watch butterflies, see a hummingbird at a feeder . . . just enjoy the day. And some vampires haven’t seen the light of day for over a thousand years. A thousand years of night! It’s hard to wrap my mind around.

And all the time they kept their existence as secret as they could. They’d still be skulking around picking off humans if some Japanese scientists hadn’t managed to create a form of synthetic blood that was just like the real stuff; in fact, in English they named one brand TrueBlood. I figure there were probably stories in the newspaper or on television about this product when it was getting approved for the market, though I don’t remember seeing any.

But the vamps were all over it. It gave them the impetus they needed to start networking, trying to form a plan to coordinate their entrance into the modern world. After a lot of palaver, they decided to, as they say, “come out of the coffin” to let us know they are here and have been here for a long time. The vamps were very anxious to present themselves as no threat to the normal human population. They wanted everyone to know that they were the person next door—except for the “not going out in the day” thing, the fangs problem, and the blood addiction. They downplayed that part, emphasized the “not Eurotrash in a tuxedo” aspect.

A lot of vampires, like my ex-boyfriend Bill Compton, wanted to “mainstream,” to live as much like humans as possible. That presented a few problems ; when you can only go out at night, you can’t exactly be running a Main Street shop. But they all seem to manage to make a dollar or two; that’s the American way, isn’t it? Bill invests in real estate and does computer programming; my current love interest, Eric Northman, owns the vampire bar Fangtasia over in Shreveport. I know there are vampire strippers and builders, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if there’s a vampire private detective or electrician. There are a lot of tandem partnerships—someone does the job during the day; someone of the fanged persuasion takes over at night.

A few of the countries around the world went wacky and killed all the vamps they could get their hands on. But the good old U.S. of A. was always a melting pot, so we figured they were just another minority wanting a new home, a dangerous minority if pressed the wrong way, but still one that wanted the same freedoms as the rest of the people in this nation. There’s been a lot of arguing about whether vampires should have equal rights with humans; even if they get them, there will always be people opposed to the idea.

Oh, things weren’t all just hunky-dory once the vamps had stood up and said, “We’re here.” It didn’t take folks too long to find out that vampires’ blood is almost a narcotic for humans plus helps injured people heal faster. (I know that last part from personal experience.) Since America’s the land of free enterprise, before much time had passed scumbags were lining up to make money pushing vampire blood. And the vampires weren’t willing donors. Teams developed methods to subdue vamps and drain them. And if you drain too much blood from vampires and leave them out in the open, they die, usually from exposure to the sun. That first night that Bill came into Merlotte’s, I had to save him from a couple of Drainers who had trapped him outside the bar.

The humans who prey on vampires don’t care who they sell the blood to or how diluted or old it is. The addicts or recreational vamp-blood users can go stark raving mad when they drink the stuff dealers sell. And blood dealers have a short shelf life. Both the mainstream vamps and the rogues love to pick off the dealers.

I’m not sure what’s worse: knowing that there are Drainers out there or knowing about the rogue vampires. A rogue is a vamp who refuses to live by the rules that the human population has laid down. When the other vamps find out about one, it’s up to the sheriff of the area to deal with him. Eric is very thorough and isn’t bothered all that much if he has to put an end to a rogue. Rogues are bad for business.

Of course, since there are humans who live off preying on vampires, there are humans who live to be preyed on by vampires—fangbangers. They get off sexually from letting vampires feed on them. I’ve heard that some of them get off erotically from just being in the same room as a vampire. But loving to have your own blood taken is just as dangerous as taking vampire blood yourself. Even if you’re in a committed relationship, like I was with Bill and am now with Eric, the vampire has to be very, very careful about how much blood he takes.

The big problem with the fangbangers is that they can get really addicted to the bite and will keep coming back for more and more frequent feedings with any vamp they can attract. If the vampire isn’t careful, and some of them aren’t, the fangbanger ends up being accidentally drained or even turned.

You can’t be born a vampire. There’s only one way to become one. A human being has to be “turned” by a vampire, the way Bill was by that bitch Lorena.

Bill told me it isn’t easy to make a new vampire. The victim has to be drained of blood at a single sitting or over a period of no more than three days, till he’s almost at the point of the true death. Then the sire has to donate most of his or her own blood to the prospective vampire. After that, it can take up to three days in the dark for the whole change to occur, and it doesn’t always turn out right. Sometimes the vampire-to-be doesn’t make it. Sometimes they have to be destroyed, they’re so damaged. If the baby vampire survives, it’s the obligation of the sire to teach the child how to be a good vampire.

Just like a newborn child, the newborn vampire is hungry and doesn’t have a lot of control over his or her baser instincts. Amelia and I had firsthand experience with this when a shapeshifter named Jake Purifoy turned into a vampire and rose in a closet in my cousin Hadley’s apartment. We got lucky. We were able to call the vampire cops, who could control him during his hunger pangs.

That’s another reason the accidentally flipped fangbangers usually don’t survive. Not many older vampires are willing to take responsibility for controlling and educating the new vamp.

I’m always astonished when I read about someone who wants to become a vampire. There are actually people who are willing to give up the daylight for the night, who have no problem with the idea of watching all their loved ones wither and grow old. I guess they want the enhanced speed and strength and the glamour ability more than they want their human life. Are they just scared of dying? I don’t understand it. A wooden stake through the heart will take them out in a jiffy. They’re not stake-proof, and a beheading will end anyone’s existence, vamp or human.

It’s true that a vampire cannot cross the threshold of a private home uninvited—the resident has to say the express words to allow the vamp to enter. Even more interesting, that permission can be revoked, rendering a home safe from vampire intrusion. I’ve had a little fun with that rule myself in the past, and it’s good to know that it works.

All in all, there are times that I regret ever setting eyes on a vampire, or even seeing a six-pack of TrueBlood at the convenience store, but in the end you have to adapt to the world around you. I’ve become pretty good at adapting.

THE TWO-NATURED

When the vampires let people know that they were real, everyone thought that the world had been turned upside down. Heck, the first time I met an actual vampire, my universe did turn upside down. Of course, I fell in love with him. If I hadn’t, my life might have stayed on more of a predictable path.

Finding out shortly thereafter that some people can change themselves into other creatures was another serious shock. My favorite boss, Sam Merlotte, was the first person I saw in both forms.

There are apparently two kinds of the two-natured: shifters, who can change into any type of animal, and weres, who change into only one animal. By far the most numerous clan is the werewolves, and they’re so proud of that that they just refer to themselves as Weres, with a capital W. Of course, in the strictest sense, they’re all shapeshifters. They can change their physical form. But you wouldn’t ever hear a Were refer to himself as a shapeshifter, and Sam would never call himself a were-anything.

Within those two big divisions, there’s a caste. You’re either bitten or born. If you’re born, you’re the child of two pure-blooded two-natured humans. And you’re the first child of that particular pair. Your little brother or sister won’t be able to change. If you’re bitten, you had an unfortunate encounter with a two-natured individual when he or she was in animal form, and you got (of course) bitten. Most often, that won’t take, and you’ll be fine. But if it does take, you’ll start feeling weird at the full moon. You’ll assume a half-human, half-animal form when the moon is up. (Think Lon Chaney Jr. in The Wolf Man.) You’ll maintain your health and vitality longer than your regular human buddies, but sad to say you probably won’t live as long.

Sam’s a pureblood shifter, so he can change into any kind of animal form, though he prefers that of a dog. Most shifters tend to stick to a form they’ve become comfortable with, like a favorite shirt or a pair of shoes that fits just right. But Sam makes a great lion, let me tell you.

The wolves are a lot more secretive than the vampires. Let’s face it—not having to sleep in a coffin and remain unseen during the day lets them blend in a lot easier. I know a lot of Weres, and I’m still finding out things about them. If someone had told me there is a hidden shapeshifter bar in Shreveport, I would have thought they were nuts, which is probably the pot calling the kettle black, if you stop and think about it. Quinn took me to a drinking establishment called the Hair of the Dog, and it’s not a place for the fainthearted.

Most wolves group together in packs, with the strongest taking the role of packleader, a position that must be defended against challengers. I’ve been around Shreveport’s Long Tooth pack mostly, and it certainly isn’t a democracy. What the packmaster says goes. And if the packmaster needs backing up, the pack enforcer steps in.

There are some negatives to dating one of the two-natured, though the facts that they can go out in the sun and are physically warm are huge plusses as far as I’m concerned. But the icky part is that the necessity to keep breeding true can dominate mating choices. And if you’re a rare breed, like a weretiger or a werepanther, you’re kind of obliged to seek out a same-breed mate of the opposite sex and try to have a baby. Take Hotshot, for example. It’s a tiny enclave way out in the boondocks, and the werepanthers who live there form a nearly closed society.

Breeding true is all the more important because the two-natured have a high mortality rate. So the leader of a pack is required to have children with as many of the pureblood women in his group as possible. I found this out from Calvin Norris when we were semiromantically involved for a while. As much as I thought I might care for him, this secret breeding program was something I couldn’t handle. I’m the sort of woman who wants her husband home in bed with her, not out having kids with the nice lady down the street.

The two-natured young start manifesting their abilities when they hit puberty, as if teenagers don’t have enough problems already. According to what I’ve been told, the kids are mentored and taught how to handle both the physical and emotional changes that their condition entails.

Sometimes, though, shapeshifters will find that they have to mentor a nonchild. That’s what happened with my brother, Jason, though there are times when (with the way he acts) you’d think he was a prepubescent kid. After he got involved with Calvin’s niece Crystal, one of her werepanther ex-boyfriends took it into his head that the only thing that attracted her to Jason was that he was a full human. So he decided to turn Jason into a werepanther and win Crystal back that way—which, by the way, didn’t work. This transformation is not an easy thing to go through, but my big brother survived. In fact, after the first time he changed, Jason described it as “the most incredible experience” of his life.

Go figure.

THE FAIRIES

Just when I thought I had things figured out, with the vampires and the shapeshifters and all, I ended up having everything turned upside down again.

I found out that fairies are real; and no, I’m not talking trash about gay guys. I am talking about fairies—you know, those guys with the pointed ears? They’re actually a lot like the elves in The Lord of the Rings. I’m sorry, but Tolkien got them wrong. You don’t want to meet a real elf. They can take off your hand with one bite.

Unlike vampires and shapeshifters, fairies aren’t actually from the world we know. They come from a world that is pretty darn close to ours but is separated by some kind of magical barrier; at least, that’s the way I understand it. This world is called Faery, and all the . . . well, the creatures that live in it are the fae. Fairies are only one branch of the fae, but they’re the most populous and the most humanlike in form.

I’ve met elves, demons, and goblins. You don’t want to know them, though Mr. Cataliades, the mostly demon lawyer, is an okay guy.

Why am I interested in the fairies? I found out that my brother and I are part fairy. Out of nowhere my great-grandfather Niall Brigant invited me to dinner in Shreveport. He explained that his half-human son had been my grandfather and that he wanted to get to know me better; after all, we were family. Now I’m pretty sure that explains my being able to read minds.

He wasn’t the first fairy I met. That was Claudine Crane, six feet tall and drop-dead gorgeous, who turned out to be my fairy godmother. She definitely was not one of those fairies in a kid’s story; you know the kind I’m talking about, small, winged things that giggle and dart around like a demented firefly? No, Claudine wasn’t one of those; she knew magic, but she knew sex appeal as well and didn’t hesitate to use it. There wasn’t an eye, male or female, that didn’t look up and notice her when she walked into the room. Though she didn’t tell me so, Niall had sent her. Claudine was a full fairy, and she was also my cousin.

Magic is part of the very nature of the fae, and although they might all have the ability, it can manifest differently in each branch. Kind of like the way we humans have the same basic bodies but wildly different talents and capacities. I wonder if I should even be saying “we” anymore. Can I include myself with humans, since I’m part fairy? That’s something I’ve got to give some thought to.

Claudine said that the fae live a very long time, but they’re not immortal; they just don’t age at the same rate that humans do. I don’t think that fact really sank in until I met my great-grandfather. He doesn’t look much older than late fifties or early sixties, and he’s been alive for centuries, maybe even millennia. The fairies don’t keep track of time very well.

Not all that many of the fae actually live in our world for any extended period. Most of them prefer to stay away because of iron. That stuff is to them like Kryptonite is to Superman; oddly enough, so is lemon juice. I’m not a scientist, but that allergy seems a little weird to me. However, I went to school with people who were allergic to things like eggs and peanuts, so why not? Of course, that also means that a squirt gun full of lemon juice is an effective weapon against them.

I wonder if I could go to the world of the fae for a visit? I doubt I would be very well received. Most of those who reside in Faery look at humans as if we were an insult to their own wonderfulness. But a few fae choose to live on earth because humans are full of energy and emotions of a type that they can’t enjoy anywhere else. Claudine’s twin Claude lives among us, and Claudine did until her death.

