About "One Night at Hooligans"

*SPOILER ALERT*

"Hooligans" started out as a Valentine's Day challenge on the fan fiction area of EricNorthman.net. I thought, what the heck? I've read all the books. I could do this, especially since I'd written fan fiction in other fandoms.

It was originally just a five chapter story, but I had a fabulous dream one night about how to continue it. Dreams are where I get most of my story ideas, and I always keep a legal pad and pen on my night stand. With that in mind, and my scribbled notes, I decided to raise the stakes and do a bit more of a genre mash up, combining some of my favorites--mystery, mythology, the supernatural and fantasy. Sprinkled with a healthy dose of lust, of course.

As the story begins, Sookie is feeling sorry for herself that she is going to be alone on Valentine's Day. The timeline is three and a half months from the time of the Nevada takeover of Louisiana. She's both relieved and somewhat angry that she hasn't heard from Eric, especially since he said they were going to talk about what happened between them now that his memory was restored.

What she doesn't know is that Niall had asked Eric--actually ordered him--to give Sookie some time to recover from all the stress she had been under until Eric lets it slip. Niall was upset that Eric didn't allow her to complete her phone call to him during the takeover.

Sookie allows Amelia and Tara to talk her into going to Monroe for ladies night at Hooligans with them on Friday, February 13th. Tired of waiting to reconnect with Sookie, Eric takes matters into his own hands and plans something special for Sookie to remind her of what she was missing, enlisting her friends and cousins aid. Passions flare, and Sookie agrees to spend a night with Eric at his home.

However, something odd happened to Sookie earlier that night. She nearly hit a deer on the way home from work and crashed into a tree to avoid the animal. Claudine arrived just after the crash, acting a little strangely about the whole incident. Then later, as Eric drives Sookie to Shreveport, another deer runs in front of Eric's corvette.

Eric smells a rat and takes his sword to investigate the wooded area with cryptic instructions to Sookie to lock the car doors and only open the door to him if he can repeat words that they agreed upon. Returning after a short time, sans sword, he asks her to let him in. Acting somewhat unlike himself and having a lame excuse for losing his weapon, she denies his request.

To her surprise, he simply vanishes and suddenly there is a large wolf on top of Eric's pride and joy. Uh... that would be his shiny red corvette. When the wolf transforms into a man and tries to seduce her, Eric swoops in with his sword and has words with the man until he simply vanishes again.

This turn of events thrusts Sookie into danger from a legendary supe that will up her involvement in supernatural affairs and have all of them rallying around her. Sookie and Eric must find a way to keep ahead of the game and prevent a prophesied war that would take place on two planes of existence. In the process, Eric just might get a chance to settle an old score.

I introduce a new original character in this story, a Native American, Gabriel Bucking Horse, who is an old friend of Eric's. No, Gabriel is not the legendary supe threatening Sookie though he definitely has an interesting history. He is a different kind of supe, an ancient immortal skinwalker who also has some hidden talents.

Read "One Night at Hooligans" on Fanfiction.net or Ericnorthman.net.

A Coming of Age Eric Northman for "Happily Dead"

Meet young British actor, Alex Pettyfer, who recently starred in "I am Number Four." Just saw the movie and thought he was brilliant in it.

If I were a casting director for a mini-series on Eric's backstory, I would definitely cast this young man to play Eirik (Eric Northman) Haraldsson from age 15 to 20 something. I think he would be perfect. Just thought I'd share. If I was unable to cast him as Eric, I would cast him as Haeric (one of Eric's son's). He even has ASKars split chin thing going for him, though it isn't as visible in these photos as it was in the sci-fi  movie.

True Blood Holiday Greetings From an Eric Northman Buff

On the night before New Year's, Fangtasia was a mess.
Outside was graffiti, and protesters did aggress.
Since Russell Edgington, on air, had sullied their kind,
With his gory revelation, their hands he did bind.

