What kind of #VAMPIRE do you prefer?

Vampires seem to be all the rage these days. There have been many views of what constitutes vampire lore. Authors put their own creative spin on the legends to suit their storylines.

Our latest release, THE SILVER CROSS, puts another spin on vampires. In our story, silver is deadly to them. Lacey Gardner, our vampire hunter, and her team hunt the beasts with customized silver bullets. Damon Harte, the hunky bartender, wears a silver cross--it's his salvation and damnation all rolled into one. No spoilers here, pick up a copy to find out what happens when Lacey meets Damon. 

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Now let's talk about other creative spins author use. First, there’s the biggest vampire franchise of late created by Stephanie Meyers.

Twilight vampires: the most famous vampire in this group is Edward, the brooding vampire in love with the teenager Bella. With the outstanding success of the books and movies, this franchise has been one of the biggest money making ventures for vampires, maybe even the most successful one aimed at the young adult market. The Twilight vampires do not burn up in the sun, but instead “sparkle.”  This is an entirely new “spin” on vampire lore.

In the 1970’s author Anne Rice released her book, “Interview with a Vampire” featuring vampires Lestat , Louis and 12-year-old Claudia. The book was adapted to film in 1994. It’s their story as told by Louis to a San Francisco reporter. The vampires in this movie are vicious, drink human blood and cannot go out in the sun because the sun’s rays will burn and turn them into ash.

One of the many adaptations of Bram Stoker’s book, “Dracula” stars Frank Langella in the 1979 film of the same name. In this highly romanticized version, Count Dracula arrives in England in 1913 from Transylvania aboard a ship that breaks up on the rocks during a storm. During the wreckage of the ship, a wolf is seen jumping from its deck and then the Count himself is found on the shore. This story follows the more traditional legends of vampires, that is, that they can also shape shift. Even though Count Dracula is a charismatic figure, there is no mistake that he’s vicious and has no compunction in killing and drinking his victim’s blood.  But, man, oh man, is Frank Langella one sexy vampire. It could be that it was due in large part to his voice. I’m a sucker for a great voice. I prefer this version of vampire lore with the shape shifting in addition to not being able to walk in the sun.

These are just three different viewpoints on vampire legends and lore. So what’s your favorite kind of vampire?