Amber Benson Wows Fans with the Mad People Skills!

Hey, guys! Yeah I know; I should find a shorter title for the entry, but deal just this once.... pretty please with a cherry on top? I had the priviledge of sitting in front of my computer most of the day, the part my meds would allow me to, and think up mindless questions to ask Amber Benson. For those of you that don't know her, which she's so awesomely fantastic I can't imagine anyone that didn't, she was mostly known for her role as Tara in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". She's been in plenty of films, mostly sticking to the independant arena and made for TV movies, has had guest spots on TV series such as "Supernatural", "Private Practice", and "Cracker"(on BBC at one point in time), but has now branched out not only into directing, but writing as well, with a flourish, might I add, that I wish I had. Today, she hung out in the Bitten By Books(awesome site!) review chat room, answering questions for her fans, mainy to promote her new book "Cat's Claw", the second in Miss Benson's Calliope Reaper-Jones trilogy. It may be a trilogy anyway, hopefully it'll be more!! There's still so much Callie would be able to get into. I can think of hundreds of things just sitting here thinking about it. Back to the point. Yes, Amber Benson, answering questions. She talked everything from Sweet Valley High, to Christopher Pike, to RL Stine. Hit on the Ghost of Albion series that she co-authored with Christopher Golden, another extremely gifted writer, and a sweet guy. Threw in some talks about Buffy, because as always, inquiring minds want to know.
The thing that stuck with me the most about Amber Benson's Q & A session today is how graceful and personable she was with her fans, but hey, as she is from Alabama(my closest neighbor to the west), that's a Southern girl for ya! She didn't shorten her answers to her fans for the sake of time, and got to at least one of everyone's questions they had asked. I'd be dead tired, which I'm sure she probably is. The five minute Q & As from my parents when I was younger wore me out; I couldn't imagine 12 hours. Yep, I said it. 12 hours answering just about anything our minds came up with, even offered advice, which was very cool.
I suppose I do sing her praises a tad more than most, but you have to understand something, although I watched Buffy, when they brought Tara(Benson) on the show, I was so torn out of the frame by the break up with Oz, I was kinda angry with the whole thing. Then, from her debute episode "Hush", I could tell where Joss Whedon was going to take this new friendship between Willow and Tara. Casting spells.... yeah uh huh! Anyhow, I was a tad irritated at her being replacement gal for Oz, but by the "Family" episode, she won me over a little. Seeing the character's family, much like my own, made me sympathize with her. Yeah, it was a character role, but still, when you go through something personally, you identify more with the character, plus you get to know them week after week and you just get attached. Then, came the turning point for me, maybe a tad bit on the late side of the Buffy series, but at a good time for me. The episode "Tabula Rasa". She leaves Willow after Willow breaks a pretty important promise to her. That hit home. You see the shy, almost scared character that Amber Benson played make a decision to do something so huge and brave. It hit home for me because at the time this relationship came about, I was in a very abusive relationship, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. I had seen her go from this shy girl that would barely lift her head, to this amazingly strong character. I thought, if she could do it, I could do it. Because abuse, whether it be having your memory sucked from you by a forget spell(twice) or being hit pretty much everyday for seven years, is abuse. Both come with broken, empty promises, and things being done to you against your will. So, I drew from Tara's courage, and ran like heck out of that relationship. So, yes, I'll sing Amber Benson's praises till the cows come home! Got a little off subject, but anyway, here's the bottom line, although there are some not very pleasant people to chat with out in Hollywood world, there are still breaths of fresh air out there. So thank you to Amber Benson for being one of those, and making tonight, not only a memorable one, but a fun one! Had a blast hanging out and can't wait for the next CRJ book!
For those of you that haven't heard of them, check 'em out "Death's Daughter" and "Cat's Claw", respectively. Fun and definitely entertaining!!!! Also, pop on over to http://www.bittenbybooks.com/ and give the site a gander! Till next time!