Egyptian Cats and Goddesses Rock Rochester! THE GUARDIAN OF BASTET

The Guardian of Bastet

By Jacqueline Battisti

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Carina Press

Date of Publication: 8/20/2012

Number of pages: 237

Word Count: 84,000

Cat-shifter Trinity Morrigan-Caine has discovered a demon is killing supernaturals. Magically challenged, she has every intention of letting handsome Alpha werewolf Gordon Barnes handle it. But after a dying vampire gifts Trinity a mystical amulet, she is drawn into the fray as the legendary Guardian of Bastet, a warrior born when the need arises.

Though Trinity initially rejects the role, she warms to the idea when Gordon agrees to train her—and their passion for each other grows as he teaches her to embrace her animal instincts.

As she begins to accept her destiny and believe in her growing powers, Trinity realizes the danger is even closer to home than she ever imagined—and she and Gordon are going to have to face the demon in a fight to the death...

Loved this book! I knew I would when I read the excerpt Roxanne at Bewitching Book Tours sent me. First, I liked the voice; Jacqueline has found Trinity and brought her to life. Second, there are cats involved and I am a cat person. I found it funny and well written. Also a bit sad at times,  I liked the action sequences and the novel ways they are resolved..

I loved the characters and the unpredictability of their actions. The family conflicts between husband and wife; mother and daughter rang true.  Grandmother provides some comic relief.

I can highly recommend this book.

As part of her virtual tour with BEWITCHING BOOK TOURS Jacqueline answered some questions for me. She gives me some really honest answers here:

Thanks for answering my questions.  To be honest, there are not a lot of loose ends left to give me any, "But, what about..." questions (this is a good thing) so here are some others.

1. I like the mix of species you've come up with and there are obviously specific rules and characteristics of each type of supe. How did you develop the structure?

I wanted Trinity to be a part of a local community, the way most of us are in reality. I developed the characters first. Once their stories began to develop, I went back and started creating the rules to Trinity’s universe. I admit, I’m a geek and I have post it notes all over the place. One group is characters, one is supernatural races and their rules, and the other is about basic magic rules. My agent actually helped me to focus on the rules so that future books wouldn’t break the rules. A way to keep track.

2. I associate the word "Trinity" with Christianity so was surprised to find it in this story about supes and Egyptian gods. Is there a story there?

It took me a while to discover my characters true name. Trinity. Like the trinity of Mother, Maid and Crone of womanhood. She is a cat shifter, a witch and then the Guardian of Bastet. Three roles she must grow into and accept just like her name. The trinity shows up in many religious mythologies, including ancient Babylon, Egyptian Greek, etc all the way to Constantine and his council at Nicea united the Catholic church. Each version of the Trinity had a different meaning for each group. For my character, it reflects her destiny and is female oriented.

3. I noticed a few story lines left open is this a new series or have you just left that door open?

When I wrote the Guardian of Bastet, it was with a trilogy in mind. My agent and I could only get the publisher to pick up the first book. Let’s hope enough people like it that the second and third will also be picked up when finished.

Bastet (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4. Why Rochester?

The Guardian of Bastet is set in Rochester, New York and it’s suburbs. Why? Because of the mundane reason that this is where I live and am inspired to write. There are so many local locations that inspired scenes within the book, and many spooky urban legends to lean on to continue to motivate me.

5. Any specific inspirations for this story? What was the germ of the tale?

Honestly, it started with NaNoWriMo to get me to stay in the chair and come up with a story. Then my cat inspired part of my story. I have two kitties, but the female is my cat. She is with me constantly and is particular only to me. She’s not overly fond of my children. She is the queen of the pets in the household, even though she’s the smallest. (I have a large male cat and a chocolate lab.) I would watch her and think, what would it be like to be her for a day? What problems would that entail? Then I started envisioning where someone like me would work, etc. and the character was born. I then researched different urban legends from Rochester, NY and found the stories of Mount Hope Municipal cemetery, news reports of demon summoning, and rituals performed within the Devil’s bowl, and I took those stories and rolled with it.

6. Which character is your favorite?

I like Trinity, and watching her mature and grow into herself, but I have to admit that my favorite would be Bronwyn, Trinity’s cat familiar. She says what she thinks, does what she wants and is absolutely loyal to Trinity, no matter what she does or looks like.

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The Guardian of Bastet

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3-Pewter Egyptian Bastet Cat Pendants (left), The Goddess Bastet (cat goddess) is an important role in The Guardian of Bastet

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The Guardian of Bastet Short Excerpt:

Like a good girl, I try to say my prayers every morning. This morning was no exception.

“Goddess, it’s me, Trinity Morrigan-Caine. Could you please let me get through today without pissing off too many people or wanting to kill anyone? And would you please grant me patience for the idiots I meet and guidance to keep my mouth shut when they say something really freakin’ stupid? Thank you.”

Afterward, I felt better. Today was just one of those days. I slept through the alarm. My familiar, a longhaired Birman feline named Bronwyn, had to wake me up and there is nothing like being swatted in the face with a clawed paw first thing in the morning. I showered and then realized I had no clean work scrubs. Crap. I put on already worn scrubs which didn’t smell too bad. The only brightness of the morning was my cousin and roommate, Lily, had made a pot of coffee and saved me some before she left for work—and probably on time, of course.

Once again, I was late and I knew my boss was going to have kittens because of it. Okay, not literally, although the thought of that made me giggle aloud. No, I was the one who turned into a furry feline once a month. She was just a human pain in my ass.

I grabbed the travel mug and took a swig of the coffee I had heated up before leaving. I didn’t even care I burned my lips on the brew. I let out a deep sigh. Ah coffee, the elixir of gods and humans. There was just nothing better than the jolt of caffeine to wake up to. I drove to work whistling.

