True Blood Season 5 Ep 1 Turn Turn Turn (3 NEW SPOILER CLIPS) V””V

You KNOW it is getting close when you start to see ACTUAL clips from the upcoming episodes!!!!! And yes True Blood fans I have THREE for you!!!!!

In this first one Bill is explaining that he has to go away on business but the funniest part is Eric cleaning in the background …. oh he can come and clean my house ANY time!!!!!

Turn Turn Turn Clip 1

In the second one we have Sookie and Alcide talking about Russell’s escape and it looks like Sookie is about to confess what she did to Debbie …. ooooooh …. Can you really handle it Alcide??? After all you did take her cheating, V addicted pelt back before!!! (OK That amused me :D)

Turn Turn Turn Clip 2

And third and finally you have Arlene, Terry , the kids, and the new “Marine” friend who made his appearance at the end of Season 4. Well I suppose that they had to release something other than vamps and wolves …personally I would be happy with just the vamps!!  Ohhhh unless you want to bring back more ghoslty Rene …. I miss him!!!

Turn Turn Turn Clip 3

JUST 10 MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!! Oh Waiting SUCKS!!!!

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Pleasure, Pain, And The Fifty Shades Of My Darker Life V””V

In the week or so since I wrote my thoughts about the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon (that seems to be everywhere at the moment) I have been interested to see that of all the musings I have written THAT is the one that has the most views.  Not the most comments but the one that people are coming in to look at. (Original Blog Fifty Shades Of Grey – My Thoughts – Warning Spoilers V””V Here)

From Facebook to Talk Shows, Magazines to Twitter,  I am amazed that this seems to be the subject of every other discussion with the general focus on how “shocking” and “erotic” the book to the extent libraries are removing copies from their shelves (proving yet again that they don’t read EVERYTHING in their libraries as many of Laurell K Hamilton’s books are far more risqué and questionable), and yet again I find myself questioning how “people” would react to the fifty shades of darkness that is my everyday life.

As I have mentioned before, inside my head is a very dark place where I constantly walk a fine line to keep me grounded in this side of reality, tethered by the love of family and friends who accept and feel no need to change me (not that they could if they wanted to).  So what is it that people are finding so compelling about a book that I could barely force myself to finish?

After much thought (and discussion) I have decided it has to be a combination of pain and control that most people do not associate with their pleasure and thus find it shocking but in a “safe” way that enables them to feel “naughty” by reading it, when the reality would just not be something they would have any idea about.

Now I am not that familiar with the whole BDSM community although I do know people who are, but what I do know is what my life is like, and that book just pales in comparison to my reality.  In my bedroom no safe words are needed. No lines are drawn and no contracts signed but then submission is not in my nature, or that of my husband.

We are both dominant and we fight for control with the winner being “forced” to “comply” (I don’t think of it as submission).  When we bite, our teeth are bared (no little love nips here), and we are both well aware that pain and pleasure is a line that we like to cross frequently.  People will argue that it is all about trust but for me it is all about that element of danger.

Which is  why I think I am drawn so much to the vampires that I love.  I crave that loss of control.  I want total abandonment of everything except that moment and not in a hearts and flowers sort of way.  For me a pair of vampires tearing through a train load of innocents to avenge the wrongs of other mortals is far more erotic than any contract to play in “the red room of pain” where there actually seems to very little ACTUAL pain inflicted despite the promising name.

But it doesn’t have to be from a vampyric point of view that this control is achieved.  Much as I love my husband I am under no delusion that he is anything other than human, but human’s have the same ability to surrender control under the right circumstances.  Take the movie 9 1/2 weeks.  Mickey Rourke inserts himself into Kim Basinger’s life and shows how good a bad romance can really be.  He never asks her permission to do what he does and at one point Kim’s character actually asks “how did you know I would react to you the way I do” and my answer to that is that it is instinctual.

On some base level we are all animals.  We hunt, we crave, we desire, and not everything we want is in our best interests and yet we do it anyway even knowing that it may not be healthy and when I say WE I refer to the few of us that ignore, or don’t have, the little voice in our heads saying it is wrong.  Our little inner vampire that wants to do bad things and enjoy them … and for those that don’t understand …. well they have Fifty Shades of Grey …..

