YA Week continues with Mari Mancusi
Talking Vampires with Mari Mancusi
The great thing about writing about vampires is you can make them into anything you want them to be. From tuxedo-clad Dracula to mega rock star Lestat. Brooding, neutered Spike to punk rock biker boy David in the Lost Boys. Goth vampires, fashionista vampires, vampires with a soul - the possibilities are endless.
When I started writing my Blood Coven Vampire series I had a blast creating my own vampire world. Taking from myths, legends and a whole lot of pop culture, I mixed and matched and made it my own. My vampires don’t kill humans to drink their blood - they are assigned donors who are contracted and paid well for their services. They don’t just randomly turn other people into vampires -there’s a three month certification test, DNA analysis and blood screen. All very high tech and organized.
Vampires are not one-size-fits-all, which, I think, adds to their appeal. Nor are the books about them. You have everything from dark, brooding tales like Twilight to laugh-out-loud comedies like Undead and Unwed. So no matter what kind of story you’re looking for, you can probably find one featuring a vampire.
I, myself, was a huge Buffy fan back in the day, which definitely influenced my own vampire stories. There was just something brilliant about that show which took everyday, real-life problems and gave them a supernatural twist. My friends and I would have Buffy night parties every Tuesday. Wine, pizza, and some very strict rules. Like no talking, except during a commercial. (Appreciative noises were given special dispensation when a shirtless Spike appeared on-screen.) And speaking of Spike, I’m going to go see him in concert as part of Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors in June. Can’t wait!
Right now everyone’s wondering what the next “vampire” will be. The mythological creature that will take the vampire’s place in the hearts of America. Will it be the werewolf? Not for me - all I can think of is the bestiality overtones. And even though I write zombie stories, I can’t imagine many hero zombies making it big. I mean, hello?, they’re reanimated corpses-often with decaying skin and missing appendages. Better to keep them the villains. Fairies? Well, maybe, but in my opinion they’re too pretty and feminine to really stand up to the alpha male hotness that is a vampire.
I was interviewing the executive editor of Harper Children’s a couple weeks back and she told me that there were actual studies showing that vampires were more popular during times of economic crisis. Why is that you might wonder? Well, maybe it’s because when you’re feeling poor and powerless in your own real life it’s fun to imagine an all-powerful, super rich, super gorgeous creature who’s been lost, searching centuries for a soulmate and finding it in little old you. What other creature could make you feel so special?
And that is why, I believe, vampires are here to stay.
So who’s your favorite vampire? Comment and win an autographed copy of the first book in my Blood Coven Vampire series, BOYS THAT BITE.