Finding Jacqueline Battisti online:

www.jacquelinebattisti.com

https://www.facebook.com/jacquelinebattisti.author

Twitter: @jmbattisti

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jacquelinebattisti


Author Bio:

Jacqueline Battisti was raised in Little Falls, New York where she met and married her high school sweetheart. They have two children and live near Rochester, New York where she is a stay at home mom and writer of the paranormal and urban fantasy of her vivid imagination.

Her first novel, The Guardian of Bastet, is being published by Carina Press August 20, 2012. She is currently working on a sequel as well as a dystopian paranormal.

Her life has taken her from the trials and tribulations of working as an administrative assistant at various companies, back to college as an adult student, and then into the adventurous world of motherhood.

Jacqueline began writing seriously in 2007 after attempting NaNoWriMo for the first time. It was the first time she had disciplined herself to finish a novel. From there, her supportive critique group was formed and attended, and then she attended RT Booklovers Convention in 2009. Jacqueline attended their aspiring authors workshops and met with many talented writers who inspired her to continue writing.

Flash forward to today: Jacqueline has two children who are very outgoing and keep her on her toes. Cub Scouts, Daisy Scouts, play dates, school activities for the kids...then writing, reading current authors, following blogs, facebook, household chores, gardening and exhaustion for mom. Add in a new puppy, two furry feline children and fish and you have the craziness that is the Battisti household.

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WHERE THERE'S A WILL: Those Naughty Nephilim Strike Again!

KarenKelley.com

WHERE THERE'S A WILL

Karen Kelley

Sourcebooks Casablanca September 1, 2012

Paperback: 272 pages and E-Book

Disclosure:  E-Galley from publisher via NetGalley.

No remuneration was exchanged and all opinions, unless otherwise stated, are my own.

This new erotic romance series features half-angel, half-human hybrids known as the Nephilim. They have all the powers of angels, but also the frailties of man.

When good girl Haley Tillman is stood up (again), she prays for a dating miracle— and then slams the front door in its face when it appears!  Ryder is half angel, half mortal, with powers to do whatever the hell he wants.  When he hears Haley’s prayers, he is bound and determined to answer every single one of them. (NetGalley.com)

Her Fantasies Were Wild But Buried Deep...

Haley Tillman words hard at being a good girl, hiding her rich fantasy life in the pages of her diary. But being good doesnt' seem to get her anywhere with men, and her confidence is on a downward spiral. She's ready to try something altogether different, but hasn't a clue where to start. In a moment of desperation, she prays for a miracle...

He Might Take Her Beyond Them...

Ryder is the perfect combination of powerful angel plus normal hot–blooded man. Crossing into the mortal world could cost him his existence. But mortals are like a potent drug to Ryder, and Hayley is quickly becoming his drug of choice... Sourcebooks

If they sold angels this way at church, attendance would skyrocket!

I didn't find the first book in this series especially exciting, and I didn't even realize this was part of the same series for quite a bit of the book.  Then something struck me and I looked it up. Here is my review of the first book,  WHERE THERE'S SMOKE.

This story has fun balanced with  both intentional and unintentional soul-destroying cruelty.  There are lots of hot and sexy scenes that serve a purpose of freeing Haley from her self-imposed, passionless life.  She is a true doormat of a person; she has absolutely no backbone, dresses and styles herself terribly and thinks she is fat and unsexy. While I have known some women with confidence issues, I have never net anyone who was quite this beaten down.  So, Haley's Character wasn't hugely believable but she was sympathetic. Her friends, co-workers and family are also caricatures of those roles. All her "support" characters made me feel was a need to throttle them.

The question is, how far the fantasy aspect can go?  If you are willing to entertain a Nephilim as a character why not push the human characters to the point of caricature and have readers accept that as well?

If the book were any longer, or was an attempt at more than feel-good, erotic fiction then you couldn't use so much hyperbole and have it work at all.  While this is a bit sappy, I enjoyed reading it. It was pretty darn toasty in the love-department, though I thought the Nephilim's lesson plan a bit lacking as a psychiatric protocol to cure door mat-itis. But it's fantasy--it can be ridiculous and still be fun.

Available for purchase from these establishments

Amazon or         Barnes and Noble (paperback click on cover)
  

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Unexpected: DESTINED TO PLAY

DESTINED TO PLAY

An Avalon Novel

by Indigo Bloom

Red Avon/Harper Collins

E-Book July 31, 2012 414 KB 291 pages

Paperback September 11, 2012 288 pages

Disclosure:  E-Galley loaned by Publisher via Edelweiss on request.  No remuneration was exchanged and all opinions stated herein are my own unless stated otherwise.

Book Description

"It's simple. No sight. No questions. Forty-eight hours." An intensely charged erotic journey, perfect for anyone who was seduced by 50 Shades of Grey.
When thirty-seven-year-old psychologist Alexandra Blake leaves her comfortable suburban existence to travel for a series of lectures, she meets up with Dr. Jeremy Quinn, the man who opened her eyes and body to the world in ways she never thought possible. After a few glasses of champagne in his luxurious hotel penthouse, he presents her with an extraordinary proposition. Alexandra knows that they never promise each other something they can't commit to and that he will challenge her every inhibition. But she soon finds herself seduced into a level of surrender—and danger—she could never have imagined.
Destined to Play is the first book in the Avalon Trilogy exploring the intricate relationships between trust and betrayal, desire and love, risk . . . and reward.
harpercollins.com

This book left me disturbed and not in a way that erotica usually leaves me disturbed. 