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True Blood Season 5 Don’t Cry Character Collection by VLD V””V

So over on The Vampire Loving Dorks Facebook page I have been posting a countdown to the new Season 5 of True Blood featuring cast characters and have been getting requests for various other cast members.  As the VLD Facebook page has a “No Shifter” policy I figured I would post the collection here and people could snag the characters they like.  Please note ALL pictures are ScreenCaps and Posters from the TV show True Blood on HBO and I make NO CLAIMS that these are my own. V””V

True Blood Season 5 “Everything Is At Stake” Promo V””V

You can tell that the premiere is getting close when HBO starts releasing things like crazy.  On top of the new “posters” we now have another video.  “Everything Is At Stake”

Let me start by saying I LOVE this song!!! (Guilty by Gravity Kills, you may have heard it before on the 7 soundtrack).  HBO seem to pick at least one killer song each season for their promo videos and I love it!!!!

Again the video is very vamp-centric which appeals to me and I am thrilled to see that there is a lot of Pam action.  I adore her.  Lots of “Stake” action which considering the title is pretty much to be expected. Oh fellow Trubies we have just 17 more days to wait until the Season 5 premiere and we can finally see what Alan Ball has in store has for all our favorite characters!!!  Lafayette is staking people, Sookie is using her fairy powers to throw Pam across Fangtasia (ooooh she is not going to like that lol), Eric is looking very fangy, and Bill …. well I guess they had to show him and the shifters *sigh*. 

Overall I have to say I am excited to get back to Bon Temps!!!!!!!!!!!

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True Blood Season 5 “Don’t Cry, It’s Back” PromoV””V

So HBO didn’t give us any new clips last night but rather a video to tie in with their whole “Don’t Cry, It’s Back” theme of promotions.

All of the memorable “crying moments” are there and I am sure that like me many of you can name exactly what episode each and everyone appeared in but I have to say that Eric crying over Godric, well that episode gets me each and every time.

On the plus side it is great to see so many vampire based promotions coming out for this season.  It gives me more hope that Alan Ball may be about to deliver a real vampyric season, which let’s be honest, is what MOST of the fans want.  Yes I know there are those of you out there that do love those pesky Weres (don’t understand it but I do acknowledge it lol), but what I want to see is vampires …. lots and lots of vampires!!  But I would like a witchy answer to one question … HOW DID PAM GET FIXED??? Or is she even fixed??  The last couple of rotting comments came one from Tara as Pam was about to kill her telling her she smelled rotten and then Antonia/Marnie threatening to make her lips fall off.  Other than that it just seems that Alan Ball is going to ignore it.

Is this bothering anyone else or is it just me ….. Hmmmmmm oh well ….. Enjoy the clip fellow True Blood Fans …. only 20 days to go!!! Yes Waiting Sucks … but the wait is almost over!

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Fifty Shades Of Grey – My Thoughts – Warning Spoilers V””V

*Disclaimer – All thoughts and comments made are PURELY MY opinion.  I have no personal experience of E L James or her actual process when it comes to writing.  I have no idea about her “real” life and all comments are based on my thoughts having read the book Fifty Shades Of Grey*

Fifty Shades Of Grey – the book that is now everywhere and being described as so erotic that libraries in certain states are feeling the need to pull it from the shelves (something I personally abhor … this is 2012 .. do we really need censorship?)  The back of the book promises that is “Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever” ….. I think they gave me the wrong book!!

Luckily (or unluckily) for me, my library was not one of the ones that decided to pitch in with the whole censorship thing and I picked up my copy a couple of days ago and I will admit I was excited to see what all the hype was about.  I love dark erotica so something that was so “shocking” that it was being removed from shelves really called out to my dark cravings.  Of course the fact that when I got it I thought it was going to be about a vampire helped too … for the record it isn’t, but the book still could have been good.

Maybe my expectations were too high.  I was expecting something more along the lines of “The Sleeping Beauty” trilogy by Anne Rice which is erotica at its finest and takes you there from a couple of pages in and doesn’t drop the ride through the whole 3 books.  What I got instead was a very tame girl (Ana) who meets a high power, but young Christian Grey, and they become a little obsessed.  Now to even get to that you have to plough through 70 pages where the most daring thing is a kiss with pinned hands and a little hair pulling in an elevator oh and Miss Ana feeling naughty because she uses his toothbrush without asking.  No I am not exaggerating!!

Having heard so many good things I decide to stick with it assuming that the more erotic stuff is further into the book.  But I won’t lie, it was not an easy read. The characters are flat for the most part unless they are emailing.  The emails back and forth are cute, especially the subject headings, but cute was not really what I thought the book was going for …. maybe I was wrong.