Some fairies enjoy finding humans to mate with. Though these unions seldom result in a pregnancy, some do. The resultant kids have a compelling quality and sometimes strange abilities. Though it makes me squeamish to think of Gran and a fairy, I’m glad she was able to have my father and my aunt Linda.

The gateways, or portals, into Faery are hidden away in a number of places around the world, and those locations are guarded jealously. I can take a few guesses on general locations based on things that my great-grandfather and Claudine have said. The fae don’t like extremes in temperature, so I doubt that there will be any portals off in Siberia or down in Central America somewhere.

I know there’s a portal in the woods in back of my house.

The biggest danger for fairies who choose to reside in the human world—beyond even iron or lemon juice—is vampires. They find the very presence of a fairy intoxicating, and if they have the chance to drink the blood of a fairy, it’s an orgy of sensation for the vamp. So it’s not always fun to see them in the same room together. Thankfully, I’ve never been pushed into having to choose between the vampires I know and my cousins who are fae.

God willing, I never will be.

SOOKIE’S FAMILY TREE

As Sookie herself might say, “The devil’s in the details.” We’ve assembled a whole host of trivia questions to test your knowledge about Sookie and the people, places, and things in her world. The first set is pretty easy, and then we’ve thrown in some stumpers later on. Turn to pages 236–44 for the answers. Have at it, and have fun!

Part One: The Easy Stuff

Dead Until Dark:

1. What are the names of the couple who attempt to drain Bill?

2. What is Gran’s full name?

3. What are Gran’s two favorite organizations in Bon Temps?

4. What is Rene Lenier’s sister’s first name?

5. What is the name of Sookie’s uncle whom Bill arranges to have killed?

Living Dead in Dallas:

1. What is the name of the Bellefleur mansion in Bon Temps?

2. What is the name of the vampire cook who worked at Merlotte’s the night before Lafayette’s body is discovered in the parking lot?

3. What kind of creature uses Sookie to send a message to Eric?

4. What airline do Bill and Sookie use on their trip to Dallas?

5. In Dallas, Sookie interviews a girl named Bethany, who later turns up dead. Bethany has a roommate. What is her name?

Club Dead:

1. Name the road where Belle Rive is located.

2. What is the name of the vampire King of Mississippi?

3. What hold do the vampires have over Alcide Herveaux’s dad?

4. What is the name of Debbie Pelt’s fiancé?

5. Whom do Sookie and Alcide find dead in the closet?

Dead to the World:

1. What is Sookie’s New Year’s resolution for January 1, 2005?

2. What color is Tara’s new Camaro?

3. What amount of money is Sookie to receive for taking care of Eric?

4. Name the manager of the bridal shop who is murdered by the witches.

5. What is the witch Hallow’s true name?

Dead as a Doornail:

1. What is the name of the early-night DJ for the all-vampire radio station KDED?

2. What is the name of the sniper’s first were-victim in Bon Temps?

3. What was Charles Twining’s profession before he was turned?

4. Name the two detectives who come to interview Sookie about Debbie Pelt.

5. How does Sookie’s insurance agent, Greg Aubert, protect his clients’ property?

Definitely Dead:

1. What is Bill Compton’s favorite bar beverage?

2. What is the name of Sookie’s cousin who died in New Orleans?

3. What is the name of the little boy whom Sookie uses her gift to find?

4. What theater and what play do Sookie and Quinn enjoy on their first date?

5. What do the names of Sophie-Anne’s guards Wybert and Sigebert mean?

All Together Dead:

1. What state was Thalia thrown out of after the Great Revelation?

2. Where was Pam living when Eric summoned her?

3. Where and at what age was Pam turned?

4. Name the three conscious travelers in the airplane with Sookie on the trip to Rhodes.

5. What is the name of the security officer who handcuffs Sookie?

From Dead to Worse:

1. Sookie takes the place of which bridesmaid in Halleigh’s wedding?

2. What is the name of Copley Carmichael’s chauffeur and bodyguard?

3. What is the name of the restaurant where Sookie first meets Niall Brigant?

4. Name the female Were who instigated the Were war.

5. What position does Sandy Sechrest hold?

Dead and Gone:

1. Name the two cohosts for the show The Best Dressed Vamp.

2. Who is the FBI agent from New Orleans who visits Sookie and is shot at Arlene’s?

3. What is the full name of Eric’s maker?

4. What is the name of the church where Crystal’s funeral is held?

5. What are the real names of Thing One and Thing Two?

Dead in the Family:

1. What is Jannalynn’s last name?

2. Why was Kennedy in jail?

3. Where is Basim from?

4. Where is Debbie Pelt’s car?

Bonus: What kind of car is it? (This info is from another book.)

5. What does Sam buy as a wedding gift from the Merlotte’s employees for Tanya and Calvin?

Dead Reckoning:

1. What is Brenda’s last name?

2. What is Claude’s secretary’s name?

3. Who teaches in the Puppy Room?

4. What color are Colton’s eyes?

5. What’s the first song Bubba sings for Victor?

Part Two: The Tough Stuff

Think you’re a real Sookie Stackhouse fan? Prove it by answering these harder questions about the world of Sookie Stackhouse.

Dead Until Dark:

1. What town does Bon Temps “love to hate?”

2. What color is the Rattrays’ car?

3. Who calls Gran with the news about the Rattrays?

4. What is the name of the funeral home used by people of color in Bon Temps?

5. What color is Dawn’s car?

6. What plants are in the hanging basket by Dawn’s front door?

7. Where does JB’s cousin live?

8. Where is JB working?

9. What does Sam eat at the Crawdad Diner?

10. What kind of mattress does Bill buy?

11. Where does Diane dance naked?

12. On what street is the house of the Monroe vamps (Malcolm, Liam, and Diane)?

13. How much money does Sookie find in the couch while cleaning with Sam?

14. What is the “Secret Vampire Knock” Bill uses when he takes Sookie to read the humans about the stolen money?

15. What is Bruce’s wife’s name?

Living Dead in Dallas:

1. What color are Lafayette’s toenails?

2. What game do the Merlotte’s employees play while waiting to open after the discovery of Lafayette’s body?

3. Where did Khan work prior to Merlotte’s?

4. What color is Dr. Ludwig’s hair?

5. Who did Sookie’s best friend Marianne hook up with on the senior trip to Six Flags?

6. What is Stan’s former name?

7. What is the name of the bar owned by Stan and the Dallas vampires?

8. When Bethany was a little girl, what was her dog’s name?

9. What is Bethany’s hairdresser’s name?

10. What is the name of the detective investigating Bethany’s death?

11. What is the name of the church attended by Hugo Ayres?

12. What is the name of the bartender at the party at Stan’s house?

13. Where is Jan Fowler’s cabin?

14. What is the name of the physician whom JB du Rone dated for a few months until she had to move to Baton Rouge?

15. What were Bill’s children’s names?

Club Dead:

1. What is the name of Jane Bodehouse’s son?

2. What is the name of Arlene’s new beau?

3. Whose Depends failed?

4. Who gives Sookie a manicure and pedicure at Janice’s salon?

5. What does Janice’s customer attempt to steal?

6. What song do Sookie and Alcide dance to at Josephine’s?

7. Who calls with word that Bill’s house has been searched?

8. What is the name of the Shreveport packmaster?

9. What is the name of the Were motorcycle gang based in Jackson?

10. What is Alcide’s nephew’s name?

11. Where do Alcide and Sookie dump the body from the closet?

12. What is the color of the dress Sookie’s wearing at Club Dead when she’s staked?

13. Who keeps the doctor company at Russell’s house?

14. Who is the vampire who heals Sookie after the stake is removed?

15. What is the name of the Were who tells Sookie about the crucifixion?

Dead to the World:

1. Who is sitting beside Chuck Beecham at Merlotte’s at the New Year’s Eve party?

2. Where does Holly Cleary’s ex-husband live?

3. What is Cody Cleary’s stepsister’s name?

4. What day of the week is Verena Rose’s Bridal and Formal Shop closed?

5. What is the name of the officer Sookie and Alcide speak with at the bridal shop?

6. What picture is hanging on the wall over the TV at Crystal’s house?

7. According to Sookie, what is Amendment 29 to the Constitution?

8. What is Dawn’s child’s name?

9. What was the name of the sheriff who disappeared while trying to arrest a Hotshot resident?

10. Who was the sheriff trying to arrest and why?

11. What is the name of the doctor who treats Maria-Star?

12. What are the names of the officers investigating Maria-Star’s accident?

13. What is the name of Amanda’s companion at Merlotte’s?

14. What is Kevin Pryor’s mother’s name?

15. What is Pam’s address?

Dead as a Doornail:

1. Where is the shooter when Sam is shot?

2. What is the name of the serviceman who interrupts Eric and Sookie at Fangtasia?

3. Where was Charles’s ship when he was turned?

4. What did Heather Kinman have in her hands when she was shot?

5. What do Jack and Lily drink at Merlotte’s?

6. What is Calvin’s room number at the Grainger hospital?

7. According to Claudine, what name did Jeff Marriot give her at Merlotte’s?

8. Where did Gran buy the material for the curtains she made for the kitchen?

9. What is Randall Shurtliff’s ex-wife’s name?

10. What does Selah drink the first time Bill brings her to Merlotte’s?

11. What is the name of the clerk in the Grainger hospital business office?

12. What is Bud Dearborn’s wife’s name?

13. What does Calvin send Sookie after she is shot?

14. Where did the second elf war take place?

15. Who hands Catfish the stake?

Definitely Dead:

1. What animal is the young man shifting into in the photo album at Al’s?

2. What is Danielle’s mother’s name?

3. Who is the principal of Betty Ford Elementary School?

4. What is the principal’s husband’s occupation?

5. What does Sookie buy from Wal-Mart as a shower gift for Halleigh?

6. What else does Sookie buy during that trip?

7. What are Debbie and Sandra’s parents’ names?

8. Where is the Fellowship of the Sun branch Arlene has gone to?

9. What color are the bloodstained towels in Hadley’s apartment?

10. What weapon does Sookie use to fight off Jake Purifoy at Hadley’s?

11. What did Hadley wear to the party the night before Sophie-Anne’s wedding?

12. What is Melanie wearing at the queen’s reception at the monastery?

13. Who decapitates Wybert?

14. Where is Quinn’s next event?

15. What is the event?

All Together Dead:

1. What is Halleigh’s mother’s name?

2. What does Selah give Halleigh as a shower gift?

3. How many seats for humans does the Anubis airplane Sookie takes to Rhodes have?

4. Who are the sheriffs of Louisiana, and which areas do they oversee?

5. What is Barry’s room number?

6. What is Barry’s real last name?

7. What does Carla wear the first night of the summit?

8. What floor is the Arkansas contingent staying on?

9. What color is Russell’s ceremonial robe?

10. Whose lackey is also searching for an “unclaimed suitcase” with Sookie?

11. According to his driver’s license, where was Kyle Perkins from?

12. What is the name of the ladies’ room attendant?

13. What is the name of the vampire lawyer who argues for the parents against Cindy Lou?

14. Who is the head of the Michigan state terrorist task force?

15. What is the name of the hospital where Quinn is taken after the explosion?

From Dead to Worse:

1. What is Halleigh’s sister’s name?

2. Where are Portia and Glen going on their honeymoon?

3. What is Hoyt’s father’s name?

4. What color is the carpet in Maria-Star’s apartment?

5. What kind of sandwich does Sookie make Tray while he checks out her house after following her home from work?

6. What business does Cleo run?

7. Who is with Sigebert and Sophie-Anne during the takeover?

8. What is Mrs. Prescott’s first name?

9. Who is the author of the hardcover book Sookie throws at the man in the library, causing him to trip and fall on his own knife?