The humans, many humans now hated the fang.
They picketed their businesses with great harangue.
Vampires did lie low, and so they did wait.
The AVL was on damage control to wipe a clean slate.

Unfortunately, they'd had to upgrade security at the door.
They were trying not to escalate a human/fang war.
Though business was down, it still seemed bizarre.
At least they still had customers coming into the bar.

This night, however, there was more on the mind
Of club owner, Eric Northman. All offers he declined.
Since Eric first met her, he'd found himself intrigued.
It wasn't just attraction; only that, he'd be fatigued.

He hated that he'd hurt her by telling her about Bill,
But it had to be done. Compton's deceit showed skill.
Instead, he was torn; back and forth he did pace.
He'd had some regrets, remembering Sookie's face.

As he sat on his throne, peering out into the crowd.
His eyes wouldn't focus; his thoughts were a shroud.
He cared for her more than he wanted; it was true.
He thought about her constantly; his mood very blue.

It wasn't only about lust, he owed her a great debt.
She had saved his life, indeed no mere pet.
There was more to her than being part fae.
With her he felt vulnerable; she was more than buffet.

Pleased she was back, he now was resigned.
He wanted to really know her, if she was so inclined.
She'd been with the fae too damned long, a crime.
He knew that if was patient, she would yield given time.

Then closing his eyes, he recalled her response.
Most passionate, despite her 'I'm Beel's' nonchalance.
The kisses had stirred her as her hands she did run
Entwining up through his hair, with each savory one.

Opening his eyes, he saw Pam; she could be a pain.
She'd caught him brooding. Her eyes said, "What? Again?"
"You've been distracted and moody, I'll have to admit.
Quite frankly, Eric, I have had about enough of this shit."

"Go to her, Eric Northman, if it will put you at ease,
Just shag her senseless. Easier than shuckin' peas."
"Pam, please stay out of this. I asked for no advice."
"Oh come on, Eric, it's like she's got your balls in a vice."

"She is a mortal, Eric. Just show her your charms.
She's seen them anyway, and I don't mean your arms.
She saved you from certain death. I owe her a favor.
She'll forget that lying bastard, Bill Compton, I'll wager."

Then from the front door, there rose such a clatter,
They both came to full alert to see what was the matter.
Several women and two men stood all in a group
Trying to gain entrance, they were quite a troupe.

"That's the witch," said Pam. "From the magic shop,
It's not far from here, a mere jump, skip, and a hop.
Generally quite shy, she looks different in this light.
Why isn't she with family on this New Year's Eve night?"

Eric's vamp sense was tingling as they entered the club.
Whatever they wanted, this witch wasn't a young cub.
She was dressed as if she'd come for more than just beer.
If she was quite shy, she sure as hell was different here.

She was a woman on the prowl of indeterminate age,
A bit past her prime, her makeup could take stage.
Her fuck me heels were at least four inches high,
And her little black dress, came up on her thigh.

The witch looked up and down Eric's six foot four frame.
Definitely licking her lips, as her lust was aflame.
But Eric's nose flared as her gaze raked his torso.
She was looking at him like a shark with a dorsal.

"Fantastic," snarked Pam. "Like you need a cougar in heat.
She stares at you intently, like you're a big tasty treat."
"I know," replied Eric. "Let's not lose our composure.
Let's see what she's up to when she makes her disclosure."

"Are you Northman?” asked the witch as bold as she pleased.
"I've a business proposition." Eric wished her diseased.
Though Eric was really in no mood for this bitch,
He said, "Let's go to my office to hear your pitch."

Eric leaned back on his desk; inside he did fume,
As the witch and one companion did enter the room.
Pam came in last, having signaled Chow and others,
There was something amiss with these witch mothers.

Closing the door, Pam leaned back, arms crossed,
Though she hid her anticipation of the upcoming accost.
Asked Eric, though he thought her cold as a snake.
"Pray tell, what kind of offer, do you intend to make?"

