Charlaine Harris Book/Show Group discussion

Hi Ladies- saw this on another site and it was confirmed that this was real by Charlaine herself. It's the synopsis of her next book. I'm sure it will change a bit however as she just submitted her first draft but this should be a rough guideline:

"Full Description"
Sookie Stackhouse has finally settled into a relationship with the Viking vampire Eric, and her errant brother Jason seems to have his life in order, too. But all the other people in Sookie's life - Eric himself, her former lover Bill, her friend and boss Sam - are having family problems. Eric's maker shows up with Eric's 'brother' in tow, the ailing Bill can only be healed by a blood sibling, and Sam's brother's marriage is about to take place ...or will it? The furor raised by the coming out of the two-natured has yet to settle; some people are just not ready to sit down to dinner with a man who turns into a dog. And Sookie herself is still recovering from her last ordeal. She's definitely improving, physically and mentally, but she's always going to have some dark moments now. The werewolves tell her that there have been strange and ominous passers-by in the Stackhouse woods; now Sookie is about to come face-to-face with one of her more distant relatives ...

ahhh can't wait!!

Thanks, Lauren!

Sounds good.

I'm terrified of what Eric's maker being on the scene will mean!

I presume the distant relative is one of the Fae? Maybe her great uncle is still lurking about?

I'm not reading too much into it b/c there are a lot of edits that are sure to happen. A few thoughts though...

I hope Eric/Sookie aren't TOO settled- settling now is a bit too soon w/ 13 books if not more

Bill- will the Bellefleurs finally discover their benefactor?

Eric's maker/brother- let's hope they don't find Sookie as interesting as Eric does

Werewolf warning- hopefully means more Alcide!

Distant relative- I'm a bit tired of the fae. I hope CH has something else up her sleeve. Maybe we'll get a nice twist or a new supe

what exactly would a werewolf find strange and ominous?
and i think youre right about dermott (isnt that her uncles name?) erics maker terrifies me too. from erics description in the last book, he seems horrible.

I wonder what a mix between were and fae would be like...we've seen were and vamp. I'd be interested to see how that would turn out- that could potentially be strange?

Or maybe we have more witches on our hands?

Oh, I was only thinking of people related to Lorena's vamp line, but a Bellefluer having to save Bill would be an interesting twist!

I'm sorta sick of the Fey too. It's the only storyline of Charlaine's that I never took to. And yet I'm still interested in what Dermott might do. Perhaps it was just Niall I never liked!

I can't imagine them being very settled. But I can see them falling into a dating pattern. For them, that would be more settled than they've had!

Michelle M. wrote: "Oh, I was only thinking of people related to Lorena's vamp line, but a Bellefluer having to save Bill would be an interesting twist!

I'm sorta sick of the Fey too. It's the only storyline of Cha..."

can you see drunk andy from TB gettin the news that he has to save his GGGG grandpappy vampire lol

Lol! When you put TB Andy's face on it, that's hilarious!

I know the first thing out of his mouth would be "oh, HELL."

I wonder if they could work "PIG!" in there somehow...

LMAO! I'm sure he'd find a way!

lol "oh hell. cant they just get it from a damn pig. i hate those vampire things."

Lol. LOVE it.

Who is Sam's brother and who is he marrying? For some reason I do not remember any of that lol

He talks about it in the last book--that his step-father isn't happy (I think that he leaves Sam's Mum) and that his siblings aren't happy that they didn't know. Sam's step-dad is human.

Oh right! The dad shot the mom when she came out right? I totally forgot he had a family! Thanks Ann :)

Lol. His step-dad SHOOTS her. Sad, but funny.

Sam's mother was closeted about her shifter abilities, and so his siblings had no idea. It is only the first born kid that it's passed down to, so unlike Alcide's family, Sam's just kept it secret from the rest of them.

I think in From Dead to Worse he mentioned Sookie accompanying him to the wedding.