10. What is the name of the owner of the RV park where Priscilla and her Weres were staying?

11. Where does Sam’s aunt live?

12. What is the name of the facility where Quinn’s mom was held?

13. What is Octavia’s niece’s name?

14. What landscaping shrub is Sookie allergic to?

15. What is Kristen’s last name?

Dead and Gone:

1. What is the name of Devon’s friend who called The Best Dressed Vamp?

2. How many dogs does Sara Weiss have?

3. What official did Lattesta speak to in Rhodes about Sookie and Barry?

4. Who pays on her daughter’s prom dress while Sookie is at Tara’s Togs?

5. What does the name Dillon mean?

6. What caused the fire at the Freer house?

7. What color are Sookie’s water guns?

8. Besides Jane, who was Merlotte’s other “resident alcoholic”?

9. What is Mel’s ex-wife’s name?

10. What is Octavia’s boyfriend’s name?

11. What is the name of the fairy Sookie kills with Gran’s trowel?

12. What is the name of the fairy Breandan kills in retaliation?

13. Who are Tray’s next-door neighbors?

14. What business do Tray’s next-door neighbors own?

15. What is the name of the fairy who ambushed Claudine before she went to the hospital to watch over Sookie?

Dead in the Family:

1. How old is Jannalynn Hopper?

2. What is Annabelle’s last name?

3. How long has Basim been in Shreveport?

4. Who is the area rep for the BVA?

5. What is the BVA area rep’s lover’s name?

6. What kind of car are Bruno and Corinna driving when they flag down Sookie and Pam?

7. Whose funeral is Remy Savoy attending?

8. Where is the viewing and funeral being held?

9. Who is Jenny Vasco?

10. What book does Sookie read to Hunter and then give him?

11. What needs replacing on Sookie’s water heater?

12. What is the name of Caroline Bellefleur’s nurse?

13. Who does the nurse work for after Caroline Bellefleur passes?

14. What is the name of the white-haired male protester at Merlotte’s?

15. Why did Basim leave the Houston pack?

Dead Reckoning:

1. What is Brenda’s business partner’s name?

2. What business was previously in Splendide’s location?

3. Who is Kennedy Keyes’s aunt?

4. Where does Immanuel Earnest work?

5. From what city is the police badge Sam considered getting Jannalynn?

6. Where is the Ruby Tuesday in Shreveport?

7. What color is the sign at Hooligans?

8. Whose arm does Pam damage at Vampire’s Kiss?

9. What is the name of the fairy whose blood is used at Vampire’s Kiss?

10. Whom is Lola Rushton dating?

11. What flavor milkshake does Halleigh ask Andy to bring her?

12. Who teaches in the Pony Room?

13. What kind of car does Colton drive?

14. How many children does Kelvin have?

15. Who mows Victor’s yard?

PART ONE ANSWERS

Dead Until Dark:

1. Mack and Denise Rattray

2. Adele Hale Stackhouse

3. The Descendants of the Glorious Dead and the Bon Temps Gardening Society

4. Cindy

5. Bartlett Hale

Living Dead in Dallas:

1. Belle Rive

2. Anthony Bolivar

3. A maenad

4. Anubis Air

5. Desiree Dumas

Club Dead:

1. Magnolia Creek

2. Russell Edgington

3. They hold the markers for his casino gambling debts.

4. Charles Clausen

5. Jerry Falcon

Dead to the World:

1. To stay out of trouble!

2. Black

3. $35,000

4. Adabelle Yancy

5. Marnie Stonebrook

Dead as a Doornail:

1. Connie the Corpse

2. Heather Kinman

3. He was a pirate.

4. Lily and Jack Leeds

5. By casting protective spells

Definitely Dead:

1. TrueBlood type O

2. Hadley Delahoussaye Savoy

3. Holly Cleary’s son, Cody Cleary

4. The Strand Theatre in Shreveport; The Producers

5. Wybert—Bright Battle; Sigebert—Bright Victory

All Together Dead:

1. Illinois

2. Minnesota

3. In London at age nineteen

4. Mr. Cataliades, Diantha, and Johan Glassport

5. Officer Landry

From Dead to Worse:

1. Tiffany

2. Tyrese Marley

3. Les Deux Poissons

4. Priscilla Hebert

5. Area representative for Felipe de Castro, the new King of Louisiana

Dead and Gone:

1. Bev Leveto and Todd Seabrook

2. Agent Sara Weiss

3. Appius Livius Ocella

4. The Tabernacle Holiness Church

5. Lochlan and Neave

Dead in the Family:

1. Hopper

2. Manslaughter

3. Houston

4. Sunk in a pond about ten miles south of Sookie’s house Bonus: Mazda Miata (from Dead to the World)

5. A wall clock

Dead Reckoning:

1. Hesterman

2. Nella Jean

3. Miss O’Fallon

4. Gray

5. “Kentucky Rain”

PART TWO ANSWERS

Dead Until Dark:

1. Homulka

2. Red

3. Everlee Mason

4. Sweet Rest Funeral Home

5. Green

6. Begonias

7. Springhill

8. His father’s auto-parts warehouse

9. Key lime pie

10. Restonic

11. Farmerville

12. Callista Street

13. $1.05

14. Three quick knocks, then two spaced apart

15. Lillian

Living Dead in Dallas:

1. Deep crimson

2. Bourré

3. The Shrimp Boat

4. Golden brown

5. Dennis Engelbright

6. Stanislaus Davidowitz

7. The Bat’s Wing

8. Woof

9. Jerry

10. Tawny Kelner

11. Glen Craigie Methodist

12. Chuck

13. Mimosa Lake

14. Dr. Sonntag

15. Thomas Charles, Sarah Isabelle, and Lee Davis

Club Dead:

1. Marvin

2. Buck Foley

3. Velda Cannon’s

4. Corinne

5. Janice’s earrings

6. Sarah McLachlan’s “Good Enough”

7. Harvey

8. Terence

9. The Hounds of Hell

10. Tommy

11. The Kiley-Odum Hunt Club property

12. Champagne

13. Josh

14. Ray Don

15. Doug

Dead to the World:

1. Terrell

2. Springhill

3. Shelley

4. Wednesday

5. Coughlin

6. The Last Supper

7. Shifters don’t have to talk to Sookie Stackhouse.

8. Matthew

9. John Dowdy

10. Carlton Norris, for statutory rape

11. Dr. Skinner

12. Stans and Curlew

13. Parnell

14. Jeneen

15. 714 Parchman Avenue, Shreveport, LA

Dead as a Doornail:

1. In the trees north of the parking lot

2. Dave

3. The Tortugas

4. A chocolate milkshake

5. Jack has hot tea, and Lily has a Diet Coke.

6. 214

7. Marlon

8. Hancock’s

9. Mary Helen

10. A screwdriver

11. Ms. Beeson

12. Greta

13. A gardenia bush

14. . Iowa

15. Dago (Antonio Guglielmi)

Definitely Dead:

1. A bear

2. Mary Jane Jasper

3. . Mrs. Garfield

4. Methodist-Episcopal minister

5. A two-quart CorningWare casserole dish

6. Fruit juice, sharp cheddar, bacon, gift paper, and a really pretty blue bra and matching panties

7. Barbara and Gordon Pelt

8. Minden

9. Medium blue terrycloth

10. . A candlestick

11. A skintight, cut-down-to-here red dress decked with darker red sequins (and some gorgeous alligator pumps)

12. . A pretty yellow dress with low heels

13. Ra Shawn

14. Huntsville, Alabama

15. A Rite of Ascension

All Together Dead:

1. Linette Robinson

2. Dish towels

3. Fifteen

4. Sophie-Anne Leclerq presides over Area One, Arla Yvonne over Area Two, Cleo Babbitt over Area Three, Gervaise over Area Four, and Eric Northman over Area Five.

5. 1576

6. Horowitz

7. A glittery green cocktail dress, fuck-me shoes, and a see-through thong

8. The seventh floor

9. A heavy brocade of gleaming gold cloth worked in a pattern of blue and scarlet

10. Queen Phoebe Golden’s

11. Illinois

12. Lena

13. Kate Book

14. Dan Brewer

15. St. Cosmas

From Dead to Worse:

1. Fay

2. San Francisco

3. Ed

4. Dark blue

5. Meatloaf

6. An all-night grocery

7. Audrey, the child of Gervaise’s lieutenant, Booth Crimmons

8. Lorinda

9. Nora Roberts

10. Don Dominica

11. Waco, Texas

12. Whispering Palms

13. Janesha

14. Nandinas

15. Duchesne

Dead and Gone:

1. Tessa

2. Three

3. Fire Chief Trochek

4. Riki Cunningham

5. Lightning

6. Bad wiring

7. One blue, one yellow

8. Willie Chenier

9. Ginjer

10. Louis Chambers

11. Murry

12. Enda

13. Brock and Chessie Johnson

14. An upholstery shop

15. Lee

Dead in the Family:

1. Twenty-one

2. Bannister

3. Two months

4. Katherine Boudreaux

5. Sallie

6. A white Lexus

7. His father’s sister’s

8. Homer

9. A child Hunter knows who has a birthmark on her face

10. The Poky Little Puppy

11. The element

12. Doreen

13. Mr. DeWitt

14. Mr. Barlowe

15. He killed a human who attacked him with a hoe while he was in wolf form.

Dead Reckoning:

1. Donald Callaway

2. A paint store

3. Marcia Albanese

4. Death by Fashion in Shreveport

5. New Bedford

6. Youree Drive

7. Shocking pink

8. Pearl’s

9. Cait

10. India

11. Butterscotch

12. Mrs. Gristede

13. A Dodge Charger

14. Three

15. Dusty Kolinchek

Southern cooking has a style—and a flavor—all its own. When I decided to include recipes that would celebrate the tastes of Louisiana, not to mention the entire South, I decided to throw the doors open to my fans, who had already created a cookbook under the auspices of Charlaine’s Charlatans.

I was wonderfully surprised by the response—the recipes came pouring in! After taste-testing all of them, we selected a range that showcased Southern cooking, from breakfast to dessert, including drinks. I hope you have the chance to try and enjoy some of these true down-home Southern recipes—I know I sure did!

BREAKFAST:

Belle Rive Brunch Eggs

Eggs Benedict

French Market Beignets

LUNCH:

Burgers Lafayette Sauce

Cold-Weather Chili

Merlotte’s Chicken Strips

Mitchell’s Favorite Meatloaf

SUPPER:

Calvin’s Catfish

Crawdad’s Country-Fried Steak

Crossroads Jambalaya

Sookie’s Chicken Casserole

Stackhouse Smothered Pork Chops

SIDES:

Antoine’s Fried Pickles

Bon Temps Sweet Potato Harvest

Gran’s Easy Baked Apples

Hotshot Hush Puppies

Jannalynn’s Golden Biscuits

Mardi Gras Corn Salad

Michele’s Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Michele’s Parmesan Garlic Croutons

Pinkie’s Fried Green Tomatoes

Sister’s Mashed Potato Casserole

DESSERTS:

Adele Hale Stackhouse’s Blue-Ribbon Chocolate Cake

Aunt Patty’s Sour Cream Cake with Praline Frosting

Caroline Holliday Bellefleur’s Chocolate Cake

Diner Key Lime Pie

Louisiana Pralines

Perdita’s Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Portia’s Sweet Potato Pie

Wicked Peach Cake

DRINKS:

Classic Southern Sweet Tea

Country Porch Lemonade

Breakfast

BELLE RIVE BRUNCH EGGS

TIME: PREP TIME 30 MINUTES, MARINATING TIME 8–12 HOURS, BAKING

TIME 90 MINUTES • SERVES 8–10

INGREDIENTS:

8 slices bread, torn into cubes

1 dozen eggs

2¼ cups plus ½ cup milk

¾ tsp. dry mustard

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 lb. ham, cubed, or 2 lb. cooked bacon, crumbled

½ cup green onions, finely chopped

½ cup red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 cup fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1½ cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a blend, your choice)

1 can (10¾ oz.) cream of mushroom soup

Place the bread cubes into a greased 9 × 13” pan. Beat the eggs, 2¼ cups milk, mustard, salt, and pepper. Pour over the bread cubes in the pan. Evenly sprinkle the ham or bacon, onions, bell pepper, and mushrooms over the top of the egg mixture. Top with the cheese. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Mix the can of soup with ½ cup milk and pour over the refrigerated egg mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 90 minutes. The dish will puff when baking but will deflate after it is removed from the oven. Cut into squares and serve hot.

Submitted by Debi Murray

EGGS BENEDICT

TIME: 15 MINUTES • SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup mayonnaise (not salad dressing)

1 rounded tsp. brown mustard (not honey mustard, but horseradish mus-

tard or champagne mustard works very well)

¼ cup plain yogurt or sour cream

2 English muffins or 4 leftover biscuits

4 slices sandwich ham or Canadian bacon

⅔ cup water

Pinch of salt

A few shakes of Tabasco sauce (or your preferred pepper-vinegar sauce)

4 eggs, room temperature, as fresh as possible

This takes a little practice in terms of timing because the heat goes on the sauce, the eggs, and the meat from different directions at the same time. Once you get the timing down, however, it’s the easiest Eggs Benedict you’ll ever cook.

Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, and yogurt or sour cream in a small, cold saucepan. Set aside. Split your muffins or biscuits and lay them, torn side up, on a cookie sheet. Preheat the broiler but don’t put the bread in yet.

Lay the meat in a cold skillet, preferably with a touch of bacon grease, and place the skillet over low heat to brown the meat. If not using a castiron skillet, start with a very low heat. Allow meat to cook, making certain it does not burn. Note: The meat cooks better if it is cut into strips before being laid in the pan, but then it looks less like Eggs Benedict.

