13 Influential Modern Vampires on Screen with Diedra Drake #vampires #vampsonscreen

13 Influential Modern Vampires on Screen

Love them or hate them, who had the most impact on how we see Vampires in the modern world? As an author who writes about Vampires, it’s pretty clear that there are some who made more of an impact than others. I’m a huge fan of emotional, sensitive, loving, and flawed Vampires. This is my list of modern era Vampires that most influenced my own writing.

13. Fright Night (1985 original)

Chris Sarandon as the sexy next door vampire, Jerry Dandrige, is obviously the start of a good movie, but what I love about this one so much is the way his interest in Amy (played by Amanda Bearse) is so much more about affection and less about bloodlust. Plus, Roddy McDowall always makes everything better.

12. Dark Shadows (2012)

This may seem like a surprise on my list, but I do love a good Johnny Depp movie, and his portrayal of Barnabas Collins is excellent. The story is very Tim Burton, in the way that it's romantic, tragic, and funny all at the same time. As with my other choices, I love Vampires you can care about, and I don't think anyone watches Dark Shadows without rooting for Barnabas!

11. Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009)

Another movie with some comedic elements, this story is a lot of fun and brings in a camaraderie among the unique and strange members of the Cirque du Freak. The Vampire Crepsley (John C. Reilly) is a very loveable Vampire, particularly when he's in the arms of his bearded lady (Salma Hayek). His mentorship of Steve (Josh Hutcherson) becomes very much like a father/son dynamic and is super endearing.

10. The Lost Boys (1987)

Sympathetic Vampires are my favorite, so I love the way Michael (played by Jason Patric) ends up turning into a Vampire and his little brother Sam (Corey Haim) tells him, "Just wait until I tell Mom!" Of course, he gets sweet on Star (Jami Gertz) and has a complicated friendship with David (Kiefer Sutherland) but I love the dynamic between the brothers and how much we care about Michael and Sam.

9. Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments (2016)

Vampires may not be the big focus of this show, but where they play a role they are often complex. Simon (Alberto Rosende) is the best friend of the main character and gets turned into a Vampire early on. But my favorite Vampire in the series is actually Raphael (David Castro) who starts to fall for Isabelle (Emeraude Toubia) and develops a deep and complicated relationship with her in which they both struggle to maintain a healthy perspective. The Warlock Magnus (Harry Shum Jr.) also looks at Raphael like a son, and it makes for the perfect storm of relatable Vampire that I love.

8. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

Such an epic masterpiece of a story, with an amazing cast, but what sends it over the top is the great love story between Count Dracula (Gary Oldman) and Mina (Winona Ryder). A love that crossed centuries, I can never help but hope for a different ending where they get their happily ever after.

7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)

I don't know if this will ruin my credibility, but I'm not a huge fan of Buffy as a slayer. Why? Because I love Vampires, and she lives in a world where they are often just going to meet the end of her stake. So, unsurprisingly, there are a couple of exceptions --- namely Angel and Spike! Vampires who fall in love with the person who is trained to kill them, what could be more sympathetic and adorable.

6. Dracula Untold (2014)

Oh this movie just turns my heart into a mess! The Vampire in this story is Vlad (Luke Evans) and he makes the great sacrifice of taking on the vampiric curse in order to save his people. The tragic ending rips you to pieces, but he's an absolutely loveable, self-sacrificing Vampire.

5. Interview with the Vampire (1994)

One of my favorite Vampire movies ever, this one brings in that emotional dynamic so strongly. While I agree with Lestat (Tom Cruise) that Louis (Brad Pitt) is always 'whining,' I also love their bromance. Or perhaps I should steal the phrase from Hannibal and call them 'murder husbands,' but there's also the very complicated love they have for their daughter. I also enjoy how Armand (Antonio Banderas) has an instant attraction and affection for Louis, and is almost able to tempt him away from Lestat. So much love, so much hate, it's a beautiful story.