I was certainly not expecting to read the book I read.  The marketing material had sold me an edgy erotic thriller with a bit of FIFTY SHADES.

And, I was excited to download and crack it open.  The first bit was interesting, titillating even. But, as I recall, all BDSM is consensual and explicit.  There are hard and soft limits and a safe word.  What transpires in this book is exploitative sex in a commercial experiment undisclosed to the woman involved. 

At the same time I was unable  to stop reading it. Nor have I been able to stop thinking about it.  Especially with it's cliffhanger ending worthy of a sophisticated spy novel.  

However as I parsed the book I was at first struck by some similarities to FIFTY SHADES OF GREY.  The story is written in the first person like FIFTY SHADES, from the Point of View of the female protagonist Alexandra. And, the voice: the texture of the writing sounds very much like FIFTY SHADES. While Alexandra is older and considerably more confident that Anastasia Steele, professionally and sexually, she is taken to the limits of her endurance sexually and emotionally--even farther than Miss Steele is taken.   

At times I was enraged by the behavior of the antagonist, Jeremy. At times I, like Alexandra, was ashamed by finding some scenes erotic. Overall the book was more of a bucket of cold water on my libido than it was a soothing water bottle.

Coercion and exploitation are the major impressions with which I was left.  Rather than a contractual arrangement for a sexual adventure where both parties understand what they are entering into I am left with the feeling that it was nearly criminal.

This does not mean I wouldn't recommend the book. I do think it is provocative and I find that interesting and valuable.  I also found it intensely disturbing and brings up questions about BDSM that I think may not be addressed much in the current spate of erotic fiction. 

When does a BDSM agreement go awry? What are the legal and ethical limits on such a relationship? What's okay to do? I am all for discussion of sexuality.  In this case the relationship is unconsensually commercial and that is partially what I feel constitutes the exploitative nature.  I actually found this the most enraging thing of all.

This is not erotica for me; it goes beyond what I think of as erotica, approaches science fiction in its medical aspect, and a crime novel in the behavior of the male "love" interest.  It is pretty well written in Australian-English and is well-edited.  It also seems well researched. I was unaware that a part of the female anatomy has been renamed the female prostate.

If you are expecting "straight" erotica with a BDSM slant you will be surprised and perhaps disappointed. In any case reading this provocative work you may be disturbed, you may think it's shocking, you may think it's hot, but you will think about it and you will discuss it with your friends. 

You may wish to make use of my Amazon Link to buy the e-book or to preorder the paperback:

Or, if you to pre-order the print book at Barnes and Noble by clicking the image below.

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Related articles

• Indigo Bloome, author of The Avalon Series - Destined to Play, Destined to Feel and Destined to Fly, answers Ten Terrifying Questions
• In the Wake Of Fifty Shades Australian Publishers Reveal A Desire to Dominate : New Erotic Titles Tumble From the Presses

Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups WHEN BEAUTY TAMED THE BEAST

WHEN BEAUTY TAMED THE BEAST

Happily Ever After Book 2

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages

Avon; Original edition (January 25, 2011)

E-Book Editions (Kindle File Size: 695 KB)Print Length: 372 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins e-books; Original edition (January 25, 2011)
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers 

Blogger Purchase, no remuneration was exchanged. All opinions herein are my own unless I note it otherwise.

Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, lives in a castle in Wales where, it is rumored, his bad temper flays everyone he crosses. He's a Beast. Miss Linnet Thynne is one of the most exquisite young ladies ever to grace London's ballrooms. She's a Beauty. But wait—there's more! Piers is a doctor: brilliant, lame, and impossible to get along with. There's a version of him on Fox TV, named after a habitation. Linnet has been involved in a scandalous flirtation with a prince, and everyone in the ton thinks she's carrying a royal child: she needs a husband.

Linnet estimates it will take two weeks—at the outside—to bring the earl to his knees. Piers knows that he will never fall in love, and definitely never marry. (EloisaJames.com)

Illustration by Warwick Goble to Beauty and the Beast: the heroine is the youngest daughter in her family. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Fairy Tales are the font of fantasy literature, so I can feel entirely justified in becoming a devotee of Eloisa's delightful series.  Her newest book THE UGLY DUCHESS releases today! (Woo Hoo!)

I reviewed it July 1 (Yo Ho, Yo Ho a Pirate's Wife for He), because I badly wanted to read it and at the time was not ahead of myself with reviews.I enjoyed it and my mother also liked Eloisa's books when she was visiting.

Eloisa's fairy tale themed novels  are steamy romance of the most delicious sort, are adult in nature but not explicit.  She admits to the title character of HOUSE, MD being an inspiration for the role. Honestly, Piers is a better character. 

Linnet is not a standard beautiful but brainless heroine. There's a smart and compassionate head on those perfect shoulders. Who wouldn't fall for her? 

It's truly obvious to all of us that the couple are meant to be together. Why don't they see it until a crisis looms?

Whether or not it was intentional, and Eloisa is traveling in New Zealand so isn't available for me to ask(lucky duck!), the novel touches on a feminist theme of oppressive misogyny. During the Regency, women of the ton, or society, were without an ability to support themselves without an inheritance.  I doubt the populace was as freakish as society about virtue, but certainly it is the stuff on which novels are made. 

Well-written, feel good, steamy romance with a fairy tale ending. What more can you ask as summer wanes?  Highly recommend all of this series. Each stands alone perfectly well, but once you start to read one you'll want to read another!

All Eloisa's Happily Ever After Books are available on Amazon

 

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SAVE YOURSELF: TRUE BLOOD SEASON FIVE FINALE Part One

A message from Alan Ball:



http://youtu.be/zZfX6EIW1U4

TRUE BLOOD

Season Five Episode 12

Series Episode 60
Season Five Finale

PART ONE OF THE EPISODE RECAP
For Part TWO CLICK HERE

I broke this into two posts so the feed would accept it.  Fingers crossed!

