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, September 24, 2009
  Ever heard of Norman Borlaug?
So, what kind of week has everyone had? It’s been nice to be home and actually get some work done. I could get used to this.

Lot’s of Dollhouse stuff which I’ll put at the end. Includes some Season 2 spoilers compiled by the Webmaster at the Buffy/Angel website.

First though, ever heard of Norman Borlaug? He died this month at 95 and I’ll bet most of us would not recognize the name. But he was a true hero. From the NYT:

Norman E. Borlaug, the plant scientist who did more than anyone else in the 20th century to teach the world to feed itself and whose work was credited with saving hundreds of millions of lives, died Saturday night. He was 95 and lived in Dallas…

…his work had a far-reaching impact on the lives of millions of people in developing countries. His breeding of high-yielding crop varieties helped to avert mass famines that were widely predicted in the 1960s, altering the course of history.


Largely because of his work, countries that had been food deficient, like Mexico and India, became self-sufficient in producing cereal grains.


“More than any other single person of this age, he has helped provide bread for a hungry world,” the Nobel committee said in presenting him with the Peace Prize (in 1970.) “We have made this choice in the hope that providing bread will also give the world peace.”


Full article here. Worthy of a moment of our time.



Borlaug accepting the Congressional Gold Medal in July 2007.

And a few more articles that caught my eye but have nothing to do with writing or mysteries or vampires. You can skip on down if you wish now.

1. Helicopter used in daring heist… commando style robbers used explosives to gain access to millions in a Swedish cash depot while the police were sidelined by a fake bomb planted outside their own helicopter hangar….

Can we say bestseller?????

2. Kentucky census worker hanged…the body of a field worker and teacher was found near a cemetery with “fed” scrawled on his chest….

Jesus. Remind me to stay away from rural Kentucky.

3. New under the sun: water on the moon

Can I be among the first colonists?

4. Don’t let the bedbugs bite… Denver Public Library has banned one of its most avid users for spreading the tiny insects in volumes of obscure literature that he borrows each week.

Not much I can add to that.

Now on to the stuff you expect to see here.

From Shelf Awareness 9/17/09

Notes: Lost Symbol Sells a Million Copies First Day Out

Sales of The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown on Tuesday exceeded one million copies in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., according to the publisher. In a statement, Sonny Mehta, chairman and editor in chief of the Knopf Doubleday Group, said, "We are seeing historic, record-breaking sales across all types of our accounts in North America."

The company has already gone back to press for another 600,000 copies on top of the initial print run of five million copies.


Five MILLION copies. Heavy Sigh.

The National Book awards has announced 2009 finalists:

The Stories of John Cheever
Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
The Collected Stories of William Faulkner
The Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor
Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon
The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty

You can vote for your choice here and your email address will be entered for a drawing to win two tickets to the 60th National Book Awards on November 18, 2009 and two nights in the Marriott Hotel Downtown, compliments of Marriott!

Here’s
a sobering article about what’s going on in the publishing business—i.e. how it’s effecting editorial employees in particular. Interesting and sobering.

From TV Guide.com: Sarah Michelle Geller and her husband, actor Freddie Prinze Jr. have become parents, TVGuide.com has confirmed.

The couple "welcomed their daughter Charlotte Grace Prinze on Saturday, Sept. 19. The family is over the moon," a rep for the actress said…

This is the first child for the couple, who have been married since 2002.


Congrats! Charlotte Grace...I think I expected something different...

Here’s a link to lots of DragonCon pictures taken by Kerri Saur, one of Charlaine Harris' Charlatons. I know some of you were looking for Steam Punk and there aren’t many here. I didn't get any good ones either so maybe if someone is reading this and has some to share, they'll send them along to jeanne@jeannestin.com and I'll publish them. BTW, how many of you caught Charlaine's cameo on the True Blood finale? Cool, huh?


Here are the Dollhouse episode spoilers I promised. Compiled by the Webmaster at Buffy/Angel.com and posted Sept. 16. Covers episodes 1 - 7

Sept. 25 : Episode 1 of Season 2 "Vows" Fox summary (in quotes) : "Picking up a few months after the Season 1 finale, Echo (Eliza Dushku) is the new bride of a charismatic businessman (guest star Jamie Bamber), who is tied to an old FBI case that Paul (Tahmoh Penikett) was unable to close. Meanwhile, Dr. Saunders (Amy Acker) struggles with her discovery that she is a Doll and targets Topher (Fran Kranz). Written and directed by Joss Whedon."

In this episode, we briefly see Sen. Daniel Perrin, who is played by Alexis Denisof. He starts investigating the Rossum Corporation, which is the ultimate puppetmaster behind all the Dollhouses.

Oct. 2 : Episode 2 "Instinct" Fox summary (in quotes) : "When Echo is imprinted as a mother with a newborn baby, she takes too strongly to motherhood as a result of Topher’s modifications. Meanwhile, Adelle pays November a visit, and Perrin ramps up his investigation into the Rossum Corporation. Guest cast : Miracle Laurie as November/Madeline ; Alexis Denisof as Senator Daniel Perrin ; Kristoffer Polaha as Nate Jordan ; Stacey Scowley as Cindy Perrin."

