Thursday, July 16, 2009

Southern Writers Tour – Anne Rice

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[ Claudia from the movie Interview with a Vampire ]                        [ Anne Rice ]

Since so many of you are fans of Gothic and urban fantasy, I though we should stop by and visit someone more contemporary on our tour. As a reader, I am also a big believer of going to the source. Meaning, read the predecessors of the authors you love, and Anne Rice is the Vampire Queen. If you think you're a fan of the vampire genre and you haven't read Anne Rice… think again.

No one does vampires like Anne Rice. She is not only a world-builder, who never breaks her own rules (think Cassandra Clare), but most of her novels are set in the South.

Born Howard Allen O'Brien, Anne grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. She graduated with a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from San Fransisco University. Her first novel, Interview with a Vampire, was published in 1976. Anne Rice returned to New Orleans, and the Vampire Chronicles are set there. Rice is a master at creating a precise and atmospheric picture of her Southern settings. I visited New Orleans years ago, after having read many of Anne Rice's novels, and the city was exactly as she described down to the smell of magnolias and chicory coffee in the air.

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My favorite Anne Rice novels:

Interview with a Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, Servant of the Bones, and the Witching Hour, a frightening tale of several generations of witches tied to a powerful supernatural being.

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Interesting Facts:

Anne Rice wanted Rutger Hauer to play the vampire Lestat, in the movie Interview with a Vampire,  after seeing Hauer in the movie Blade Runner.

Anne's mother, Katherine O'Brien, gave Anne a boy's name (Howard) because she thought it would make her daughter stronger.

Anne Rice lived most of her adult life in the Garden District of New Orleans.

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Favorite Quote:

"Evil is always possible. Goodness is a difficulty." – Anne Rice

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Recipes from New Orleans:

Beignets

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Recipe Or Order the Original Cafe Du Monde Beignet Mix Here

E2B-E2E   Best enjoyed with Chicory coffee.

Shrimp Creole

Shrimp-creole1   Recipe

If you're interested in purchasing Cajun or Creole Seasonings, shop at the Cajun Grocer here.

And if you need a cookbook with authentic New Orleans recipes:

61D8CRE8Z3L._SL500_AA240_ Buy it here.  51bW9tXHcRL._SL500_AA240_Buy it here.


6 responses to “Southern Writers Tour – Anne Rice”

  1. CasterGirl25 says:

    loved the witching hour! Now I’m gonna go pick up the vampire chronicles

  2. susan says:

    loved the quote…so true….

  3. Carrie says:

    I love New Orleans and I reallllly love beignets. Actually, oddly enough some of the best beignets I ever had were at Cafe Orleans, in Disneyland. Crazy I know, but also crazy good.

  4. Kami Garcia says:

    Then I have to go to Disneyland soon!

  5. Shelly Burns says:

    Great post! I’ve seen Interview with a Vampire, but have never read her stuff.

  6. CasterGirl 17 says:

    I always wanted a boy’s name because I though it was awesome, and then I met a boy with the same name as me and found out my name is sort of unisex.
    ANYWAY…
    I am in the mood for a vampire book; I’ll go buy one of her books as soon as I can