As I finish this I can summarize a few things. The summary is at my TUMBLR SITE

SAVE YOURSELF

For a “summary” of the season to this point, please see my post at my other blog, WINGED EFFIGY 9/25/2012

Last scene from last week. The fae are in the club.  Russell has just drained the Elder and is high on her blood.

One of Claude’s sisters says “Oh God, he can see us.”
He says, “I’d love to come to dinner.”

Teaser: Continuation of the Faeiries in Crisis at their club in the field:

All the faeries blast him  but  Russell just laughs.
Steve Newlin is watching, amazed, shocked.

Russell asks if that’s the best they can do, he can’t even feel it except, he says a slight tingling sensation. Within steps of the club door, he tells them that they will merely whet his appetite.

Suddenly, Eric is there and he grabs Russell pulling him away, and then holds a stake to him.  As faerie light leaks out of   Russell he explodes. Newlin sobs once and runs off.

Eric says, “Well that felt even better than I thought it would.”

CREDITS

Back in the faerie field.

Sookie runs to Jason, even though the other fae try to stop her because, “there are still bad vampires out there!”

Nora appears.  She exclaims,  “What is that amazing smell?”

She goes after Sookie and Eric stops her.

“You will NOT feed on Sookie,” Eric says as he hold Nora by the scruff of her neck. 

Nora asks, “What is she?”
“She’s a waitress; a waitress who has saved my life more than once. And whose fairy vibe* very graciously brought me here tonight allowing me to settle and ancient debt. Thank you for that by the way.” He smiles at Sookie.
Nora is sniffing at Sookie like a starving man sniffs a grilling steak and struggles to get to her, “But I want her.”
Eric turns her around roughly and grabs her around the front of her neck.  “Are you really this undisciplined? He asks her.

Sookie finds Jason.  She shakes him by his shoulder trying to rouse him, “ Jason are you alright, Jason!”

 Eric  tells Nora that Father would be very disappointed.  She says, “All Right, I won’t eat her.”  Eric makes Nora swear on Godric  that she wont go after Sookie.

Sookie rouses Jason but he sees their mother and says, “Mama.”  Sookie is puzzled and says, “What? Jason it’s me Sookie. “

*My husband and I think this is ‘fairy vibe,’  but it could be ‘fear vibe,’ ‘fairy life,’ etc. Something about Sookie lead him to her.

Vampire Authority (VA):

 Big wooden doors to the Sanctuary are closed.  Bill is sitting on the blue sofa, and hears Lilith saying “Drink of me, of me, of me.”
Bill looks worried.

They bring in Sam Merlotte.  Bill recognizes him. 

“This is a shifter, can you not smell the difference.”

He tells the guard to ungag him.  Sam urgently asks Bill to hear him out.  His girlfriend’s daughter was kidnapped by Steve Newlin. 

Sam says they won’t tell but Bill says he knows too much.  He drops fang and goes to bite Sam he turns into a fly.  They jump around after it and the fly goes into the ventilation duct.  Stating the obvious, Bill tells the  guards they’ve been breached.

Nora and Eric walk into  Fangtasia:

Nora is wondering how she ever had not  ever smelled a fairy. Eric says it’s because all he ever cared about was rising up the ranks of the authority. “Overachiever,” he taunts.

Nora: “Well, somebody had to do something to make father proud.”

Eric: “ It must kill you that he loved me more.”

Nora, looking around: “You think he did.”
Tara comes in abruptly and tells Eric, “They got Pam.”

Eric and Nora in the basement of Fangtasia, taking cash out of the wall:

She tells him he’s insane to go back into the Vampire authority.  He replies that Pam is family and Nora says, “She a former prostitute.”
We’re going, just as soon as we stash this [giant pile of cash] somewhere safe.”
Tara comes in pulling a car top carrier.  She asks, “Are you sure this thing is light tight? It looks like Tupperware.”

“It’s 100% light tight and virtually indestructible.”

 Tara says, “Are you kidding even I can destroy it.”

Eric turns to Nora and points at Tara saying, “Oh, by the way, she’s family too so be nice to her.”

Tara make a Hmp of satisfaction as she goes off.

Eric and Nora continue moving money…

Sookie and Jason at her house:

She is on the sofa, in the middle and he is in a chair across from her, inexplicably holding a bear-shaped squeeze bottle of honey. She is telling him that she should take him to the emergency room because he is acting weird.  He sees his parents on either side of her.  She doesn’t.  (Where’s Lafayette when you need him?)

The father says, “It’s a wonder one of them fangers hasn’t killed your baby sister.” The mother , on the other side of  Sookie, knitting, says, “Lord knows they’ve tried.”

Tara, Nora and Eric vamp speed into Sookie's Living room.   (I don’t know if they don’t need an invitation because he still owns it but it is much like the episode when Eric and Bill walk in on Sookie and Alcide.)

"What the," Sookie says.  Then she sees Tara. “Oh my God, Tara are you okay?”

Jason: “Oh fuck, Tara; I forgot you were one of them.”

Sookie says: “Well, this reminds me you still haven’t got to transferring the ownership of my house back to me.”

Father: “A fucking fanger owns my momma’s house.”

Jason cringes.

Eric: “I’ll do it first thing tomorrow night.”

Father: “It ain’t right.”

Eric: “If we survive tonight.”
Sookie: “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Eric: “I need you to come with us into the Vampire Authority—pick up Bill and Jessica.” Pauses, “and Pam.”

Tara, “And you owe Pam.”

