Spooky Reads: Vampires

 

I posted a Reel on Insta earlier in which I declared "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" my favorite piece of fiction, and the Headless Horseman my favorite monster of all time. That's why it, and he, will get a separate post to celebrate Halloween next week. 

When it comes to creature features as a genre, however, I'm a vampire girl all the way. The crumbling Gothic mansions, old-fashioned wardrobes, and ethereal beauty as a means to draw prey are all excellent. The angst inherent with immortality is chef's kiss. And, of course, the erotic overtones (sometimes subtle hints, other times delightfully explicit) that come with the blood-sucking territory. 

I've always loved vampire-focused fiction, but I didn't try my hand at writing it until 2017, when I started the Sons of Rome series. It took me until then to feel ready for it: to feel like my writing skills finally matched my ideas, and that I could flesh them out in the way I felt they deserved. 

Every author has his or her own unique vampire lore, and mine strays pretty far from the classic image of the vampire. Val and co. can walk in the sunlight, can reproduce genetically in addition to turning the willing and unwilling; vampires can be born, in my books, and age until they reach their physical peak. They must drink blood in order to stay vital, but they eat human food as well. I made most of my decisions because a good many of my vampires are real-life figures from history, and I couldn't have Vlad the Impaler or Richard the Lionheart sleeping in a coffin all day. My books won't suit anyone looking for a classic vampire experience: my vamps are strong, immortal, psychically powerful blood-drinkers who can slumber for long periods of time...but they also drink liquor, and smoke cigarettes, and feel pain. 

Writing that has made me miss them again 😢

Dracula is a classic for a reason, but the title of Favorite Vampires goes to the legendary Anne Rice's creations. If you want to write vampire fiction, I think Interview With the Vampire is necessary reading...though I challenge you to stop there. The Vampire Lestat is where you properly meet the Brat Prince, and Rice's Vampire Chronicles are his, more than anyone else's. He's certainly been an inspiration for me - not just with Sons of Rome, but across all my series. Every gremlin character I've written has a little sprinkling of Lestat dust along the top for flavor.