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“The Carrier” unites four True Blood actresses in one short movie that runs just a little under 18 minutes. “17 minutes and 50 seconds to be precise”, I am told by the writer/producer/director of the movie, Scott Schaeffer from his Los Angeles office.

The movie was shot in October of last year in a record time of only 4 days and post-production lasted about 5 months.

Anna Paquin, Mariana Klaveno, Carrie Preston and Deborah Ann Woll are not the only members of the True Blood family who took part in Schaeffer’s director’s debut. The editing was done by True Blood’s assistant editor Mark Hartzell, costumes by J.R. Hawbaker, assistant costume designer on True Blood, and other technical crew lent a hand as well.

Coincidence? Not really. Scott Schaeffer is True Blood’s First Assistant Director. When I spoke with Scott he was busy prepping episode 9 of the upcoming new season of True Blood. Directors rotate and while one episode is being filmed the next episode is being prepped. This year Scott works the odd episodes, the years before he did the evens. The filming of episode 9 started immediately after Easter on April 26.

It’s Scott’s job to prep the episode and coordinate everything and make sure all the elements are in place. They have meetings where they discuss how the director wants to shoot something and decide how to best do it financially and also physically, figure out what works best and where the challenges are.

“True Blood is not an easy show to shoot, there are a lot of elements”, Scott explains. “On a regular network show there is hair and makeup, prosthetic makeup, visual and special effects and stunts. A lot of the things we do are a blend of all those elements and it’s the job of the assistant directors to make sure that all the elements are in place. It’s a very challenging job for me and it’s been an amazing learning experience. You would have to do a bunch of big features to get this sort of experience as an assistant director.”

During the shoot the assistants run the set, they coordinate all the actors, background and crew and they keep track of the time schedule. Basically they take care of the minutia so the director can concentrate on getting his vision on the screen.

Although he loves his job on True Blood, Scott wasn’t, at first sure whether he should take a job on a vampire show that he had never watched. He didn’t know anything about True Blood other than his wife was a huge fan. He wasn’t much into vampires and wasn’t sure he would enjoy working on a show like that. His wife told him that he simply HAD to take the job and Scott joined the True Blood family in episode 4 of season 2.

Last year Scott expressed his wish to direct to Alan Ball, but his answer was “nothing” when Alan asked him what he had directed so far. During his Italian vacation Scott came up with the story for “The Carrier” and brought in writer Colin Borden to turn it into a screenplay. He approached Anna Paquin and showed her the script and she immediately agreed to play a part in Scott’s directorial debut. As did Rita Wilson (Yes, that’s the wife of Tom Hanks) and Mariana Klaveno (Lorena on True Blood). Two more True Blood actresses joined the cast by lending their voices: Carrie Preston (Arlene) and Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica).

“One thing about this cast is that they are the most incredible and generous group I’ve worked with”, says Scott about his True Blood colleagues. “For them to do this, especially Anna, now I have an Academy Award winner in a short film. Anna is an amazing actress. Same with Mariana, we’ve only seen her as crazy Lorena and it’s really nice to see her in this different role. I am so blessed and lucky that I got such an amazing cast and crew. “

Scott tells in his own words what “The Carrier” is about: “A narcissistic womanizer who dies suddenly in an accident and his mother finds out unbeknownst to him that he was HIV positive. She goes out to tell his former partners and she learns about her son in the process.” Scott found the inspiration for this story in his own experience, someone close to him in high school died of HIV. “So it’s something that I’m very close to.”

Scott Schaeffer on set

I was allowed the privilege to see the movie after our interview and watching it I immediately understood what Scott had meant when he told me how director of photography John Barr had given the movie a very polished and professional look. The subject of the movie is not the easiest, but it had my full attention from beginning to end.

Rita Wilson is phenomenal as the estranged mother who takes responsibility for her son’s actions and informs his former lovers that he was HIV positive. With every meeting she learns a little bit more about her son seeing him through someone else’s eyes and she realizes that despite their differences she still loved him. Through it all she holds her head up high, but the emotions shimmer right under the surface and every now and then you catch a glimpse of what this mother is going through on the inside.

Anna Paquin convinces as Kim who goes from shock to rage as the reality of a possible HIV infecting shakes up her world. Mariana Klaveno looks beautiful and fresh-faced without the heavy True Blood Lorena make-up and wrath, so nice to see her smile for a change.

The Carrier may only be 18 minutes long; but, there is a lot to see and a lot to think about.

“You have to tell the story very precisely, there are things that you could cut out but they would take away from the story”, Scott answers my question about how to tell a story in 18 minutes. “You figure out what’s important to the story, there are actually a lot of layers and a lot of back-story that we tried to put in there as well. 18 minutes is actually a long time. A half hour show on regular network is 24 minutes so we are only 6 minutes under that. It is a lot of time, you can tell a lot of things in just 18 minutes. A picture tells a thousand words.”

As First Assistant Director on the True Blood set Scott has worked with Anna and Mariana before. Was working with them on his own movie different in any way?

“As First Assistant Director I obviously have a relationship with Anna but it’s very different as a director going up to her and giving her notes. She is so professional and that made it an amazing experience. I was nervous; I am not going to lie. There is a scene with Rita Wilson and Anna Paquin and I was thinking here I am my first time as a director and I am directing an Academy Award winner and Rita Wilson and it was definitely intimidating. After the first take I gave them each notes and they were so open and welcoming and collaborative. After that first take I let out a big exhale and thought that this was going to be easy, this was going to be great. After that all my jitters went away. Same thing with Mariana, she was so great and so welcoming to notes as well. I shot the scene with Mariana after the scene with Rita and Anna, so I was already comfortable.”

Scott admits that maybe he was a little less nervous working with Mariana because she is not an Academy Award winner. “Mariana is phenomenal and she should have an Academy Award. In True Blood she poured her heart out. The scene before she died when she was torturing Bill, she was amazing in that. This girl went through every single emotion in 3 minutes, I remember her being tired, that was a long day.”

Hopefully we will soon be able to see “The Carrier” in one of the big film festivals as Scott has applied to several film festivals all over the USA, and with the risk of sounding cocky he says that he is only going for the Academy qualifiers.

“I don’t even know if I am going to get in but right now I am shooting for the A level, we have such a good product and such a great cast that there is no reason why I shouldn’t. I wasn’t able to apply to all the good colleges so now I am applying to all the good festivals [laughs]. I am incredibly proud of it, but I have no idea how it will do in the festivals.”

“This is a little piece for me to show everybody, people that I’ve worked with and people that I haven’t worked with, that I can direct”, Scott continues. “For me it’s about directing and obviously it’s my dream to direct on True Blood, maybe next year, we’ll see what happens. I am really happy with the movie and even if nothing comes from it, it was an amazing experience. “

Back to True Blood. Who is your favorite character?