"In reading the cards, I foresaw unnatural disaster."
Then she glanced at Pam, "For you and your master."
"You've a problem," said the witch. "You're in dire straights.
There's an army of humans standing outside of your gates."

"We offer you protection from who would harm
Your business, your livelihood, we'll be your right arm."
"And just why would you think we would accept such an offer?
Though business has slowed, there's still plenty in our coffer."

"Hypothetically speaking, what would protection cost us?"
Eric did ask of her as he disguised his disgust.
Witch eyes narrowed at Pam, "We would like forty percent
Of your business, your profits, we just need your consent."

"Bitch, in case you haven't noticed, this is not HBO,
And we sure as hell will not give you our dough.
Though he's older than dirt, Eric is so not oobatz.
This is not the Bing," fanged Pam. "Go guard Merlotte's."

"Pam, please," smiled Eric outwardly. "No need to get cross."
"Pray let her continue. Remember who's your boss."
The witch did smile wide, an evil one at that.
She had more than hair under her proverbial hat.

She had something up her sleeve; they'd have no guard.
Little did they know, she had not played her trump card.
She had been a simple witch, right down to her core.
But that little mouse, sure as shit was no more.

In her place, a demon sorceress, who'd caught her unawares,
And had simply taken over her body to gain all her wares.
It had been ages she’d been trapped, ages at rest.
Beggars can't be choosers, even if the body wasn't the best.

Changing her mind, he could probably come like a derrick.
She stopped smiling and moved purposely toward Eric.
The Viking was handsome. She did lust after him.
Her lips worshiping his body would be a mere prelim.

Eric expected her to leave, but she'd just smiled instead.
He wondered where she'd gotten such a swelled head.
Eric had seen that look before and raised his eyebrow.
He would let her hang herself, he did inwardly avow.

"It's really in your best interest to consent," she said.
As she sauntered her way to Eric. "Us getting into... bed."
She ran her witch finger up and down Eric's chest.
"It is better that you accept. This really is not a request."

"That's rich," snickered Pam. "I suggest you withdraw."
"I'm not leaving," replied she, her tragic flaw.
"I always get what I want by hook or by crook.
You shouldn't cross me. I don't need a spell book."

"Come, Mr. Northman, I think I'd like to amend my request,
Something more amenable to you and your nest?"
"I'll make you a new offer. I think you are quite the hunk.
Pleasure me for seven nights; the percentage will be shrunk."

Then the witch she did make her biggest mistake,
When she cupped her hand strategically, Eric did it break.
"You disgust me, you hag. I can't stand your foul stench.
Your lust is something that I would never fuckin' quench."

She screamed, clutching her hand, and wished him dead,
While Eric pulled his black tank top up over his head,
"I would never bed you, never fall into your embrace."
Eric threw his black tank right into her face.

"Get the hell out of my club! You haven't a clue!"
I'd rather fuck a rattlesnake than give it to you!"
The witch turned pink and then she turned red.
Pam bit the lackey. Her neck she did shred.

The witch noted her minion had met her death.
She cried out for revenge, doing her best Macbeth.
She'd started to chant in a language now dead.
It wasn't 'toil and trouble' that crackled 'round her head.

Even Eric gave pause, though over her he did tower,
But only when he saw that she possessed great power.
He opened his mouth, but his words were withdrawn,
As he blanched, shimmered, faded, and then he was gone.

"Eric!" yelled Pam, as more vamps came through the door,
Distracted mere moments, the witch and Eric were no more.
"Where'd they go?" asked Pam. "Did you see them leave?"
"Where the hell are they?" Her chest now did heave.

She squashed her fears, ordering, "Get rid of those witches!
Then I want you to search for Eric, in fields, and in ditches.
Bring him back in one piece, as soon as you can
Until I think of what to do and make a better plan."

The witches had made mischief right out in the bar
Before leaving in haste, by truck, van and car.
Customers were complaining. The crowd she did scour.
The drinks, formerly tasty, had now gone quite sour.

