Parlor Roots--Let's Talk Genealogy

When you visit some of the pages of the Parlor, those pages might have a bonus section at the bottom, before the footer, called ~Parlor Roots~.  I've set this section apart in its own section from the main area of each page it will appear on as I have with occasional factoids and funsies.  These bonus items are set in their own section.  They aren't necessarily a direct part of the discussion on the Mayfair Witches, but can possibly provide an additional perspective on the topic of that particular page.

One thing I am very passionate about is researching my family history.  I started this about five years before I first read the Lives of the Mayfair Witches series.  Yes, I first read the series about five years after The Witching Hour was first published.  When I did read the series, the detailed accounts of the history of the Mayfair Witches from the Talamasca's files is one of the things that really resonated with me.

Throughout the Parlor, you might see ~Parlor Roots~ on some pages as a sort of "Easter Egg".  Some might relate directly to the topic of the page.  Others might be fun factoids that can help to give a general idea of historical events and places the Lives of the Mayfair Witches are set among.  There might be things that might help us better understand the pedigree of the Mayfair Witches in the context of history.

Commentaries on the Works of Anne Rice

I've added some additional resources to the Anne Rice Commentaries page.  In addition to books written about Anne Rice and her work, there are several where one chapter or section discusses Anne's work.

There are also a few books listed that give tours or are meant to be used for self guided tours of Anne Rice's New Orleans.  

The images of book covers are also links, so you can go to where the book is listed on Amazon.com.  

I have wanted to update this page for quite a while, and like anything else on the Parlor is a work-in-progress.  I've also been meaning to do more with the Suggested Reading page, because that is a page I'd like to use to show how Anne's work has influenced other authors.

Sometimes, I've shared some books and series I've read that I liked for one reason or another.  But there is one series I've listed that I understand Anne Rice herself liked.  The Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, which was also adapted to television in the series, True Blood.

With that being said, this allows me to point out a favorite of mine from the book series.  I love it when this happens.  This favorite was so hilariously deranged I just have to mention it.

The Sookie Stackhouse novels are, of course, mainly about vampires, but also includes all kinds of other supernatural or preternatural creatures who either double or masquerade as humans.  The series was set in rural Louisiana, but on occasion, the characters took field trips to New Orleans.  

This was a location where witches surfaced in Sookie Stackhouse's world.

One such witch was a young witch named Amelia--and Amelia had a "major eff up".  It seems Amelia...sort of...turned her boyfriend...Bob...into...a cat.

Yessir.

A cat.

Now, I suppose it might have been embarrassing for Bob to have gone into a Wal-Mart still...scratching...and...grooming...like a cat...  

But my money's on Bob having fathered a...litter...of...kittens...

Oops.

Insert LOL cat animation here.

I admit, reading that was like reading a Stephanie Plum novel, another series I love.  I laughed so hard I had to put the book down! 

Now that I have mentioned the Stephanie Plum novels, I can also mention another book series by the same author, Janet Evanovich.  There are only a handful of books in this series, the Lizzy and Diesel series.

That series, set mainly in Marblehead, Massachusetts, also involves characters who come into contact with the supernatural.  The character of Diesel has also appeared in some of the Stephanie Plum novels, and he in turn brought a character from one of those Stephanie Plum novels into the Lizzy and Diesel novels.

Carl the monkey.

Heather Graham (not to be confused with the actress of the same name) is an author known for her romance novels, and for her Krewe of Hunters series.  The Krewe of Hunters series mainly focuses on ghosts, but she has also written some vampire fiction.  Graham's supernatural fiction could be called "gothic romance" or something similar. 

Some of Graham's Krewe of Hunters characters have also appeared in short stories--novellas--included in some of the 1001 Dark Nights anthologies.

Many of Heather Graham's supernatural novels are set in New Orleans.  Graham has also collected several of her blog posts and put them in a book of their own, Why I Love New Orleans: A Collection of Blogs.

I believe I've already listed some books by both Charlaine Harris and Heather Graham on the Suggested Reading page.  What I hope to achieve with that particular page as I update it is show just how much Anne's work resonated with so many, including other authors.

Whether it's serious or it's screamingly funny, Anne Rice's work has had a profound influence on many authors.  That influence is part of Anne's literary legacy.  This is what I hope to show on the Suggested Reading page of the Parlor.

Mayfair Family Tree Graphics

I have been focusing on other areas of the Parlor lately.  However, there's a lot to say about the Mayfair Family Tree.  I like to make graphics that are appealing, creative, and help present the topic of the page.  So, I have a couple of new graphics on two of the family tree pages.  Here is an example of one:

This is a cute little family tree graphic I made on PicMix.  The only Mayfair Witch NOT shown here (besides Julien) is Deborah.  Her portrait is different from these as it is made to appear as if it were a painting from the 17th Century.  This new graphic appears on the Mayfair Family Tree page.

There is another "family tree" oriented animated graphic on the site.  That can be found on the Mayfair Family Tree Tutorial page.

I have been trying for a few months now to make an animation like this!  I wanted to make something where it's the vines that grow, but I had to do it a bit differently.  I'll keep trying, though!

The Parlor Blog Menu; Fan Fiction

The Parlor on Fan Fiction

Mary Beth Mayfair

I've made a new version of the animated portrait of Mary Beth Mayfair.  It has the floating rose petals and a music clip from the countdown clips for the AMC series.  There is something subtle but different from the first version I made of Mary Beth Mayfair.  Can you guess what it is?

Stella Mayfair "Sings"-Techno Flapper

I was animating Stella Mayfair on cutout.pro, and got curious to see what Stella looked like up close and animated...

...and THIS happened:

Mayfair Funny Pages

For giggles, I decided to redo a brief little short video I made when the Parlor began massive renovations.  I added a little sound, as well.  I also wanted a better image of the Egyptian Keyhole doorway with the signs and sleeping cat on a doormat that says--well, look here: