Welcome to Biting-Edge, a blog shared by authors and vampire experts, Mario Acevedo and Jeanne Stein. We’ll cover urban fantasy, vampires, pop culture, and all things Joss Whedon. Unlike other fantasy blogs, we don’t insist on body cavity searches (unless you ask politely). Snarkiness is most welcome...though we won't promise not to bite back!

Thursday, April 02, 2009
  Yikes--
Hi all—An abbreviated blog today. I just finished my copy edits for Retribution (due today) and I want to go over it one more time before I send it back.



Some sad news from the Buffyverse. Andy Hallett, who played Lorne on Angel, has died. He was only 33. Lorne was one of my favorite characters. I think Andy’s humanity came through in the role. My condolences to his family and friends.



And some happy news from the Buffyverse. Alyson Hannigan (Willow) and her husband, actor Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndham- Price) welcomed a daughter on March 24 which also happens to be Alyson’s birthday. The two were married in 2003. Congratulations.

From Mario: Bitten By Books is running an interview and contest tomorrow (Friday) Stop by and say hello.

That’s it for today. See you next week with more. Also, contest winners—I haven’t forgotten you. I’ll get those packages in the mail the first of next week, I promise. Funny thing how that pesky work can take up so much of a person’s time!

XOXOX
 
Comments:
Lorne was my favorite character on the show, too. My prayers for his family.

Yay for the new parents, Alyson and Alexis. Prayers and good wishes for their bundle of joy.
 
It's interesting, isn't it? One new life given, one taken away.

J.
 
I'm thrilled for the birth of a new babay and simply taken aback by the death of Andy Hallett. Not only did he pass away far before his time but he was simply brilliant in the roll of Lorne. I would have loved to see him return to another Whedon show (perhaps even Dollhouse) as most good Whedon actors end up doing. My thoughts and prayers are with his friends, family, and of course fellow admirers. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
 
Nicely said, Leia.

J.
 
Jeanne:
Here's a blog post a friend emailed me today about Andy Hallett.
http://keithtopping.blogspot.com/2009/03/singer.html
 
Wow -- Wesley sure cleans up nice when not being an uber-nerdy Watcher.
 
This comment has been removed by the author.
 
gina I liked the uber-nerdy Watcher. Granted he had to get in line behind my numero uno man Giles ...

I think it's really great how he and Allison Hannigan got together. It's a real Whedon family ...
 
Leia and Gina-- One of the things I like best about Joss is how his characters evolve. Wes went from the uber-nerdy watcher to the dark and vengeful member of Angels' team to warrier at the end with Illyra. It's the same with all Joss' characters. They have depth and demons and we really care about them.

God, I hated to see those shows end.

J.
 
J: That's why it's so good when they are out on DVD. Then there's TNT way early in the morning. Nothing like being on the treadmill with Angel and the gang.
 
Vickie-- I agree-- and of course, I do have the complete Buffy/Angel saga.

J.
 
Jeanne,

how did the last look see at Retribution's copy edtis go? You feeling pumped yet ... or does the pumped feeling lie in seclusion until you are 120% certain that there eon't be anymore edits at all ... (ever b/c it is in print and at that point it's too late even if there is something that need changing)?
 
I haven't watched much Buffy or Angel so all I really know is early Wesley -- he really annoyed me when he first appeared on Buffy.

I've now finished the 3rd season of Buffy and the 1st season of Angel -- I have literally no idea what happens after that. That is all Hulu.com has so I don't know what when I'll finish.
 
I just popped over to read Mario's interview that Jeanne so graciously advertised.

Which is where I caught this little gem. It made me burst out laughing.

"BBB: Is there a particular person who you look up to as a role model or mentor as far as personal growth? If so, who is it and why?

MA: I don’t have a mentor. I have a tormentor. That would be Jeanne Stein."
 
This comment has been removed by the author.
 
LOL Gina. Thanks for sharing. I haven't made my way over ther yet but I clearly need to.