If they didn't find Eric soon, they'd all be unemployed.
Unbeknown to Pam, her master was now a void.
The witch, upon him, a loss of memory had bestowed.
At present, he was running down Hummingbird Road.

His flip flops were gone; his pace he couldn't slow.
He was compelled to run this path. Why? He didn't know.
He didn't know his zip code, let alone his own name.
He only knew he was a vampire in a tall, tall frame.

Then all of a sudden, lights came puttering his way.
He looked at them dubiously now feeling like prey.
What was this strange ship that ran on dry land?
What gods had this created, and how was it manned?

A woman called out from the craft, yelling a name.
Had she said, "Eric?" Perhaps it was a game.
Her voice finally calmed him in spite of his fear.
She knew him this woman, and she wasn't austere.

She questioned him closely to see if she could trust.
Apparently, she needed that, to her it was a must.
She covered him up, saying that he looked rather cold.
Inviting him into her home, bloody feet, she did behold.

She exclaimed when she saw Eric's bloody, gouged feet,
And she pulled out a chair for him to have a seat.
Looking at his jeans, she said, "Pull them off."
She came back with a pan of warm water and did cough.

He had removed his jeans; her eyes had gone wide.
Her reaction to him, from him she couldn't hide.
He knew what she was feeling. He'd had her blood.
Under what circumstances? Was she more than a bud?

To his vampiric state, she had no real blindness.
She bathed his feet gently, a real act of kindness.
When she said she would call those he didn't know.
At her place, they did ask her if she would him stow.

She showed him a place he could rest before dawn.
Then he slipped into her bed, without her, "Come on."
She did not even comment, though under the covers,
His hand she did seek and clasp, not unlike lovers.

Turning his head sideways to gaze at her sleeping,
He thought her quite lovely. She was his safekeeping.
He watched her until it was time to go to ground,
Reluctantly, his fingers from hers he unwound.

He went into the closet which was luckily obscure.
Something was special about her of that he was sure.
He'd get to know her; he'd be more than all right.
Then he dreamt of her as soon as it was light.

While Trubies and Bookies all wait for True Blood,
Here's hoping season four will not be a dud.
Now I bid you adieu as I leave you tonight.
With a taste of True Blood, I hope it didn't bite.

"Deadly Vice" Chapter 3 Posted

Someone is hijacking loads and killing off drug dealers in South Dade, Florida. Detectives Sookie Stackhouse and Andy Bellefleur are called in by Lieutenant Castillo to become members of a newly formed Miami Dade Drug taskforce.
Detectives Gina Calabrese and Trudy Joplin have junkie hooker Ginger in protective custody, and Ginger spins the detectives quite a tale of strange activities at a club Thor, where her bartender boyfriend Longshadow works.

Although she and her new task force partner, Detective James "Sonny" Crockett, did not get off to a great start, Lieutenant Castillo has asked Sookie to go undercover with a reluctant Sonny to get close to club owner Eric Northman, and assigned Detective Bellefleur to partner with Detective Stan Switek.

Sookie is scarily accurate at getting into the heads of others but finds that some of the employees and patrons of the club are a trifle difficult to read. Once she meets Eric, a ladies man by all reports, Sookie finds that he is not exactly what she was expecting. She is bowled over by his Nordic good looks, deep blue eyes and charming demeanor, and Eric finds that he is not immune to Detective Stackhouse even though he is playing with fire when he suspects she is a cop.

Is Northman involved in the disappearances of numerous known drug trafficers and has he been hijacking shipments of blow from under the cartel's nose?

While Sookie is getting to know Eric, Sonny finds himself fascinated with Pam, a part-time stripper and co-owner of the club. Switek and Bellefleur take the bug van to stake out the comings and goings at the club, but Stan is having recurring sightings of his idol and being teased incessantly by the rest of the task force members.

Yes, Bubba is back. I thought this was the perfect venue since Stan Switek worshiped the ground that the singer walked on and even impersonated him on occasion.

Chapter three is available on FF.net.