“I am not answering that [laughs out loud], I won’t answer that because everyone is great. Every character has their little quirks, their idiosyncrasies that I love so much and their little neurosis that I can totally relate to. One thing the writers have done is giving the characters so much depth that you can relate to each one of them in a different way; from Jason to Andy, from Sookie to Eric. If you don’t have them in your immediate family then you at least know these people.”

And what can we expect for Season 4?

“It’s going to be great. Pure madness [laughs]”.

The Carrier on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Carrier/200410696635723

Photo credit: Scott Schaeffer

Recently, Stephen Moyer told us about his friend and actor, Bertie Portal and his effort to row across the Atlantic Ocean, “Facing the Atlantic” in support of the charity “Facing The World”. When we discovered more about what a wonderful charity that “Facing the World” is, The Vault and AllStephenMoyer.com immediately adopted Facing the Atlantic as a charity to support in our 2011 Fundraiser.

A little over a week ago, I had an opportunity to speak to Bertie, to ask him about the challenge and learn more about his reasons for the row.

In December 2011, he and his team mate, James Cash will leave La Gomera in the Canary Islands on December 4th 2011 to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean to Port St Charles in Barbados to raise awareness and money for the charity Facing The World.

At the time we spoke, Bert had just returned from completing an exam in Southampton where he and James had attended a course to learn what was needed to get through the journey and reach their goal safely. The course they attended included ocean navigation and sea survival exams and Bertie admitted to me that he found it extremely difficult. He said, “I’m an actor, not a mathematician and this was essentially Trigonometry. James is much better at that than I and he got me through it.”

Bertie Portal and James Cash in front of their boat

When I spoke to Bertie via Video Skype, I found him extremely humble, and genuinely grateful for the support that all the Stephen Moyer/True Blood fans have already shown to the team for Facing the Atlantic and to Facing the World.

We talked about how the whole adventure started and here’s some information provided to us by him about its beginnings:

Facing the World is the charity that was started by Martin Kelly. Bert chose this particular challenge since Martin was a close friend and he had promised him he would do something extraordinary to raise a lot of money for Facing The World.

Bert had initially planned to run the Marathon des Sables but upon Martin’s untimely death in 2008 leaving behind a pregnant wife (actress Natascha McElhone) with two small boys, he decided that not only had the time come for him to fulfill his promise but he wanted to do something even more challenging, something that would really push him to the very limits of his physical and mental abilities and so the Woodvale Atlantic Challenge seemed the only thing to do.

Facing stormy seas, rogue waves and tankers, Bert and James will survive on a diet of 7,000 calories each a day of re-hydrated army rations. Lack of sleep, basic creature comforts and damp conditions will not make for a comfortable ride. However they will take comfort in the knowledge that in doing this they will be helping change the lives of severely disfigured children, allowing them to lead normal lives.

The preparation for the race is more than training in the gym and being out in the boat on the open water. In order to qualify Bert and James must pass ocean navigation and sea survival exams as well as prove their commitment to the race by doing a 24 hour row rowing 2 hours on and 2 hours off, exactly as they will be when out on the ocean. Blisters and sore backs are part of everyday life but it’s essential to be at the peak of their fitness.

Mid way through the 24 hour row – James Cash

The end of the 24 hour row – Bertie Portal

FRIENDSHIP WITH STEPHEN MOYER

Stephen had told us that he and Bertie are “best mates”, so I started off our interview asking Bertie about his relationship with Stephen Moyer. I asked him how they met and if he would talk a bit about their friendship.
BERTIE: “Steve and I met at LAMDA (The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art). Groups are always changed around at drama school to change the dynamic, but whichever way they did it Stevie and I were always in the same group right the way through our three years. So we became friends by necessity! But, even on our first day we seemed to share the same sense of humor and made each other laugh.”

“We went skiing together in Switzerland once and just roared with laughter at each other to the exclusion of everyone else which looking back must have been extremely irritating!. He was busy at LAMDA as he was directing plays back home which I used to come and see and enjoy although we still laughed afterwards. But the other side of Stevie is his loyalty which I touched on in a short speech I made before his wedding in August last year. He tells his mates what they should hear, rather than what they might want to hear. Not easy to do that, especially when you run the risk of getting a thick ear or losing the friendship altogether. But he has always been bold like that; it’s one of his many endearing qualities.”

I then asked Bertie what it means to him that Stephen is supportive of his efforts and the charity:
BERTIE: “It means the world to me that he is involved as he knew Martin Kelly the co-founder of FTW, but also as we are in touch more frequently which is a huge bonus for me personally. I don’t see him as much obviously now so it feels good that we are linked by this. Be under no illusion however. Stevie is English and he is on loan to you! One of these days we are going to ask for him back and if you don’t give him back I’m going to have to come out there and you won’t want that!”

How about your family?
BERTIE: “My mother is being brilliant with her contacts and motherly support as is my partner Sam and her children. We have been heading down the corporate route for funding and friends are now just hearing about us. “

“But some friends are working on our behalf organizing events etc… of which I know nothing which is fantastic. It means that we can get on with the training and all that side of things.”

CAREER

Bertie Portal in his role as the King's Equery in "The King's Speech"

What made you decide to be an actor?
BERTIE: “I acted at school and enjoyed it very much. Then I discovered that you could actually do this for a living! It beats working for a living.”

Were you surprised by the popularity of The King’s Speech?
BERTIE: ‘The Kings Speech’ I knew was a wonderful script. The kind of thing I love. If I wasn’t an actor I am sure I would be an historical biographer. I love history, particularly that period. Then with Mr. Firth on board and Mr. Hooper the director together with the knights and everyone else I thought wow, this will be a good British film. If I’m honest I thought it would have limited interest. Maybe more if Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush had fangs. But I was completely surprised by the reaction, everyone was and it’s wonderful to see that the world has gone Kings Speech mad. I’m a monarchist myself and it’s restored my faith in the Englishman’s view of the crown.”

You’ve worked with many famous actors; can you name someone you worked with that you particularly enjoyed working with?
BERTIE: “Michelle Williams. I just finished a film with her called ‘My Week with Marilyn‘ and she was terrific. She even had an acting coach with her, like Marilyn did throughout the making of the original film. It was great fun also watching Kenneth Branaugh as Laurence Olivier.”

FACING THE WORLD/FACING THE ATLANTIC

Tell us about Facing the World and how Facing the Atlantic came to be.
BERTIE: “FTW was started by a truly great man named Martin Kelly. I knew him through his wife Natascha McElhone (Californication) and I was an usher at their wedding. He and I became friends and I knew I wanted to help this exceptional man and his exceptional charity. I was going to run the marathons des Sables a run across the Sahara desert, but to my shame a job came up that I didn’t turn down. It took Martin’s death to make me see that one has to take action NOW. Not later. There is always a good reason not to do anything. So I thought lets raise an extreme amount of money in Martin’s great memory. How to do that? What to do? I know, row the Atlantic. That’s pretty extreme. And that in a nutshell was how it came about. I asked James Cash to join me and after a bit of thought he said yes. We shook hands. Facing the Atlantic was up and running!”

