My spring Comic Con tour started in Toronto and ended in Boston. If you're not in the know about all-things-Comic-Con, then you probably don't consider the "man behind the curtain," or, who puts these things on.

Wizard World puts on Comic Cons all over the country, including Toronto, Philly, Chicago, Mid-Ohio, Austin, and New Orleans. Their latest acquisition is the "Big Apple" Comic Con for 2013, but that's not the same as the New York Comic Con. Comic Cons in other areas of North America are put on by other companies, like the San Diego "International" Comic Con and, of course, East Coast Cons like Baltimore and Boston.

The Boston Comic Con was a lot of fun. Toronto had a ton of celebs and so, was more about individual fans of individual celebs...and, Yu Gi Oh. There were lots of tween, teen, and young adult boys looking for the opportunity to play in tournaments. You had Artists' Alley, of course, but there were more browsers than buyers because the crowd was more interested in celebrity-sightings and photo opps, using the vendors as a sort of time-filler/killer. In Boston, the focus was on comic books themselves. The celebs? Guys like Al Jaffe of MAD magazine. There were also a ton of families--including mom, dad, and older teens with younger siblings. There were great costumes at both Boston and Toronto, basically, fans who dress up as characters from everything to Star Trek and Star Wars, to X-Men...there was one Merlin from the SyFy show of the same name in Toronto, and one Katniss Everdeen in Boston.

The space was different in Boston, all encompassed in one long, very wide hallway, or branch, of the Hynes Convention Center. The Hynes Convention Center is accessible via the Prudential Center and Copley Plaza off of Boylston Street. Great location near high-end shopping and eateries, as well as more family friendly venues, right in downtown Boston. The hallway was lined with vendors selling all kinds of interesting things, but also, lots of comic artists and indie film-makers, as well as people in costume for photo-opps with fans. On the right side of the hallway, or plaza-level, there were separate rooms for speakers like me, as well as a zombie movie-marathon, while the left had a very large space used for Artists' Alley. There were artists from all the major Marvel and DC groups, as well as Th3rd World and the artist for Cinderella, a great female-hero driven graphic novel. There was about 8,000 fans trolling the Boston Comic Con, mostly in costume. There were no lines, plenty of space and lots of friendly, smiling faces. There was a real fun-vibe happening at the Boston Comic Con. And I was there on the second day. Which tells the whole story, doesn't it?

In Toronto, the speaker rooms and celeb Q&A's took place in one wing of the Metro Convention Centre in downtown Toronto, also near  restaurants as well as the famed Rogers Stadium and CN Tower; the featured rooms were in the center of the wing with hallways and access doors on both sides. Further down, you could find tournament rooms and on the second level, there was Artists' Alley--a warehouse-sized space that had food vendors all around the perimeter, artists and authors in the center and at the back, celeb photo/autograph stations. Like the Boston Comic Con, Toronto had two main rooms for speakers--one large (480-person capacity) and one smaller (350-person capacity). I was originally scheduled for the smaller space, but like Boston, we made a few last minute changes to accomodate the show. Wizard World offers VIP ticketing so for every event or speaker over the course of the day, there were two lines--one for VIP ticket-holders and one for people with general admission day passes. There were two long lines of people waiting to enter the room for my show...which somewhat freaked me out when I realized what was happening. I've had large audiences before--but never people willing to stand in line for 20 minutes to see me. And in Toronto, unlike Boston, no one in attendance was a family member or friend--but I did meet plenty of fans of my books, and, of vampires in general, and, of the supernatural, and, of paranormal romance, and, of superheroes...so it was a real mix that made for a very enthusiastic, engaged audience.

The fans for my Boston show numbered upwards of 120 or so. In Toronto, my audience was almost double that. Of course, the room in Boston seated about 120 (as opposed to Toronto--which seated 480!), and yes, there were people standing up in the back in Boston. Now, what made the Boston audience even more awesome was the surprise. What surprise? Let me explain:

I was scheduled for a room without a projector; the problem there is part of my show at all Comic Cons depends on a multi-media presentation I made specifically to go along with my talk. Without the visuals and sound  to go with my presentation, it would be like serving pancakes...without the syrup. Dry. And tasteless. So, the promoter for Boston had offered to rearrange the zombie movie-marathon so I could do my show properly. Very generous of him, because it meant tweaking the schedule. Unfortunately, we weren't able to make the changes in time to get into the program. So as I spoke to a full room yesterday, while the fans were just awesome and super-engaged in my talk, actively asking questions and sharing comments, I mistakenly thought most were in the room for the zombie-flicks. After I closed my talk, and the kind applause resounded around the room, not only was I bombarded by pop culture enthusiasts, but I realized as we cleared the space before getting George Romero's Night of the Living Dead on the silver screen, that the room was empty of all but five people. That crowd, the people who squished-in, even stood up, to listen to my talk weren't just being polite, they were there specifically to see my show. I am a Native Bostonian and there were five people in attendance who knew me--so what about the other 110 +/- folks???

It was awesome to see so many people pack the room just for my show. I loved my time in Toronto, too--don't get me wrong. It was fabulous. But being in my hometown and having people who didn't know me show up just to see me was pretty amazing. I was humbled, and grateful.

My Comic Con tour continues this fall. Stay tuned for more details! What am I doing in the meantime? Well, for starters--TED. No, it's not what you think. I'll be presenting in the field my Doctorate is in, Medical Humanities, for a TEDx talk in New York this June. I'll also be participating in an event at Yale this summer. By September, I'll be back on the Wizard World Tour for at least two of the three fall Comic Cons scheduled in Mid-Ohio, Austin, and New Orleans.

So what's the big deal? Why are hundreds of people packing into rooms at these Cons to see me? Well, you'll just have to see it for yourself. I can tell you that I do have a book chapter coming out on vampires in popular culture in the definitive book edited by Jody Pennington, Evil in Pop Culture, coming out next year. And yes, there are other projects in the pipeline. A hint? Sure!

Things aren't always black and white...sometimes, they're in Shades of Grey...and other colors, too: Purples, golds, reds, blues, but I've already said too much. ;)

So, you want the dish? The insider-info on all the dirty details??? Sure, I can help you there. Hang on to your hat!

CW-darling, Torrey DeVitto, who plays Melissa Hastings on Pretty Little Liars and Dr. Meredith Fell on Vampire Diaries, is as sweet, nice and TALENTED as you would imagine her to be. She has natural grace under pressure and handled difficult fan-questions during her Q&A with husband of one-year, Paul Wesley, like a champ. Yes, I was moderating the panel. And yes, Torrey was sitting next to me. She was wearing a super-flattering black and white jacket and killer heels. Donning the in-style of darker hair with light-ends in loose curls, she shined. Plain and simple.

DeVitto and Wesley married a year ago this month on the 16th; DeVitto's talents go way beyond the silver screen to her violin. Yes, she's a terrific musician. Her father was a drummer for Billy Joel and her middle name is in Joel's honor. She even played her fiddle for Christie Brinkley at Brinkley's wedding to Peter Cooke.

What I loved about the couple was how Wesley generously shared the spotlight and limelight with DeVitto. There were about 400 screaming females of all ages in the 45-minute Q&A that took place at 3pm EST at the Metro in Toronto. The "talent," as celebs like Wesley and DeVitto are called at events like this, enter the room a few minutes after the session starts. Because, as moderator, I had to lay down some ground rules first. And, get the crowd even more frenzied for their brush with Vampire Diaries fame. Tough job, but someone's got to do it.

The two came running in after my intro and got right to work, engaging with excited fans. Wesley had no problem joking easily with fans, even when one made a comment about how small Wesley is in person. DeVitto picked up the question, explaining how television cameras add height and width to people. And she's right. A television camera adds about ten pounds to a person's perceived frame, and, because of perspective, adds a few inches as well. Wesley also admitted to having slacked a bit on his daily Vamp Diaries work outs, saying playfully, "What do you want? I'm tired...," followed by his signature James Dean-like smile.

DeVitto and Wesley were tight-lipped about next week's season finale, hinting only that Stefan develops a new relationship.

Another interesting revelation was when a fan asked Wesley if he'd ever watched the evolution of Joss Whedon's Angel to prepare for his role as the Ripper. Wesley stunned us all by saying he's never seen Boreanaz's work. Ever. We were all a bit disappointed to learn that Wesley isn't a fan of the genre he's a part of. But that's what acting is all about, isn't it? As fans, we'd like to imagine the people who portray some of our favorite characters are just as enthusiastic as we are.

