My latest novel, Vital Spark, is a vampire romance set in New Orleans. I’ve been a fan of mythical vampires since long before Twilight oversaturated the market. In all the novels I’ve read, I never really questioned what it was that made the vampires so appealing.
Obviously they are written as gorgeous, so there’s that. Then there’s the idea of superhuman strength and speed, which creates a situation that would make anyone feel safe and protected, and that’s a nice feeling. Some people are a sucker for a tortured soul, which could also explain some of the facination. A lot of us can relate to having that “darker side” of ourselves. We bury it and struggle to keep it contained, but we all have our inner demons.
Then I got to thinking, what is it that most people fear? Death. And also aging, because that seems to lead to death. But with just a little bite, a vampire can give you the gift of immortality and eternal youth. The older I get, the more I realize there isn’t much I wouldn’t do for eternal youth. Maybe not botox though, I’ve seen some pictures. But I have to do something because it’s not going to be pretty you guys…
A vampire can ease your biggest fears. Can you imagine what you would do if you knew you couldn’t die? I’d eat two pounds of bacon for breakfast every morning. And a stick of butter covered in sugar.
I always say it would suck to live forever. At some point, I’ll want to move on to the next realm so I can start haunting people or whatever. But I can bet that on my deathbed, I’ll be screaming for Dracula.
What do you think? Would immortality be a blessing or a curse?