(Art by AdroVonCrow –
DeviantART)
While the word vampire
is only a few hundred years old, it's predated by a wide variety of myths around
the world of spirits and demons feeding on the blood, flesh, or life force of
the living. The current popular image came from east European beliefs, however
it got a facelift along the way.
In Slavic, Romanian, and Romani (Gypsy) folklore vampires
are hideous monsters with ruddy complexion and crude manners. They were
believed to rise from the bodies of witches, criminals, and suicide victims, or
alternately, those of who died violent and untimely deaths.
It was the writers of fiction who gave vampires their pallor
and sexual magnetism. The monster became a Byronic hero, alluringly dark and
mysterious, and not to mention moody.
"It was evident that he was a prey to some cureless
disquiet…" (Lord Byron, Fragment of
a Story)
If brooding were an Olympic sport, the children of the night
would win every medal. Angel, Edward, Bill…they'll glare at you with their
dark, smoldering eyes and tell you that you should run from them, they're cursed,
will make you unhappy, and so on.
If it were me, I'd run. All that sulking is such a drag.
I mean, seriously, they're practically immortal, don't age,
have cellulite or high cholesterol, and don't even have to go to they gym. What
is there to sulk about?
I wanted to write story, something short and sweet, about a
vampire with a sense of humor and appetite for (un)life. Just to get it out of
my system. Naturally, my intended novelette turned into a full-blown novel of
over 70,000 words. The protagonists are Harvey, the spunky young vampire and
his love interest, Gabe, the conflicted slayer. Spirit Sanguine will come out at the
end of April, but is available for pre-order on Amazon and at the Samhain
store.