How dangerous is this race?
BERTIE: “It’s dangerous.”

You and James won’t be rowing across the ocean alone will you? How many other rowers are involved?
BERTIE: “While the Atlantic is a very high traffic area, we will essentially be alone together with no other boats near us. We will each row for two hours, taking turns. It is important that we know how to take care of ourselves and function as a team.”

How will you get help if needed?
BERTIE: “We have a radio phone and can call for help if need be.”

When you think about the row… what is your biggest fear?
BERTIE: “Sea sickness.”

Do you expect to win the race?
BERTIE: “Winning is not as important as getting across safely. “

TRAINING AND PREPARING THE BOAT

I can only imagine how much training is involved in getting ready for this incredible journey.
How often do you go to the gym, if that is where you train?
BERTIE: “I row for 2.5 hours per day and running.”

Are you sore at night?
BERTIE: “I can tell you that for a long time my “bum” was very sore.”

Fitting up the boat: We’ve seen photos of you working on your boat, can you talk about that? How big is it?
BERTIE: “7.5 meters”

What’s it made of?
BERTIE: “Fiberglas”

Why not a bigger boat or a different design, or is this what you have to make? It is one that is used by all who do this journey.
BERTIE: “It’s the best one and until they make something better, it’s what we will use. We purchased it used and we’ve been cleaning it up by removing advertisements on it and installing ballasts on the sides to make it sturdier.”

Bertie scraping the boat

THE TEAM

How did you and James Cash meet?
BERTIE: “I was in a play of The Thirty Nine Steps and James was my trainer. He trained me very well and I didn’t miss a performance.”

I am guessing that you have to trust in the other person a lot to work well together, is this true?
BERTIE: “Yes, James and I weren’t really close friends before we started training. I tend to think its better not to be close friends.
The experience: Can you tell us more about what you expect the experience to be like?”

How will you sleep on the boat?
BERTIE: “There is a hold on the bow of the boat and we will each take turns sleeping in it. I’ve heard it described as a “wet coffin”. It’s OK for one person to sleep in, but when the weather gets bad we will both have to be in there and it is very cramped for two to inhabit.”

Get fresh water to drink?
BERTIE: “Desalination, the method that remove the salt from water to make it drinkable.”

How will you wash?
BERTIE: “We will bring some shampoo and soap. We will be rowing nude, so there won’t be too much need to wash things other than ourselves. However, it is very important to keep clean in order to prevent sores, etc. from forming.”

Is there a toilet on board?
BERTIE: “No, we will bucket and chuck it!”

How do you generate the necessary energy and what kind of equipment do you have on board?
BERTIE: “All our energy is solar generated. We don’t anticipate that we will have too many grey days, but after about four days of no sunlight, and things really start to wind down. However, we are crossing when it’s not hurricane season, and where we are crossing should give us sufficient sun.”

Any modern conveniences?
BERTIE: “Not many. We will have our modern equipment like our GPS, radio phone, desalination machine, etc. but not much more. Since the row will take approximately 60 to 90 days, one luxury I do want to take is a bottle of champagne to have on Christmas.”

FINAL WORDS

Bertie and James meeting one of the children helped by FTW

One of the best things about working on our web sites, for me has been the opportunity of meeting incredibly interesting people and learning about their adventures.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would be experiencing all I am today and yet, those experiences can’t begin to compare to what Bertie and James will encounter in December when they begin the row.

When speaking to people like Bertie (which has been a rarity in my life), I truly can believe that nothing is impossible. While I personally would never challenge myself like he is and attempt to row across the Atlantic Ocean, he and James have nonetheless, become an inspiration to me and to others. I know that this won’t be an easy effort for them, but it’s certainly something well worth doing. The goodness that will come from their adventure will not only satisfy Bertie’s own personal goals, but the way in which it will help the children is beyond words.

Shad and I feel truly privileged to be able to help all we can to see that Bertie and James reach their goal and raise lots of financial support for Facing the World.

www.facingtheatlantic.com or donate at www.justgiving.com/facingtheatlantic

Please note: add the code TB4FTA (True Blood for Facing The Atlantic) to the note of your donation so we can keep track of how much was donated by True Blood / Stephen Moyer fans.

Cheryl Durst, one of The Vault’s guest writers, has written about Dr. Ludwig who was in Season 2 of True Blood played by Marcia DeRousse.  Below is her story:

“Ever heard of Komodo Dragons?” Dr. Amy Ludwig saves the show!

Enter The Savior

She makes her debut seven minutes into Episode 3 (“Scratches”) of Season 2 and this pint size dynamo of a doctor literally saves the entire future of the True Blood series. Enter Dr. Amy Ludwig (pronounced LOOD-VIG) donned in blue hospital scrubs, blonde hair pulled back in a long ponytail, the rest of her hair covered with a surgical doctor’s cap. A dying, fatally wounded Sookie Stackhouse asks, “What kind of a doctor are you?” And the first three words we hear Dr. Ludwig say, with forceful assurance, are, “The healing kind.” What an entrance! Not even Bill Compton’s vampire blood can save Sookie from the dire consequences of the wounds she sustains from a maenad attack; but our Dr. Ludwig can. This is the person who is going to save the True Blood heroine, Sookie Stackhouse, and by doing so will allow the series to continue. I wonder if any of you ever thought of that angle? Leave it to me, the consummate True Blood aficionado, to give thought to such things.

This scene takes place at Fangtasia where a makeshift examination table has been made out of some piece of the nightclub’s lounge furniture. We find Doctor Amy Ludwig dipping latex gloved fingers into the deep and bacteria laden wounds in Sookie Stackhouse’s back. Sookie received the life threatening injuries when she was attacked by a maenad named Maryann Forrester.

As most of you recall, Dr. Ludwig is the doctor to supernatural beings on the True Blood series and also in the Charlaine Harris novels. Dr. Ludwig is a no frills who-cares-about-a-bedside-manner personality who is fearless in the face of supernatural emergencies. Our sassy little doctor seems totally unimpressed with the physical stature of Eric Northman towering over her nor does she give much credence to the panic stricken demands being made by Bill Compton concerning her patient. Dr. Ludwig is direct, to the point and unaffected by the emotional ties that those around her seem to have to Sookie. Isn’t that, after all, exactly the person we would want taking care of us if we are close to death, one who can focus solely on the task at hand; saving the life of the patient? I find it interesting that Dr. Ludwig has herself bedecked in a silver necklace and bracelet as well as silver earrings – perhaps a little “life insurance” is a wise thing in which to invest when dealing with vampires. Only in Bon Temps would you purchase life insurance at the local jewelry store!

The Hippocratic Oath? It’s in the bag!