Christian Grey is basically a total control freak and he openly admits he is a Dom.  (Maybe that is shocking??)  He wants to control his lover down to what she wears, eats, who she spends time with etc but honestly? anyone with the slightest knowledge of the BDSM scene would know that this is really not very unusual and it certainly isn’t shocking. What he wants is his own little submissive but then he doesn’t really because he loves every time little Miss Ana contradicts him.  I think he is confused!  Oh but then we have the contract that they keep going back to.  Pages and pages of “Hard Rules” and “Soft Rules” and really I am starting to ask myself by now if perhaps Ms James picked up a copy of BDSM for dummies and is using that for her reference because there is NOTHING sexy or SHOCKING about the way that contract is done.  It covers only the most basic of stuff that a lot of couples do without even thinking about it being part of that culture.

The sex is tame (even the stuff that is supposed to be filled with debauchery) and the story drags leaving me with no interest to find out what they do with their lives at all.  Even worse is at the end of the book (Major Spoiler Alert) Ana asks Christian to spank her with the belt … then leaves him forever because he does!! RIDICULOUS! (OK so it probably isn’t forever as there are 2 more books in this trilogy, 2 more books that I will not be hunting out).

So my question is this.  What is everyone finding so shocking and what am I missing?  The only conclusion I can come to is that this is a book written by a bored middle american housewife who thinks she is pushing boundaries that she doesn’t understand (perhaps writing out her fantasies that she is never going to be able to fulfil?), writing for other bored middle american housewives who have never done anything remotely exciting in the bedroom and wouldn’t know where to begin.  My advice to them … watch 9 1/2 weeks.  That is a tale of obsession and it is far sexier that what is written here (and no paper trail lol).  Or if you want to read some real dark erotica, try the Sleeping Beauty Trilogy, on second thoughts if you really thought this was naughty you better not.

I hear they are making a movie. Perhaps that will be better, not because it will be any naughtier but because hopefully someone will bring the character of Christian Grey to life.  He had potential, Mickey Rourke kind of potential, and maybe the right actor could make it an interesting watch (I am guessing it would get a PG 13 rating but maybe America will be daring and actually PUSH this to where is could have gone …. but I don’t hold out much hope).

My advice to my dark loving friends would be to give it a miss.  Read at your own risk of boredom, or read and tell me I am wrong, tell me what I am missing.  Perhaps I live so far into the darkness I just can no longer recognize what is risqué and what is not.  Hmmmmmm interesting thoughts for a sunday morning ……

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The Taming Of The Vampire V””V

Today’s musings are a culmination of many thoughts and discussions that I have had with my lovely Lauren. I simply want to know this …. what is with society and it’s obsession with taming, or fixing, vampires?

Looking around at vampire culture as it stands right now I am amazed at how widely appealing vampires seem to have become over the last few years, and then I look again and see that it is not vampires as I love them, but rather a pale imitation of the darkness I fell in love with. Many people may say that Twilight is to blame with its broad appeal to young and old, and the beautiful love story beneath it, although if you ask me Twilight itself can definitely be read from a darker angle and really it is a tale of obsession that ends with the human being turned into a vampire….. but to be honest I usually stick Twilight and all its connotations in a separate pocket marked “not bad story idea”, and keep it out of my vampyric thoughts.

Twilight, however, is not really to blame as this “fixing” issue has been around for many years.  Probably first really noticeable in the Buffy series with Angel (who was always so much more appealing as Angellus) and then Spike who was the quintessential “Bad Boy” vamp until he fell in love … and “died” to save the world …. YUCK!

Then of course with TV you have the latest 3 incarnations, True Blood, Being Human (2 versions) and The Vampire Diaries.  True Blood emerged 5 years ago on HBO and was different and gritty and even referred to as “vampire porn”.  What started out with really little more than a cult following has become a huge success over the last 5 years launching careers and Alan Ball trying to push the boundaries but sadly sometimes missing the mark as boundaries are being pushed just for the sake of pushing rather than with a purpose.  Do not get me wrong though I will be there, glued to the set on June 10th, along with several million other people, a statistic that I would have thought years ago would never be mentioned in the same sentence as a vampire show.

