Handsome, beautiful, desirable. Vampires haven’t always been so. As a child I saw a few vampire movies in which the vampires were horrifically ugly and frightening instead and would be victims were saved by wearing or waving a cross.
Around the same time a comic book I read had a vamp named Kitty who was no looker but who claimed she wasn’t really bad in spite of hovering around a town randomly attacking and draining to death her victims. Townspeople had no clue a vampire was the culprit in those savage killings.
In the last scene a woman stepped out her back door with a bowl of milk and called, “Kitty, kitty, kitty”. Vampire kitty swooped in for the kill. Blood dripping from her fangs she shrugged and said. “I don’t want to kill them but they call me.”
To my kid’s mind, it could happen. I had cats. I put on my cross necklace and wore it for years. Eventually, I grew up. Vampires got better looking, more sophisticated, even desirable. I’ve been a vampire fan since.
My good fortune is that the TV series The Vampire Diaries films near where I live. The show is based on the L.J. Smith book series by the same name. To date I haven’t met any of the actors but have watched the shooting a few times. I absolutely love the show even though I am not in their demographic. It is beautifully cast and beautifully set. Romance and danger, handsome vampires, humans and even werewolves, and a lot of heart stopping action (literally).
Recently I had the pleasure of attending a tea on the grounds of the home of Mayor Lockwood, one of the characters in Vampire Diaries. That night on the square in Mystic Falls, (Covington, GA) a mock vigil was held for the characters who have met their demise in the first twos seasons. Great fun ruled as fans from all over lit candles and said goodbye. The event was sponsored by Mystic Falls Tours and V.R.O. Radio. I won a terrific autographed photo of good-looking Gino Anthony Pesi, Maddox on the show, in a charity auction.
Lovers of the paranormal, check out The Vampire Diaries. If you wouldn’t leave your window open for one of the vampires on this show, you may already need a transfusion.
As a writer I’ve got my own vampire camping out in my head with all the other unwritten characters whose stories are waiting to be told. It’s about time I got him out of there with my own version of Vampire Love.