How Writing about Vampires Actually Reflects my Life

It’s true! Sounds daft, doesn’t it? I mean, vampires don’t really exist… do they? Of course they do. We have the so-called lifestyle vampires; people who dress in gothic clothing, file their teeth into fangs, and even drink blood. That is not me. I am just your average, red-haired, glasses-wearing housewife. You can usually see me sporting jeans, t-shirts and jumpers. I do like to dress up, and I adore gothic clothing, but it just isn’t practical for my lifestyle at the moment. I mean, think about it: if I floated about in fancy dresses with long, floaty sleeves, I would be forever washing my clothes after they got in the way of cleaning the children and changing nappies. And then there is the challenge of breastfeeding in certain clothes.

But that leads me into the reason behind my title. I write about vampires, witches and werewolves (and other magical creatures). I have always been fascinated by the supernatural world. And yes, I see the link between these creatures and the people in my life. For example, I am surrounded by vampires. My baby daughter, as she feeds from my breast, is a vampire, sucking my essence so that she may live. But this is a wonderful, beautiful process, and perfectly natural. My husband is an energy vampire. He leaves me alone with the children for most of the week while he goes out to work full time. He expects me to provide emotional and practical support for him, while also providing full care for our children. Who looks after me? Who gives me the care I need?

And then there are all the other people around me who represent the good and bad qualities of the creatures that I am so in love with. Vampires to me are sexual, alluring beings. That is part of their magical charm. They use sex as a tool for hunting. And they do it in a very beautiful, fantastic way. I will be honest here; my husband and I enjoy a fun and passionate sex life. That is the best part of our relationship. In a way I am also a vampire. I use other people for support in all kinds of ways. Mainly I rely on my friends to listen when I complain about never having time to myself, or being so tired I can’t think straight, or simply complaining about the lack of romance in my life. We are all energy vampires. We feed from each other constantly. The only difference in my stories, is that the creatures I write about act on their urges physically. They are passionate, dramatic, romantic and dangerous. And that is a most exhilarating fantasy to keep me happy!

* You Should Be Writing image courtesy of Pinterest 

Why Do I Write Paranormal Stories?

I have always had a fascination with the world of the supernatural and paranormal.  As a child I loved reading ghost stories and watching TV documentaries. Strange But True was one that I remember as a favourite, and one of the few that I was allowed to watch.  My all-time favourite Hollywood films include Ghostbusters 1 and 2 and The Addams Family trilogy.  When I was old enough I wasted no time in watching Hammer Horror classics and whatever horror films I could get my hands on!  My dissertation at university was about vampires in popular culture and their presence in society today.

I have always been a bookworm. My early favourite stories were usually of the fairytale variety, adventure stories by Enid Blyton, and fantastical fictional feasts by Roald Dahl. As I grew older and began to discover the new world of Young Adult (as then uncategorised in popular fiction), I was excited to find that there were hundreds of books about vampires, werewolves, witches and other supernatural creatures. In my cultural circle these sorts of stories were very much relegated to childhood reading, and I was encouraged to ‘get real’ as I grew up.

What does it mean to ‘get real’ anyway? The paranormal world is very much alive and thriving, even if people prefer to think of it as fiction or fantasy. The very fact that all of these stories exist makes them real. Fans of popular television series such as True Blood and The Vampire Diaries will agree that to them the characters and stories are also very real. It is simply an exaggerated form of reality, something that might happen in a parallel universe or alternate reality. And that is probably why I write paranormal stories. I love the freedom, the possibility, and yes, the romance, of the creatures and characters that come to me.

Have you tried the Redcliffe novels yet? Maybe you should…

Join my tribe today, and I will send you a fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

*Strange But True image courtesy of Britmovie; Monsters image courtesy of Digital Art Gallery

The Redcliffe Novels Fantasy Cast List

People have been asking me recently which actors I would like to see playing the roles of my heroes and heroines in the Redcliffe novels, should they be picked up by Hollywood, or maybe the BBC… After much consideration, I have assembled a fantasy cast list of the main characters. My actors will have to be British in order to do an authentic portrayal. I would like to see some new talent emerging, but for now I will choose familiar faces from British television (and the odd Hollywood superstar) to give you an idea. 

 Jessica Stone – It took a while for me to settle on a suitable match for Jessica. Finally I decided my closest ideal is the actress Rosie Marcel, most recently known for her role as consultant Jac Naylor in the BBC hospital drama series Holby City. She has the look I imagine for Jessica, and she clearly likes to play strong and complex female roles.

 Jack and Danny Mason – Now these two are a slight problem. I have two actors in mind, but I need identical twin brothers from Ireland if I am to make the characters truly authentic. As far as appearances go, here are my favourites. I choose Michael Fassbender, because let’s face it, he is hot! And he seems to prefer fantasy roles, if you remember the television series Hex and the X-Men: First Class film.

But, there is another man who I see as a great Jack Mason. That is the Being Human actor Aidan Turner, who totally stole my heart when he appeared on screen as the tortured vampire Mitchell. Ooh, the choice is so hard!

 Elizabeth Gormond – I need an actress who can be both accessible and spunky to play Jessica’s best friend and business partner. Liz is a happily married woman, who is starting a family, but she is very forthright, very strong in her opinions and morals, and she is fiercely protective of those she loves. I see the actress Jemima Rooper playing a convincing Elizabeth.

Marcus Scott – Well, now, the vampire Marcus Scott is a character! He was never supposed to be such a big part of the Redcliffe novels, but somehow he forced his way into my affections, and indeed, into Jessica’s, much to her dismay! I have two candidates for the part of Marcus. The first is another Holby City actor, James Anderson. He is totally cheeky and charming as the trainee surgeon Oliver Valentine, and I think he could quite easily switch into confident playboy vampire mode.

But, there is another potential for Marcus, and one who I am sure a lot of vampire fans will be very familiar with. I was thinking perhaps Joseph Morgan, who currently plays the evil vampire Klaus in The Vampire Diaries. Delicious!

So there we are. I have finally put faces to some of the names in the Redcliffe novels, and I hope you appreciate my choices. I am still searching for suitable candidates to play werewolf lieutenants Simon Bunce and Sally Frost, Elizabeth’s husband Robert Gormond, and witch Crystal Waters. They will show themselves in good time… 

*All actor photographs courtesy of Google images in the public domain*