As soon as you have the meat pan on the heat, turn to the eggs. Pour ⅔ cup water into a 1-quart bowl. Salt it. Shake in a few good jolts of Tabasco or your favorite vinegar-based pepper sauce. Stir. Crack the eggs and gently slip them (minus the shell) into the water, pricking each yolk once with a toothpick.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Microwave on full power for 2–3 minutes. Let the eggs stand, covered, to give the whites time to completely set and the yolks time to thicken, about 2 minutes.

As soon as you turn on the microwave, put the saucepan with the mayonnaise mixture over low heat and stir pretty constantly for about 5 minutes, until heated through.

When the microwave dings, pull the sauce off the heat long enough to put the bread under the broiler to toast the torn side lightly. While the bread toasts, put the sauce back over low heat and stir. Allow the bread to lightly toast, and then remove it from the oven. The sauce is done when the bread is.

Once the bread is out, quickly drain your eggs and roughly divide them. Shuffle your hot bread onto plates. Top with the meat, then the eggs, and then the sauce. Don’t agonize over the nonround eggs or piles that slip over sideways.

Submitted by Amber Green

FRENCH MARKET BEIGNETS

TIME: PREP TIME 15 MINUTES, REFRIGERATION TIME 8 HOURS, COOKING TIME 15 MINUTES • SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS:

1 package dry yeast

½ tsp. plus ½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup water, warm to the touch

1 cup evaporated milk

1 tsp. salt

1 egg

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Oil for frying (preferably canola, but whatever oil you’ve got in the Fry

Daddy will do)

1 cup powdered sugar in a brown paper lunch bag

The night before you plan to eat these, dissolve your yeast and ½ tsp. granulated sugar in the warm water in a big mixing bowl. Stir gently until the yeast dissolves; let rest for 5 minutes until the yeast is nice and bubbly.

Add the evaporated milk, ½ cup sugar, and the salt to the bubbly yeast. Crack the egg into a small bowl, beat it well, and add the beaten egg to the big bowl. Stir until well blended. Add the flour, ½ cup at a time, blending well. Cover the bowl with a wet towel and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, fill your Fry Daddy, your electric wok, or a deep and sturdy saucepan or skillet at least 3” deep with oil. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F.

While the oil is warming, roll out the dough on a well-floured surface. The thickness is a personal preference, but anywhere from ¼” to ½” is traditional. Cut the dough into 2” to 3” squares, also a matter of personal preference. Let the dough rest while the oil heats up.

Drop the beignets, three at a time, into the hot oil. Cook until they are nicely brown, and then turn them over to brown the other side, approximately 1 minute per side. Pull the hot beignets out of the oil with a slotted spoon. Let any excess oil drip off. Drop them into the bag of powdered sugar. Close the bag and shake it. Take the sugar-coated beignets out of the bag and serve immediately. Continue with the rest of the beignets.

Tip: Beignets are best served hot.

Submitted by Denise Little

Lunch

BURGERS LAFAYETTE SAUCE

TIME: 30 MINUTES • SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium onion, chopped

¼ stick margarine

¼ cup vinegar

½ cup water

½ tsp. salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. prepared mustard

½ tsp. pepper

½ cup ketchup

Sauté the onion in the margarine. Add all of the other ingredients. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Place cooked hamburgers or leftover roast in the skillet and steep for at least 10 minutes.

Place the meat on a bun and put a spoonful of extra sauce on top. Makes enough sauce for about 4 hamburgers.

Submitted by Charlaine Harris

COLD-WEATHER CHILI

TIME: PREP TIME 15 MINUTES, COOKING TIME 15 MINUTES, SIMMERING

TIME 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES • SERVES 6–8

INGREDIENTS:

½ lb. ground chuck or ground round

2 medium onions, sliced

1 can (28 oz.) whole tomatoes

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

1 cup water

1 beef bouillon cube

2 Tbsp. green peppers, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. chili powder or ground cumin

½ tsp. crushed red peppers (or to taste)

1 whole bay leaf

2 cans (16 oz. each) red kidney beans

⅛ tsp. ginger

Combine ground beef and sliced onions in a large saucepan. Brown the meat and drain off the fat. Add remaining ingredients and stir to blend. Cover and simmer about 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Tip: Top with shredded cheddar or mozzarella and sour cream.

Variation: Omit the kidney beans for a thicker chili to serve over French fries. Top with cheese and bacon bits for cheesy chili-bacon fries.

Submitted by Mary Helen Klein

MERLOTTE’S CHICKEN STRIPS

TIME: PREP TIME 40 MINUTES, MARINATING

TIME 8 HOURS • SERVES 2–4

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup buttermilk or unsweetened yogurt thinned with a touch of milk

1 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. adobo or ½ tsp. curry powder

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 cups oil or bacon grease

1 cup flour, as needed

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Mix buttermilk or yogurt, cayenne, and adobo or curry powder into a gallon-sized ziplock freezer bag. Slice meat into thumb-thick strips. Put them in the ziplock bag, mash out all the air, and seal. Allow to marinate 8 hours in the refrigerator.

Heat oil or bacon grease in a large skillet. Season flour with plenty of salt and pepper, and pour into a brown paper bag or a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Shake chicken pieces, a few at a time, in the flour, then fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Tip: Serve with French fries and either honey mustard or ranch dip.

Submitted by Terri Pine

MITCHELL’S FAVORITE MEATLOAF

TIME: PREP TIME 15 MINUTES, BAKING TIME 75 MINUTES • SERVES 4–5

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. ground beef

1 egg

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 cup Parmesan cheese

Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix together ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, and cheese to form a loaf. Place in a pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 75 minutes (a little longer if necessary).

Tips: Can be glazed with your favorite tomato-based sauce 20 minutes before done. Great cold for sandwiches.

Submitted by Charlaine Harris

Supper

CALVIN’S CATFISH

TIME: PREP TIME APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES, COOKING TIME 5–7 MINUTES • SERVES 5

INGREDIENTS:

Peanut oil (enough to fill fryer—the typical home fryer holds 2 quarts but

ours holds 10 gallons)

2½ lb. pond-raised catfish fillets (½ lb. per person)

2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 tsp. salt (or to taste)

½ tsp. black pepper (or to taste)

Heat oil in deep fryer to 355 degrees F.

If catfish is frozen, thaw in cold water.

Add cornmeal to a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Roll catfish fillets in cornmeal mix, lightly shake off excess mix, and slip fillets into hot oil. Cook the fillets for about 5–7 minutes until they float; they are done when the crust is golden brown. Watch closely so that they do not overcook. Remove and let drain on folded paper towels.

Tip: Serve with coleslaw and hush puppies or French fries. Use ketchup, hot sauce, or tartar sauce for additional seasoning.

Submitted by Joe Jackson

CRAWDAD’S COUNTRY-FRIED STEAK

TIME: PREP TIME 45 MINUTES–1 HOUR, BAKING TIME 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES–1 HOUR 25 MINUTES • SERVES 4–5

INGREDIENTS:

1½ cups flour (plus ½ cup if using second gravy-making method)

½ tsp. salt (or to taste)

1 tsp. pepper (or to taste)

2–3 cups plus 1 cup milk (plus 2 cups if using second gravy-making method)

2 lb. tenderized steak, cut into serving pieces

½ cup cooking oil

Nonstick cooking spray

½ cup water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine 1½ cups flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl; pour 2–3 cups milk into a separate bowl. Dredge the meat in the flour mixture, dip it in the milk, then dredge it in the flour mixture again. Heat oil in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, add the meat and brown it. You may need to add more oil.

When all the meat is browned, place it in a glass pan, whatever size will serve, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Leave a little space between the pieces. Pour the water around the meat and cover dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, then remove aluminum foil and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes.

While meat is baking, pour the leftover seasoned flour into the leftover milk. You will need to add more milk when it’s time to make the gravy, probably another cup. If this process seems unhygienic to you, discard the seasoned flour and leftover milk. Instead, while meat is baking, combine ½ cup flour, salt and pepper to taste, and 2 cups fresh milk.

Drain most of the grease out of the skillet the meat was browned in, leaving enough to make the amount of gravy desired, usually about ¼ cup of grease or less. When the meat is almost done, reheat the grease. Slowly add the flour and milk mixture, stirring constantly until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Remove meat from oven, remove foil, and pour gravy over meat. Serve immediately.

Submitted by Charlaine Harris

CROSSROADS JAMBALAYA

TIME: 45 MINUTES • SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 boneless chicken breast, cubed

2 hot smoked sausages, andouille, or hot links

1 small onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 cup long-grain white rice (not instant, uncooked)

3 garlic cloves, minced

Salt, to taste

Tabasco sauce, to taste

Cajun spice (2 tsp. cayenne, 2 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. oregano, ½ tsp.

thyme), to taste

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup chunky hot salsa

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan or frying pan. Brown the chicken, sausage, onion, bell pepper, rice, and garlic until the onion and rice are translucent. Drain if necessary. Add the salt, Tabasco sauce, Cajun spice, and stock. Bring to a boil. Sprinkle the salsa and black beans over the surface. Taste and add any additional seasoning now. Bring to a boil again, and then reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Do not stir. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Remove from the heat. Leave covered for 5 minutes. Toss and serve.

Submitted by Ali Katz

SOOKIE’S CHICKEN CASSEROLE

TIME: 45 MINUTES • SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups cooked rice

Nonstick cooking spray

4 large cooked chicken breasts, boned and diced

8 oz. sour cream

1 can (10¾ oz.) cream of chicken soup

1 can (10¾ oz.) cream of celery soup

2 tsp. poppy seeds

1 roll butter crackers, crushed

½ stick margarine, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the rice on the bottom of a 9 × 13” casserole dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the chicken, sour cream, soups, and poppy seeds, and mix well. Spread over the rice. Sprinkle the crushed crackers over the top and drizzle with the margarine. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Submitted by Beverly Battillo

STACKHOUSE SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS

TIME: 60–80 MINUTES • SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. milk

1½ cups seasoned bread crumbs

6 bone-in pork chops, ½” thick

Olive oil for pan-frying

2 packets pork gravy mix

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together the eggs and milk in a shallow bowl. Place the bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Dip each pork chop first into the egg-milk mixture, then into the bread crumbs until fully coated, pressing to make sure each chop is covered in the bread crumbs.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and brown each pork chop until golden brown on both sides. Add oil in small intervals throughout the frying process.

Place the browned pork chops in a 9 × 13” baking dish and cover. Bake for 30–40 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the gravy mix with the correct amount of water, as indicated on the packet, but do not cook the gravy. Just add it to the water and whisk until smooth.

Remove the pork chops from the oven, remove the cover, and pour the gravy mix over the pork chops. Cover again and bake for another 30–40 minutes. Remove from the oven and keep covered until ready to serve.

Tip: Serve with rice or buttered egg noodles.

Submitted by Pam Wilbur

Sides

ANTOINE’S FRIED PICKLES

TIME: 20 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup self-rising flour

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. paprika

Dash of red pepper

⅓ cup milk

⅓ cup beer (any brand)

Whole dill pickles

Oil

This is a variation on a recipe that became famous after its use at a restaurant close to Tunica, Mississippi.

Sift together all of the dry ingredients. Add the milk and the beer in equal amounts until the mixture is the desired consistency. Slice the dill pickles into round ¼” to ⅜” thick chips. Dip the slices in the batter until the batter is gone, and fry in deep oil. Turn once or twice to brown evenly.

Tip: Enjoy them with cold beer.

Submitted by Charlaine Harris

BON TEMPS SWEET POTATO HARVEST

TIME: PREP TIME 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES (IF SWEET POTATOES ARE PRECOOKED), BAKING TIME 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES • SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS:

10 Tbsp. margarine

2¼ cups Bisquick

2 Tbsp. sugar plus ¼ cup sugar

¼ cup chopped pecans

3–5 cups cooked sweet potatoes

2 eggs

3 Tbsp. molasses

1 tsp. allspice

½ tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups brown sugar

½ cup pecans

2 egg whites

1 Tbsp. lemon juice (optional)

crushed pecans (optional)

½ tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the bottom crust, mix 4 Tbsp. margarine, 1½ cups Bisquick, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and chopped pecans until crumbly. Press into 3-quart casserole dish and bake for 10 minutes. (This can also be done in a shallower pan.)

Next mash the cooked sweet potatoes and mix with 2 Tbsp. margarine, 2 eggs, ¼ cup sugar, molasses, allspice, nutmeg, and vanilla. Pour over baked crust.