When Echo is imprinted as a new mom, Sierra is imprinted as her friend.

Oct. 9 : Episode 3 "Belle Chose" Fox summary (in quotes) : "Michael Hogan guest stars as a client of the Dollhouse who comes to Adelle (Olivia Williams) for help with a psychotic family member. Topher (Fran Kranz) accidentally crosses Echo and Victor’s (Enver Gjokaj) imprints while there are on different assignments."

Reliable sources indicate that the Echo/Victor mixup results in Echo having a male imprint and Victor being imprinted with a female persona. Hogan plays Bradley Karrens, whose family member is on a killing spree.

Oct. 16 : Pre-empted for baseball

Oct. 23 : Episode 4 "Belonging" : No summary yet. But it is "Sierra-centric" and guest stars Keith Carradine, who recurs this season as Matthew Harding, a nemesis of Dollhouse manager Adelle DeWitt.

Oct. 30 : Episode 5 (Note : This item has been changed. Previously this post said that Glau first appears in Episode 6. That was incorrect). "The Public Eye" : Summer Glau’s recurring guest role begins with this episode. She plays Bennett, a Dollhouse employee who "shares a past with Echo," according to the Fox press release on Glau.

Nov. 6 : Episode 6 (Note: This item has been changed. Previously this post said that Wise first appears in Episode 7. That was incorrect)."The Left Hand" : Summer Glau appears again, and Ray Wise ("Reaper") guest stars (Michael Ausiello broke this news Tuesday). He plays a Dollhouse bigwig and he could appear again in Season 2.

Nov 13 : (Date not confirmed) : Episode 7 No episode title or info yet. We know Alan Tudyk (Alpha) isn’t in it. But Felicia Day might be.

Another note : Felicia Day, who had a role in the Season 1 episode "Epitaph One," will appear in Season 2. Her post-apocalyptic scenes were supposed to be in the season premiere, but they’ve been shifted to another episode.

An update : There’s a chance we may see Alpha (Alan Tudyk) again, but he won’t be in any of the first seven episodes (he is mentioned from time to time, but not seen in those eps). Also, the Felicia Day-Adair Tishler post-apocalyptic scenes may be included in Episode 7, but that’s not set in stone.

And for your viewing pleasure, a Dollhouse promo video.




I suppose this shouldn’t have surprised me. From Publishers Marketplace:

FILM RIGHTS Stephenie Meyer's adult novel THE HOST, to producers Nick Wechsler, Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz, with Andrew Niccol adapting and directing, by UTA and Writers House.


Castle started last Monday. Michael Connelly and Stephen Cannell had cameos. I wish they were on every week. It adds spice to the mundane and predictable story lines. My question: does every female detective carry a sexy outfit and come-fuck-me pumps in her handbag?

What fall shows have captured your imagination?


Mario mentioned the signing on Sunday. Here's a pic of me, Lady K and Vickie. Thanks, Vickie, for sharing. Note to self: NEVER get a haircut and a new body perm right before a signing. I could not look dorkier. Reminds me of when I was in elementary school and my mom insisted on cutting my bangs the day before picture day.




One piece of BSP: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance Vol II has just been released. Imagine my surprise to find out that I wasn't the only one whose stories featured Doc Holliday!!! What are the odds. Evidently Caitlin Kittredge also wrote a Doc Holliday story. Mine is called The Ghost of Leadville.



The RMFW anthology, Broken Links Mended Lives I edited with Susan Smith and Janet Lane is now available. We got this terrific blurb from NYT bestselling author Margaret Coel who wrote:

Beautifully crafted stories by writers in the Rocky Mountain region, and what a talented group they are! The stories will make you laugh and make you cry, but one thing they won’t do is let you forget them. Open Broken Links, Mended Lives at any point and settle in for a delicious treat!—Margaret Coel, author of The Silent Spirit.

And if that’s not enough, our own Mario has a story in it, too. Water Monster. Very cool, but don’t tell him I said that. Check it out here.
 
Comments:
Great post this week, Jeanne -- lots of variety. :)

Oh my goodness -- the picture of Joe Flanigan and Jason Momoa! Be still, my heart...

I will admit to skipping the Dollhouse spoilers...
 
Bet you're glad to finally be home.

P.S. Still looking for those magnets :0)

CLJ
 
Gah I'm so behind! I'm sorry I have been MIA uys. I quit working and decide to go to grad school. It started five weeks ago and I have not had time to do anything else!

Jeanne. Thanks fo rhte spoilers and I love the pickture with Vickie! Lady K is positively adorable.
 
CLJ-- Have I forgotten something? Gad-- send your info to me at jeanne@jeannestein.com and my profound apologies-- I thought I'd caught up with everything except for a couple of San Diego people I promised and just found the cards!