I Blame It on Gran

I have always enjoyed reading and unabashedly blame that on my gran, a retired school teacher, who signed me up for a library card at the Carnegie Library (a lot of them were named Carnegie in those days). It was love at first sight for me as an impressionable five year old. The touch and feel of the books, their bindings, the feel of the paper, the smell of the older volumes, all added to the experience. Admittedly at five years old, the pictures in the books were more interesting at first.

When Gran taught me to read and write before I was enrolled in kindergarten, I discovered that stories were more than colored pictures on the page. They could sweep their readers away to places they could barely imagine before picking up a bound edition, and I couldn't wait to be swept away.

Reading took over my life at a young age as I went from Dr. Seuss and fairy tales to Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. To this day, I enjoy time travel stories.

Moving on to mysteries, I went sleuthing with Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden, young mystery-solving teens.

As I grew older and became bored with teen crime solvers, I picked up my first science fiction novels by reading Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451, Dandelion Wine, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. Andre Norton, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke were next. A fan of the aforementioned science fiction novels, I equally absorbed Dark Shadows, The Outer Limits and Star Trek on television like a black hole singularity.

As a senior in high school, I needed an extra English credit and elected to take a science fiction writing class, never realizing that I would actually enjoy writing stories for the class. I had dabbled in poetry off and on before that but was surprised that I could actually write stories.

I drifted for a while into historical fiction then moved back to science and fantasy fiction. I devoured Terry Brooks' original Shannara trilogy and subsequent novels except for the Landover novels which were well-written but did not draw me in as a reader. Anne McCaffrey's Pern novels were next, and I was drawn into the world of telepathetic dragons and fire lizards. I still have all the Pern novels and occasionally re-read them. After reading Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles, I enjoyed other worlds that they have created as well.

In college, I enrolled in literature and writing classes though I have to admit that I was utterly burned out on Sylvia Plath and Walt Whitman by the end of that time thanks to graduate student instructors who spent nearly the entire semester on having their students analyze and write papers on works by Plath and Whitman to use in their theses. But I digress.

I didn't read J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings series until I was in my twenties. Though I thought the story was brilliant, the description of every rock and blade of grass along the way bored me to tears.

I discovered fan fiction about eleven years ago and began exploring other worlds writing fics for various fandoms. To date, my favorite mythological creature is the dragon. I have written a few stories about them including a fic in the Dragonriders of Pern universe though haven't posted it on Fanfiction.net due to Anne McCaffrey's restrictions.

The vampire genre has been another inspiration of mine, and I have written fics about more than one vampire mythology though only one of those mythologies is published on Fanfiction.net.

After watching the first episode of True Blood, I purchased Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. I quickly bought the rest of the Southern Vampire Mysteries and the books with her SVM short stories, as well, and read them in a week. Although I like the HBO series, I enjoy the books so much more, and having watched True Blood, I can now visualize Harris' characters and can even hear the actors saying the lines if I reread any of the books.

If you haven't guessed by now, my favorite character from the Southern Vampire Mysteries is Eric Northman. There is just something about a tall, blonde, thousand year old Viking that latches onto a viewer or reader and doesn't let go. It doesn't hurt that Alexander Skarsgård, the actor who portrays Eric Northman, is extremely easy on the eyes.

My fan fiction activities at present are focused on writing stories for the Southern Vampire Mysteries created by Charlaine Harris. I have also started a True Blood-based story called Trust Me which is a re-telling of the end of season two of the series and which moves on to my vision of season three. My SVM fan fiction stories are posted on Fanfiction.net.

I am currently writing a stand-alone mystery and a fantasy series which I hope to have published when completed. I am also a moderator on HBO's True Blood Wiki. [Visit my profile].

Happily Dead Ever After: Becoming Eric Northman

Read Happily Dead Ever After at Fan Fiction.net or EricNorthman.net. If you do not want to be spoiled regarding the story, then stop here. There are a number of spoilers below.