Wesley also revealed that if he wasn't acting, he'd be writing. I found this of particular interest as a writer and writing professor, and almost handed him my card right on the spot.

DeVitto said she always knew she wanted to be in show biz while Wesley said it was something that evolved over time for him. His favorite movie: Goodfellas. DeVitto, on the other hand, named three--including Newsies.

Now, in case you're wondering, the schedule for a celeb at Comic Con is rather grueling. You're meeting and greeting people for several hours in the morning; you get a short break for lunch before prepping for your next appearance--usually a Q&A--followed by more photo opps with fans. Your hand is cramped by day's end; your throat is dry. You can only see blue spots before your eyes because there have been cameras flashing in your face the entire day. You don't have time to change, so you're sweating--all day--with only brief moments of privacy to touch up and refresh on the go. You have to smile constantly. You can never slouch. And eating or drinking is out of the question because press and photogs are always looking for that "everyday" moment to sell to mags. Even walking down the hallway is a chore because you can't do it without being followed by flashes and promises of eternal love. And the thing is, these actors are just people. Like you and I. They simply embody the ideas writers pull their thinning hair out to develop for you, the fans. And yes, I pull my hair out on a daily basis.

Speaking of hair, Wesley claims to do his own trademark spike.

As moderator, I had to wrap the session at about 3:50pm to get the next celeb (Gerry Ryan) in the room on time; not an easy thing to do, given that the Q&A line at the mic was still 20-people deep. But Wesley and DeVitto were very personable with their fans, giving each question careful consideration and elaborate answers--the kind that you wait in line for 45 minutes to hear. Luckily, Paul Wesley was gracious enough to offer to do further meet-n-greets in his booth stationed along Artists' Alley on the upper level.

Before Torrey DeVitto left the stage, she looked for me to shake my hand, thanking me for my work. She cued Wesley to do the same before their hasty departure. I was holding my cane in my right hand and wasn't quite ready for the back-handed hand-shake so Wesley apologized and shook my other hand, also thanking me before being deluged by fans asking him to stop and take a picture with him. He was being ushered out by his manager and bodyguard, even though it was clear he loved his fans and would have stayed in the room all day chatting them up if he could.

Wesley and DeVitto's first-class flight to Toronto wasn't as easy as one might imagine; not only was Joan Rivers a passenger (so one may find their fashion choice of the day under scrutiny on her next episode of Fashion Police), but the couple had to endure their plane being struck by lightening! DeVitto said it sounded like one of the plane engines had died when they were first hit; she thought the plane was going down. While Wesley joked that he knew they'd be fine, having previously read about how a plane's construction is meant to hold up to lightening. He laughed as described the odd way the pilot came on the speakers, commenting about how it was Friday the 13th so weird things were bound to happen. Indeed.

Before DeVitto and Wesley's session was set up, SyFy's Being Human cast members, including Meaghan Rath, Sam Huntington and Sam Witwer were doing their own Q&A. I was prepping for my spot with Paul and Torrey so was unable to sit in on their session but did rub elbows with Huntington, Rath and Witwer as I was getting on stage for the Vampire Diaries show at 3pm. The chatty threesome, particularly Huntington, were super-friendly with fans and staff. I didn't have time to get too involved but can tell audiences that as I was prepping on stage, Witwer gave me a good, hard, long look. Up. And down. Witwer is six years my junior so I was terribly complimented, especially given his rumored connection with the gorgeous, Alexa Davalos. Three people were responsible for my look that day: Kate Somerville (and her insanely good skin care), my colorist, Jason (who made my hair absolutely perfect for the occassion even though I'm the worst client in the world), and of course, the indominable Roberto Cavalli (for his Moorea batwing blouse that not only helped me keep my cool all day long, but helped me look the part as well). Oh, and lest I forget to mention the adorable, Dr. Irwin Smigel, who has helped celebs like Kelly Ripa keep their smiles whiter and brighter for years--thank you for your generosity.    