Still sitting facing Sookie, with Nora, Eric and Pam to his left, he laughs, “Ha, there ain’t no fucking way I’m gonna let her go anywhere with you.” Next to Sookie, Daddy Nods and smiles in approval of Jason’s statement.
Sookie, looking down at her hands: “Jason, I got this.”

Jason: “What about Mama and Daddy? Sook, you oughta tell all these fucking fangers to go back to hell where they came from!”

Eric, chuckles quietly.
Jason turns and looks up at him, “Sumthing funny?”

They exchange “yes, bloodbag.” Leech breather, dead fuck, meat Sack until Sookie tells them to stop acting like children.

Meanwhile, Nora has been sniffing away in Sookie’s direction, “You smell like something I once dreamed of…”
Sookie:  Eric, please ask your sister not to look at me like that.  Look, I already know vampires are behind the True Blood factories bombings.”

Eric: “Bill was behind those bombings. And he did it to force mainstreaming vampires to feed on humans. Now we’ve got to get him out of there before he loses himself completely. Now, if anybody can get through to him it’s you.”

Sookie is flummoxed, upset. 

Tara, quietly: “and you owe Pam.”

Mama, Daddy and Jason all swallow – they know (Or Jason knows and they’re just mirroring his expression since they are figments of his imagination.”

Sookie, she swallows too, “Okay.”
Eric swallows hard.

Leaning forward Jason exclaims hands out and palms up, “Sook! Please don’t do this.”
Sookie: “Don’t you want to save Jessica?”
Daddy, leaning towards Jason in a consoirational tone says, “Just think how many vampers you can kill in there champ.”

Jason, standing, “Okay, he puts down his honeybear, “But, I’m coming with you.”

Eric: “Oh, Sweetie, don’t be a fool.”

Jason, standing his ground face to face with Eric, “If I wanna be a fool, then I will be a fool; that is my God given right as an American.”

Daddy smiles in approbation.

VA Chancellors Meeting Room:
Guards lined up at attention.  Bill standing in front of them lecturing.

We’ve been breached Salome is sitting in a chair to the side.

He is lecturing the guards about the breach.  They failed , yadda, yadda to protect, yadda yadda, but mostly they failed to protect the essence of Lilith.

Scour every inch of  the VA, find every rodent and insect, kill it and if it doesn’t shift back to a  human form when it’s then keep on looking.

The guards leave.

Salome and Bill remain, she leans forward as Bill approaches her.

She  asks if he has seen the African chancellor he killed last week. 

Kneeling to be at eye level with Salome Bill  tells her he killed him because he was about to drink all Lilith’s blood believing she had chosen him.  He killed him because Lilith appeared to him, Bill, and told him she had chosen Salome, that Bill should serve and protect her, that she was the prophet for the new age.  Salome is  vibrating with emotion.  Bill bows in front of her.  

Humans in VA cells naked and crying, some still and emotionally exhausted. 

We hear Emma barking,  She is in a crate. 

Luna is in another cell from the cub. She is speaking reassuringly.

A fly lands and shifts to Sam

Sam tells Luna that, “I tried reasoning, apparently he’s lost his mother fucking mind.” he is going to case the place which is huge and has surveillance cameras everywhere.  He tells her that if they come for her, shift.  Luna says she won’t leave her.  He tells her that Emma is safe; she’s a pet and they don’t feed on wolves.

Again she says she won’t leave Emma.  He tells Luna she won’t be good to Emma if she’s dead. If they come shift and escape through the air ducts, he’ll find her and they will come back for Emma.  He shifts back into a fly and goes.  Luna tells Emma not to be scared.

Jess and Pam are in adjacent cells.  Jessica says, “They’re religious fanatics — both of them.”

Pam, lying down and facing away from Jessica. She says “Huh, I can totally believe it about Bill – he’s always looking for something to feel guilty about. But Eric, No way.” Jessica: They’re worse than my uncle who started his own church.  He told my cousins there was no Santa Claus when they were little just so Jesus wouldn’t have any competition.”
Pam, sits up, “Eric has always made such fun of religion.”

Jessica: Standing, “Not in here! It’s like they’re in a cult; you know their eyes get crazy -- you know how crazy feeds crazy.  They want to conquer the world, and they‘re just crazy enough to do it. (Pam stands and walks away from the wall her cell shares with Jessica’s) And, it doesn’t matter how many people get hurt., or killed.”
Pam, hands on hips, definitely not her happy face: “One of the worst things about being immortal is having to watch this same, stupid scenario happen over and over. It’s usually the humans though – guess this proves we’re just as fucking retarded as they are. “ She looks at Jessica.

Jessica says , “I still can’t believe Eric and Bill weren’t even going to warn Sookie that Russell Edgington was  coming after her.”
Pam, pissed off, “Must all roads lead to  fuckin’ Sookie!”
Jess: “They were just going to let him drain them, all because according to their vampire bible she’s an  abomination.”

Pam, looks over at Jess with a cocked eyebrow, “ Maybe there’s something to this religion after all.”

Alcide  and his  father at  his Dad’s Trailer

Cooking a buck on the grill.  They discuss his father’s wardrobe lightly, jokingly.

His father (paraphrased) Worst part of being a parent  you cant keep kids from learning what a shit hole this world is.  You want to protect, that life is fair good rewarded, bad punished.  When you’re the lesson  teaching them how bad things are it’s a hard thing .
Alcide says he’s heard it before and that deeds are better.

Martha drives up  with Ricki screaming hysterically in the back.  She is uncontrollable and making little sense.

JD forced her to drink blood.  Martha is worried that Ricki has Overdosed and that she might die.