In 2008, I began writing 1,000-year-old Viking, vampire Eric Northman's back story before Charlaine Harris published book 9 in her Southern Vampire Mysteries, "Dead and Gone." I was fascinated by the depth of his character and his many layers in books 1-8 and thought, who was he? Why doesn't he like shifters and weres? Why does he show disdain for witches? What is the story behind his using Leif as his alias? Why doesn't he seek to rule in a higher capacity than sheriff in the vampire hierarchy? Why is he so captivated by telepathic barmaid, Sookie Stackhouse?

Sookie believes that he is Swedish like the actor (Alexander Skarsgård) who portrays him on HBO's loose adaptation of the novels, True Blood. Most of the Vikings were from Norway and Denmark in the Viking age, so after doing some research, I discovered that the history of Eiríkr Haraldsson, heir of King Harald Fairhair (sometimes referred to as Harald Finehair) fit Eric Northman perfectly. Harald was the first king of Norway, and his son Eiríkr was the second king of Norway.

Eiríkr was reported to have killed his many male siblings and earned the nickname Eiríkr Blóðøx (Eric Bloodaxe). He was also twice king of the Viking city of York in Northumberland in the 10th century. Eiríkr's brother Haakon succeeded him as king of Norway, and one of Eiríkr's sons became the fourth king of Norway. "According to the Heimskringla and Egils saga, Eric spent much of his childhood in fosterage with the hersir Thórir son of Hróald. Of his adolescent years, a remarkable picture is painted in Heimskringla, which recounts that Eric, aged twelve and seemingly possessed of prodigious valour and strength, embarked on a career of international piracy."

"The figure which Eric became in the Norse sagas is a heady mix of history, folklore and political propaganda. He is usually portrayed as a larger-than-life Viking hero, whose powerful and violent performances bring him many short-term successes, but ultimately make him flawed and unpopular as a ruler and statesman. The Heimskringla describes Eric as 'a large and handsome man, strong and of great prowess, a great and victorious warrior'."

Eiríkr's consort Gunnhildr, according to the "earliest saga Historia Norwegiæ, is described as the daughter of Gorm inn Gamli ('the Old'), king of Denmark (and hence a sister of Harald Bluetooth)."
[Historical references are from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Bloodaxe]

Although Gunnhildr was reportedly a witch--not a nice one either, I did not wish to alienate practicing witches of today, so for the purposes of the story, she is a sorceress.

Not wanting to completely immerse the Southern Vampire Mysteries' (SVM) readers directly into the Viking age, I decided to tell the story in alternate chapters from the present to the past. Odd numbered chapters are in the familiar SVM realm told in first person by Sookie Stackhouse. Even numbered chapters tell Eric's story from his birth in third person. "Happily Dead Ever After" is also a time travel story in which Sookie is sent back to meet 10th century Eirik. For my sanity, I am spelling Eric's 10th century name as Eirik and his consort's name as Gunnhild, dropping the r's at the end. Eric's sister Ingegjerd is called Inge by her family in the story, even though Inge is currently considered a masculine name in Scandinavia.

To help readers picture the Viking-age characters, here are those I picture as the players so far:

Alexander Skarsgård - Eirik Haraldsson (Eric Bloodaxe, a.k.a Eric Northman)

Top to bottom along the right-hand side of the photo above:
Stellan Skarsgård - Harald Fairhair (King Harald I of Norway, a.k.a Harald Finehair)
Brendan Gleeson as Olaf Haraldsson Geirstadalf, king of Vingulmark, later also Vestfold
Dennis Storhøi as Thørir Hróaldsson
Kristanna Løken as Ingegjerd Haraldsdotter
Gustaf Skarsgård as Per Thørirsson (adult)
Karl Urban as Leif Thørirsson (adult)
Alexander Skarsgård as a very young Eirik
Alicia Witt as Gunnhild, Mother of kings
Charlotte Salt as Hanne (Charlotte's video clip from The Tudors)

I will post more about the Sookie time travel arc at a later date when we get closer to that part of the story.