Three years ago, I went through a terrible trauma. More cruelty than anyone can imagine. It caused me to have health difficulties that included neurological symptoms like losing feeling on my left side, decreased mobility, weight gain, and depression. So as I stood on stage yesterday with the talented, generous and kind Paul Wesley and his lovely wife and co-star, Torrey DeVitto (whose million-watt smile is even more dazzling in person than on screen), I felt as though--with the help of friends mentioned above and my manager, as well as the love of my life, Bob--like the vampires I so passionately study, write, and speak about, I was born again. Into a new life. A better life. One where dreams can come true. And the cruelty that has caused not only me, but all of humanity, to turn to fanged-monsters as our saviors, has disappeared.

My one regret? Not having the time to tell Torrey and Paul that they'd be perfectly cast as Ana and Christian in the upcoming movie production of Fifty Shades of Grey. Oh, and by the way, if you are a fan of James' work, I can only hint at connection to an upcoming project surrounding the now infamous "mommy porn"--the dominant to Ana's submissive, as it were.
 
More to come on Toronto Comic Con 2012!!! And stay tuned for next week's reflection on the Boston Comic Con:

Must. Eat. Brains.

Hello! In today's publication news, we have the long-awaited premier of Twilight's Eclipse, which opened at midnight to US audiences everywhere. Plugging in to the same themes as the Huffington Post piece by Tom Morris on Twilight & Philosophy and True Blood & Philosophy. the online media journal, In Media Res, is featuring my short piece on vampires in popular culture and the caveat of "eclipsing" the real with artificial representations of reality...who, in the case of Twilight & True Blood, two of the most popular vampy-mediums around, includes a false sense of our humanity, devaluing it by devaluing death.

I have to admit my own surprise here--if it weren't for my fanged-friends, I wouldn't have even THOUGHT about how important death is in the human equation. It's the place where our compassion for one another stems from. Without it, we'd be desensitized to vulnerability, and isn't that the whole point? Being vulnerable? The whole idea of community is based on that vulnerability. Who knew that so much of human life was based on, well, death....

Catch a clip of the new Twilight flick along with more on how vampires in popular culture take a BITE out of our humanity TOMORROW, Thursday, July 1st at:


http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/imr/


And hey, though we have to wait a few weeks until the next installment of True Blood's season three, you can take the time to not only go see Eclipse (if you haven't done so already) or read Meyer's Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Harris's Dead in the Family or catch up on your undead philosophy by reading Twilight & Philosophy AND True Blood & Philosophy. I understand from a fan in North Carolina that both books are prominently displayed in the "big" Barnes and Noble super-store but if it's not the case where you live, check in the philosophy section of any Borders, Barnes and Noble or online at Amazon. When it comes to vamps and philosophy, we wanna THINK real bad things with you.... ;)

Until next time, dearest readers...thanks for your continued support!!!

Well, what a pleasant surprise this morning when I got an email from one of my colleagues and supernatural friends, the public philosopher with the mostest, Tom Morris.

You may know Tom from his many books like his most recent, Twisdom, on the wisdom of Twitter, or from his appearances on TV. You may also know Tom from his Huffington Post philosophy column (Arianna Huffington is always on the cutting edge--we love you, Arianna!). Speaking of which, Tom interviewed me for that very column in April on the latest vamp pop culture vulture news, including Stephenie Meyer's The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, the upcoming HBO True Blood premiere on June 13th, and of course, Eclipse, the third installment of the Twilight film franchise being released in the States on June 30th. And amidst all of it, we have my book on True Blood & Philosophy: We Wanna Think Bad Things with You (with George A. Dunn; Wiley, 2010)--which just hit stores this week. And don't worry, Twi-hards, you're covered, too, with Twilight & Philosophy: Vampires, Vegetarians and the Pursuit of Immortality (with J. Jeremy Wisnewski; Wiley, 2009).

Both books are in translation--the Twilight book is in English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Russian and is also available from Audible (an Amazon company) as an audio book (which I voiced...eek). The True Blood book, newly released, will also be available in Polish...so far. I'm hopeful our friends at Wiley VCH in Germany will give the German-speaking fans a translation, too. And our Portuguese-speaking fans worldwide enjoy both Twilight & Philosophy and my other book X-Men & Philosophy...so we hope to see a Portuguese translation of True Blood & Philosophy as well. But why stop there???  Unfortunately, I don't get to decide what languages the books are translated into--because if it were MY decision, everyone all over the world would have equal opportunity to read. But that sense of equality and empowerment is what's behind the latest vamp-driven craze maze of pop culture; we humans tend to feel our vulnerability most acutely during times of distress, and no matter what side of the political fence you fall on, you know what I'm talking about....