A Fly at the Vampire Authority. 
It’s the vent over Bill sleeping with Salome.  It flies on.

Jason and Sookie Carting the vamps around the car carriers.
They are covered with a tarp.  Eric is dressed for stealth.  Sookie thinks they should be less conspicuous given the current state of vampire-human relations.  He says if someone wanted to expose the vampires and “fry these bitches up, they can be my guest.”

Sookie tells him that these are their friends. Jason doesn’t agree.  Sookie says they will need their help to get into the authority. He says anything with fangs is fair game. They break into the amti vampire store, slipping under the police tape. 

Jason sees his father behind the counter.  “I’m on it daddy, tonight.” His father cocks his finger at him in that okedokee finger pointing gesture.

She tells him killing a lot of vampires won’t bring their parents back.

Opening his duffle, he exclaims.
Jason says, “Don’t just stand there bellyaching, fill up the bag!”
“No,” she says, “Not until you look at me. Nora, Eric and Tara, they’re on our side. They want to get Bill out of there before,..”
Jason, exasperated, “Before things what?  Spin out of control? That train is already sailed!” He continues stuffing a pack with stakes and such.

His mother steps forward, she tells him she is proud of him for taking such good care of his sister.  

Jason” “There’s a fucking war coming!” He grabs two automatics.

Mama, “And she is living in a dream world!”

Jason, “It’s us against them, and that is the sad reality.”

Daddy: “Damn straight, Us. Them.

Jason grabs a crossbow, “So, if I have to kill Bill tonight, or any of the rest of them, I am gonna do it. And you better be prepared to do the same. The time for tolerance is over.  He hands her the crossbow as she looks at him astonished.

Alcide’s Father’s Trailer. 
The news is on about Edgington.  Ricki is sweating blood.  They’ve given her something to help her get rid of the V.

Alcide asks if JD did anything else to her.She says she’ll tell him if he tells her why he couldn’t pick up a phone and tell her where he was.

Couldn’t p/u a ph and tell where she was.  Unless that night didn’t mean anything to him. 
It meant something , he tells her.  JD called pack meeting emergency, then held them down and poured the blood into them.  He didn’t rape her but some of the younger girls weren’t as lucky.  Alside tells Martha that JD may have been good once but not anymore.  She says that’s obvious.

Alcide says he’s fight JD but he’s so jacked up…  Alcide’s father has his own reserve of V, people have come by to kill him, he rationalizes and he does what he has to to stay alive.

The fly at the Vampire Authority – Steve Newlin’s Room.

He sees Newlin’s suit and badge; a picture of Russell, Steve and Emma.

Back to the cell, the fly shifts back to Sam. He says, “I have an idea.” She asks, “Will it work?”
He replies, “I hope so.”

Arlene and Holly at Merlottes. 
Arlene is bussing some silver into the kitchen on her way out.  She runs toward the door.  Lafayette comes in with some Cajun Margaritas to share. Holly has one but Arlene wants to get home before dark. They convince her to have one.

Out in the restaurant, Andy is escorting his fairy baby mama, Mirella into the bar.  He seats her at a table and asks her to sit tight so he can go talk to Holly.  She asks for some salt, which she proceeds to pour down her throat. She kisses Andy’s hand.

Jane Bodehouse is there and says she thinks she slept with Andy, No he says no.  She asks Arlene when Andy got so hot.

Holly said she was glad  he hadn’t slept with Jane, it would have made her feel what they had was less special and she would be sad.

They go off to talk.
He tells her he really cares about her, hasn’t ever felt that way before.

She says, “Who was it and how many times.”

He says it was Mirella and twice, “once a couple of weeks ago, before you and I had ever, uh. And the other time was almost a week  ago, he’s pregnant and she clearly after we had,…I’m so sorry. 
Holly is tight lipped, shaking her head. 

Andy goes on, “And now she’s pregnant and refuses to go to Saint Francis’, says her kind doesn’t whelp in hospitals.

Holly’s mouth is a surprise “O.” But before she can sak what that means, Mirella stands, crying out, not in pain, that her light broke.

Bill and Salome waking up

He is looking at her tenderly, stoking her hair.  “My beautiful prophet.”

They kiss.  She rolls over to get up and he quickly rolls her back, surprising her, to have sex.

Sookie and Jason on the road, it’s dark. Sookie says, “Bill isn’t evil, I know him.” Start a civil war between vampires and humans, it’s not who he really is.”

Jason’s father, sitting between them says, “Poor thing, blinded by love, too scared to let herself see the truth.”

They go through a whole discussion on their history with the opposite sex.  He takes cues from his visions of their dead parents. They both go for unavailable types, he tells her.  She chooses dead guys and his women have all been unavailable too. Instead of waiting for something good, maybe they should just expect the worst.  She says she refuses to think that way.  He says that is her choice but she has got to let him think that way.

She asks how his head is, he has a huge lump. 

Suddenly, Eric pops down in the window frame and says to pull over.

Mirella having her baby on the pool table at Merlottes.

Holly says she can’t believe she is midwifing for his pregnant girlfriend.

Mirella tella Holly she’s had 73 pregnancies.  Obviously labor isn’t that hard, in fact it’s rather orgasmic.  Light is shooting out of her hoo ha.

Arlene, Jane and Lafayette  watching.  As Mirella is having her orgasmic experience she shrieks so loudly she breaks a bottle on the bar. Mirella is coming in labor

Ta Da! It’s a baby girl with no umbilical cord. 

Andy is a proud daddy

Holly says,  “You better be good to her, Andy Bellefleur, she’s going to have a hard enough time as it is, being a woman in this world. Andys says, “I swear.” 

Jane laughs, smiles at Arlene and says, “I have no idea what’s happening.”