Mix 4 Tbsp. margarine, 1 cup brown sugar, ¾ cup Bisquick, and pecans until crumbly. Sprinkle over potato mixture. Bake for 45–50 minutes.

For the top layer, beat 2 egg whites until frothy. Add 1 cup brown sugar and lemon juice. Pour on top of dish and sprinkle with crushed pecans and cinnamon. Put in oven long enough to toast nuts.

Variation: In lieu of the top layer, you may choose to beat 1 egg white and add 1 Tbsp. sugar and ½ tsp. cinnamon. Brush on top of warm casserole and return to oven for 10–15 minutes.

Submitted by Charlaine Harris

GRAN’S EASY BAKED APPLES

TIME: 60 MINUTES • SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS:

6 large baking apples

¾ cup raisins, cranberries, or chopped dates

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup water

2 Tbsp. butter

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Core the apples, paring a strip of peel from the top of each one. Place apples in a 10 × 6” baking dish that is at least 1½” deep. Fill the apples with raisins, cranberries, or dates. Combine the brown sugar, water, butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Pour the hot syrup around the apples, and be sure to add at least 1 tsp. into each apple cavity. Bake uncovered for about 60 minutes, basting occasionally.

Submitted by Charlaine Harris

HOTSHOT HUSH PUPPIES

TIME: PREP TIME 15 MINUTES, FRYING TIME 3–4 MINUTES PER BATCH • SERVES 6–8

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups white cornmeal (yellow is acceptable)

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. sugar

½ cup onion, grated

¼ cup green onion, thinly sliced, or a jalapeño pepper, finely chopped

1 egg yolk

1½–2 cups buttermilk

3 egg whites

Peanut oil for frying

Preheat about 3” oil to 355 degrees F.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the grated onion, green onion or jalapeño, egg yolk, and 1½ cups of buttermilk. Beat well with fork or whisk until well blended and about the consistency of loose mashed potatoes. Add more buttermilk if it’s too stiff. Whip egg whites into soft peaks (not stiff peaks) and fold them into the batter. Drop by tablespoonfuls into preheated oil. They will roll over when done, but you may need to turn them to make sure they brown evenly. Remove with a wire spider and drain on a rack or paper towels. Serve immediately.

Submitted by Treva Jackson

JANNALYNN’S GOLDEN BISCUITS

TIME: 20 MINUTES • SERVES 8 (16–20 BISCUITS)

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium baked sweet potato

Pinch of apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice, if desired

2 cups biscuit mix

½ stick butter, room temperature, or a dollop of shortening

½ cup yogurt, buttermilk, or milk (or milk with an egg yolk beaten into it)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Comb the sweet potato with a fork to make sure it’s done through (nuke if not) and set aside. If using the apple or pumpkin pie spice, stir into the biscuit mix first. Stir the butter and yogurt into the biscuit mix, then stir in the sweet potato until you have lumps of potato but no big lumps of biscuit mix. The dough should look very soft and wet. Drop the dough onto an ungreased biscuit pan or cookie sheet. For tidier biscuits, heavily flour your fingertips and pat down the tops. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Variation: You may also use a handful of sharp shredded cheese in lieu of the sweet potato, leaving out the butter if desired.

Submitted by Terri Pine

MARDI GRAS CORN SALAD

TIME: 30 MINUTES • SERVES 12

INGREDIENTS:

1 large purple onion, finely chopped

2 large green bell peppers, finely chopped

1 tomato, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. butter

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese

1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

2 cans (15¼ oz. each) whole-kernel yellow corn, drained

2 cans (11 oz. each) white shoepeg corn, drained

2 tsp. lemon juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté the chopped vegetables in the butter in a large skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the cream cheese and mayonnaise and melt. Stir in the corn. Make sure everything is fully coated with the cream cheese–mayonnaise mixture and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Tip: Serve warm or chilled as a side.

Submitted by Lynda Edwards

MICHELE’S HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK RANCH DRESSING

TIME: PREP TIME 10 MINUTES, REFRIGERATION TIME 2 HOURS • SERVES 12

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup sour cream

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. cider vinegar

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried dill

½ tsp. dried chives

½ tsp. dried parsley

¼ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

⅛ tsp. paprika

¼ tsp. dried mustard

½ tsp. sugar

1 cup buttermilk

Combine all ingredients except buttermilk in a medium mixing bowl. Slowly add the buttermilk and mix well. Refrigerate and let chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Tip: Keeps well for up to a week in a covered container in refrigerator.

Submitted by Michele Schubert

MICHELE’S PARMESAN GARLIC CROUTONS

TIME: PREP TIME 15 MINUTES, BAKING TIME 30 MINUTES • SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS:

½ loaf French bread, cut into small cubes

8 tsp. butter, melted

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Place bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl or measuring cup combine melted butter and garlic powder. Slowly pour butter mixture over bread cubes and toss. Add Parmesan cheese, coating the bread cubes. Place bread on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown, turning occasionally.

Tip: Just about any type of bread can be used for this recipe, so it’s a great way to use up bread that would otherwise go to waste.

Submitted by Michele Schubert

PINKIE’S FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

TIME: PREP TIME 20 MINUTES • SERVES 3–4

INGREDIENTS:

Cooking oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2 Tbsp. sugar

3 medium green tomatoes, unpeeled

1 cup buttermilk

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Mix all the dry ingredients in a shallow pan. Slice the tomatoes about ¼” thick. Place a few slices at a time in the buttermilk. Roll the soaked slices in the dry mixture and fry (one layer at a time) in the hot oil until the slices are brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Submitted by Charlaine Harris

SISTER’S MASHED POTATO CASSEROLE

TIME: PREP TIME 30 MINUTES, BAKING TIME 30 MINUTES • SERVES 12

INGREDIENTS:

3 lb. small red potatoes, skins on, washed and quartered

Water

½ cup sour cream

½ cup half-and-half

4 Tbsp. butter

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (reserve 1 cup for topping)

3 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 shallot, minced and sautéed

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Cover potatoes with 1 or 2 inches of water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Remove from heat and drain.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mash potatoes and add sour cream, half-and-half, butter, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, bacon, shallot, salt, and pepper. Place mashed potatoes in a greased or sprayed 9 × 13” or 3-quart casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until thoroughly heated and cheese topping is melted.

Tip: The casserole could be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 2 days prior to baking. Allow extra baking time if dish has been prepared in advance and refrigerated.

Submitted by Michele Schubert

Desserts

ADELE HALE STACKHOUSE’S BLUE-RIBBON CHOCOLATE CAKE

TIME: 65 MINUTES; PREPARE THE ICING BEFORE MAKING THE CAKE • SERVES 12

INGREDIENTS:

Chocolate Icing:

1⅛ cups whipping cream

1 stick unsalted butter (use a premium brand)

4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (use a premium brand)

3 Tbsp. light corn syrup

9 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (half of each is best; use

Ghirardelli or another premium brand)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Cake:

2 cups flour (sifted, then measured)

2 cups sugar (I prefer ultrafine baker’s sugar)

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (use a premium brand)

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup whole milk

½ cup cold black coffee

½ cup shortening

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

⅔ cup chopped pecans, plus pecan halves for garnish

To prepare the icing, whisk the whipping cream, butter, cocoa powder, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the chocolate and vanilla, and whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Refrigerate the frosting until slightly thickened but still spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two round 9” cake pans, 2” deep.

To prepare the cake, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat in the milk, coffee, shortening, and vanilla with an electric mixer at a low speed until combined. Then beat at high speed for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat for 2 more minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth with a spatula.

Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Remove from the pans and place on racks to cool completely.

Place one layer top side down on a plate. Spread with half of the prepared icing; sprinkle with chopped pecans. Top with the other layer, top side up. Frost the top and sides with the remaining icing. Garnish the cake with pecan halves with a star design.

Tip: When frosting the cake, run the knife or spatula under hot water every few minutes to ensure a glossy finish. Also, a tablespoon of mayonnaise can be added to the cake batter for moistness in cold, dry weather.

Submitted by Michele Schubert

AUNT PATTY’S SOUR CREAM CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING

TIME: 2 HOURS 15 MINUTES, PLUS COOLING TIME • SERVES 12

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:

1 cup sour cream

¼ tsp. baking soda

4 cups sugar

2 cups butter, softened

7 egg yolks

7 egg whites, stiffly beaten

3 cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. almond extract

Praline Frosting (makes 1½ cups):

1 cup chopped pecans

6 Tbsp. butter

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

5 Tbsp. heavy cream

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10” tube pan.

Stir together the sour cream and baking soda in a bowl; set the mixture aside. Beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the egg whites. Stir the flour and salt together in a separate bowl, and then set the mixture aside.

Alternately add the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture to the egg mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and almond extract. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 90 minutes, or until a long wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

To prepare the frosting, place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees F. Flip the pecans over and bake for another 8 minutes, or until golden brown.

Place the butter, brown sugar, and cream in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring often. Continue to boil and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Add the toasted pecans; stir gently for 5 minutes, or until the frosting begins to cool and thicken slightly. Spread immediately over the cooled cake.

Submitted by Lara Nocerino

CAROLINE HOLLIDAY BELLEFLEUR’S CHOCOLATE CAKE

TIME: 2 HOURS • SERVES 12

INGREDIENTS:

1 package Swansdown Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix (or Duncan Hines, if you

can’t find Swansdown anymore)

1 package (8 oz.) seedless dates

1 cup water

¾ cup sugar

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

⅛ tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. shortening

½ tsp. vanilla extract

3 Tbsp. brewed coffee

1 cup chopped pecans

I know you’ll be surprised, people of Bon Temps, that my recipe contains a mix! This has been my dark secret for many years. I’ve always driven to Clarice to make the purchase, so no one would see me. So now you know! If you’re a purist, please use your favorite chocolate cake recipe, providing it’s very moist.

Mix the cake mix and bake in a greased 9 × 13” glass pan, following the box directions.

Cook the dates, water, and sugar in a double boiler for 30–40 minutes. Spread on top of the cooled cake.

While the date mixture is cooling on the cake, mix together the confectioners’ sugar, salt, shortening, vanilla, coffee, and pecans. Spread on top of the cake. Sometimes I use pecan halves to create a pattern to make it look prettier.

From Caroline Bellefleur, as told to Charlaine Harris

DINER KEY LIME PIE

TIME: PREP TIME 30–40 MINUTES, REFRIGERATION TIME 4 HOURS • SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS:

3 Tbsp. butter

25–30 chocolate wafers

1 package lime Jell-O

½ cup hot water

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup sugar

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk, refrigerated until very cold

Green food coloring

1 tsp. lemon zest

Melt the butter. Crush the wafers and mix with the melted butter. Press the crumb mixture into a 9” pie pan to form a crust. Save crumbs not used for crust to sprinkle on top. Dissolve the Jell-O in hot water, then add the lemon juice and sugar. Whip the evaporated milk until it thickens.

Add the Jell-O mixture to the milk and whip until stiff. Add four drops of green food coloring and lemon zest. Spoon the mixture into the crust. Sprinkle remaining chocolate crumbs on top and refrigerate for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

Submitted by Treva Jackson

LOUISIANA PRALINES

TIME: 30–45 MINUTES • SERVES 5–10

INGREDIENTS:

Butter for greasing the saucepan

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

¾ cup half-and-half

½ tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

24 whole pecans (optional)

Note: Like any candy, this recipe needs a dry day (below 50 percent humidity) to set up perfectly. Higher humidity results in sticky candy. If it’s pouring rain, you may end up eating it spooned over ice cream—which is fabulous, too.

You’ll need a large, heavy saucepan (at least 2 quarts) with a lid and a very sturdy handle. The boiling syrup must be vigorously beaten, so deep sides and a firmly attached handle are a must. When making candy, the goal is to have it crystallize when you want it to, and not a minute before. That means that if even a grain of sugar or salt falls into the heated syrup before you’re ready to spoon it out, the contents of the saucepan will set up like concrete, and you’ll get no candy, plus you’ll have a nasty mess to clean up. So the following instructions are set up to make certain no untoward grains of sugar destroy your candy before its time.

Butter the sides of your saucepan. As the pan warms, the butter will melt, and any sugar grains sticking to the side will slide into the pan before they cause trouble. Place the sugars, half-and-half, and salt into your prepared pan. Stir constantly over low heat until the mixture blends and the sugars melt into the half-and-half. Raise the heat to medium. Place the lid on the pan and allow it to heat for a few minutes. This will let the steam from the mixture wash any remaining sugar crystals down the side of the pan.

While the candy is cooking, prepare an area to spoon the candy by greasing a cookie sheet or placing a sheet of greased waxed paper on a butcher block or marble slab.

