Your biography says that the idea for this story began with a couple of cases of cattle mutilation that you investigated as a policeman. What sparked your interest?
I've always had an interest in the paranormal and as a kid, loved scary stories and movies best of all. There was always something special about vampires and the myths about them that just drew me in. Of course as I grew older I found that there seemed to be fewer and fewer stories that really drew me in. And considering what vampires were said to be, former humans that demons fed upon causing them to return as blood-drinkers, well Ann Rice and her take on the subject basically pissed me off. The idea that these undead creatures were filled with remorse, etc. just seemed so .... lame. If there were such creatures, it struck me that they would revel in the night, would revel with their enhanced powers and would prey upon humanity with glee much like most humans that "prey upon hamburger!" I mean, how many people go to McDonalds and then cry about the cows slaughtered? Anyway when I was a detective investigating the cattle mutes, later thinking upon it, I suddenly (for only a short time but....) had a flash! Geeze, if there were vampires ... Wow! ... all those dead and drained cattle would finally be explained. So that was really the first germ of my idea.
Your vampires do not at all follow the popular image of vampires. What gave you the idea for them?
Well, like I mentioned above, I always felt that if vampires were real, then they would view humans much they way we think ET would view humanity.
Lower than themselves, and very vulnerable to expoitation when the desire hit. It just seemed to me that vampires by their very nature would be as cold as ice (no pun intended), supremely arrogant and view humans as a simple food supply. The idea that such creatures would "fop around" seducing humans instead of eating them I quite frankly found laughable.