That is LOL/sad. Sams story is worse in the show though. I wanna cry when I think about them leaving him there, moving and leaving all his things.

when's the book gonna be release? gosh pls dont tell it's next year

Lauren wrote: "
Eric's maker/brother- let's hope they don't find Sookie as interesting as Eric does ..."

i wouldn't count on it. sook is a magnet for all disasters (and hotties)

May 2010!

sigh, soooo long til the next Sookie fix. :o(

Ann wrote: "sigh, soooo long til the next Sookie fix. :o("

I have book suggestions if you're going through Sookie Stackhouse withdrawl:

You Slay Me by Katie MacAlister
While conjuring up a demon in the form of a shaggy Newfoundland, Aisling Grey, the Keeper of the Gates to Hell, searches for the elusive and sexy Drake Vireo, who is responsible for a series of murders in Paris's immortal underworld. (series)

Witch Way to Murder by Shirley Damsgaard
Thirty-something librarian--and psychic--Ophelia Jensen and her grandmother Abby, a practicing witch, set out to uncover the truth about an enigmatic, handsome stranger whose recent arrival in their tranquil Iowa town has apparently triggered an onslaught of disaster, from the theft of bomb-making materials to murder. (series)

Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson
After being killed in a car accident, fashion savvy Betsy Taylor becomes one of the undead and, with the help of her newfound friends, the lure of designer shoes, and a sexy vampire, must destroy a dark enemy and fulfill her destiny as the prophesied vampire queen. (series)

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
Out of work and out of money, Stephanie Plum becomes a bounty hunter. Her first assignment is to track down a former vice cop on the run for murder. (series)

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
In a world where one can literally get lost in literature, Thursday Next, a Special Operative in literary detection, tries to stop the world's Third Most Wanted criminal from kidnapping characters, including Jane Eyre, from works of literature. (series)

Carpe Demon by Julie Kenner
A one-time demon hunter who has put her career on hold, Kate Conner finds herself back in business when a murderous demon interrupts her preparations for a dinner party designed to get her husband elected to County Attorney. (series)

Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
The twelve gods of Olympus are alive and well in the twenty-first century, but they are crammed together in a London townhouse--and none too happy about it. Even more disturbingly, their powers are waning.... (not a series)

Southern Fried by Cathy Pickens
Laid off from her job with a big-city law firm, attorney Avery Andrews returns to the small southern town of her childhood to set up a new practice, but finds her efforts challenged by the murder of a client. (series)

Some of these books/series have a supernatural element to them, and some are just mysteries written in a similar style. I'm sure I'm missing a lot of other good options here. Anyone have more to add to this list?

MaryJanice Davidson is so funny.

And Jasper Fforde's series are wonderfully inventive...enjoyable for anyone who ever wished a character was real.

I like Terry Garey's Nicki Styx series, beginning with Dead Girls are Easy. Protag has a near-death experience and can now see ghosts. It's a good balance of mystery and the paranormal, with a dash of humor and romance. Nicki is a very sane girl thrown into insane situations. The books have a bit of a dark edge to them at times.

Karen Chance's Cassie Palmer series (beginning with Touch the Dark) is about another girl chucked into an unfamiliar role. She's a clairvoyant who's the unlikely recipient of an ancient power. Vamps, weres, Fae and mages all try to kill her as she bumbles her way through. Very fast-paced, lots of action, an abundance of wit, and a heroine who understandably and realistically wonders WTF have I gotten myself into? It's set mostly in Vegas, which allows for such neat ideas as a casino named Dante's where every floor represents one circle of hell and voodoo priests bring famous singers back as zombie entertainment. It's thrilling and nicely complex with lots of well-defined characters. I will warn that the first 60(?) pages of Touch the Dark is a bit of an info dump. Keep reading.

Like Sookie, both heroines get by on logic, luck and help from valuable allies, rather than being kickass in their own right.

Sigh. The only one of those series that I haven't read is the Southern Fried one. Thanks for that suggestion, now to go find some of the books. :o) Did I mention that I read about 350 or so books a year? More if my arthritis is acting up and I can't move without a great deal of pain. And I'm waiting on new books in all THOSE series too. In addition you could add:



Single White Vampire and the rest of the Argeneau series by Lyndsay Sands

The Remains of the Dead series by Wendy Roberts

ANY of Jill Churchill (Ok, no real pn to them, but they are still really good reads)

Christopher Moore's humourous stories are good too

Michele Jaffe is a nice chick-lit writer with a good sense of humour. (I even like her YA stories)

Maria V. Snyder I've been a faithful follower since Poison Study

And yes, I DO have a calendar with the dates listed for the next book due out on all the series that I follow. (Geekgirls are us. :oP)

I've really got to get on the ol Poison Study bandwagon.

