My question is regarding the character Bill Compton. I really liked the character in the books and hated to see him pushed to the side so often, so I must say I really enjoy him being a front-burner character in the show. What was it about the character on the page that made you connect with him? What were you looking for in the actors who auditioned for the part, and how did you feel when you finally found the talented and gorgeous Stephen Moyer to fill the role?

—BARBI BARRIER

Well, just like you, I loved the idea of a man who had basically lost everything ; who, because of his and Sookie’s circumstances (him being vampire, her being telepathic), is suddenly given a second chance at love and meaning in his life. When casting, I kept looking for a man who seemed like he was from another time, who knew how to play that undercurrent of sadness, and also was dashing and handsome, like a true romantic hero. When we found Stephen, I was thrilled, because we had been looking for a long time prior.

I really enjoy watching the show, but never watch the opening credits, as I find them unnerving. How and why did you come to decide on such a thought-provoking opening sequence?

—OLIVIA PAVEY

I wanted something primal, something that really communicated Southern gothic, something that alluded to the twin polarities of sex and religion as a means for transcendence, something that was really rooted deeply in nature.

I’d like to thank Alan for taking time out of his very hectic schedule to answer these wonderful questions, and thanks also to all of the fans who submitted them!

From Mystery to Mayhem - The Works of Charlaine Harris

From Mystery to Mayhem

The Works of Charlaine Harris

BY BEVERLY BATTILLO

Long before a telepathic waitress served the first beverage to a handsome vampire at Merlotte’s Bar, Charlaine Harris was creating compelling characters and plots that have excited her fans’ imaginations and fueled their fantasies.

Ever since the fourth grade, when she began composing poems about ghosts, Charlaine wanted to write. Her formal writing career began, however, after her marriage in 1978 to her second husband, Hal. As a wedding present, the understanding groom presented his bride with an electric typewriter and encouraged her to follow her longtime dream of becoming an author. Charlaine’s first novel, the mystery Sweet and Deadly, was published in 1981 and marked the beginning of a distinguished career that has now spanned thirty years.

FIRST STEPS