So while today's entry is brief, hopefully, you can still sink your fangs into Tom's meaty interview on Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-morris/interview-with-a-philosop_b_604190.html

And if you feel so compelled, let me know what you think!

Until next time, dearest readers...

Inside Higher Ed is an online journal for academics; last week, I received an email from one of their copyeditors asking to do an interview. Today, the article is running. Of all the many answers to her many questions, the copyeditor-turned-writer only used one quote--ironically, about YOU...the fans! Hey, I'm good with that. You're the people who really matter. Without you, the blogs, the books, the articles, the reviews--none of it makes much of a difference. So here's to you! From Dubai to Australia to all over these United States:
 
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/05/13/twilight

I'm not sure how long the above piece will be available after today or if it will even be archived. If you read the piece, you'll notice that my co-editor seems to dominate the article. We weren't interviewed together so my best guess is that the interviewer may have had a little crush on my phenomenal phenomonology philosopher! Jeremy is a charismatic guy afterall.... ;)

In October 2010, Woman's World will run a piece based on an interview I had with one of their editors about what liking certain pop culture vamps reflects about an individual. Both Twilight & Philosophy and True Blood & Philosophy are mentioned. So are bad boys and spankings. Oh my!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010, The Huffington Post will run an article on the vampire craze in popular culture by world-renowned philosopher/author, Tom Morris, also the editor of Superheroes & Philosophy (Open Court, 2005), AND one of my favorite superheroic colleagues! Tom's interview was comprehensive and also a lot of fun. He and I will both be a part of a forthcoming PBS documentary on American comic books premiering in 2011-2012.

Nothing too deep or philosophical today--just an update. More tomorrow...I promise!

Until next time, dear readers....

PS: My Amazon UK Author Site was recently approved; it's similar to the Amazon US Author Site, but the blog isn't syndicated there. Check it out if you get a chance! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rebecca-Housel/e/B003H2P8IM

First, welcome to the more than 200 readers that visited the site in the last few days...over Mother's Day weekend, there was an unprecedented number of visitors--well over 500 people--must have been the cupcakes. Once again, thank you for taking the time--couldn't do it without you! ;)

True Blood & Philosophy: We Wanna Think Bad Things with You arrived at Wiley this week. The books will be sent out to stores on Monday, 5/17, and all of you fans who pre-ordered your copies will get your orders by month's end. Sookie and Bill grace the cover and inside, well, let's just say you fangbangers out there will have lots of True Blood flesh to sink your fangs into. There are two "lost" chapters that are not included in the published version of the book; one of the two chapters is lost forever but another is my own contribution dubbed "too controversial" to be published. When asked to change it, I refused and withdrew the chapter. I bet you're dying to know what it's about. Maybe it will appear in a future book. Otherwise, I can't tell you...at least, not yet. I CAN tell you that you won't find a chapter on race in our little book. While my chapter briefly touched on that aspect, sadly, the other "lost" chapter fully addressed the issue--like why Ball creates African American characters and makes them victims, like Eggs...if you're a fan of Harris's novels, Eggs doesn't get shot point-blank by a militaristic white man. He's not even black! So why create that scenario...what was Ball trying to do there? There are a plethora of other examples that may not raise the collective eyebrow of an audience who has yet read to Harris's Sookie Stackhouse novels. But it should. The black characters are relegated to victimization, except for the female police officer, who has a very minor role in Ball's adaptation. But that's a topic for another time.

If you are prepping for the juicy third season of True Blood, and you're going to buy our controversial little book, you'll need to pair it with a drink...that is, if you're 21 or older. I'll give you a few of the recipes to try for yourself...give you something to do between now and the HBO premiere of our favorite existential train wreck, True Blood:

Fangbanger: 1 part Amaretto; 3 parts red wine; 1 part Cola. Mix and serve in a wine glass.

THE Fangbanger: 1.5 ounces of Vodka; 2 ounces of Tru Blood drink (trubeverage.com); .5 ounces of Galliano. Mix vodka and Tru Blood beverage. Serve in a collins glass over ice. Add Galliano as a hat on your drink.

Plasmapolitan: 1 part Cointreau; 1 part vodka; 2 parts Tru Blood beverage; add a dash of lime juice in martini shaker and ice. Serve in a frozen martini glass.