Remove the lid. Once the sugar syrup boils, turn the heat down to a simmer. If any crystals remain on the sides of the pan, carefully remove them with a wet paper towel wrapped around a fork. Never put your fingers into the pot. Bring the syrup to 234 degrees F. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, bring it to the soft-ball stage. Remove from the heat.

Add the butter and vanilla, but don’t stir—you’re just letting the butter melt and the alcohol boil out of the vanilla right now. Wait 5 minutes. Add the chopped pecans. Stir vigorously with a clean wooden (nonconductive) spoon until the candy loses its gloss and thickens. Warning: The syrup is hot enough to inflict serious burns. You’re incorporating air into the sugar syrup, which makes the candy soft and easy to eat, like fudge or taffy, instead of hard like a lollipop. Once it thickens, you need to move fast. Quickly spoon the candy into small mounds onto the prepared surface. If it starts to set up or gets too hard to work, beat in a teaspoon of hot water to loosen it up.

When the candy is all spooned out, press a whole pecan into the top of each praline, if desired. Allow the pralines to cool before serving.

Tip: Store the pralines in a tin lined with waxed paper to seal out humidity.

Cleanup note: Place the pan in the sink and fill it with hot water; let it sit for a little, and it’ll be a lot easier to clean. If it’s still a mess, fill it with water and place it on low heat on a burner. The sugars on the sides of the pan should soon melt away.

Submitted by Denise Little

PERDITA’S BREAD PUDDING WITH BOURBON SAUCE

TIME: PREP TIME 35 MINUTES, BAKING TIME 60 MINUTES • SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS:

Bread Pudding:

½ cup seedless golden raisins (or dark raisins)

Enough bourbon to soak raisins

10 day-old slices of white bread, torn into pieces

4 cups milk, scalded

1 cup heavy cream

4 large eggs, beaten

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted

½ cup pecans, roughly chopped

½ cup apple, peeled and chopped

Warm water

Bourbon Sauce:

2 sticks butter

2 cups powdered sugar

2 eggs

3 Tbsp. bourbon (or more to taste)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, cover raisins in bourbon to soak. Combine the bread, milk, and cream in a large mixing bowl and stir until blended. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and sugar together till well blended. Pour egg mixture into bread mixture and stir. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and stir well. Drain soaked raisins. Stir in the melted butter, raisins, pecans, and apple. Pour the mix into a greased 9 × 13” 2-quart baking dish, set the dish in a larger baking pan filled with warm water about 1” deep, and bake for 1 hour. Remove the dish from the pan of water and let the pudding cool.

To prepare the bourbon sauce, melt butter in a double boiler. Combine sugar and eggs in a mixing bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Add sugar and egg mixture to butter. Whisk sauce in double boiler over hot water until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and add bourbon to taste.

Portion out the pudding and spoon bourbon sauce over each serving.

Bread pudding submitted by Belle Franklin; bourbon sauce submitted by Treva Jackson

PORTIA’S SWEET POTATO PIE

TIME: PREP TIME 15 MINUTES, BAKING TIME 60 MINUTES • SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups canned mashed sweet potatoes

2 eggs

1¼ cups evaporated milk

½ cup sugar

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

2 Tbsp. rum

4 Tbsp. melted butter

1 unbaked pie crust (9”)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Mix the sweet potatoes, eggs, evaporated milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, rum, and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Pour into the pie crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F and bake for an additional 50 minutes, or until the filling is firm.

Submitted by Ali Katz

WICKED PEACH CAKE

TIME: BAKING TIME 35–40 MINUTES • SERVES 8–10

INGREDIENTS:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 package peach Jell-O

½ cup peach schnapps, divided

3–4 good-sized peaches, chopped to make 1½ cups

½ box powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan.

Prepare cake mix according to box directions. Add Jell-O and ¼ cup schnapps. Fold in peaches. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let cake cool for a few minutes, then turn it onto a cake plate and let cool until just warm. Mix together ¼ cup schnapps and powdered sugar to make a glaze. Poke several holes into the top of the cake with an ice pick or similar-sized utensil before drizzling the glaze over the cake. Add more schnapps if glaze is too thick.

Submitted in memory of Sharon Hicks

Drinks

CLASSIC SOUTHERN SWEET TEA

TIME: 15 MINUTES FOR HEATING AND STEEPING • SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS:

1 quart water, preferably filtered

1 cup sugar

6 tea bags (flavor of your choice, but plain old Lipton is traditional)

Ice

Place a heavy 2-quart stainless steel saucepan on the stove. Fill just over halfway with water.

Add the sugar. Heat the water until the sugar melts, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.

Drop in the tea bags. Allow to steep for roughly 5 minutes, or to taste. The longer the bags steep, the stronger the tea will be. Remove the tea bags and discard. Add ice to the mixture and stir. Pour the tea into a pitcher. Serve by pouring into ice-filled glasses.

Tip: Garnish with mint or lemon balm, if desired.

Submitted by Denise Little

COUNTRY PORCH LEMONADE

TIME: 15 MINUTES • SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS:

1 quart water, preferably filtered

1 cup sugar

3 lemons

Ice

Place a heavy 2-quart stainless steel saucepan on the stove. Fill just over halfway with water.

Add the sugar. Heat the water until the sugar melts, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.

While the water is heating, slice the lemons in half. Cut six perfect round slices to garnish with, one from each cut lemon half. Set aside the garnish slices. Juice the six remaining lemon halves. Strain out the seeds and pulp. Add the lemon juice and ice to the warm sugar water. Stir. Pour the lemonade into a pitcher. Serve by pouring into ice-filled glasses. Garnish each glass with a slice of lemon.

Submitted by Denise Little

Inside True Blood

Although True Blood certainly wouldn’t exist without Charlaine’s celebrated bestselling novel series, there’s no doubt that the driving force behind the sexy, sassy television show is its creator, producer, and writer, Alan Ball, who was captivated with Charlaine’s wonderful characters at first sight and has reimagined them for television while staying true to their original versions at the same time.

When I approached him for an interview about the series and his work, Mr. Ball said yes quickly and graciously. Rather than ask him questions that have no doubt been covered in other venues, I decided to allow the fans a rare chance to ask Mr. Ball questions about his work on True Blood and just about anything else Sookie-related that they desired. The response was overwhelming, and I selected the best questions to pass along to him. I’m pleased to reveal his answers here.

How did you first discover the Sookie Stackhouse series?

—RACHEL KLIKA

I was early for a dentist appointment and stumbled upon the books at a nearby Barnes & Noble. I picked up the first book and couldn’t put it down. Once I got into the series, I knew it had to be a TV show.

In Season 2 of True Blood, the maenad character Maryann Forrester (played brilliantly by Michelle Forbes) was developed to a fuller extent when compared to her role in the book by Ms. Harris. Why did you decide to develop this character further?

—DEIRDRE BRENNAN

Part of the challenge in adapting Charlaine’s novels is to create strong stories for the characters other than Sookie and still remain very faithful to the spirit of the books. We loved the maenad attacking Sookie and poisoning her with her claws, and then we looked for ways for her to interact with the other characters as well as being dangerous to Sookie. Ultimately, she gave us something for the entire cast to go up against.

What was your motivation for having Bill ask Sookie to marry him in the end of the second season when it was so far from the books? Was it that it was a good way to have Bill kidnapped/disappear?

—ADDIE BROWN

I think the motivation was to give them a moment of happiness, a hope that something they thought was off-limits to both of them was actually within their grasp. They’ve been through so much together during their relatively short relationship, it felt nice to give them a moment of “normalcy” and the hope that they could have a happy ending. Of course, this being True Blood, there isn’t much chance of that.

What inspired you to make the Sookie books into an HBO series?

—KIM MCCOLLOM

I was so deeply entertained by the experience of reading the books, I just thought it would make a great TV show. The world and the characters seemed too large for just a movie—to me, it begged for the larger canvas of a TV series.

Your show has resonated with such a wide demographic group of people—many not typical fans of vampires and the paranormal. What[1] sets True Blood apart from all the other vampire movies/ shows to attract such a following?

—KIM MCCOLLOM

I think it’s because of several different elements: the characters and the world that Charlaine created; the performances by the amazingly talented cast; the humor, the romance, the scares; the focus we try to keep on making everything, no matter how outlandish, grounded in the emotional lives of the characters. It’s just a really fun show to make and hopefully a fun show to watch.

What were your first impressions of the people in Bon Temps?

—NADEEN CUMMINGS

They felt really authentic to me. I grew up in a semismall town in the South (Marietta, Georgia), and the descriptions of the characters, the way they behaved and spoke, it all felt like something I recognized.

I love the character of Lafayette and am so glad that he survived Season 1 of True Blood, unlike his less-fortunate counterpart in the books. Did you decide that his character would go beyond Season 1 from the beginning, or was that decision made after seeing how well he came to life on screen?

—LAURA CHEQUER

The first scene I shot with Nelsan Ellis in the pilot made it abundantly clear to me that this was a character we could never lose. I am usually not a fan of actors who improvise, but Nelsan doesn’t just improvise, he channels from planet Lafayette. In a lesser actor’s hands, Lafayette could come across as extreme or one-dimensional; Nelsan makes him strong, fierce, and deeply lovable.

Will you consider casting yourself in a cameo role each season (à la Alfred Hitchcock)?

—TEDDI SMITH

Never! I allowed myself to be talked into doing that in an episode of Six Feet Under and have always regretted it. I think it would just take viewers out of the story.

Many changes have been made from Charlaine Harris’s books to the show, and I’m wondering why you chose to paint Bill and Sophie-Anne in the light you did, as opposed to the way Ms. Harris wrote the characters? While there are a lot of similarities in Bill, it seems your Sophie-Anne is very modern and not the regal, aristocratic French queen portrayed in the series. Any insight to your decisions would be appreciated.

—SUSAN MOSS

In True Blood, Sophie-Anne appears in the same season Godric appears. We chose not to have two ancient vampires who seem barely older than children in the same season. And ultimately, every nonregular character on our show exists to create conflicts and challenges for our regular characters. Having read all the books at this point, and knowing why Bill appeared in Bon Temps in the first place, we chose to play Sophie-Anne a little differently. We also were setting up a major story line in Season 3.

In the show, it consistently seems as if you are trying to villainize Eric and sanctify Bill, even referring to Eric as the “bad boy” more than once in interviews. This certainly does not stay true to the spirit of the books, as Eric is absolutely not a villain or even a bad boy in the books, and likewise Bill is definitely not a saint, nor is he even a “good guy” half the time. Is there a reason that you try to portray these characters in this manner, and if so, what is it?

—LISA ROWELL

Hmm . . . I am not sure I agree with your assessment. We have purposely shown many darker aspects of Bill, such as his penchant for sport-killing during his years with Lorena, his keeping things from Sookie, his interaction with the state patrolman he glamoured in Season 1, taking his gun and pointing it at him, and his murder of Uncle Bartlett. Likewise, we have shown many of the deeper, more tender aspects of Eric—his love for Godric, his grief at Godric’s true death. We continue with both of these directions inin Season 3. And it seems to me more dramatic to establish certain expectations about a character and then upend them than to just depict everyone as equal parts light and darkness. And when I use the term “bad boy,” I am referring to the kind of bad boy that women are consistently attracted to—a man who doesn’t play by the rules, a man who is a little dangerous, who is going to create more drama and fun than the good guy who does everything right.

Sex, death, food, and violence play a large role in True Blood. Americans have a possibly unhealthy relationship with all four, and yet we are fascinated by them. Is this the secret to the success of the books and series?

—SARA FOSTER

Honestly, I have no idea. I think the success of the series is because these stories and characters are so much fun.

It is not a common thing for the vampires in True Blood to be young and beautiful, as it normally is in other vampire television shows and movies. Why did you choose to go in this direction?

—ANNE FELDBAK

Well, I think while we have plenty of vampires who are young and beautiful, I like the idea that one can become a vampire at any point in his or her life. This is exactly as it is in Charlaine’s books—and I thought that was clever and unexpected. Also, I generally chafe at doing something the same way everyone else does it.

What plot point (so far) has been the most difficult to write, act, and film?

—MISTY PADGETT

Hmm—the storming of Merlotte’s by the black-eyed zombies . . . the final Maryann sacrifice/marriage . . . the storming of Steve Newlin’s church by the Dallas vampires.

What is your gauge to keep elements in the series that are in the books?

—KERI MCCOY

Instinct. And input by the other writers on staff.

Since art imitates life, explain what True Blood has to say about the American viewing public. What does our “bloodlust” say about the current cultural climate? The archetype has been used throughout history in many cultures, but what do you see this archetype revealing about us?

—JESSICA OHMAN

I leave that to the academics. Anything I say about why vampires are such potent symbols is just going to be me trying to pretend like I know why when I don’t. I’m just glad people are intrigued by vampires and other supernatural creatures because working on this show is the most fun I have ever had.

