Marshall Allman who is best known for his portrayal as LJ Barrows in Fox's "Prison Break" and guest star appearances on AMC's "Mad Men" and FX's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." will be joining the cast of Alan Ball's hit HBO TV vampire series True Blood as a regular for season 3. Marshall will play the role of Tommy Mickens, Sam Merlotte's (Sam Trammell) long-lost younger brother who works at a Tire Depot in Arkansas. Very exciting to finally see faces being attached to the characters for season 3! SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter (Photo credit: Fox Broadcasting Company / C. Hodes via starpulse.com) http://truebloodnet.com http://truebloodnet.com/community http://truebloodnet.com/forums
For someone who writes in the fantasy genre with such a twisted point of view, Charlaine Harris would choose a very practical supernatural power for herself: perpetual good health. That's not nearly as flashy as the abilities she has given to her characters like Sookie Stackhouse, but thanks to her great imagination, life is still very exciting for Charlaine these days as she relishes in her immense popularity and success. In an interview with "The Author Hour," Charlaine Harris talks about her books, past and future. During the introduction, you get a sense for the vast scope of Charlaine's accomplishments in her 26-year career as an author. The Sookie Stackhouse series has made her an international bestseller. She has been nominated for various national book awards. Charlaine is also a member of a number of organizations--for mystery writers, romance writers, horror writers, female writers, Arkansas writers--and has leadership positions in some of them, too. Each of the groups that she participates have different goals, one of which is to help new writers who are trying to get into the business. She is pleased by all of her success, but she still remembers the years when not many people were reading her books and looks to help those starting out in the field. Charlaine discusses the Southern Vampire series and how telepathy was the worst thing she could come up with to be a burden on Sookie: 
If, on the other hand, you believe that vampires are people who are basically normal with the exception of one or two abnormalities such as hypersensitivity to light, heightened psychic abilities, and the physical need to consume blood, then my answer would be yes, albeit a hesitant yes. Of course, as fictional or mythological characters, from Stoker's Count Dracula to Spike to the bewitching Eric Northman, Pam and Bill Compton of True Blood, we have come to accept and celebrate the vampire. But for many people, vampirism isn't just a literary genre. It's an identity and a lifestyle. Yes, this even includes the blood-drinking. And though it may sound incredulous, some experts say that there's a little bit of a vampire in all of us. As Katherine Ramsland a forensic psychologist and author of Science of Vampires, explains, 
Northman or Vampire Bill, legions of people around the world have formed subcultures that reflect various parts of the vampire identity. But according to Ramsland, there is a continuum of responses to the vampire metaphor that draws in members of this subculture. For some, it's merely an outlet for creativity. For others, it manifests the belief, no matter how mistaken, that they need the blood or energy of another person or animal to subsist. Unfortunately, in very rare cases, Ramsland indicates, it gives structure to paranoia and delusion. Regardless of how it's manifested, however, it's a very powerful metaphor, Ramsland explains, 
Ramsland also acknowledges that, in some cases, people suffer from clinical vampirism, which is the psychotic delusion that one needs to ingest blood in order to survive. Convinced that they need to drink blood, some people cut their own arteries or have killed loved ones. But as Ramsland emphasizes, this condition is very different from forming a persona around a vampire and participating in a subculture that celebrates it. E. Mark Stern, an independent psychotherapist and professor emeritus at Iona College in New York, has published widely on psychotherapy. Although he has not studied the vampire subculture specifically, he has dealt with a number of people who have claimed vampire tendencies. Stern acknowledges that currently, there are certainly manifestations of the phenomenon, noting that some cults have exploited the blood theme to perpetrate fatal crimes. But aside from these examples, he said, using blood as a way to bond people to a community is not entirely beyond the mainstream. He cites the example of taking communion in the Catholic tradition which carries the metaphor of receiving the flesh and blood of Christ. However, he acknowledges that the blood bond also exists outside religion, 
