New Vampire Series on HBO - True Blood is for True Romantics

There is a new series on HBO called True Blood. This series is based on a series of books by Charlaine Harris and they center on the character Sookie Stackhouse. These books are called "The Southern Vampire Mysteries". Sookie Stackhouse is also the main character in the HBO dramatic series.

This series focuses on a telepathic waitress named Sookie Stackhouse. She is telepathic in that she can hear other people's thoughts as though they are being spoken aloud. She has had this ability all of her life and apparently it is something that runs in her family as her father also seems to have had this ability. Sookie lives with her grandmother and works as a waitress at a bar named "Merlotte's".

As the story begins Vampires have recently "come out of the coffin" and are now no longer hiding but out in the open living among mortals. The reason that the Vampires are now no longer hiding is that a new synthetic blood has been engineered by the Japanese. This drink is called "True Blood" and it replaces the need to feed on humans. This makes it safe for humans and Vampires alike.

Sookie is waitressing one night and a handsome stranger enters the bar. She is inextricably drawn to him and discovers much to her surprise that this handsome man is a Vampire, a first for Merlotte's. The Vampire in question's name is Bill Compton and he is 173 years old, having been made a Vampire at the mortal age of 30, during the Civil War.

Sookie falls in love with Bill the Vampire and he falls in love with Sookie. The series revolves around them and the people they interact with.

The setting for the series is a sleepy little Louisiana town called Bon Temps. No real crimes happen here and everyone knows everyone else and everyone else's business. Shortly after the series starts women start being murdered. It seems as though the peaceful little town of Bon Temps is now home to a serial killer.

Other characters in the show are Sookie's best friend since kindergarten - Tara Thornton. Tara has just recently been employed at Merlotte's as the bartender. Tara is a very strong willed woman and a fiercely devoted friend to Sookie. She also is secretly in love with Sookie's brother Jason.

Jason Stackhouse, Sookie's older brother is a sex crazed man who hops from bed to bed like a frog hops from a lily pad to another lily pad. If he is not having sex with ladies he can be found working on the road crew.

Lafayette Reynolds is Tara's cousin and is the cook at Merlotte's and also works with Jason on the road crew. Lafayette is an out of the closet homosexual and loves to wear makeup and a scarf on his head while working at Merlotte's. He is outspoken and does not take anything from anyone. Also, he seems to be a part time prostitute and seems to deal drugs from his home to help supplement his income. (One drug in particular is "V" which is Vampire blood). "V" is illegal and very expensive. Lafayette charges $600 for one ounce of the stuff.

Sam Merlotte is Sookie's employer and the owner of Merlotte's bar. He is a loner who keeps to himself for the most part. He is in love with Sookie but it seems that his affection is unrequited. Sam is a very mysterious fellow and seems to not be quite "human", although we know he is not a Vampire as he has been seen out in the daylight and he has been seen eating food and drinking beer. (Vampires cannot eat nor drink anything besides Blood or "True Blood").

Gran is Sookie's grandmother Adele Stackhouse and she has raised both Sookie and Jason since their parents died while the children were still small. She is a sweet old lady, loved by most all in the town and her great joy is her church group, "The Descendants Of The Glorious Dead".Throughout the series you will see how all of the characters interact with each other and on their own.

The show has aired 4 episodes so far and I know that HBO has said the series has been renewed for a second season. I cannot wait to see what happens each and every week. If you watch it one time you will be hooked too! I definitely recommend this series for any fan of vampire stories, or the supernatural. It is romantic, dramatic, creepy (in a good way) and downright entertaining.

You can watch True Blood on HBO, with new episodes every Sunday at 8:00pm EST/7:00pm CST. It repeats all throughout the week in case you missed an episode, but why would you?