Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

I sat down a few weeks ago to watch a show with my husband and daughter, which is a rare occurrence in my house. Usually, I’m reading a book or writing. Anyway, we were watching True Blood on HBO, when I got a little uncomfortable. I mean I turned to my 20 year-old daughter and said, “Can they do that on T.V.?”

She shook her head, like I must be an alien pod person, and said, “It’s HBO.”

I said, “Yeah, but can they do THAT on t.v.?”

She looked at me like I’ve been living in a cave or something and groaned, “Duh. They can do whatever they want.”

So anyway, I’ve been enjoying the series but a friend told me the books are even better. So I ran out to my local Borders and bought Dead Until Dark.

It’s a quick read at 292 pages. And I read the entire book on my airplane ride from North Caroline to Portland, Oregon.

So, you can grab this story and finish it in no time. And, to be honest, I liked the story better in the book than on t.v. Not that the actors aren’t all gorgeous on HBO but Sookie Stackhouse comes across as a smarter character in the book – at least to me. And, Bill Compton seems stronger in the novel than in Hollywood.

This isn’t a Twilight experience even though it has romance and is a vampire novel. It’s more complicated in some ways.

In Dead Until Dark the vampires have “Come Out of the Closet” and are living amongst the humans. They drink synthetic blood – or at least the ones who are “mainstreaming” and trying to live their lives without sucking off the humans around them. Plus, there are more characters with special abilities than were found in Stephanie Meyer’s books. Sam is a shapeshifter and Sookie is a clairvoyant and – I have a feeling – there’s more to it than that.

VB (Vampire Bill) and Sookie seem like star-crossed lovers. They both are unique and drawn to each other. But, VB isn’t all good. He’s got one wicked temper when pushed too far. And, with super human strength, a bad temper is a real BAD thing.

I just bought the second book in the series, Living Dead in Dallas, and I’ll update you all after I read that story.

But, if you like a quick story that keeps you turning the pages, Dead Until Dark is a fun book to pick up. And if you don’t have time for a quick story, you can always turn on the t.v. and watch the HBO show. But, remember, the books are better.

Wedding Photo Challenge

Rena
challenged writers to post their wedding picture on-line. Brenda posted her photo here. Kelly posted her picture here.

3 kids, 3 dogs, numerous pets and homes later, my husband, Lars, and I have been married for more than 25 years. It's hard to believe that the years have gone so fast.

Do you remember taffeta dresses? These are horrible!!! But at least they make me look thinner ;-) There's always a silver lining.

The wedding party is my sister Brook, my sister Tammy, Linda, Andrea and my niece Shawna. On the men's side is Skip (Dan), my husband's brothers and my nephew Michael.

We were married at Crystal Lake Church, which was also called the Little Church in the Woods. Our marriage has lasted longer than the church. The Little Church in the Woods isn't there any more.

It was a beautiful setting but no one told us there was going to be a parade the day of our wedding, which blocked off all the roads to the church. My aunt and uncle couldn't make it and some of our friends never got to the church. But, luckily, the reception was on-site so by the time the reception was over - so was the parade.

Maybe some people might have gotten upset - I didn't even notice. I was just so happy to finally be Mrs. Kasch.

In the Arms of the Angel - Sarah McLachlan and Josh Groban

One of my all-time favorite songs.

Craaa-zzz BizzzzEEE Day - TGIF

It was a busy day at work.

After work, I rushed off to celebrate a friend's birthday.

Then, I hurried from that celebration to The Lucky Labrador to catch up with Kidlitosphere blogging conference attendees. It was a quick reunion - my son Jake stopped on the way home from work with me.


I ran home picked up my daughter and drove to a friend's party in Vancouver, Washington.

It was a fun - but busy - night. How'd you spend the evening?

EARTH FRIENDLY FRIDAY - AND ANSWER to Thought for Thursday

ANSWER TO THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY: There's something rotten in the State of Denmark. It was Hamlet's story, set in Elsinore, Denmark. Read more about it here.




This is the moat surrounding the castle:


And, now, for Earth-Friendly Friday.

We writers all use computers made of plastics but is that the best option available? Not any more. Bamboo laptops are earth-friendly. Read more about them here.

THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY - Hamlet's Castle

QUESTION: Where is Hamlet's Castle?

Buy Books for the Holidays

Need a


Buy some:


Who wouldn't want a good read on a dark and stormy night?

It's winter: wet, cold and time to curl up inside a cozy chair. So, pull the blanket up around your chin and read, read, read.

Jen Robinson has a post about this very subject. Read it here.

And, if we still haven't convinced you, read this post here.