Dutch Blood: This is a real killer. You'll want to use an 1.25 ounces of Absinthe in an Absinthe glass--top with Tru Blood beverage. Et voila, cherie, you have a Dutch Blood! And one of my former students living in Colorado has an Absinthe distillery. I'm not sure she can send it over state lines, but if you're in the Colorado area, her Absinthe is top notch! See the "PS" below for more on the Overland Distillery...a green distillery making the "green" fairy, hmmm.... ;)

The Undead Experience: 1 part Jagermeister; 2 parts vodka; 1 part triple sec; 1 dash of bitters; fill the remainder of the shaker with Tru Blood beverage. Strain into glass and add ice as desired.

Undead Sex on the Beach: 1.5 ounces of peach schnapps; 1.5 ounces of vodka; 2 ounces of OJ; 2 ounces of pineapple juice; 2 ounces of Tru Blood beverage. Combine and serve over ice.

And here's my own little concoctions:

Bloody Margarita: 1 part Tru Blood beverage (or V8--your choice); 1 part Cointreau; 2 parts Tequila; dash of lime juice. Mix and serve on the rocks...any glass will do! Salt the rim.

Blood Thinner (for those of you counting your calories): 2 parts vodka; 1 part unsweetened raspberry puree; wedge of lime. Pour raspberry puree in bottom of martini glass. Top with vodka. Squeeze in wedge of lime.

Viking-Vamp Water (in honor of that oh-so-yummy Eric Northman): 2 parts Akvavit (Norwegian whiskey); 1 part Ringnes (or any pale lager); 1/2 of a lime; Stir Akvavit and Ringnes gently after squeezing in the juice of 1/2 a lime. Pour into frozen glass--no ice.  In Norway, Eric's homeland, the tradition is to drink a shot of Akvavit, followed by a pint of beer. My Viking-Vamp Water is a nod to tradition with a twist...cheers!

NOW, if you're too young to include alcohol in your True Blood festivities or just don't feel like wasting the calories (I hear ya...)--here's a virgin cocktail for you to enjoy:

Freshy Fleshy: 1/2 part soda water; 1 part Tru Blood beverage; 1 part mango puree; the juice of half a lime. Shake in Martini mixer and strain into glass over ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint and paper umbrella.


June 13th, here we come! Armed with my True Blood & Philosophy book, the latest Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse novel, and a plethora of vampy-drink recipes...the long-anticipated season opener will go off with a bang...a fang-bang, that is.  Are you ready???  I am.

And hey, why stop the vampy-fun there. Two weeks later, on June 30th, tons of screaming Twi-hards will enter theatres at midnight and beyond to see Eclipse, the third installment in the Twilight film franchise. To aid my fellow Twi-hards, my contribution to our shared fandom is Twilight & Philosophy: Vampires, Vegetarians & the Pursuit of Immortality. If you haven't yet bought your copy...you should. EVERYTHING is covered in that book. Before watching the season finale of LJane Smith's Vampire Diaries on the CW tomorrow, Thursday, May 13th at 8pm EST, hit fandango to PRE-PURCHASE your Eclipse tix: www.fandango.com 

The next month is FULL of vamp-gasmic fun for all! Whether you LOVE True Blood or Twilight (or both, like me), I've TOTALLY got you covered! Don't go in to season 3 of True Blood cold, buy your copy of True Blood & Philosophy today! And why wait until after Eclipse to delve into the philosophical folds of the Twilight universe...you've GOT to buy Twilight & Philosophy. I promise you, reading both books will give you new insights into the worlds of our favorite pop culture vampires...in seven languages, in a kindle edition or e-book, and/or, as an audio book.

Until next time, dearest readers...eat cupcakes, fall in love, watch bad b-movies, and enjoy the not-so-guilty pleasures of vampire popular culture!!! Life is good...especially with fangs.... ;)

PS: Check out eco-conscious Overland Distillery in Colorado for more on their Absinthe for drinks like "Dutch Blood": http://www.OverlandDistillery.com

Hello! Before I launch into the latest vampire news for you pop culture vultures with fangs, I'd like to welcome another 200 new readers in the last two days! I value each and every one of you. I also value those of you who keep coming back for more--your continued interest and support is humbling and beyond amazing...you truly improve my world.

In vampire pop culture news, Charlaine Harris's latest Sookie Stackhouse novel, Dead in the Family, hit stores on Tuesday, but that's not exactly news--but if you love the Sookieverse, you should know that Harris, along with a few other best-selling authors, developed another collection of Sookieverse short stories called Death's Excellent Vacation, being released in early August of this year! Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse novels are the basis for HBO's True Blood series. The next season of True Blood premiere's next month, and so does my book (with George A. Dunn), True Blood & Philosophy: We Wanna Think Bad Things with You. The official release date has changed a few times but I can tell you that books will be sent to major book stores on May 17th, though the official release date is June 7, 2010. There will also be a Polish translation of True Blood & Philosophy. I'll keep you posted on future updates!

Harris is more than just the author of one popular book series, she has several, including her Harper Connelly novels. Harper Connelly is a human who can see and experience a person's last moments on earth. Like Sookie, Harper is a bit of a detective, helping herself and others to solve mysteries...of the dead. The latest news here is that Harris's Harper Connelly will be made into a comic book series by Dynamite Entertainment. Dynamite publishes major comic titles like Red Sonja, Army of Darkness, and Battlestar Galactica (and if you love Battlestar, be sure to check out Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy!).

The Vampire Diaries, a series based on LJane Smith's novels of the same name, is on the CW on Thursdays at 8pm EST; the show will be airing it's last two episodes for the season starting tonight. If you love the character of Damon played by Ian Somerhalder (also of Lost), you should check out his photo shoot for GQ this month!

TWI-HARDS: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (a Twilight novella) by Stephenie Meyer will be released on June 5, 2010. The next Twilight movie in the franchise, Eclipse, comes out June 30th in the States--July 9th in the UK. Director Bill Condon, best known for Dreamgirls (2006) and Kinsey (2004), has agreed to direct Breaking Dawn, the fourth and final installment in the film franchise. The movie is in pre-production with a release date set for November 18, 2011. Summit Entertainment is not confirming or denying rumors that Breaking Dawn will be split into two movies--but fans shouldn't worry--either way, we'll see Breaking Dawn on November 18, 2011! And to get yourself ready for all this Twilight-goodness in the next month, buy your copy of Twilight & Philosophy: Vampires, Vegetarians and the Pursuit of Immortality, available in English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Russian, also available on Amazon as a kindle edition AND an audio-book--which I voiced--and was released March 30th.

That's all for now, Vampirazzi! Get ready to get your FANG ON in the next two months....

PS: Look for more on forthcoming interviews with me on Twilight and True Blood from Woman's World (scheduled to run in October 2010), the Huffington Post, and Inside Higher Ed!

Payamayish pa ruski? Da! That's right, Twihards, those of you who speak Russian will soon be able to read Twilight & Philosophy: Vampires, Vegetarians & the Pursuit of Immortality in the language of the great Czars and Czarinas!

The team at Wiley just sold global rights for a Russian translation. To tally up the translations so far--the Twilight book is now translated into six languages (7 including English); the True Blood book, being released in June, will also come out in Polish--one of the languages the Twilight book is translated in as well. And the X-Men book was translated into Portuguese, yet another language the Twilight book may be read in. I'm still waiting for a Hebrew translation in all three books--we'll see how it goes.

If you want to HEAR Twilight & Philosophy read to you in my voice--you will be able to buy a copy of the audio book from Audible.com, the self-proclaimed "iTunes of the audio book world" very soon!

To see a few of the covers in the various translations currently available, check out the first photo gallery on the "Pics!" page. As the rest of the translations come out, I'll post the covers in the gallery....

And again, thank you, thank you, thank YOU to all the readers and fans out there who WANT these translations--I'm humbled every day by how much you all seem to like this book. It was a collaborative effort, so I'm not taking all the credit--not even a little--but speaking for my own part, I am VERY grateful to each and every person who chooses to buy and read these books, in whatever language you speak.

My whole purpose as a professor was to encourage ALL people to read and think critically through writing, so this recent result on the tail of the Twilight pop culture phenom takes my breath away. I'd also like to thank Stephenie Meyer, again, for producing literature that continues to capture the imagination of a global audience--how awesome it must be to see that you inspired millions to read, and, to write about your work. Kudos, Ms. Meyer!

Until next time, dear readers....