[jjt]

Laurell K Hamilton: Anita Blake and Merry Gentry Thread #3 .. and hey third time starting it. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] So hoping the third time is a charm! [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]


Here are a few important links:
Link to prev thread for easy reference
Official Site http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/index.html
Best Reference site around http://halo-productions.com/anita/

Intro to Anita:

Overview of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series: Anita Blake is an Animator and Vampire Slayer. Actually, she is a monster slayer. Though sometimes the monsters are human and even Anita is not sure she is not one of them. Anita lives in a world very similar to our own. The difference: things that go bump in the night are real. Vampires, magic, zombies, werewolves, shapeshifters all exist and are active. Owning businesses, having love lives and living or unliving their day to day existence. Anita works for Animators, Inc. She routinely raises zombies for a living. Have a questionable will and died? Anita can raise you for your heirs to find out what you intended. Need to tell someone how you really feel about them but they died first? Anita can bring them back long enough for you to have your say. Anita also works as a consultant for the Regional Preternatural Investigation Team (RPIT), a division of the St. Louis Police force that deals with supernatural crimes. Of course Anita's boss at Animator's Inc, Bert Vaughn, will farm out his folks for all kinds of things; if the price is right. Though there are some things that even Bert is not willing to do for money. Unfortunately for Anita, some folks don't take NO for an answer. Don't worry, Anita is a tough lady. She can handle a gun with the best of them. Of course some things even a weapon won't help her with. Like her love life. Too complicated for even her, she is being wooed by the Master of the City, and a Alpha werewolf. Have to be careful not to give away too much here! Join Anita as she solves mysteries relating to all the scary things in the world. If you enjoy a good mystery, a tough female character with an attitude, spiced with creatures that only exist in the realms of fantasy, Anita Blake is what you have been searching for.

OK so Who's Merry?

Official Intro:

If someone offered you a throne would you accept? What if it was for the wrong side? Meredith NicEssus, Princess of the Sidhe courts, should have had a dream life. What little girl doesn't dream of being a princess? Unfortunately for Meredith, she not only has royal, but has lesser Fey and human blood flowing through her veins. A combination that left her as mortal as any human being and weaker than most Fey. Born into culture with a class structure where such small things as blood lines make a very big difference. A life at court, where politics and petty games of arrogance, cruelty, sadism and the occasional assassination, were regular parts of the daily regime and anyone different was fair game. To save her life, knowing that the Court would view it as a betrayal, Meredith fled for the human city of Los Angeles. Adopting the name Merry Gentry and accepting a job with the Grey Detective Agency as a "magical consultant" she tried to keep her past a secret. Three years of evading Court searches comes to a crashing halt when Meredith investigates a man using magic against humans. There is no way for Meredith to avoid scrutiny or hold her cover. The Queen of Air and Darkness never forgets and never forgives, even for family. Once discovered Merry must trust those she has no reason too. Expecting to be killed, whether it be quick and merciful or long and slow, Merry comes home. But the Queen wants Merry alive for her own reasons. Just as surely as someone else wants her dead for those very same reasons.

Book List:
Anita Blake Vampire Hunter
1. Guilty Pleasures
2. The Laughing Corpse
3. Circus of the Damned
4. The Lunatic Cafe
5. Bloody Bones
6. The Killing Dance
7. Burnt Offerings
8. Blue Moon
9. Obsidian Butterfly
10. Narcissus in Chains
11. Cerulean Sins
12. Untitled some spoilers and hints droped at the CS signings can be found here http://www.gentryinvestigations.com/hints.html


Merry Gentry
1. Kiss of Shadows
2. Caress of Twilight
3. Due April 2004 Seduced by Moonlight sources say .. it's moved up to FEB!
chapter 1 is up here http://www.randomhouse.com/features/...milton_excerpt

[ 10-04-2003: Message edited jjt ]

[n e r b l e]

silverfey - paperbacks usually come out around 6 to 8 months after hardcover release, sometimes a bit longer if sales are really good.