We don’t know if our “healing” doctor ever took the Hippocratic Oath or if she ever attended the traditional medical schools needed to become an attendant or resident at a hospital or medical center. If Dr. Ludwig did swear upon a version of the Hippocratic Oath, it was probably the Greek version of the oath (orkos) that required the ancients to swear upon a number of healing gods and goddesses charging them to uphold professional ethical standards implemented centuries ago. The Hippocratic Oath was written in the 4th century B.C. by Hippocrates but various forms of the oath have been used over the centuries.

Motivated by money or madness (or both), Dr. Ludwig meets her medical challenges head on with the fierce determination of a tenacious Pit Bull and yet she goes about her tasks quietly, without much fuss. I often wonder what is in that little black doctor’s bag that Amy Ludwig totes about. Does she have modern medical supplies in that bag? Magic potions? Homeopathic remedies, leeches or a mixture of all the above? Dr. Ludwig has a stethoscope around her neck but she did pull a pair of exam gloves out of her medical bag because her hands were gloved in protective latex prior to touching Sookie’s back. She also displays a magnifying glass with which she examines the bloody slime she removes from Sookie’s wounds. Dr. Ludwig diagnosed the slimy substance as bacteria that was similar, but way more efficient (deadly), than that of a Komodo Dragon! Then there is that cobalt blue bottle full of “what”? The fluid in that blue bottle must have been one hell of a topical remedy in order to counteract and destroy the poisonous bacteria. When potion met poison we see all sorts of bubbling and steaming coming up out of those nasty wounds. At that very moment the only sound that echoes through Fangtasia is Sookie’s screaming as she endures the painful procedure. After Dr. Ludwig uses her secret concoction to clean Sookie’s wounds, the medicinal libation of choice is vampire blood. I bet there are a few vials of “V” in that little black bag along with many other “unmentionables”. With my curiosity, I would certainly enjoy rummaging through the bag carried by a doctor of the
“healing kind” who attends to the messy matters of the “supernatural kind”.

Marcia DeRousse; the perfect choice for Dr. Ludwig.

Not only is Marcia DeRousse an accomplished actor, playing several different roles in television, movies, radio and theater, but she is, in real life, a healer. Combined with an acting career that spans many years, Ms. DeRousse works as a medium, psychic and energy healer as well. Marcia told me that she possesses all the clairs (clearly); audient (essentially the ability to hear in a paranormal manner), sentient (ability to hold an object or touch someone and sense the energy surrounding that person), prescient (forecasting future events) and voyant (seeing beyond the five senses).

Her psychic healing ability is aided by “medical guides” who give her advice on people’s health issues and she often finds things overlooked by traditional medical means. Assuring me that she cannot and does not “diagnose”, Marcia said that she will advise people to go to their medical doctors for tests and confirmation if she suspects there is a physical problem needing medical attention. Marcia is educated in the field of homeopathic and natural methods of healing. Her favorite psychic ability is that of an animal communicator.

When I asked Marcia to elaborate a bit more about her career she told me that she has a college degree in theater and worked a great deal in that area. She moved to Los Angeles in 1980 and started work in television and film right away. Marcia said, “I loved playing “mom” to Matthew McConoughey and Gary Oldman in the film Tiptoes (had Kate Beckinsale for a daughter in law, too!). That sort of helped set the stage for working with more mega stars like Stephen Moyer, Anna Paquin and Alexander Skarsgard on True Blood.”

True Blood fans adore Dr. Ludwig and are hoping to see her again in future episodes. I know that in the Sookie Stackhouse novels there is a time when someone Sookie knows needs Dr. Ludwig’s expertise. Surely there will be some sort of supernatural medical dilemma for which she will be needed in the television series. I, for one, am curious to see what else she might pull up out of that black medical bag to aid in the healing and life saving of some character on True Blood. And, by the way, Marcia informed me she likes her character’s name to be pronounced with a more southern drawl, therefore it would be pronounced Luhd-wig. We all know that Bill Compton is the only one that could give that pronunciation the southern charm it deserves.

Marcia DeRousse is the perfect choice for Dr. Ludwig given her years as an accomplished actor as well as her real life psychic and healing abilities. Even though Dr. Ludwig is on screen for only two minutes and twenty five seconds, she will remain in our hearts forever. You simply have to love someone who is just about half as tall as Eric Northman yet tells him to “fuck off” as they walk confidently out of Fangtasia, knowing full well that they are the only person possessing the magic prowess to save Sookie Stackhouse, and in turn, keeps the series, True Blood, alive.

Last Saturday night, I experienced my second True Blood PaleyFest event. I attended the True Blood panel discussion in 2009 which was a blast, but what a difference two years have made.

In 2009, the Paleyfest was held at the Arclight Theater Cinerama Dome in April during the filming of Season 2, and we had only seen Season 1 at that time. While True Blood was a successful show then, it was still brand spanking new and somewhat in the background of the media’s attention. However, our group of Billsbabes were die hard fans of the show even then and couldn’t wait to finally get to see the cast in the flesh on the stage. At that event all of us were in the third row and wearing Billsbabe shirts. One of us even got to ask a question and then we were all asked to stand up. That event was not only a fun and wonderful time, but it was also my first time ever in Los Angeles and the first time that many of us had ever met.

Fast forward to March 2011; True Blood is a huge hit and what a phenomenon it has now become. I live in the LA area now and was lucky therefore to be able to join the other Billsbabes and go once again to see the cast on stage. I was glad that this time there were over 16 of the cast members included. It was great to see them all since True Blood is truly an “ensemble” show and dependent on all of it’s cast members.

Our group, of “Billsbabes” numbered 10 and although we couldn’t all sit together inside the theater this time, we stood in line together most of the day having lots of fun meeting fellow other Truebies. When we first arrived, early in the morning, not many other fans had showed up at this point, so our place in the line was primo. I walked the line several times during the day and was able to catch a couple of interviews from fans as seen below in this video:

As the day progressed, our excitement grew, and when it got closer to 6pm, when we were to be let into the theater, we were totally ready for it to begin. As we entered, we immediately all ran to find the best seats. Some of us were in the front orchestra section and others were in the rear orchestra. We would have loved to sit together, but the tickets sold out very quickly and it just wasn’t possible. Most of us wore Billsbabes shirts so we did give a good showing from our group throughout the audience.

The show started late, but certainly didn’t disappoint. After the normal introductions from Paley, Alan Ball was introduced and he presented a compilation clip of the first three seasons and a bonus scene from Season 4. He mentioned that the scene was not sound mixed or in it’s final stage, but we all enjoyed seeing it none the less. The brief scene from Season 4, centered on Pam (Kristin Bauer) and a reunited Hoyt (Jim Parrack) and Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) confronting a group of protesters picketing Fangtasia. Here it is below:

After that, moderator, TV Guide’s editor-in-chief Debra Birnbaum, came on board and she asked for cheers for Team Bill, Team Alcide and Team Eric. The cheers from the audience was decidedly in favor of Eric, but the cheers for Bill and Alcide were also quite loud.