As for Buffy, if you don't mind chinese websites (that have chinese subtitles on them) then you can search Buffy through surfthechannel.com . That website has helped me watch a ton of shows that I would never have been able to find otherwise - many who are on on DVD. Unlike most sites of their kind, STC is very careful about which video websites they link to so that you do not have to deal with phony vid sites that have malware. That is the one reason I've stuck with them so long. Wesley actually disappears from Buffy after Season 3 and then moves over to Angel Season 1 ... maybe halfway in? It's been a while. While Wesley is indeed annoying to begin with, I love him to pieces. I also find the comparison intersting becasue if you go back to Buffy Season1, you wil find that Giles at the beginning of Season 1 is not that much different from Wesley when he first shows up in Sunnydale.
 
Leia said: how did the last look see at Retribution's copy edtis go? You feeling pumped yet ... or does the pumped feeling lie in seclusion until you are 120% certain that there eon't be anymore edits at all ... (ever b/c it is in print and at that point it's too late even if there is something that need changing)?

this is an interesting topic-- I made a lot of changes in this go round--mostly because I'm about a third of a way into the next book and the epilogue I originally wrote no longer fit. And there were a lot of things I just didn't like about the book. Stems from having only four months to write. I don't want to do that ever again.

As for feeling pumped-- no, it's just the opposite. It's like postpartum depression. Once a book is at this point, I can't go back and make any more changes. And I awaken at night thinking of things I should have changed. I don't get a nice feeling about it until I actually see the book in a bookstore or read a positive review. Then I can relax a little. But there's always the nagging feeling that I should have done better.

J.
 
Gina said : "BBB: Is there a particular person who you look up to as a role model or mentor as far as personal growth? If so, who is it and why?

MA: I don’t have a mentor. I have a tormentor. That would be Jeanne Stein."

Did you see my reply?

J.
 
@Jeanne:

Not yet -- will go look.
 
Depressing tv show projections from http://www.tv.com/story/13568.html?page=2 via Whedonesque.

CHUCK and DOLLHOUSE (the ones I watch weekly) are projected by this site to be on the chopping block - as are Castle, Reaper, and Terminator.

Anther site (also via Whedonesque) lists shows that deserve to survive but may not ... Chuck, Dollhouse and Terminator are on thei list. Fringe is also but I got bored of Fringe very quickly ... personally.
 
Hmm --

I haven't watched Chuck, Castle, Reaper or Terminator.

I have to be honest. I LIKE Fringe. Quite a lot.

I'm so-so about Dollhouse. The premise of it creeps me out, and I'm just not sure how far into its twisted reality I'm willing to go. I wouldn't care if it got cut.
 
Leia and Gina-- that list bummed me out. I haven't seen Chuck or Fringe and I'm ambivalent about Castle right now, but Reaper and Dollhouse and SC I really enjoy. Now, I'm going to qualify that by saying I'm a little disappointed in Dollhouse. Last week's episode left me cold. But they are so much better than 90% of the stupid sit-coms that keep coming back. No, make that 99% better, imho.

J.
 
@Jeanne:

Oh, I agree -- Dollhouse has to be better than 95% of the dreck on TV (sit-coms, unreality shows, endless incarnations of CSI-wherever).

This is why I don't actually turn on the TV. I wouldn't be watching any of these shows if it weren't for you all.

I could really enjoy Dollhouse but it makes me uncomfortable ethically.

I found Castle online last night and I did enjoy it, but the premise could be tricky to sustain. Premise is that a NYT bestselling crime-novel author horns his way into an NYPD cop's investigations through political connections, in order to research his new character (based on the cop). He then goes on to solve the crimes by looking for the most interesting story angle.
 
P.S. -- Jeanne and Mario -- I noticed that you are both panelists at Starfest in a couple of weeks??? I will be there.
 
Jeanne, I will admit that last Dollhouse episode was less than stellar .. but then I have to remind myself that so was the first entire season (except perhaps Don't Kill a Boy on the First Date and Prophecy Girl) as well. I look back at BtVS' first season and cringe ... a lot of it was due to the monster of the week format, which is something Dollhouse is having to deal with right now. Joss is trying to work in a story arc but had horrible set up b/c Fox wanted MotW and he hasn't been able to get the correct momentum. I will say, however, that last episode DID give us another glimpse into the doctor's character which I felt was important. Echo et al are going to have to leave the Dollhouse sometime, and I have a hunch that the Doctor just might help them out. I think Dollhouse would greatly improve at the moment if they would continue to elaborate on Alpha. They tease us, but that is where my interest lies at the moment since Dollhouse life and the basics of its politics have already been established.

As for Chuck - you guys this is a brilliant show. If you can get over the fact that the lead character quite literally has a CIA/NSA database that downloaded itself into its brain (really doesn't take that much suspension of belief ... but then I'm a bit of a sci-fi junkie so I'm pretty good at temporary suspension of belief) than you are in for a treat. Unlike the "other geek show" Big Bang Theory, the geeky characters are more than archetypes. I mean you have the sleazy older guy, the gamer, the hot Asian chick, the Indian, the bespeckled tie & collared shirt ... but the characters themselves are real. I can actually point at everyone in that show that works at "Buy More" and say "I know someone like that" or "I have a friend like that" or "I actually do that/ I've had that exact conversation with someone before." Even better is that the Buy More Nerd Herd is pretty much a copy of the Best Buy Geek Squad - right down to the clothes the Geek Squad has to wear (short charcoal/dark pants, skinny tie, pocket protector, white short sleeve collared shirt). Having had friend who worked for the Geek Squad, I've noticed a number of "in jokes" finding their way into the show. I seriously could talk all night and day about this show but I clearly won't. You really need to give it a try though. I really feel like the writers connect with their intended audience on a very real level, while offering them a level of respect that most shows forego in place of mocking and derision. The first season is out on DVD and can be borrowed through Netflix (*cough* or found on Chinese tv sites *cough*) and I think the majority of the second season, if not all of it, can be found on hulu.

I myself have yet to see Castle, but I'm hoping I will find some tiem this weekend to see if I can't catch the back episodes.
 
Sorry for all the typos. My fingers and brain have taken a vacation, and blogger won't let me edit :(
 
Gina said - I'm so-so about Dollhouse. The premise of it creeps me out, and I'm just not sure how far into its twisted reality I'm willing to go. I wouldn't care if it got cut.
and
I could really enjoy Dollhouse but it makes me uncomfortable ethically.

Gina at this point I thin kit's SUPPOSED to make you feel that way. We as an audience are supposed to be rooting for the dolls and not for the dollhouse itself. It also alows us to contemplate the idea of different levels of evil. On one hand it IS all wrong no matter how you cut it. On the other hand there are those (like Boyd and the Doctor) who have serious ethical issues with what they are doing, but they are trapped. We don't know how much they knew coming into the Dollhouse, but now that they know what happens in the DH, there is no way for them to get out. I read that Joss has mapped out where he wants Dollhouse to go for a good 6 years so it is clear that he knows where this is all going, and I think ity's also quite clear that they won't be in the DH for ever. Eventually htey will have to get out, and you already have peopel like Alpha trying to bring the DH down and tear it apart. I'm not a psycho Whedonite that follows Joss blindly and swears everything he does is the best ever (as some reviews and article online have been suggesting) but I do have faith in Joss to pull this off. He has yet to invest himself in something that has fallen flat on its face (firefly fell flat with the network but is not more popular than ever before) and is seriously dedicated to producing a quality product. Time has shown that his shows take around 12-14 episodes to set up when *left alone to do his thing* and right now he's only had three episodes of his own to do what he wants. I think if he is given the time he needs, that he will deal with the feelings of unease that fans are experiencing with the DH ethical questions since he clearly is not setting up the DH overall to be the good guys. One thing you can say for him is he is very good at making convincing bad guys (Wolfram & Hart, Spike (esp in the beginning), The Mayor, Caleb) and almost always uses them to address some kind of moral issue.
 
Gina-- yes, we will be at Starfest--glad you will be, too. Friday night we have a panel-- let's try to grab a drink before and/or after.

J.
 
I don't think I'm going to be looking for Chuck-- it's on the chopping block so I hear. Along with Reaper, which I thoroughly enjoy.

J.
 
And Leia, you are so right. Joss does take time to set things up. And a character you've pegged as evil may come back and do something that surprises you.

J.
 
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