Did the real-life relationship of Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer have an impact on the decision to diminish the role of Eric in favor of Bill in the True Blood series?

—LINDA J. KERLEY

I don’t really buy that the role of Eric has been diminished in favor of Bill. Eric has his own very strong story line in Seasons 2 and 3. Maybe you mean in terms of his relationship to Sookie . . . ? You have to remember we’re in the middle of True Blood. It is an ongoing story.

I noticed the episodes have different writers. How do multiple writers come to write something continuative? Is there a sit-down session for each episode that you drive? Do you say, “I would like so-and-so to write this particular scene”?

—CYNTHIA MEIER

I work with six other writers. We break stories and outline episodes as a group, then a single writer writes the script. We give notes as a group, then that same writer writes a second draft of the script. Sometimes I do a polish if I believe it is necessary. Writers generally volunteer for the episodes they want to write.

What is it about the show True Blood that represents you in some way?

—AARON HARRIS

I guess I would say the irreverence, the humor, the fascination with the bizarre, the romance, the fun.

What do you find to be most challenging when depicting a fictional world from book to screen (besides the fans wanting certain story lines)?

—EMILY MELONAS

Hmm . . . keeping everyone’s actions motivated and based in their emotional needs and desires. In the case of Charlaine’s books, keeping the characters who are not Sookie active in their own stories.

What inspired you to bring in characters on the show that were not in the books, such as Jessica and Daphne, as well as to keep Lafayette? (We are grateful for these characters, as they are awesome; just curious.)

—KIMBERLEE TUCKER

Again, it all comes down to creating stories for characters who are not Sookie, and in Lafayette’s case, loving what Nelsan Ellis was doing so much that I wanted to keep him in the show.

My question is regarding the character Bill Compton. I really liked the character in the books and hated to see him pushed to the side so often, so I must say I really enjoy him being a front-burner character in the show. What was it about the character on the page that made you connect with him? What were you looking for in the actors who auditioned for the part, and how did you feel when you finally found the talented and gorgeous Stephen Moyer to fill the role?

—BARBI BARRIER

Well, just like you, I loved the idea of a man who had basically lost everything ; who, because of his and Sookie’s circumstances (him being vampire, her being telepathic), is suddenly given a second chance at love and meaning in his life. When casting, I kept looking for a man who seemed like he was from another time, who knew how to play that undercurrent of sadness, and also was dashing and handsome, like a true romantic hero. When we found Stephen, I was thrilled, because we had been looking for a long time prior.

I really enjoy watching the show, but never watch the opening credits, as I find them unnerving. How and why did you come to decide on such a thought-provoking opening sequence?

—OLIVIA PAVEY

I wanted something primal, something that really communicated Southern gothic, something that alluded to the twin polarities of sex and religion as a means for transcendence, something that was really rooted deeply in nature.

I’d like to thank Alan for taking time out of his very hectic schedule to answer these wonderful questions, and thanks also to all of the fans who submitted them!

From Mystery to Mayhem

Long before a telepathic waitress served the first beverage to a handsome vampire at Merlotte’s Bar, Charlaine Harris was creating compelling characters and plots that have excited her fans’ imaginations and fueled their fantasies.

Ever since the fourth grade, when she began composing poems about ghosts, Charlaine wanted to write. Her formal writing career began, however, after her marriage in 1978 to her second husband, Hal. As a wedding present, the understanding groom presented his bride with an electric typewriter and encouraged her to follow her longtime dream of becoming an author. Charlaine’s first novel, the mystery Sweet and Deadly, was published in 1981 and marked the beginning of a distinguished career that has now spanned thirty years.

FIRST STEPS

With the publication of her first novel, Charlaine was described as “a strong new talent whose writing has verve and originality” and as “an author of rare talent,” but it was the release of her second stand-alone mystery, A Secret Rage, in 1984 that led to more critical acclaim and a “cultlike” fan following. The story of a small Southern university town terrorized by a serial rapist “makes brilliant use of the rapidly changing Southern background and handles a difficult theme with sensitivity and insight,” according to critics. Fans in the mystery community embraced this new talent and eagerly looked forward to more from her.

Motherhood took up much of Charlaine’s attention during these early years, and she quit writing for a while to focus on beginning a family. After the birth of her second child, “she ached to get back to writing, she missed it so.” It was at this time that she signed with Joshua Bilmes, who would become her longtime agent and friend. After the five-year hiatus, it was difficult to get back into the publishing world, but, with renewed energy, Charlaine burst back upon the scene with the first of her new mystery series.

THE AURORA TEAGARDEN AND LILY BARD SERIES

Real Murders, the first book in Charlaine’s Aurora Teagarden series, was published in 1990. About a small-town Georgia librarian and amateur sleuth whose life doesn’t turn out the way she expected, the books have been described as “cozies with teeth.” Real Murders garnered Charlaine her first Agatha Award nomination for Best Novel of 1990. Fans who gathered at Malice Domestic to meet their new favorite author had a great time, and Charlaine began establishing the warm relationship with readers that she would continue and cherish over the coming years.

The greatest fan reaction to the series came after the publication of A Fool and His Honey in 1999. Charlaine outraged many readers with the death of the heroine’s husband. This was the first of many indications that Charlaine would write her books according to her vision and her vision alone. The Teagarden series sold steadily over many years, but it was hard to build an audience because of the limited availability of the Worldwide paperback editions. The final book of the series, Poppy Done to Death, was released in 2003.

In 1996, Charlaine began her second series, the Lily Bard “Shakespeare” books, set in the fictional town of Shakespeare, Arkansas. Lily is the survivor of a terrible assault that has left her an emotional cripple, and the first book, Shakespeare’s Landlord, begins her first steps back to a normal life and normal relationships. Drawing on her own experiences, Charlaine has said that writing Lily helped her clean out many of her own dark places. More somber in tone than the Teagarden books, the Lily Bard novels didn’t necessarily appeal to the same fans. The books did receive excellent critical response, however, and picked up a good paperback deal. Despite receiving a lot of good press, the series ended in 2001 with the release of Shakespeare’s Counselor. Lily Bard was a fresh and distinct new character and provided a bridge to the next stage of Charlaine’s career.

THE SOOKIE STACKHOUSE SERIES

Hoping to reach a broader audience with her next series, Charlaine began developing a character that was quite unlike any she had ever written before. She hoped to draw on the same reader base she’d created, and the new series’ success was helped in many ways by the foundation she had created with the Aurora Teagarden and Lily Bard books. Full of a unique blend of dark humor, unforgettable characters, and a well-developed mystery with a twist of romance, Dead Until Dark, the first of the Sookie Stackhouse series, was released in 2001. The book was so different that it had taken her agent nearly two years to find a publisher, but Charlaine had faith in Sookie and her story. Now recognized as the first in a series that helped introduce the new genre called urban fantasy, the Sookie Stackhouse novels have been embraced by an ever-widening audience of fans and have received much critical acclaim. Charlaine established herself as an important and versatile author in this new genre. Dead Until Dark won the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Mystery in 2002. Now published in thirty languages, the series, which spans eleven novels, continues to reach new fans all over the world.

SOOKIE NOVELS AND STORIES IN THE ORDER THEY SHOULD BE READ:

Dead Until Dark

Living Dead in Dallas

Club Dead

Dead to the World

“Fairy Dust”

“Dracula Night”

Dead as a Doornail

“One Word Answer”

Definitely Dead

All Together Dead

“Lucky”

From Dead to Worse

“Gift Wrap”

Dead and Gone

“Two Blondes”

Dead in the Family

“Small-Town Wedding”

Dead Reckoning

“If I Had a Hammer”

TRUE BLOOD

The end of 2006 brought a new dimension to the popularity of Sookie Stackhouse when it was announced that Alan Ball and HBO had contracted to turn the popular books into the television series True Blood. Fans on the website spent the next year closely following the casting and filming information as they eagerly anticipated their first view of the Sookieverse brought to life.

First scheduled to premiere in March 2008, the pilot was delayed by a screenwriters’ strike until September of that year. Almost immediately, the series caught the fancy not only of established book fans but of viewers new to the story of the Louisiana bar waitress and her undead boyfriend. Hits on the Charlaine Harris website exploded within a day of the September 7, 2008, debut, as True Blood viewers flocked there to discuss the characters and the story in such numbers that the site was overwhelmed. New fans sought out the books upon which the series was based, and soon all of the published books in the Sookie Stackhouse series were simultaneously in the top twenty-five paperbacks on the New York Times bestseller lists.

THE HARPER CONNELLY SERIES

With the release of Grave Site in 2005, Charlaine introduced us to a new heroine, Harper Connelly, and her stepbrother, Tolliver Lang. The series was quickly embraced by fans for its quirky characters and darker, noir-like feel. Although the books and characters were popular with readers, Charlaine felt that the story was told, and the series ended with the publication of the fourth book in the series, Grave Secret, in 2009.

CHARLAINE AND HER FANS

Charlaine has commented that she has “the greatest readers in the world.” Her close relationship with fans led her to establish a website in 2001. Increasing fan usage soon made it obvious that a more flexible site would be needed, and in March 2004, charlaineharris.com became the place where fans could meet to discuss her books and characters, read her weekly blog and book review column, learn of her touring schedule, and share everything from recipes to prayer requests. Charlaine’s willingness to visit the website daily and interact with her fans, and her obvious enjoyment of her readers in personal appearances, led to the establishment by fans of her official fan club, Charlaine’s Charlatans, in 2006. The fan club voted that its first goal was to help Charlaine reach the number one spot on the New York Times hardback bestseller list. In May 2009, Dead and Gone, the ninth book in the series, debuted in the number one spot on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list. Charlaine’s fan club was thrilled!

As True Blood enters its fourth hit season and the Sookie Stackhouse series continues, Charlaine’s earlier series are experiencing a rebirth. Fans who have been enchanted with Sookie are now turning to Aurora, Lily, and Harper, and finding that these other stories are just as compelling and the characters as fresh as they were when first introduced. Charlaine continues to develop new characters and offer new pleasures for readers all over the world.

Recollections Around the Duckpond

Fan clubs are very dangerous things. I should know; I started one, and my life will never be the same.

My story began fifty years ago with my best friend Ellen and I playing our favorite game—school. Since Ellen was four years older, she got to be the teacher, and a terror she was! As the hapless student, if I didn’t learn my spelling words, Ellen would energetically apply her ruler to my backside. I was soon a most exemplary student and kept my excellent study habits for the remainder of my life. The greatest tribute to Ellen’s tenacious teaching style was that by the time I was five years old I could read at first-grade level. Doors began opening in my mind, and reading became my greatest pleasure and one I pursued voraciously. Ironically, Ellen now works for the IRS and continues, at least metaphorically, to apply her ruler.

Reading became my addiction. I took another quantum leap in junior high when I registered for a speed-reading course. Now I not only read a lot, but I read a lot really fast. In addition, my ability to completely block out all activity when reading was a talent that drove my parents totally crazy. If we ever have a nuclear war, I doubt I’ll know it until the universe is completely annihilated and I complete whatever I happen to be reading and find angels playing harps all around me.

My taste in literature has always been rather eclectic. If it’s in print, I’ll read it, whether biography, romance, mystery, cereal boxes—I’m sure you get the idea. I can’t say my reading has led me to any great revelations or astounding insights. My life in general has remained boringly normal. I have discovered many friends in books—ones that I revisit again and again with great pleasure—and I marvel at the talent and imagination of those who can create worlds within worlds for us to enjoy. It wasn’t until late in life that I discovered something that led me to stray from my steadfast and steady existence.

My first breach into a different world came in 1964 when a favorite teacher introduced me to the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were literature the likes of which I had never experienced—a realm filled with astounding characters and a new language of its own. Dipping into fantasy a bit in later years, I happened upon a book by a new writer named Laurell K. Hamilton. Hamilton’s first book, Nightseer, caught my fancy, and I still believe it to be one of her best works. I discovered Hamilton’s Web board and began to explore her Anita Blake series. These books were part of what was being described as an emerging new fictional genre. Booksellers didn’t quite know where to put them—some placed them in horror, some in fantasy, and even a few in the romance section. Identifying their place in literature became something of a conundrum. Although I enjoyed the early books in the series, I found the later ones not to my taste and began to look for something new. While I was perusing the horror section in a nearby Barnes & Noble bookstore, my eye was caught by a book with a charming, almost folk art, cover. The book was Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. The rest is, as they say, history.

Dead Until Dark was unlike anything I had read in my long history of reading. Since it was written in the first person from the perspective of the heroine, I felt that I actually became Sookie and experienced events through her eyes. I had read first-person perspective in the past, but these books seemed completely fresh, and the world was new and absolutely believable. Following my usual pattern, I visited the author’s website, searching to find other readers with whom to discuss the wonders of this new universe. I did not expect to meet the author there!