I knew YOU would have read all those books, Ann. I even saw that you read Karma Girl, which I'd never heard of and was a totally random purchase for me.

But at least you found one out of these suggestions!

Ann wrote: "Sigh. The only one of those series that I haven't read is the Southern Fried one. Thanks for that suggestion, now to go find some of the books. :o) Did I mention that I read about 350 or so boo..."

I LOVE Christopher Moore! His books are so hilarious!

Michelle, I got a free sample of Dead Girls Are Easy on my Kindle and after finishing the sample, I HAD to buy the book to find out what happens next. Thanks for the suggestions!

Yay, Sarah! You're welcome. I got it free at NY Comic Con and really enjoyed it.

That first book gets CREEPY at times! And later you'll meet Sammy. He's the Devil. I love him. Temptation to the max.

I also wish I could go shopping at Nicki's store, Gladrags, since the stuff sounds fab.

oohhh yes, it does sound fab. But then there are at least 3 other series that I know of that take place in/around vintage clothing shops. And, now that I think about it--I believe all of them have a pn angle to them. There are also a couple out there that are set in "junk" shops, tea shops, and even one set in a book store. Ok, as a bookaholic I LOVED that idea. :o) The titles all have the word "ghost" in them. Like The Ghost and Mrs. McClure. I like that the ghost (and yes, he really IS a ghost) always has a past case (he was a P.I. when alive) that has a parallel to the modern case. AND he takes his "living" partner into the past of his memories sometimes, so that she can "experience" some angle of the case with him.

Oh, I have that ghost one on my TBR. It sounds good.

Michelle M. wrote: "Yay, Sarah! You're welcome. I got it free at NY Comic Con and really enjoyed it.

That first book gets CREEPY at times! And later you'll meet Sammy. He's the Devil. I love him. Temptation to the ..."

I love the Nicki Styx series, too, Michelle. If any of you haven't tried Casey Daniels Pepper Martin series, they're pretty good, too. Pepper also sees ghosts after falling & hitting her head on a mausoleum at the Cleveland cemetery where she's a guide. My favorite in that series, so far, is Tombs of Endearment (A Pepper Martin Mystery) Book 3. And Wendy Roberts series that Ann mentions is very good. There are only 2 of them so far but both were good, with the 1st one being the best, IMHO.

I know my library has them. I'll pick 'em up!

Michelle M. wrote: "Lol! When you put TB Andy's face on it, that's hilarious!

I know the first thing out of his mouth would be "oh, HELL."

I wonder if they could work "PIG!" in there somehow..."

OMG That Would be so andy and so hilarious!

Wouldn't it, Meg?

On the Nicki Styx topic, SAMMY is getting his OWN trilogy, starting in 2010. I almost fainted when I found out. Oh, he's yum.

Lauren wrote: "I'm not reading too much into it b/c there are a lot of edits that are sure to happen. A few thoughts though...

I hope Eric/Sookie aren't TOO settled- settling now is a bit too soon w/ 13 books ..."


I agree.

I also agree that I hope the maker and such aren't too interested in Sookie, enough vamps are already.

Can't figure out that relative of hers thing yet.

Ohh! Thanks Lauren

I'm concerned with how Eric's maker, and now his brother showing up will mean for Eric's and Sookie's relationship. I read another blurb about the book from Amazon I think it was that said the new (Vegas) king is interested in their relationship. If Eric's sire doesn't like Sookie and Eric has to do whatever he's told, that would not be good. This is the first I heard about Bill needing a blood sibling to survive. I'd heard he'd be sick throughout most of the next book from the silver poisoning. Seeing as Bill's a more recent vamp, finding a sibling shouldn't be as hard. I was hoping Eric was old enough his sire would be gone by now so would never be a problem. I'm really really curious as to how Eric's going to explain sending Bill instead of going himself to save Sookie in the first part of the battle. The reason is probably long and complicated since he didn't go into it when she asked. And what's with Pam's final comment about Eric living on in Sookie? The distant relative can only be Dermont. Sure isn't her cousin Claude or her cousin's son Hunter. Niall is distant but sealed into the Fae world and they eluded to Dermont staying behind. Since he isn't exactly a "kind and gentle" relative, lol, I can imagine that he might cause problems. Glad I don't have long to wait til the book's out now.

You guys realize that May is just around the corner??? ::skips happily singing tralala::