I'm telling you, no matter how organized I think I am, I keep losing things-- like my mind--

J.
 
Carol-- it's okay to skip the spoilers--that's why I give you notice! :-)

And Leia-- grad school! That's a huge undertaking. May the Biting Edge be a brief diversion from your studies!

J.
 
Jeanne:Thank you for sharing the unsun hero of the agricultural world Norman Borlaug. I'd be one of those who'd never heard of him or what he'd done for the world. What an amazingly selfless man.
***
Kentucky looks awfully scary. Just terrifying. My prayers for his family and there is a special place in hell for those bastards who did that.
****
Thanks for the links! The pics from the Con are fab!
I read the Dollhouse info and watched the spoiler vid. I love how Joss brings his kids all home to each show. Looking forward to Denisof's appearances.
***
Won't be one of the gazillion peeps buying the new Dan Brown book. Not overly fond of the series. Sending out the vibes that you have a 5 million copy run.
*****
I love Ralph Ellison's INVISIBLE MAN! I need to get a new copy for my keeper shelf.
***
Thank you for sharing our pic! We thought you looked gorgeous. Lady K adores you and thinks Mario is hot like Gibbs on NCIS. = )
*****
I KNEW that was Charlaine on the season ender! Thanks for the confirmation.

****
Leia: Awesome on the grad school! Thank you for the Lady K compliment. She's a hoot. We like her. = )
 
This comment has been removed by the author.
 
Jeanne - "A huge undertaking" might be the understatement of the century lol. I've already got a BFA and decided that instead of doing art again I'd get a Master in Public History. Talk about changing mental gears. I can't complain though. I mean, busy is good .... right? O_O

Vickie - You're welcome :) I feel like I just want to pull her out of the picture and give her a big bear hug. you are blessed to have each other.
 
Oh, and fall tv shows. I forgot to comment on that. My tv show list seems to have grown overnight but here is what I'm (will be) watching below.

Bones, Dollhouse, Castle, Project Runway Season, Stargate Universe and Smallville.

Each week I *glance* at the Vampire Diaries on a matter of principle but I'm not really feeling it so far. It seems that every year the "teens" in WB/CW drama get more and more model-esque and that may be what is turning me off at this point where the show is concerned. The main girl characters are so dolled up that they look exactly like the girls that gave me hell when I was in school K-12. Even with vampires in the mix I'm not sure I feel like revisiting that. I'll give it a few more weeks, but if it doens't wow me then I'm going to drop it off the list. I have enough to do as it is without an uninteresting show hanging on.

As for the question about female detectives ... you mean the ones in your area don't? I thought that was standard protocol.

A girl woman in one of my Oral History Course today was tellingme about SMG's baby and I was very happy to hear their child's name. It's very beautiful.

One last sidenote (hey .... I have like five weeks of not talking to catch up on here)I finished Retribution just as classes started and it was fantastic as usual. I did a little happy dance (something I don't do a lot) when Lance showed up. I didn't realize how much I had missed him.
 
Hey Vickie-- Like you, I'd not heard of Borlaug either-- which makes him a true hero in my book!

And Leia--Tonight (Friday)Dollhouse starts!!! We'll have to share our thoughts. I can't believe it's opposite Smallville. At least it is here in Denver. I can't decide which to watch and which to record!

Lady K is awesome and she knows ALL about vampires!

J.
 
Oh and Leia-- glad you enjoyed Retribution. And Lance. So does Anna. :-)

J.
 
Jeanne: I forgot to thank you for the onsite edit of the 'f' word while reading the chapter from RETRIBUTION. Though I have to tell you that that gem was Lady K's first cuss word....yep, she was standing next to DH while he was doing our taxes on the computer when Lady K was 2 or 3 and he dropped the 'f bomb'....and she repeated it....just makes me so 'proud'. We made sure not to laugh so she wouldn't think she'd found a funny word to say at pre-school. That would have been a hoot.
 
I'm just glad I caught it!! :-) And I have lots of friends who tell stories about their little one's picking up the word when they weren't even aware the kid was around...then repeating it in the most inappropriate places-- like the super market or at church!!!

J.
 
I tried to get into Dollhouse - Eliza Dushku really does it for me! - I just couldn't ever get interested. Talk about her movies though...
 
Movies? What movies? :-)

J.
 
I missed out on dollhouse, will catch it on hulu once I get the internet up and running!

oh, so the tot is learning to write, the hubby helped her write "I have a vampire named Bobo"-- wonder what the backstory is on that...

~Suzi
 
I've been so busy this weekend that I haven't had a chance to watch Dollhouse yet (I'm behind on ALL the shows from last week.) I'll post my thoughts as soon as I have a chance to watch it. For now I must return to my paper proposal about the Research Methods of Burial Sites, using the Sutton Hoo as an example. I might actually enjoy this paper ... you know before it drives me mad.
 
Great post...please keep on coming the variety of interesting posts.
 
Thanks, Jubzy-- we try.

J.
 
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