Nigel and Alex Harvard from Surbiton, Surrey knew they didn't want a "big white wedding," but registrar Anne Wood wasn't quite prepared for the ceremony they planned instead. Alex arrived in a red and black dress, and the couple were both wearing fangs. And if marrying two vampires wasn't strange enough, the guests arrived in costume as well. The registrar told reporters: 
True Blood's Alexander Skarsgård recently spoke with Sweden's 
In between meeting with prospective agencies and catching up with friends, Alexander Skarsgard took some time out to talk about his love for football, especially of his support for Hammarby (Swedish football team), reminisce about his early life in Sweden, reflect on his career trajectory to date, his roles in Generation Kill and True Blood, and how living in LA is very different to Sweden and takes some getting used to. But behind the easy going demeanor of a söderkisen [a person from Södermalm, which is a neighborhood and island in central Sweden] in a Bajen hat [Bajen is a nickname for Swedish soccer team Hammarby IF] is an astute, well-read, contemplative European man who reveals himself through his speech which is liberally peppered with slang, curses and quotes from Tolstoy and Ibsen. When asked about how shooting conditions during True Blood compared to Generation Kill, he explains, 
Wright, the embedded reporter whose book was turned into the hit HBO series Generation Kill. Wright has just released Hella Nation and has a book event at the Farmer's Market. Wright's new book is about the darker underbelly of the USA. The book itself gives an account of his time spent with neo-nazis, crystal meth junkies, porn stars and those who spend their time spinning insane conspiracy theories. Wright, who continues to keep in touch with the Generation Kill actors, meets the actors at his Barnes & Noble book reading and they later decamp to a nearby restaurant for a catch-up. As Gelin observes the dinner conversation, he notes Wright making an observation of Alexander. Wright attempts to sum up Alexander by indicating that he, 
Vampires are now considered as boyfriend material. Correct me if I'm wrong but some would even want to present themselves to be bitten by the odd creatures. But if the likes of True Blood's Bill and Eric or Twilight's Edward Cullen and Stefan Salvatore of Vampire Diaries and oh, let's not forget the old time favorite - Dracula would fall for you, can you resist?! Anyway, here's the "how to" list in dealing with vampires. How to make sure he's a vampire... True Blood vampires are out and about in public. So, Bill, Eric, and the others would surely tell you that they're vampires and well, they're night creatures so you'll be able to only see them at night time. Twilight saga's Edward Cullen has icy skin, and changing eye color and when he's exposed to sunlight, he'll definitely sparkle. But it's difficult to tell if Stefan of Vampire Diaries is a real vampire because you need to ask him so it depends on him if he'll tell you the truth or not. On the other hand, Dracula's the easiest to spot - he doesn't have a reflection in a mirror and he wears the his legendary cape and tux. How to make him fall in love with you... If Bill's your type, you have to treat him equally and you shouldn't be afraid of his odd vampire ways and be generous enough to let him taste your blood. You have to smell like Edward's favorite dinner and dessert if you want him badly. You also need not to freak out when Stefan tells you that he's a vampire. But if you love the old Dracula, you should perfect the lust craft and it would also help if you resemble the woman he used to love in the past hundreds of years. How to keep him away and protect yourself.... Don't invite Bill inside your humble abode - he can't let himself in if you don't give your permission and anything silver will cause injuries. You need to look into Edward's eyes for an indicator - if it's black, it means ravenous and risky and if it's golden, sated and safe. To drive Stefan away, wear a locket around your neck that contains vervain and just like Bill, he can't come inside your house if he has no permission but just try not to look in his eyes - he can hypnotize you for sure. On the other hand, garlic and a cross will do for Dracula. How to kill him... A stake right through Bill's heart would definitely end him. As for Edward, you'll be needing the help of the Volturi. If you're aching to kill Stefan, weaken him using vervain and then stake him. And still you need to stake Dracula preferably when he's resting in his favorite coffin. How to keep him yours forever... Persuade Bill to be your maker - that is letting him drain you and drink some of his blood then spend a night together buried. Or convince Edward to bite and inject lots of venom into your body when you're near death so that you'll transform into a vampire like him. You have to get bitten by a vampire, feed on his blood, die, rise from the dead then feed on a human if you want to be with Stefan forever. And if you wanted to be Dracula's companion, he must bite, drain and kill you but don't worry because the next night, you'll be like him. Source: 
