Explore the unconventional, otherworldly life of psychic waitress Sookie Stackhouse in this companion to the bestselling series that takes a closer look at Sookie and her family, friends, enemies, adventures, and—of course—the lovers who set her world on fire...  Visit Bon Temps, the small Louisiana town that Sookie calls home, with a detailed map created by Charlaine herself, and learn the characteristics of the supernaturals who live there: vampires, two-natured, and fae. Examine all the branches of Sookie’s family tree. And eavesdrop on the private conversations between rival vampires Eric and Bill. Also, enjoy the compelling novella “Small-Town Wedding,” in which Sookie accompanies her shapeshifting boss, Sam, to his brother’s wedding in Texas, where happily-ever-after seems very far away.... Exclusive interviews with True Blood creator Alan Ball and author Charlaine Harris—compiled from fan questions—will satisfy your craving for all things Sookie, as will trivia questions, recipes (including Caroline Bellefleur’s famous chocolate cake!), and a concordance to the Sookie Stackhouse novels. “Can’t get enough of Sookie Stackhouse? Then grab a copy of this comprehensive guide filled with a complete rundown on her many adventures and so much more.”—Monsters and Critics “Harris has whipped up a companion piece spiced nicely for a variety of palates, sprinkled deliciously with her trademark humor.”— Tulsa World “For the Sookie Stackhouse series fan, this book is an absolute must. It delves deeper into the series and it’s always fun to get the author’s point-of-view about the characters and world she has created. This book can tide fans over until the next book or next season of True Blood .”— The Parkersburg News and Sentinel “A fun read, a satisfying Sookie fix, and a good resource…Consider The Sookie Stackhouse Companion a fun addition to your Sookie library.”—Tor.com “This is a true companion book to a great urban fantasy series!...Edited by Charlaine Harris herself, this book offers the ultimate guide to the ‘Sookieverse’ and it is set out in such a way that it will please even the most hardcore fans out there… I cannot say how thankful I felt for this book and I cannot believe that anyone who has followed the series will not feel the same gratitude and pleasure for this little gift. It is really for the fans and that reflects on the quality of the work: meticulous, funny, and touching! If you praise yourself to be a Sookie Stackhouse avid (or even more moderate) fan then this book should be already devoured by you!”—Love Vampires Charlaine Harris is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse and Midnight, Texas, fantasy/mystery series and the Aurora Teagarden, Harper Connelly, and Lily Bard mystery series. Her books have inspired HBO’s True Blood , NBC’s Midnight, Texas , and the Aurora Teagarden movies for Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. She has lived in the South her entire life. PREFACE THE WORLD OF SOOKIE STACKHOUSE Sookie and I go back a long way. We're practically sisters. Many years ago, when my mystery career was languishing, I thought it might be a good idea to shake up my writing style by trying something new. It might be fun to write a book that contained all the elements I loved: mystery, the supernatural, bloody adventure, and a dash of romance. And since people had told me for years that I had a great sense of humor, I thought it would be interesting to try to include that in the book, too. Without a contract, without a soul being at all interested, I began to establish the character of my protagonist. My grandmother's best friend's name was Sookie, and since it was a fine old Southern nickname, I thought it would do well for my heroine. And "Stackhouse" just flowed right after it. I wanted to write from the point of view of a human, not a vampire or other "supe," and since I have to live with Sookie, I wanted to make her as interesting as I possibly could. I decided she would date a vampire, as the entrée into a completely different world, and I had to establish a reason for sensible Sookie to do such a crazy thing. After a long thinking session, I came up with telepathy, which I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Up until then, most vampires in fiction had exotic, sexy names. My vampire, I decided, would be named "Bill." Instead of setting my books in the picturesque, touristy part of Louisiana, I'd make do with the distinctly unromantic northern part. Instead of being angsty brooders, my vampires would be trying their hardest to be in the forefront of business; they'd be hard workers, and they'd have their own internal system of checks and balances. I finished Dead Until Dark and turned it in to my agent, the great Joshua Bilmes. It took Joshua a long time to warm up to the Sookieverse, but he dutifully did his best to sell my favorite book. After two years of rejections, Dead Until Darkseemed likely to live up to its acronym. Then a yo