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It's been great reading about what drew Barb and Kay into their genre, and Kay I look forward to reading part 2. My inspiration comes not just from books, but from movies as well. I loved horror from the 60's, 70's and 80's. I'm talking about movies with Christopher Lee and Vincent Price (that voice) just to name two. Movies like Omega, that dealt with paranormal, but in an understated way. Even the odd documentaries like The Bermuda Triangle and the Chariots of the Gods. No, I'm not a believer, but I still found it fascinating just the same. I found the concept of Lost Boys interesting, enjoyed the latest Dracula blockbuster, and the series with Johnathon Rhys-Myers as Dracula..... My latest favourite at the moment is: What We Do In The Shadows. In my spare time, I devoured books. Anything I could get my hands onto. I grew up on the Trixi Beldon Mysteries and The Secret Seven in my younger years then discovered the Hobbit. Of course LOTR followed and the Similarion. I became a big fan of anything by Tolkien, Frank Herbert and Doc EE Smith. I loved The God Makers, Red Planet, the Lens Series and countless others. But I hadn't forgotten the horror. The Windingburn Horror, Fevre Dreams and other books that unfortunately have to remain anonymous as my memory is not as good as it should be. I devoured anything by Ann Rice, Anne McCaffery and Janus Wurst. Discovered Robin Hobb, and David Eddings. The list can go on... But I have always felt drawn to the vampire stories. My favourites were the stories where the vampirism was not clear cut. There were always other forces at work. There was intrigue. Then some one gave vampires a soul and decided to add romance. I want to read about vampires being vampires. I find a macabre sense of freedom in their basic character. They have no boundaries placed on them by society. They want, they take. They kill, but with a purpose. A carnivore especially designed for humans, if you like. Now, that I find intriguing. Bouts of remorse? Feasible, especially if you are immortal. But remorse to a point. They are still vampire. I am always asking, what if....... As to the fantasy, I love the concept of world building and creating characters that revolve around that world. And I will mix concepts of vampirism into fantasy. It is the surrealism I enjoy. It's the sensation of escaping the real world with it's rules and boundaries, of manipulating events when reality can not be manipulated. In the end, there is enough drama in the real world and like most people I have had my share. For my own sanity I have to escape the 'real world' occasionally so I can live in it. And writing about events, worlds and characters that cannot possible exist, gives me a stronger sense of reality. They have their own dramas, yes, but nothing that is connected to this realm. While I continue on my vampire series and finish the fantasy one I am currently working on, my mind is already asking 'what if'. With at least another two completely different vampire novels in the planning stages along with another three fantasies, I'm hoping to escape reality for a little bit longer...... before I have to come back to earth with a loud thud!