yes ita compilation of short stories, it is a get to know the characters sort of book. She also anounced at a book signing that she has comitted to another three और sookie books.....sure hope there will be और :)
A touch of Dead is not the 10th book in the series, it is just a book of short stories about Sookie it should be out this Fall if im not mistaken. The tenth book isnt coming out until May 2010 and she says that she has not come up with a name for it yet.