Charlaine established her website in 2001 and updated it in March 2004 to handle the ever-increasing usage. Charlaine was an active participant, who encouraged discussion and became involved on a personal level with the readers who visited her site. I first visited her board early in 2004 and was able to share in the development of the new site. Imagine my thrill and astonishment the first time Charlaine commented directly to me on the board.

A fan board is an interesting organism. It constantly changes as members come and go and as friendships are forged and cemented. In the early days of the new board, an active core of members was established, and these new friends became closer to me than many of the people whom I had known for decades. As we became more engaged with one another, a sense of community grew among members who were geographically far apart but close in interest and viewpoint. Charlaine was the glue that held us together, but in a very real way we were all a part of something that was much larger than any individual. It is not hard to imagine that many of us were curious to discover whether the friendships we had forged with one another as strangers would carry over into the reality of actually meeting.

As more information became available regarding Charlaine’s touring schedule, board members began to plan to meet at these events. My first opportunity came in May 2006 at the Romantic Times Convention in Daytona Beach, Florida. I attended the Saturday author book-signing session and will never forget the first time I met my favorite author.

I approached Charlaine’s table shyly, not at all sure how to greet her. Charlaine took matters into her own hands by leaping to her feet, hugging me with apparent delight, and inviting me to sit beside her and talk as she signed books for fans. As we sat together that afternoon, I felt a true friendship form and realized there were ways that fans like me could help bring her terrific books to the attention of new readers. Ideas from that first convention were spinning in my head as I returned home and shared with my family the wonderful experience of meeting Charlaine and several of my online friends.

Returning to the board after my experience at RT, I approached the members with the idea of developing an official fan club whose stated purpose would be to help Charlaine become a number one bestselling author. Members of the board were interested, so I approached Charlaine for permission to pursue the fan club idea, and with some bemusement she agreed. Officers were nominated and elected, and a contest was instituted to choose a name and a logo for the club. During this time, it was announced that the rights to the Sookie Stackhouse books had been sold to producer Alan Ball, who was to develop them into an HBO television series tentatively titled True Blood. Excitement was high on many levels, and on June 1, 2006, Charlaine’s Charlatans became the official fan club of author Charlaine Harris.

The sale of the merchandising rights to the Sookie series prevented the fan club from using any of the images associated with the Sookie books as we began to discuss what to use as a logo for the club. Charlaine’s Web moniker was Duckpond, and we decided to develop identification around that name. Fortunately, a talented artist member and her equally talented husband created the two-ducks-on-the-pond logo that is now recognized wherever we go. Incorporating the motto “Follow me to the Duckpond,” our specially designed logo T-shirts soon became familiar to fans and authors alike. Charlaine told us she loved the shirts because wherever she saw them as she traveled she knew she was among friends.

Toward the end of 2006 another idea was gaining ground on the Web board. The Romantic Times Convention was to be held in Houston, Texas, in April 2007, and the club leadership decided that this would be the perfect venue for our first official fan club gathering. Sixteen Charlatans from around the world traveled to Houston to join Charlaine there. I can’t express the excitement we felt as the time drew near. I’d never traveled alone so far from my home, so it was a special time for me; as president of the fan club, I felt a real responsibility to make this a memorable event for all of us. I can only say that Houston had never seen anything like the Charlatans! The event was literally one of the high points of my life. The camaraderie we felt was instantaneous; the friendships we had forged as strangers on the board became a face-to-face reality. I can now go almost anywhere in the world and be near a friend who I can call on in need and be absolutely sure will answer. It is an empowering and comforting idea. I won’t recount here all the pranks and laughs we shared. Never had so much fun been had with a set of waxed fangs! Before we left, several authors asked Charlaine if they could buy the club from her. High praise indeed!

Our leadership took seriously the pledge to help Charlaine reach new readers. The year 2007 was busy as we continued to design items such as bookmarks and bookplates to distribute to fans at conventions and signings. Charlatans acted as “commandoes” in bookstores, moving Charlaine’s books to more advantageous locations. Membership in the fan club steadily increased as new readers came to participate on the board and as Charlaine began to make more personal appearances. The board was buzzing with speculation as reports began to come of progress in the development of True Blood. We were especially pleased to learn late in the year that Charlaine was selected to be the guest of honor at the Malice Domestic Convention in April 2008. This was a great honor for her, and the fan club leadership decided to support Charlaine by having our next official gathering at Malice Domestic. The Charlatans were ready to take on Washington, D.C.

Another event that took place in 2007 would institute a new tradition for the fan club. Charlaine shared with the board that one of her most popular characters, Eric Northman, was inspired by a character she had seen in the movie The Thirteenth Warrior. She was surprised and delighted when actor Vladimir Kulich contacted her to let her know how pleased he was to have been her inspiration and that he was a great fan of her books. A germ of an idea formed, and I contacted Charlaine to ask if we could invite Mr. Kulich to become an honorary member of Charlaine’s Charlatans. On July 25, 2007, Vladimir Kulich was pleased to become our first Honorary Charlatan. Since that time we have recognized many others who have contributed in some significant way to Charlaine’s writing.

Excitement was somewhat dimmed by the writers’ strike in late 2007, which set back the expected premiere of True Blood from March to September 2008. There was a great deal of buzz already about the show, however, when the Charlatans came to Malice, where Charlaine was guest of honor. A very different venue from Romantic Times, Malice Domestic is a mystery writers’ convention and was a new experience for the Charlatans. The Charlatans were definitely a new experience for Malice! Few mystery writers have organized fan clubs, and we were a curiosity for the authors who attended. The Charlatans enjoyed meeting them and sharing our experiences as a group and our support for Charlaine. We were very proud of our author as she received this important recognition from her peers. I was particularly proud of our club during the recognition banquet at which Charlaine spoke. We were all dressed to the nines, and as Charlaine came to the podium, we held up small lighted ducks so that she could see our support in the dim light of the banquet hall. Charlaine later told us how much it meant to have us in attendance.

Few members expected the events of September 2008. Familiar with what transpired on Jim Butcher’s board when the Dresden Files television show premiered, I had spoken online with our webmistress about what might happen on Charlaine’s board after the premiere of True Blood. None of us, Charlaine included, were prepared, however, for the explosion that actually took place. Within a day of the September 7, 2008, debut, the board was overwhelmed. True Blood fans flocked to the board to discuss the characters and the story, and many came to join the fan club. New readers sought out the books on which the series was based, and soon all eight of the published books in the Sookie Stackhouse series were simultaneously in the top twenty-five paperbacks on the New York Times bestseller list.

This tremendous influx of new fans soon made it evident that the fan club could not continue in its original form. By the end of 2008, Charlaine’s Charlatans became a completely online club and ceased to operate as a conventional fan club. Our support for Charlaine continued, though, and the Charlatans were thrilled in May 2009 when the ninth book in the Sookie series, Dead and Gone, premiered at number one on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list. Charlaine’s Charlatans initial stated goal had been achieved.

Several of us met again at the 2009 Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. Charlaine was appearing, and we planned a gathering in which many new fans would be in attendance. The night before the event, a group of old friends were sitting around a table on the sidewalk outside a busy restaurant long after dinner was eaten, sharing memories and laughing. We were compiling a trivia contest for the meeting the next day and having a few beers and a lot of fun. It was warm and comfortable and absolutely right. Soon I would leave to return to Florida; another member would return to Texas; two each to Maryland, Pennsylvania, and California; and one would remain in Georgia—so many friends brought together by admiration of one special person. Charlaine Harris is the catalyst that brought us together and the inspiration that forged us into a formidable unit. As the Charlatans move forward into the future, we will continue to support Charlaine and enjoy the opportunities that arise to strengthen the bonds of friendship that have come to mean so much to us all.

Thanks to all of you for your enthusiastic response to the opportunity to ask me questions. If I didn’t get to answer your specific question, I apologize in advance for your disappointment. Here’s the selection process we followed: BFF Paula, my invaluable best friend and assistant, sorted the questions into categories. She discarded some of the duplicates, since obviously there was no point in my reading the same thing over and over. I read all her choices, and I narrowed the field down to about fifty questions. Then I eliminated a few more after a second winnowing. This wasn’t an easy process, so let me explain why I chose to answer some and not others.

First, if I thought the answer was already in the books, I felt it would be a waste of my time to reply to the question. Second, if I knew the answer would be included in future books . . . I put those aside, too, for the most part. Third, if the question was based on the television show mythology rather than the book mythology, of course I wasn’t going to venture my opinion.

Some questions I bypassed simply because I didn’t know the answer, or because I hadn’t made up my mind yet. In some cases, the development of the books’ mythology hadn’t led me to a conclusion on the correct response, and in other cases, I simply don’t know yet if (for example) Eric’s other child will be a factor in Sookie’s story.

I’ve corrected some of the spelling and a bit of the punctuation in some of these questions. I’m compelled to do that.

So, here goes.

Since the True Blood TV series began, do you picture your characters as the actors? I mean, when you’re writing about Sookie, do you picture Anna Paquin? Or in your head do they just look the way you’ve always thought of them?

—KIM HAMBLETON

They look the way I’ve always thought of them. I’ve been writing the books much longer than the show has been on the air.

Here is my big general question for Charlaine. I’m curious about her plotting. How much of it does she do in advance and how much of it is spontaneous? It just amazes me how some seemingly minor details in one book turn out to be huge later on. For example, Sookie mentions her cousin Hadley, but Sookie has no idea what happened to her. Now, many books later, we find out that Hadley mentioned Sookie to Queen Sophie-Anne, which started her whole relationship with vampires. Not to mention that Hadley had a child and that boy is now in the books—yet to be determined whether he becomes a major character.

—DENISE DUNNELL WELLS

I don’t plot much in advance. Many of the big turning points in the books have been the result of spur-of-the-moment revelations. I’m always scattering seed in the field, though I’m never sure which will spring up and which will die in the ground. To me, that’s the fun of writing. Of course, sometimes instead of scattering seed, I’m planting land mines to blow up in my face in the future.

How much of Sookie’s personality is a reflection of yours, or is she more like an alter ego?

—JESSICA SMITH

There are definitely elements of Sookie in me—or, more correctly, there are elements of me in her. I think there’s a sliver of me in all my characters. I wish I were as brave as she is!

Is there any limit to the animals Sam can shift into? Can he shift into creatures that are more than one animal (like a hippogriff, perhaps)?

—PATRICIA RUOCCO

Sam can’t shift into mythical animals, and he refuses to shift into the form of another human being. To a true shifter, that’s a disgusting perversion. True shifters almost invariably stick to mammals when they choose their animal form, and most of them have a favorite.

Are some of the minor characters based on people you know/knew?

—SANDRA RUSSELL

The correct answer is, not entirely. I pick up on bits and pieces of people as I go through life: a physical trait, a speech habit, a character flaw or strength. I build my minor characters (though no character is really minor) based on an accumulation of observations.

Bubba seems to like keeping to himself, but I imagine he can get lonely at times. Would he ever consider creating a companion by turning one of those cats he’s so fond of?

—LINDSEY NEELY

I got a lot of questions about Bubba, so let me just condense this answer. (Animals can’t become vampires in my mythology, by the way.) Bubba does like to keep to himself. He still loves to perform, when he’s in the mood, but he hates to be reminded of his former status, so characters don’t mention his life name. Most vampires have gone through several names since they died, since they’re constantly reinventing themselves, by the way. They had to, before they were able to come out of the coffin. But Bubba will stick to Bubba.

How long did Eric know about Bill’s “mission” to seduce Sookie for Sophie-Anne ? And why didn’t he arrange for her to find out about it earlier?

—LADA KYST

Bill’s mission was not to seduce Sookie; it was to investigate Sookie and verify her power. Seduction was just one option in his investigation. Bill was the obvious guy for the job since he already had a home in Bon Temps. Though Bill came to Bon Temps on this assignment for the queen, Eric did not know what Bill’s specific mission was until he arrived in New Orleans in Definitely Dead. For several different reasons, Eric forced Bill to tell Sookie that he’d had a hidden agenda.

This has been bugging me lately. Did Bill set the Rattrays up? It seems that a vampire would know better than to go with strangers, and he should have been able to overpower them or at least put up a struggle. Also, did he offer Sookie the blood that the Rats drained from him so that she would have a connection to him, which he got anyway when he healed her later?

—JANEL SMITH

Bill did not set the Rattrays up. He should have known better than to go with them, but he was sure they were offering blood and sex. He misread the situation and was taken by surprise. He offered Sookie the blood because it would have been a big clue to her character if she’d taken it.