Lafayette says, who does?

More orgasmic cries, Mirella is having another baby.

VA Emma in her crate in the cells. 
The guards let a very nervous Steve Newlin in.  He goes in and gets Emma, saying “I’ve got you baby and I am never letting you go. Do not shift. “

Newlin goes into the lobby.  The receptionsist wants to chat.  She doesn’t get why his southern accent is gone and wants to argue about branding.  He is so nervous. Fly lands on him.

He gets to the blood control and suddenly Rosalyn walks in and starts to harangue him about the fraternity episode and how he is going to make it right.  Clearly something bad happened t Nora and Eric who were supposed to do spin control.  The government probably killed them and were coming after them…

She activates the elevator with her blood, and basically pulls Newlin on with her. The fly is on the ceiling.

Merlotte’s

Mirella still giving birth in an endless orgasm. Alrlene comments that birth isn’t like that for a normal person.

Another girl, the fourth baby. 

Mirela gets up and is fine. She  tells Andy to take good care of the children; it is his sacred duty to see that at least half make it to adulthood. She leaves.

Jane Bodehouse, claps and says “That was Awesome.” 
Andy sheepishly smiles at Holly.

Holly says “You’re a dick.”

Alcide and his dad  walking through the woods.  A little farther on, JD is hurting a vamp to drink his blood

“Ain’t no such thing as too much V.” is exclaimed

Alcide and JD start to fight.

His father stops someone who goes to help JD.  Martha arrives with a big bow and tells everyone to, “Stay out of it , this is between JD and Alcide.”
Alcide knocks JD unconscious and then breaks his neck.

Alcide is proclaimed the new packmaster. Everyone but his father knees and looks down submissively.

Alcide makes a speech:
"This stops tonight.  We’re wolves, we respect ourselves, we respect our pack, we respect nature, without exception. We do not surrender to nihilism  we do not take advantage of those who are younger or weaker than we are.   This is how it’s going to be in this pack from now on. And if you don’t like it you have 24 hours to get the hell out.   Or, you face me right now. Tonight we choose pack"

Scroll Down for Part Two or click HERE

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SAVE YOURSELF PART TWO TRUE BLOOD SEASON FIVE FINALE

TRUE BLOOD

Season Five Episode 12

Series Episode 60
Season Five Finale

SAVE YOURSELF

Part TWO

 In an attempt to satisfy the RSS Feed gods I have this out in two pieces: FOR PART ONE CLICK HERE

 The rest of the finale takes place at the Vampire Authority HQ

Vampire Authority Driveway

Eric and Nora have Sookie, Tara and Jason bound and gagged in the bed of the pickup.

The guard stops them.  Says their flight was aborted no idea why. 

They are on lockdown so he calls it in.

The guard says, “The blond smells amazing .” Eric says she is and she’s his.

Bill allows them to go in

He sees Sookie Tara and Jason.

Nora and Eric are worried.

The VA TV studio. 

Rosalyn has Emma; she is complaining about everyone else being idiots and noone has any work ethic.
Newlin getting makeup . She tells him to stay on script.

“and you better sell the shit out of this Preacher man because it looks like you and Russell may have just started a war.”

The news station comes on with the footage from the fraternity. They have Rev. Newlin there. 

Newlin :  It’s my pleasure Suzanne to be able to refuse, refute these heinous charges  which have obviously been fabricated by a sick and hateful mind.  Can we please start with the cheap and obviously manufactured vid,” He starts to gag.  We see the fly’s POV again.  Newin starts  puking and shifts into  to Luna. 

Back at Merlotte’s Lafayette turns to Jane and says, I did not see that shit coming.

 Luna says, "The vampires are keeping humans prisoner in an underground bunker somewhere in New Orleans. They are feeding on them!” Rosalyn lets go of the cub and knocks over the teleprompter, Luna continues, “They are killing them!” She picks up Emma. 
Rosalyn pops fang.  The fly flies into her throat and shifts inside her basically blowing her apart.

Sam emerges, covered with gore.  She smiles at him and the she passes out.

“Luna!?” Sam exclaims. 

In the Blood Shrine 
Salome walks in through the Chancellors’ room. She is in a purple evening gown. 

She is solemn.

We cut to Bill, he is looking at his laptop.  Dressed in a leather jacket, he snaps the laptop closed and leaves the room.

Back in the Blood room:

She kneels in front of the blood, “Thank you Lilith, our mother,  for the gift you have bestowed upon me. And I swear upon my life thy will shall be done.  Vampires shall  rightfully rule this earth.

In the VA elevator:
Jason and the others are  getting geared up.  They scramble the signal to the security cameras. 

Blood Room

Salome asks guidance as she surrenders to her completely.

The Elevator Doors open:
Jason takes out the receptionist as they come in Tara shoots a guard.  Someone hits an alarm activating level two protocols.  A countdown starts

Just as she is about to drink the blood, Salome hears the alarm.  She closes the vial and vamp speeds out with it.

Elevator/lobby

Eric yells Go,  He and Nora vamp speed somewhere as Jason takes out the cameras.  He sees shadows coming through the doors at the left of the elevator.  He yells to Sookie and Tara, still in the elevator to stay back. He jumps behind the desk so he can  shoot.

The countdown hits one and the regular lights go off; apparently there is security lighting.

Tara, stepping through the goo, tells  Sookie to watch out it’s slippery.

Guards go into the Chancellory.  Nora and Eric are above them and flying down, take them all out with thrown stakes.  The blood room doors are open  (Continuity Error, the blood is in the case!). Eric somewhat snarky, says, “See what you’ve been missing, working for the fucking authority? Control Room.” They speed out.