Each of the 17 cast members and Alan Ball were individually introduced. They included Kevin Alejandro, “Jesus Velasquez”, Marshall Allman, “Tommy Mickens”, Chris Bauer, “Andy Bellefleur“ Kristin Bauer van Straten, “Pam De Beaufort“ Nelsan Ellis, “Lafayette Reynolds” Ryan Kwanten, “Jason Stackhouse” Todd Lowe, “Terry Bellefleur” Joe Manganiello, “Alcide Herveaux” Stephen Moyer, “Bill Compton” Anna Paquin, “Sookie Stackhouse” Jim Parrack, “Hoyt Fortenberry” Carrie Preston, “Arlene Fowler” Alexander Skarsgard, “Eric Northman” Sam Trammell, “Sam Merlotte” Rutina Wesley, “Tara Thornton” Deborah Ann Woll, “Jessica Hamby” and Alan Ball, Creator / Executive Producer. That stage was really crowded, but it was so nice to see all of the cast members highlighted for their fine work on the show.

All the cast were delightful and very animated in their responses. It was a really “funny” show and we were all transfixed by the interesting comments and questions. I enjoyed every minute of it. You can see video of the entire panel discussion, but clicking here.

One of the funny moments was when the moderator asked each of the cast about their fan experiences and Chris Bauer told a really funny story. While on vacation in Mexico, he thought a fan had recognized him and was coming up to him to talk about his role in True Blood when in reality it was someone who just wanted to tell him that he had bird “poo” on his shoulder. Nelsan Ellis talked about a fan wanting him to sign her “boobage”, as he put it. These are just a few of the many endearing, as well as funny moments, in the show.

One very cute moment was when Stephen Moyer was asked for the umpteenth time to say “Sookie”. He was able to put a new spin on it making us all laugh. In this video below, we see how he said “Sookie” to Anna and her reaction is priceless:

Stephen Moyer and Alexander Skarsgård seem to be really good buddies:

Notice the affection expressed between them
when they meet on stage, awwwww!  Definitely soul mates.
photo above as seen on askarsswedishmeatballs.tumblr.com

Steve makes a grumpy sad face when Alex talks
about Eric losing his memory in the upcoming season.

We also got some really good tidbits about the filming and as well as some Season 4 scoopage:

• Alan Ball confirmed that Gary Cole and Fiona Shaw will guest star, and that there will be more new characters introduced including some witches, some shifters, a new werewolf, “a couple of humans and a child.”
• Sookie has always been independent, but the way she reacts to things will be different in season 4. Evidently her faerie trip will change her in some profound ways.
• When asked about Bill’s betrayal of Sookie and how that affects their soulmate status, Alan Ball had some interesting comments. First of all, he mentioned that Sookie “perceives” it as betrayal and it will be difficult to come back from it, and he wishes they had 17 seasons to explore everything. So do I!
• Alex talked about Eric getting amnesia and that we’ll see a different Eric this season. He won’t be the human-hating violent vampire we’ve seen before, and may even be shocked/disappointed at the things he has done.
• Alan also made a very sweet comment about it being difficult to view Bill and Sookie as anything but soul mates since that’s what they are in real life.
• Bill and Queen Sophie-Anne have a bite-off to begin season 4. There will be a third participant in the fight, but who? When asked if it was someone on stage, Alan Ball answered something like “in a way.”
• Stephen Moyer was asked if he was interested in directing and although he probably won’t be directing an episode in season 4, he hopefully will someday.
• Deborah Ann Woll said that while Hoyt and Jessica ended season 3 happy and in love, it probably won’t stay that way. Per Alan, characters are only allowed to be happy for a day.
• Stephen referred to the sex/rape scene with Lorena in Season 3, and that he had issues figuring out why Bill would go there. After speaking with Alan about it, he figured out that it was the only power he had over her – “she can fuck him over, but he can fuck her.”
• Props for Stephen to coining the awesome term “fuckpuppet” (which supposedly Mariana has now).
• Anna remained mum on what might happen with Sookie and Eric in season 4, and was also asked to compare Alcide with the vamps in her life. She said that Alcide can be out and about during the day, and he’s very warm. However, he has his own baggage – namely Debbie Pelt, a psycho ex who wants to take Sookie down.
• Marshall thinks Tommy should adopt Terry and Arlene’s demon baby. I’m not sure he’d be a good influence, but it might be fun to watch and see.
• Bill and Sookie aren’t the only soul mates in town – Eric and Lafayette might be giving them a run for their money!

After the show ended, the mad “crush” to the stage began, and what a crush it was.  I did a full story about the crush at the stage, which includes the famous “Saga of the Naughty Billsbabe Thong“, and can seen by clicking here.

Below are a few random photos from the night that include some at the stage. Many, many more photos can be found in the Photo Gallery.

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After the stage crush, when we managed to get out with our lives, and believe me I mean, “get out with our lives”, we all went outside and headed around the corner where the limos were parked.  We were hoping to get what we didn’t get at the stage crush since often some of the cast sign autographs and take pictures on their way to the limos. We had heard that Marshall Allman came outside after, but we missed him. We were able to see Stephen and Anna, since they both stayed for quite awhile signing and posing for photos, as shown in the video below. Kristin Bauer also came out and signed for the fans.

You can see several of our group including Kell, who got a birthday wish from Anna, Dina, Tutu, ThelLou, Filmchick3 and me in the video below. Most of our group got their pictures and autographs and I even got another hug. Be sure to look for my special “Billsbabe Weekend” post which is coming soon to AllStephenMoyer.com.

It was a wonderful night, and the cast and all those at Paley were awesome. Since the theater was completely full, I want to praise all for making it so organized. The crush of the stage was a bit much, but I am glad that the fans had that opportunity to get really close to the stars.  And, the cast of True Blood has to be the best and most wonderful group of people there is. I have met most of them personally, and I have nothing but praise for their generosity and spirit.  It was very apparent, and as Stephen said, “there is a lot of love there”.

Thanks to all who donated information for this post, including ThelLou for helping me to recall the Season 4 scoopage, and for her video of Stephen and Anna. Thanks to Skarsgardfans.com for their images and to askarsswedishmeatballs.tumblr.com for the wonderful animated photo above. Also thanks to all the Billsbabes who donated photos, especially Filmchick3. And finally, a big thank you to Sarah and Susan for doing the fan interviews. If I neglected to mention you, it wasn’t intentional, so please email me and I’ll be sure to add you as a contributor.

Yesterday, I attended the signing of the True Blood Series 1 comic, All Together Now by cast members of True Blood which was held at the Barnes & Noble store at The Grove at Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles. Expected to attend and sign were Deborah Ann Woll, Sam Trammell, Rutina Wesley and Nelsan Ellis. Unfortunately, although all four were expected, it seems that, at the last minute, Nelsan was unable to be there.