Then you have Being Human, a small UK show that (at least for the first 3 seasons) was dark, different, and in my opinion compulsive viewing.  Of course the USA had to copy it but the remake is a pale imitation of the original which is so often the case and this will no longer be mentioned.  Back to the UK version and you get to meet some “Real” vampires.  Ivan and Daisy who I adore and who love being vampires and all that it involves, they kill, they laugh, they fight, and they dote on each other.  They love the adventure that being a vampire brings and have no love lost for humans.  Then there is Mitchell, who at his best destroys a train full of people because he has been betrayed by a human. The rawness, the loss of control, the complete abandonment to their nature, THIS is what I want to see.  Oh and we can’t forget Lauren, my lovely Lauren who rips out the throat of a pretty young blond outside a pub … because she can!

Oh and a very brief mention to The Vampire Diaries, mainly because I don’t really watch it but in the clips I have seen at least Damon seems to enjoy being a vampire so props for that but at the end of the day it is a show aimed at teenagers, so sadly I feel it will never compel me to view.

And so we move to literature and the complete flooding in the marketplace right now of vampire based fiction.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love that there are so many options out there and yes I do read pretty much all of them, including the Young Adult books which often have some of the more interesting historical ideas. But when it comes down to it I want the darkness.  Give me Laurell K Hamilton and the darkness that lives in her head, Give me Jeaniene Frost and her vampires that embrace who they are, Give me Anne Rice and her beautiful brat prince, but please, please so not ask my vampires to change.

I do not want them “Fixed”, I do not want them “Tamed”, I want them DARK, and VIOLENT, and I don’t want them being sorry about it afterwards.  I don’t want them to pine for their humanity I want them to embrace the darkness that is in essence for me what a vampire is.

Am I wrong? In reality the point it mute as society will at least move on to new things when they tire of this “fad”.  I have already been told that “Zombies” are the new vampires.  Well then little sheep go chase a zombie, although what you are going to find sexy in that is way beyond me.  Perhaps you are just looking for something to kill? Perhaps in fact society is darker in its thoughts than I am ….. now THAT is something to be scared of lol ….

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True Blood Season 5 – Trailer 1# And My Thoughts About It V””V

So as promised HBO aired a new trailer on Sunday night  before Game Of Thrones.  What I don’t understand is why they are calling it Trailer 1 when they already released a previous one but hey it’s their world … we just visit it … A LOT! 

I have watched, re-watched, and then watched a few more times just  looking for clues about what we can come to expect in Season 5 …. so watch the video and then scroll down for my thoughts and speculations about what we might have to look forward to.  Warning these are just MY thoughts!! I make no claim to their accuracy, and obviously there will be possible spoilers!! (Well these days you just have to cover that stuff *rolls eyes*)

Firstly let me start by saying YAY!!!!!!! It looks like the vampires are finally back in town … and by town I mean they are the main focus of what is after all supposed to be a vampire based show.  I feel the last couple of seasons Alan Ball and team seem to have lost sight of that whilst they bring in all the other supernatural elements.

I love from the clips that it looks like the vampires are embracing their real selves (or if nothing else we will get some awesome vampy flashbacks …. Eric in that suit?? Yes please!! We will take a bit more of that!!!)  Pam and Eric in bed?? Now what was that all about?  I would say maybe another flashback but hairstyles are looking rather current.

Humans should be farmed like cattle … hmmm that is a little turn around from the ex Reverend.  Hope we get to find out who turned him.  Just goes to show you though asshole in life makes for an asshole vampire!  Even then an asshole vampire is always more interesting … especially on a killing spree.

Sookie is generally not on anyone’s good side ….. oh well suck it up cupcake! Lala calls her the angel of death (Perhaps over Tara being dead … please stay dead Tara … dead dead, not undead …… Alcide bitches at her for always being in trouble (I am guessing that even though he abjured Debbie he still wasn’t too impressed by the shotgun demise at Sookie’s hands) and even Bill has decided that maybe using Sookie rather than giving her a choice is a good idea.  Ooooh ….. Alan Ball are you finally letting Eric show us a glimpse from the books???  On that I won’t hold my breath but it would certainly be amusing.

The new “Authority” look like they enjoy their vampire status so that is good but what is not clear is whether they are teaming up with Bill and Eric to go after Russell (Oh I do love a little KRE … he is just so unhinged), or whether it is more of a free for all with everyone against everyone.

All I can say is that having seen this June 10th cannot get here soon enough for me!!!!