[*Scarlett*]

It's good to see a new thread here. I've now introduced another friend to the Anitaverse and she's already up to book 5. She's loving it. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[jjt]

Very cool .. a couple of my gaming friends have picked up the series recently after hearing us go on and on about it. It's fun helping folks find obsessions. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[Calenhiril]

I missed this thread while FF was down...had a streak of Anita longing last week and I just had to reread my favorite parts again...I can't believe we have to wait until next year before *any* hint of LKH! Sigh. It's reduced me to looking for fanfiction [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] or writing my own, as it were...

What kind of gaming do you do, jjt?

~Cal

[MagnusXXN]

Hey! You used my idea. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

): )

[n e r b l e]

i've got my boyfriend hooked on anita. it's so funny. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[Misako]

:: laughs :: it's great to get people addicted to things you like. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Misako

[jjt]

Originally posted by Calenhíril: <STRONG> What kind of gaming do you do, jjt? ~Cal</STRONG>

Right now just d&d but we've discussed getting a vamp the masq game going. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

And I'm right there with ya .. read the edward bits of Guilty Pleasures this weekend. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[Calenhiril]

I moved more stuff into the apartment last night (aka my mattress so I could sleep there) and I had to be sure to take a couple of my fave Anita books to keep me company in my new place.

Re: gaming...I sometimes wish I could get into d&d. I think I'd like it. I'm pretty darn sure I'd love werewolf or vampire...alas I know no one who games around here! Ah well. I guess I don't really need anything else to procrastinate with [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

~Cal

[n e r b l e]

there should be an rp for anita. it would be awsome. (of course i'm a dnd nut, so make your own judgement) [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[jjt]

Well lucky for me .. my dm is an Anita fan .. so JC, Asher, Jason and Edward have all showed up in game already. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Cal it took me forever to find a group I felt really comfortable with and of course now I did with only 9 months left in st louis. So I'm sure you will too. I'm sure the fantasy shops around town could hook you up with a group. I tend to go to the one in kirkwood on lindberg but there are stores all over. Would be easy to find one close.

[Zowwy]

I've read two of the Anita Blake books and I've read both of the Merry Gentry books and I have to say that the Anite Blake ones werent really that good and they didnt interest me. Whereas the Merry Gentry ones i thought for fantastic and i cant wait for the third.

[n e r b l e]

Originally posted by Zowwy: <STRONG>I've read two of the Anita Blake books and I've read both of the Merry Gentry books and I have to say that the Anite Blake ones werent really that good and they didnt interest me. Whereas the Merry Gentry ones i thought for fantastic and i cant wait for the third.</STRONG>

try giving the anita books another chance. laurel really improved in her writing style as the years went by. i loved the inital books, but i think some of her newer books are cleaner and a little better plotted out.

also, for someone reason i could see merry and anita. maybe it's cause merry's as aggressive and i think that's something anita looks for.

[jjt]

HEads up for St Louis fans ..

From the official site:

CENTER FOR THE BOOK Laurell will be reading at 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM. This is a wonderful Missouri organization that encourages reading. On November 15th, 2003 from 9:30am – 5:30pm they are going to sponsor an all day book fair at the Schlafly (225 N. Euclid St. Louis, MO 63108 (314) 367-4120) branch of the library. Please do NOT call the library for info. They are merely hosting. But they can give you directions should you need it. There will be lots of Missouri authors as guests including Laurell. Laurell will be reading from the next Anita book due out Oct. 2004. She will also be signing (limit two books per person due to Laurells ongoing tendonitis). Don’t worry if you don’t have a book, Left Bank Books will be selling books on site. This is free to the public, but there will be a donation jar to help fund Center for the Book. Check out the Sightings page for a list of guests and times. But please do come and stay a while. You might hear an author you have never heard of read. It is a good chance to discover someone new to you. It will be a lot of fun!