Click on the images for a larger view and see video below.

Fans started to line up to get their wristbands, (needed in order to enter the signing area) as early as 6am and for their efforts, those lucky people received the coveted “red” wristband that gave them the privilege of being at the front of the line. Lucky for me, I was awarded a “front of the line” wristband beforehand, so I didn’t have to come early.

There had been horrible rain, wind and cold temperatures on Friday night in LA (even some places had snow), but luckily, although the skies were still ominous, the sun was shining and it was a pleasant day, if not windy and temperatures unusually cold for LA.

I drove to The Grove which is a beautiful outdoor mall in the heart of Los Angeles in the “Fairfax District“.

Once in the Barnes & Noble store, I went to the main desk, as instructed in my email, to retrieve my red wrist band and comic books. Then, once I had put on my wristband, I carried my two True Blood Comic Books up to the third floor where the event was to be held. It was only about 11:30am at this point, so although I was up in front, I still had another 1.5 hours to wait before the event began.

While in line, I met several other Truebie fans and it was a lot of fun to talk True Blood while we waited. The full press and the presence of HBO staff were very apparent with lots of them mulling around to be sure that all was ready and the event would run well. We were permitted to take photos while in line, but once we went up to the table, the cast was not available for “posed” photos and no personal items could be signed, only the comic book.

Since this edition of the comic had just made the Graphic Novel New York Times best seller list that morning, all were in good spirits and it seems that the book is already a huge success.

Before the cast came out for the signing, they posed for photos in another room devoted to the Press.

Once we saw the press and photographers come out of the press room, we knew that it was a matter of time before the cast members would also walk to the signing table. It was definitely after 1pm, (which really wasn’t too bad at all), when the cast paraded to the table. First to appear was Deborah with her boyfriend, EJ, next Sam, and then Rutina. Deb had on a pretty red/orange colored dress with a floral print skirt, Sam was dressed in a light brown sweater and checked shirt and Rutina was in black slacks with a free flowing pink top. All three looked lovely.

Once they were all seated at the table, the signing started immediately. When my turn came, I was asked to hand my books to a Barnes & Noble representative to inspect; I suppose they wanted to be sure that there weren’t any personal items hidden in them. Then, the books were passed to an HBO representative who gave them to Rutina, who was first to sign. When I got to the table as Rutina signed, I mentioned that I had seen her last fall in at the recording of “A Raisin in the Sun” and had also seen her (and Sam) at “A Pretty Filthy Evening” recently. She was very sweet and asked me how I liked “Raisin” and I said I had loved her in it and that it was a great play.  Next it was Sam and he said “Hello” and I asked him if he remembered me from the “Actors for Oceans” event and he said “I totally remember you.” I also said hello to Deb and she said “Hi Lynn, how are you?” I had just seen Deb at an event about a week ago. As I was leaving the line, I said hello to Mara of HBO and EJ Scott who were sitting near the table.

Below are some of the photos I was able to grab while waiting my turn in the line to approach the signing table.

Then, that quickly, the signing was over and I was directed to the exit. I was told by HBO that I could shoot video since I wanted to get some fan reactions, and I got three fans that were kind enough to talk to me.

This is video footage of my experience at this event.  It’s a “fan perspective” that includes three short interviews with True Blood fans, Ryan, Sandy and Maria:

It was a good experience, since it was my first “book signing” and I’m really glad I went.  Here’s what the signatures look like inside the cover of the book. One of the copies I got is for me and the other will be auctioned off for a charity fundraiser here at The Vault.

To purchase your very own
True Blood Series 1 Comic Book, “All Together Now”,
click here.

Special thanks to: Ryan, Sandy and Maria for allowing me to interview them.

Also to Shadaliza for putting all my videos together and making them look so nice.

Cover: "Tainted Love" The preview is out today, see link below.

Last Wednesday night, I went to the live recording of the “Bagged and Boarded” podscast at the Smodcastle in Los Angeles. Deborah Ann Woll, Michael McMillian and his co-writer on the series 2 of The True Blood Comic, Marc Andreyko were the live guests.

After the event, I went up to the three of them to say hello and since the second series of the comic that they wrote was coming out this week, I asked both Michael and Marc to answer a few questions that I could share with the True Blood fans.

Below are the questions that Michael answered for me. While I asked him about the gift he sent to Alan Ball of a “live panda”, I’m still not sure I understand his answer.  At any rate, it was a touch of genious, in my opinion, to send it.

LYNNPD: Have you and Marc written all of the comics in the series or are you just completed #1?

Michael McMillian: There are actually 6 issues in the “Tainted Love” story arc. Marc and I have plotted out the entire series and are just about finished with scripting issue 5.

LYNNPD: You said that you pitched other ideas to IDW than the one used in this series of comics, can you tell me about one?

Michael McMillian: I’d love to, but shouldn’t because it’s always possible some could be used in the future. I can say I would love to take the TRUE BLOOD comic into new territories, perhaps highlighting single-character stories or exploring both the past and future of the TRUE BLOOD universe. Many of Marc’s and my pitches reflected that, but ultimately it is up to Alan Ball picking the types of stories he wants to tell that will support the TV show. I won’t argue with that guy!

LYNNPD: What does the comic offer extra that the show doesn’t?

Michael McMillian: TAINTED LOVE will give you a little bit deeper look into the Tru Blood corporation. How’s that for a start? Ultimately I think the comic is strongest when it fleshes out the series mythology and gives readers glimpses into realms that may not be covered on the show We’ll meet new characters, visit new locations and get some back story to Jessica’s life before she was turned. Also, we are working with an unlimited budget, so we can really expound on “special effects” and action sequences. Whole scenes can take place with Eric flying through the sky.

LYNNPD: How do the writer and graphic artist work together?

Michael McMillian: Well, it’s really “writers” in this case. Basically Stephen Molnar receives our scripts through our editor Scott Duniber over at IDW (he is a great guy and also edited the first comic series). Stephen begins to break down the layout of the given issue in pencil. Then his art is handed off to Joe Corroney, who fleshes the whole thing out. We get a look at the finished product and suggest any last minute tweaks that we think could help the story, but so far Stephen and Joe have been knocking it out of the park.

LYNNPD: Talk more about the Vampire Liberation Front are these extremists? Are they connected to the Fellowship of the Sun?

Michael McMillian: The VLF are a big part of “Tainted Love’s” mystery, so I don’t want to go into too much detail, but basically they are on the opposite end of the spectrum from the Fellowship of the Sun. They are human-hating vampires that do not want to conform to mainstreaming. They see themselves as superior to humans. They’re vampire fundamentalists, basically. They don’t want to be beholden to synthetic blood- its a plight against their nature. They contaminate bottles of Tru Blood with an secret ingredient that makes vampires go feral. This is their terrorist attack on vampire mainstreaming.

LYNNPD: Rev. Newlins back story, can you share anything about what that might be?