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True Blood Waiting Sucks …. Season 5 Vampyr Tease V””V

So no new sneak peek this week for Season 5, instead HBO released what they are calling “Vampyr Tease” which is a short clip featuring Christopher Meloni who we know is joining the True Blood case as part of The Authority.

Whilst it is a very interesting historical style clip other than showing us that Vampire’s have some cute little blood-letting gadgets (Wonder if HBO will be selling them lol), and that vampirism is often treated almost as a religion we don’t really get to see very much that will help us other that Christopher Meloni is going to be playing an older vampire, which judging by the fact he is supposed to be a member of The Authority, is not really surprising.

I can only hope that this is a sign that this is indeed going to be a vampire based season! Let’s face it, it is the reason most of us watch True Blood in the first place! The last thing we need is more new supes to try to keep track of!

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Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris – My Review (Warning possible spoilers) V””V

So May 1st was the release of Book 12 in the well-known Sookie Stackhouse Novels by Charlaine Harris which the hit show True Blood is based around.

A couple of years ago I would have been first in line to get this, counting down the days until it was released, much like I now do with the True Blood show.  Last year my feelings towards the books had paled with pre-released clips from book 11 just not grabbing my attention the way that previous books had and leaving me deciding to wait until I could check it out the library before committing to a purchase. (At this point I should probably add that whilst I read it, it is still not a part of my collection).

But onto Deadlocked (Book 12) which is what this review is supposed to be about.  Let me start by saying those of you looking for a little Eric / Sookie action are going to be sorely disappointed.  Nevermind hot and steamy shower scenes, there is not even one lukewarm, dip your toe in the pool of lust type turn of events *sigh*.

Secondly, I personally was very irritated by the “time continuum” issues that yet again have raised their ugly head as so often seems to happen in Sookieverse.  At the beginning of this book Tara is still pregnant.  Not a big deal unless, as many of us did, to fill in the time between the yearly novel release you went out and read whichever short story that was released in various anthologies.  This year was a total time waster piece in the book “Home Improvement” about the haunted house Tara and JB were living in. Having read said short story, I thought at the time perhaps it would yield some information that would be useful in the upcoming book 12.  Well I couldn’t have been more wrong with book 12 obviously occurring at least a couple of months prior to the short story. Annoying!!!

That being said Deadlocked was definitely an improvement on the last instalment with a lot of resolutions especially involving the Fae and that mysterious Cluviel Dor found hidden in her grandmother’s old furniture even if you did have to read about 3/4 of the book to get there.  Murder, mayhem and mystery were definitely the main plot although I did feel that the vampires were sadly lacking throughout making what often seemed a lackluster appearance almost as if someone said “Hey we haven’t mentioned the vampires in about 50 pages”.  Eric and Pam especially probably had maybe 20 pages in total between them (not that I counted but trust me vampire fans are going to be saddened by their absence). Perhaps the lack of vampires featured on the cover should have been a BIG clue!!

This, in my opinion was definitely the book of the Fae (although from the ending that is about it for them as far as revelations go) with a good amount of Were/Shifter politics thrown in.  I think the Fairy chapter is now well and truly done (which with only one installment left to go is probably a good thing), but I have a feeling that the final book may not take us in a direction that vampire fans are going to be happy with.

Bill is still floating around professing his undying love as the opportunities arise, and he even manages to make himself far more useful than Eric in this book (which I can just add to my list of grievances – It is bad enough we have to suffer through Alan Ball’s obvious Bill infatuation without having to read about how “great ” he is too!!!

And finally there is the ever-growing presence of Sam.  Not that I have much against Sam, I mean for the most part he has been a loyal friend with just terrible choices in girlfriends (yet one of the many facts we have to be reminded of in this book ….. on a side note I have to wonder if Ms Harris adds so much repeated history in because she has forgotten and had to look it up, or if she thinks her books are forgettable and thus the reader needs the prompts), but at the end of the book Sookie makes a decision that is obviously a game changer in their relationship and right now having just put the book down I am not really sure how I feel about it.  Do I think Sookie made the right choice? Probably, although I think the long-lasting consequences may make me feel somewhat different. 

I think that the Sookie Stackhouse fans have come this far and will stay with it now until the end.  After all we only have one more book to go.  Do I think they will be happy? I for one am pretty sure my answer will be no!  I loved the Southern VAMPIRE mysteries also known as the Sookie Stackhouse novels but now the vampire storyline seems to have been pushed further and further away from the forefront and it is all about the shifters …. and we all know how I feel about them lol ………………………

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