Cells:

Jessica and Pam trying to figure out what’s happening.  They are thrilled to see Tara and Sookie.  Pam asks what she is doing, Tara says  “Breaking you out of jail, bitch.”

Tara shoots another guard

Eric  and Nora have to unarm and unlock before Sookie and Tara can let them out.  Pam says, “Nice plan.” Tara comes back with “Sure beats yours.”

Meanwhile, up in the control room they are arguing about it. But they finally get it.

Lobby, Another guard comes, Jason shots him and then shoots a pile of goo.

The doors unlock in the cells.  Jess asks Sookie to open it because it’s silver, but, Tara rips the door to Pam’s cell open and she and Tara kiss passionately.

 

Jess and Sookie stare with mouths agape.  Sookie says, “Oh okay.”   Jessica, “ I knew it!”

Bill is walking down a hall.  He walks in to Salome’s living quarters He sees her, dressed now in a light colored gown. 

He says, “Quite the ritualistic tone you’re setting.”
She turns to him holding the vial, “Do you not think the occasion befitting? Tonight, Lilith’s darkest dream will be made real.” He walks toward her, but she continues, “I’m sorry, I know you want this for yourself, but I was chosen.” He nods and walks a bit away from her. Salome goes on, “Lilith in her wisdom wanted the strongest.  I’m glad you’re here to witness.  You will tell this story many times.”

“Salome, think about this. We don’t know what drinking all of it will do. “

She says, “Lilith knows, that’s good enough for me.”

Bill: “If it were to affect you, adversely, you would be a tremendous loss to the movement.”
Salome: “This is not a movement, Bill, it is the fucking rapture.  All you’ve seen and you still doubt. That is  why  I am stronger.”
Bill says, “Apparently.”

She guzzles it down as he watches.

Lobby:

Sookie, Pam  Tara and Jessica come in.  Jessica comes in and says she is so glad to see him.  She says she has been an idiot and she loves him. 

He tells her he could never love a vampire. She is taken aback.

Eric and Nora vamp speed in.  Walking to the elevator, Eric says they’ll be waiting for you up top.  So I suggest you all reload on the way up.” As Pam goes by they exchange a happy to see you glance, she touches his lapel.

Sookie and Eric have not gotten on the elevator.  Pam says, “Wait! Aren’t you coming with us?”

He shakes his head, “We’re going to get Bill.”

Pam: “You can’t be serious?”

Jason, “Sookie!”

Sookie, nodding: “Make sure it’s safe up there for us, We be up momentarily.”

The elevator doors close as Jason frowns.

In Salome’s quarters..

Salome in convulsions vomiting blood on the nice carpet. 

Of course it was a competition, but the weak spot for you, Salome, and it always has been, is that you’re not very good at predicting an adversary’s behavior.  Possibly because of your monumental narcisissm. You were so impatient for the rapture, that you didn’t even smell the silver in the blood!” Salome looks up more shocked. “And I put in a lot. But I knew you would never smell it because you were too impatient in your lust for greatness.” He kneels next to her with a stake.

She weakly says, “You defiled the mother’s blood?”
Bill, “I would never desecrate the holy grail.  He holds up a vial.

He straddles her

She says,”Lilith, chose wisely.”

He stakes her, slowly with an initial prick that makes her cry out, and then down.

He rises, bloody, from her remains. Only he is left.  He is about to uncork the bottle.

Eric comes in, followed by Sookie.

Bill says, “So, Lilith appeared to you as well.”

Eric replies, “Only to savagely obliterate my maker. She’ s a mad god Bill; she’s nothing but destruction.  Don’t do it.”

Bill says, “So you can?”
Eric: “Pour it in the fucking fire!”

Bill, “You’sll never stop me.”
Eric: “So why’d you authorize our entry, then? You knew we would try.”

Bill: “Because I wasn’t  yet sure I’d be able to get rid of Salome on my own.”

Sookie: “Bill this isn’t you.”

Bill, angrily, “What the fuck do you know about me!” he says  as she recoils in shock, even though they are at least ten feet away, “For all you know everything I did while with you was an act. Calculated to elicit a particular response.”

Sookie returns, “I know that’s not true.”

Bill, with vitriol, “Why because of the light you bear?  Did you ever consider the possibility that that it’s a handicap; one that blinds you to the most obvious of truths: that you are an abomination, just like the vampire bible states.

Sookie walks over to Bill, “Bill, you are stronger than this, you are capable of sympathy and kindness, and generosity.  You are unique among al the vampires I ‘ve met, don’t throw that away.” She is crying now.  Bill has been glancing between her and Eric.

Softly now, Bill explains, “I have spent my entire life as a vampire apologizing.  Believing I was inherently wrong, somehow, living in fear. “ Not soft now.

“Fear that God had forsaken me, that I was damned.  Lilith grants us freedom from fear.   Lassistudes 9:24.  Fear not for my blood is fear, fear of sin, fear of mankind, fear of retribution! For thou are begat by God,  And this world is but a spring to slake thy sacred thirst!”

Sookie, moves towards him crying, with tears falling down her face, “If I ever meant anything to you at all,…”
Bill, “I told you the first night we met, vampires often turn on those they love the most.” He downs the blood and almost immediately starts convulsing, hemorrhaging.  Eric pushes SOokie behind him.  Bill explodes and sinks into a pool of blood; it’s not the normal vampire remains.  Sookie is sobbing against Eric’s chest.  He is looking at the blood.  He asks  “Sookie?”  They both look as the blood coalesces and Bill reforms from it. 

Covered in blood as Lilith was.  Fangs out.  Sookie says, “Fuck.”  Bill hisses/roars like a wild cat.  Eric screams, “Run!”

THE END.

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