The Deadline is Approaching!

The deadline for the Nomination Ballots for the Fangreaders Awards is 8th January 2012.  Our Fangreaders have the honour of submitting their favourite fanfics for nominations. In a little over two weeks the ballots will close, and we will be getting ready to present the nominees to a public vote in our fandom.  Each fanfic nomination is crucial, because only the top 4 fics will be available for voting in each category so please fill out your ballot as soon as possible.

We’re all getting very excited for the Awards.  Let’s take a peek and see how our favourite characters are getting ready for the big event in our fandom.

“Important Men” written by AlphaEN

He was a very important person. He made wheels turn and things happen; people meet and businesses concluded. Oh, yes, he was the man behind the scenes. Very, very important.

He parked in the garage and went inside, into the pristine kitchen. It was quiet in the house; not a heartbeat around, as it should be in the vampire’s dwelling. That’s what I’m talking about, he though as he kicked his shoes off by the garage door (one of the house rules) and put the groceries he’d bought for Sookie in the refrigerator. He checked the expiration date on the True Blood bottles on the top shelf; they were still good for another week. Who needed these, with a warm, breathing human girlfriend?

Oh, yes. She didn’t live here. Women.

He went into the empty office and sat in the large black leather armchair. Methodically, he opened general correspondence and utility bills and put them in a neat stack in the “In” basket. He left the largest package – a long tube they normally use to ship large posters and printouts – for last. Finally, he placed the tube on the top of the desk and tore the plastic pocket to pull the enclosed letter out.

Sent by the Fangreaders Awards 2012 esteemed panel of the SVM and TB fanfiction authors, it read:

“Dear Mr. Northman,

We would like to thank you for your kind support you have shown to our project. We know how valuable your time is, and we appreciate you agreeing posing for the Fangies portrait. As a token of our appreciation, we are sending you an enlarged copy of it. We are looking forward to seeing you as our guest of honor at the Awards ceremony on…”

A portrait?! He threw the letter on the desk and, his hands almost trembling, removed the packaging.

The poster was large, five feet by two and six. The quality of the print was amazing, the colors vivid, as if it was the original itself. The Viking’s imposing presence was so real, it seemed he was about to step off the paper and into the room, and that sword… He’d give anything to hold the real thing in his hands!

With a few pieces of a clear tape, he attached the poster to the bathroom wall next to a tall mirror. He ran back to the office, where several weapons were hung on display behind the desk. He knew what he wanted – the old broadsword right in the center. He removed the heavy piece, trying not to drop it on his foot.

“Heavy, sucker!”

He drew a deep breath, gripped the handle with both hands and dragged the sword into the bathroom. There, he stood in front of the mirror, imitating the Fangie’s stuns in the portrait. He puffed his chest and squared his shoulders.

He was an important man. He made wheels turn and things happen; people meet and businesses concluded. Oh, yes, he was the man behind the scenes. Very, very important.

The mantra wasn’t helping; he wasn’t feeling important, not in the slightest.

With a grunt, he leaned the sword against the bathtub edge and shook his jacket, tie, and shirt off, remaining in just a white undershirt. He took the sword again, pointed it downwards into the tiled floor and held it in place, not without an effort. How did people wield, cut, and stabbed with this monstrosity?...

He thrust his chin up and looked in the mirror again. He was a very important person. He made wheels turn and…

“What the hell are you doing in my bathroom, Bobby?” Eric’s voice startled him, and he dropped the weapon on the floor.

“Ahmm… I’m…,” he cleared his throat, “Well, sir, Master, Mr. Northman, I was just… just cleaning this sword for you.”

“I see,” Eric stood in the doorway, his eyebrow perked up. He wasn’t exhibiting any signs of emotions, though, and Bobby Burnham was speechless. He must have lost track of time, striking this pose and trying that turn, this glance and that facial expression.

“And that’s why you took your clothes off?” the vampire asked, coldly.

“Hmm… Yes, sir, of course, to keep’em from being spoiled…” Jesus Christ, what a lame excuse! He’d been caught his hands in the cookie jar, like the telepathic barmaid used to say. His master knew for sure he was lying.

“Bobby,” Eric took a step inside and carefully picked the sword from the floor, “If you take it upon yourself to clean my weapon… in the future, do it in the garage.”

Beads of cold sweat had been forming on the man’s forehead, and they chose this particular moment to start running down his face. “Yes, master.”

“Well? Do you need a special invitation to get dressed?”

Bobby Burnham had never dressed faster than he did in Eric Northman’s bathroom. What a disaster… At least, his head was still attached to his neck.

He peeled the poster off the wall and carried it inside the office, where Eric had already started the computer and was going through the mail his day man had prepared and left for him in the “In” basket.

Bobby cleared his throat for the thousandth time. “The groceries are in the refrigerator, your things dropped off at that special dry cleaner’s, and this…” he pointed at the poster, “came in the mail for you.”

“So I see. Turn it around.”

Bobby did as he was told. Up until this moment, he hadn’t noticed the back of the posted was completely covered with signatures, “Eric, love you forever!”, hearts, and impressions of lips made with lipstick of hundreds of shades of red. Eric smiled for the first time since he’d risen for the night. He decided not to go too hard on his day man. He’d spotted Bobby in the bathroom and watched for a few minutes before interrupting the human (Sheriff Northman didn’t have all night, after all), amused and even flattered. He didn’t realize his day person had feelings for him… Wait, how come Sookie had never said anything about? Was she not jealous? Interesting…

“That’ll be all for tonight,” Eric said.

“If I may,” Bobby muttered.

Eric frowned. “What is it?”

“I was hoping… well, this Awards ceremony… is it at all possible to get an invitation?”

Eric didn’t expect such boldness from the man; perhaps, it was Bobby’s lucky star that his master had been rather entertained with his earlier show in the bathroom.

“I’ll put a word for you to the Awards panel,” he said finally, as he dismissed Bobby.

The man was more than happy to get out of the vampire’s home. Only when he sped away in his car, turning around the corner of the block, was he able to breathe slowly again.

Hopefully, he’d be getting one of those purple invitations in the mail soon. He deserved it. He was a very important person. He made wheels turn and things happen; people meet and businesses concluded. Oh, yes, he was the man behind the scenes. Very, very important.

Thank you , AlphaEN, for writing this promo for the Fangreaders Awards.  Please, show her some review love HERE.

The Fangreaders Awards Ceremony will be posted live on the 25th of February 2012 on the Fangreaders Hall of Fame website.  

All ballots have been sent out to our Fangreaders. If you haven’t received yours, please let Fairyblood know by clicking HERE.

(Please allow 24 hours to receive your invite.)

And if you ask to join now, you too can have a nomination ballot sent to you so you can nominate your favourite fanfics.