Michael McMillian: I don’t know all of what Alan Ball has in mind, but I always saw Steve as a privileged guy who grew up with a celebrity father and a lot of money. He and his dad didn’t have the greatest relationship. Steve always strived for his father’s approval, who saw Steve as a bit weak. Steve struggled to be perfect in God’s eyes, and to him, his daddy was God. I think Steve’s mother died when he was young and his father didn’t remarry until late in his life and when he did it was to a much younger woman. I think Sarah reminded Steve of his mother and that’s why he fell in love with her. He was looking to replace something which he had lost long ago. That didn’t work out so well!

LYNNPD: You said that Anna Camp was your favorite actor on True Blood. Who is your favorite True Blood character to write for in the comic book?

Michael McMillian: Anna is certainly one of my favorite actors, but I was actually referring to her being one of my favorite human characters on the show. I’m a little biased. We had a great time working together. The entire cast is so amazingly talented- it’s impossible to say who’s my absolute favorite. With the comic, I love writing for Jason and of course, Eric. Those are both roles I would never be cast in as an actor, so it’s great to play with them as a writer. I’m also having fun letting my inner Pam out. All of these characters are so rich and each one has a distinctive voice. They pretty much write themselves.

LYNNPD: Whats next for Lucid? Whats next for Michael McMillian?

Michael McMillian: LUCID #4 comes out in March, which concludes the “Magical History Tour” story arc. April will see the arrival of the LUCID hardcover collection in bookstores everywhere. It brings together the entire 4-issue miniseries. Its packed full of great bonus materials, my favorite being a reference guide to all of the magical sigils I created for the series. I had a lot of requests for that one and wanted to do it as a thank you to all the fans who gave us a shot. Alan Ball wrote the forward, which was very kind of him, and should be cool for True Blood fans to check out. Also included will be some additional art, sketches, a breakdown of the LUCID covers and their hidden symbolism and a few “remastered” sequences where I went back and tweaked certain lines of dialogue that I felt could better support the story. Nothing has changed, per se, it’s the exact same story. There just were a couple weak spots that I felt could be improved upon for the collection. Fans can look at this as the “definitive director’s cut” of LUCID #1. I think we’ve included enough that if they are essentially picking up the book for a second time, they will feel like they are getting something really special. If it does well, I’ll get greenlit for a second series, which obviously is the goal. I have many more LUCID stories to tell. Vol. 1 is just the tip of the iceberg.

LYNNPD: I know you must love both writing and acting. If you had to choose one profession only, which one would, you choose?

Michael McMillian: Honestly? There’s no way to choose. Acting and writing are just two different ways of storytelling and I enjoy both of them for different reasons. I don’t think I’ll ever stop doing either one.

LYNNPD: What was it like working for Alan Ball as an actor? And how does that differ when you are in your role as a writer?

Michael McMillian: At first, very nerve-wracking. Before we shot Season 2 I had anxiety dreams about not being able to remember any of my lines or just destroying scenes with bad acting. In reality, he is a wonderfully accommodating creator to work for. He listens to everyone’s ideas, good or bad. Working as a writer for him is equally terrorizing, if not more so, because I’m encroaching on his territory. I’m responsible not just for Steve Newlin, but almost every main character in the series! Fortunately, I have a great writing partner in Marc and we share the load. But again, Alan has been nothing but supportive of what we want to accomplish. And all of his notes are dead on. Alan is a great storyteller. He has a very clear vision for True Blood and knows exactly how every element should be handled. It’s a privilege to work for him in any capacity.

LYNNPD: In the recent Inside True Blood Blog you were interviewed and you mentioned that you sent Alan Ball a live panda. Really? How did you ever find a live panda and did you really send him one and what significance does it have?

Michael McMillian:Live Pandas were marked down on Amazon.com last fall. Alan Ball loves animals so I thought I’d just go for it! Anything to get ahead in this world, right?

LINKS TO THE COMIC BOOKS

LUCID: Michael’s comic book LUCID is a four-issue miniseries written by Michael and illustrated by Anna Wieszczyk. You can download the comic at www.lucidismagic.com.

TRUE BLOOD COMIC, TAINTED LOVE:

• The first edition of Series 2, of the True Blood comic book “Tainted Love” is available at the HBO Shop. The price of the comic book is $4.99 and it ships starting February 23, 2011. Pre-order your copy now!
• The preview for “Tainted Love” is out today, see more here.

Billsbabe Cheryl Durst, one of The Vault’s guest writers, has written about Shape shifter, Sam Merlotte.

True Blood Dreams

My home is located in the middle of thickly wooded acreage that would be a perfect setting for some of the creepy and mysterious scenes we see while watching True Blood, especially scenes where shape-shifters and weres might be hiding or simply up to no bloody good. I don’t know about the rest of you, but since watching True Blood and becoming an avid fan, occasionally I have dreams woven with bits and pieces of fantasy that are directly related to True Blood characters. For example: “Shape-shifter, shape-shifter. Where art thou shape-shifter?” I am standing at the edge of the woods, it is dusk and my dog is at my side. My dog is snarling as he stares into the shadowy thickets. The evening has become damp and foggy. I listen to the sounds of all the woodland creatures – those settling in for the night and those who are nocturnal and awakening for their time of hunting. I wonder which of those sounds is coming from a therianthropic and I whisper with a fearful voice, “Sam, is that you?” I really want it to be Sam because Sam Merlotte is the most benign of the supernaturals on the show. I don’t mean to imply that Sam is totally harmless, I simply mean that I find him to be the most humane; a shape-shifter who only at certain times acts outside his normal human protocol. Who would ever suspect that this bar keeper with the delightfully charming and somewhat “needy” demeanor is capable of magically shape-shifting, committing murder, stealing and other nefarious acts?

Science, Myth or Magic

After doing some research I found that there are many terms used for those considered shape-shifters; metamorphs, theriomorphs, therianthropes, mimics, skin-walkers and probably others that I have failed to mention. In every sense of the word, shape-shifters are more unique than weres because shape-shifters can morph into any animal they desire. The zoological DNA and RNA needed to perform such a feat is beyond comprehension so, magic is, indeed, what allows the transformation to take place for the shape-shifters. There simply is no scientific explanation.

Therianthropy also has more specific branches. Lycanthropy which encompasses werewolves and all other versions of wolf-men, cyanthropy which refers to men who can change into dogs is commonly found in Chinese myths, and ailuranthropy which pertains to shape-shifting humans who can take on feline appearances, are all forms of therianthropy.

Creatures that are considered “weres” have only one distinct animal form of which they can become. The prefix “were” originated from an Old English word for “man” which is masculine rather than generic but it is used to indicate both male and female. “Weres” are considered to be shape-shifters too however, “weres” can only shift into one specific designated animal form. Thus the werewolf, werepanther, werebear and so forth are each able to be just that particular animal. As many of us know, from reading Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels, we encounter many supernaturals and among them some of the most interesting to me are the “weres” and “shape-shifters”. The reason I find them so interesting is because they can be either human or animal form at their will. I think the witches, faes and vampires are unique but they cannot change, at will, into another form; they are what they are.

Shifting His Way Into Our Hearts

Because Sam Merlotte was able to shape-shift into a bull he was able to save the town of Bon Temps by killing the maenad while he was in the animal form of that bull. Prior to destroying the maenad, Sam was able to escape her twice. The first time by shifting into a common house fly, while being held at the jail, and then another time he shifted into an owl, flying out of her grasp, away into the night. And, for any snooping about, he simply shifts into adorable “Dean” the Collie. In True Blood, Season Three, we see Sam morph into a Pit Bull in order to make his way into a local dog fighting ring to save his brother, Tommy. And although the above is most unique and impressive, my favorite form in which to see Sam Merlotte is human. Sam has that sort of scruffy, handsome look about him that exudes his animal sexiness. He loves his town folks and wants desperately to be part of a family. His boyish good looks and those bright blue eyes simply invite us to want to know more about him. Be it Beagle, bull, Collie, Pit Bull, house fly or owl, Sam Merlotte remains a magical zoological garden of delight.

Tanya Wright, who plays Deputy Kenya Jones on True Blood, appeared at Eso-Wan Books in Los Angeles, CA Tuesday night for the LA debut passage reading and signing of her book, “Butterfly Rising.”

Shadaliza interviewed Tanya back in August and when reading that interview, I so enjoyed learning about Tanya’s many projects I thought it might be fun to hear her speak about the book.  So on Tuesday night, I attended her book signing and was privileged to get a brief video interview with her and hear the reading of two passages from her book.

What I experienced, was a woman who is driven by her creativity and passion to tell a story. While she readily admits that she is an actor at heart, she has also always had a passion for writing. However, her interests don’t end there. She not only wrote the book, but she has also turned it into a movie on which she had her hand in every aspect of its making. She wrote, directed and produced it, and also edited the final film.  She is truly a 21st Century version of a Renaissance woman.

Tanya Wright

I arrived early to meet with Tanya before her reading. When she came out to the main store area to greet me, even though I knew that she was a beautiful woman before we met, I had only seen her, up to this point, in her True Blood Deputy Jones uniform and therefore, I was somewhat shocked at how lovely she was. When she is in her role of Kenya, the determined and somewhat unhappy Bon Temps deputy, she doesn’t come off as the gracious, bubbly and pretty woman that she is in person.  I suppose that makes her a great actress indeed.

We made our introductions and then went into the store’s office where I videotaped her answering the few questions I had prepared.

Photo of Lynnpd with Tanya Wright and view of the book store area

Video of interview with Tanya Wright

After the interview, I went out to join the audience in the book store while Tanya studied the passages that she planned to read.

Once she appeared, and was introduced, she discussed her life as it is now. She lived in Los Angeles for fifteen years, but recently has moved back to her home town of New York City. She mentioned that she was glad to be back in LA however, if for only three days, because it is so cold back in New York City.  Before beginning to read, Tanya told the audience about the the making of the book and the film for Butterfly Rising. She discussed her many inspirations to write the book that include the death of her brother six years ago and Aretha Franklin’s music.

She read two passages to the audience.

The first passage is about the two main characters, two women, Rose and Lilah who take a road trip to meet a mythical medicine man, Lazarus of the Butterflies. Rose and Lilah are very different women. Lilah Bell is a quirky outlandish singer who doesn’t sing anymore and has fits of fury of darkness. Rose Johnson is a strong willed, aggressively masculine woman who is sexually free. She has relations with other women’s husbands and she makes no apologies for it.  Many people don’t understand Rose, but over the course of the book the reader comes to understand her better.

The second passage was a shorter one, which is the introduction of Lazarus. He is a man who has very few words and doesn’t need to say much but gets everything done. Lazarus is the basis and embodies the central theme of the book.

The video below is an excerpt from her reading and is in two parts.  The first part is of Tanya talking about herself and an introduction to the book.  The second part includes a brief portion of the first passage reading which is about a blackout that Lilah had resulting in her being put into the hospital.

After the reading, Tanya signed copies of her book for the audience.

Tanya signing her book

It was a lovely evening and I thank Tanya for letting me be a part of it.

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Thanks to Shadaliza for making my videos look so great!

Yesterday, I met with Marcia DeRousse, who played Dr. Ludwig on True Blood’s Season 2. We both attended the Love That Dog Hollywood Holiday Dog Adoption in Los Angeles where she appeared as an animal communicator and celebrity judge.

Love that Dog Hollywood continues to rescue, save lives and find loving homes for Dogs in the Los Angeles community. Those that came out yesterday, were able to adopt a dog from the LA City & County Mobile Adoption Unit, learn about helping out shelter dogs and meet Santa as well as see live entertainment. Local area rescue groups were there as well.  Many who attended brought their dogs along for a fun time since the event offered an opportunity for our best four-legged friends to celebrate the holidays.

Help Love That Dog Hollywood continue to rescue, save lives and find loving homes!

Click here to give!

This years donations support the rescue work of Adopt a Chow and Diamonds in the Ruff, a 501c3 not-for-profit animal rescue organization and are tax-deductible to the full extent of the IRS tax laws.

It was a delight to meet Marcia and speak with her for a few minutes. Below is a photo of Marcia and a video where she talks to me about how much she enjoyed playing her role of Dr. Ludwig and what she is doing now.

We here at the Vault wish her the best in whatever she pursues for the future.

Marcia DeRousse at Love That Dog Event.

In the video she tells a story about communicating with Stephen Moyer’s dog “Splash” and also about her experiences on the set of True Blood.

Below are some additional photos from the event (click on the images for a larger view):

Billsbabes Luvinbill and Romagirl attended the Boston Super Megafest Sunday, November 21 and below are photos and comments about their day that they have shared with The Vault:

written by Luvinbill

I went to Boston Super Megafest on Nov. 21st and met Kristin Bauer along with fellow billsbabe, Romagirl!

Kristin is very lovely, and kind. I was able to speak to her for a few minutes and I told her that one of the story-lines I would like to see for her is Pam’s turning. She told me she would love more flashbacks.

She has family in New England and will be returning to the area for the holidays. I also asked her to bring her husband next time! She signed my DVDs and my “glamoured by Pam” mouse pad!

Here are my pics:

Luvinbill with Kristin Bauer at Boston Super Megafest

Billsbabes Romagirl and Luvinbill with signed True Blood items

written by Romagirl

Sunday was a lovely day for me. It was great to finally meet Luvinbill, whom I have spoken to several times on the phone.

Kristin was so very nice and genuine. She autographed a TB napkin that I won from TheVault, as a matter of fact.

Romagirl with Kristin Bauer at Boston Super Megafest