4. Twilight (2008)

Love it or hate it, Twilight has made its mark upon the Vampire world. While I am a little bit of a fan, I think my favorite Twilight Vamp has to be Alice Cullen (Ashley Greene). Not only does she have an awesome precognitive ability, but she finds a way to be a good friend to both Bella & Edward, even when things aren't going well between those two. Not to mention, scenes with Alice often come with a bit of Jasper (Jackson Rathbone), and who doesn't love her Jasper love story!

3. Underworld (2003)

I love the Underworld series because it gets more complex and the mythos behind the Vampires and Werewolves gets increasingly intricate with each movie. Selene (Kate Beckinsale) is a wonderful Vampire who has a deep inner complexity. Of course, Lucian (Michael Sheen) makes one heck of a great werewolf, but that's a different list! Either way, I like the way the Vampires in this series are relatable and have a deep well of emotional involvement.

2. True Blood (2008)

I absolutely adore Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård) and Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten) as Vampires in this series. I even like Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) even though she doesn't exist in the books at all, because she's an emotionally confused young girl who is going through becoming a Vampire. But Eric, my heart for Eric, I could just watch his scenes on replay all day. When the super strong, powerful, ancient Viking Eric is crying his bloody eyes out over his sire wanting to end his life, it's impossible to not feel moved to tears. However, I feel like Stephen Moyer (Bill) and Anna Paquin (Sookie) ruined this series because they got married after meeting on-set, and then didn't want to follow the books in which she actually has a relationship with Eric that is far, far deeper than anything she has with Bill. Thankfully, Eric and Pam's wonderful interplay saves a lot of the story from going too badly.

1. The Originals (2013)

This one is number one of my list for the simple reason that the loving, sympathetic, relatable Vampire is everything that goes on in this show. These Vampires are not flat, mindless monsters. They're complex, individuals with deep affection and protective instincts toward those they love. Sometimes that love is destructive and painful, and other times it's intense and powerful. I won't deny being a HUGE fan of Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and I love the way that both he and Elijah (Daniel Gillies) are willing to do anything to protect those they love. This is something that I can definitely say I do try to bring into my book world. I love the relationship Klaus has with Marcel, complicated as it is, as well as his love for Camille. Elijah's mostly restrained love affair with Hayley (Phoebe) is both perfect and awful. But of all the relationships that are beautiful and terrible in this series, the one that melts my heart the most is the love between the two main brothers, Klaus and Elijah.

Cursed By Furies
A Tale of Vikings, Elves, and Gods
The Cursed Elves
Book One
Diedra Drake      

Genre: Mythic Fantasy Romance

Publisher: Apache Creek Publishing

Date of Publication: September 03, 2019

ISBN: 9781088922415

ASIN: B07WD29D3P

Number of pages: 402

Word Count: 107,500

Cover Artist: Apache Creek Publishing

Tagline: What if the myths were all real?

Book Description:

1000 years ago the Elves nearly destroyed their species through war. As punishment, their ancestors cursed them and trapped them on the Earthly plane.

Priscilla Forester is a 500-year-old Cursed Elf, with abilities far different from most. She knows there is some secret about her origins, but has given up thinking she will ever discover the truth.

However, Fate was only waiting for the right moment to reveal its secrets. As Priscilla and her lovers battle against warring Elf Houses, her true nature begins to emerge, and it is more than anyone had bargained for.

Amazon

EXCERPT 1 (598 words)

Mitchell parked in the lot, careful to stay out of the immediate line of sight while Raymond filled up his tank.

He replaced the pump nozzle before entering the store to get his chips and pay for the gas. Another car pulled up, and the driver also went inside. A few more minutes passed, and Mitchell started to grow concerned.

Raymond didn’t normally dawdle, and there weren’t so many cars around that there should be a big line. Maybe the clerk was having problems with his register or…

A shot rang out. Then another.

Mitchell’s heart sank and fear surged through him as he nearly tore the door off getting out of the car. He was inside the store in a blink and took stock of the situation in seconds. Raymond lay on the floor bleeding from his side, the red pool growing quickly. The clerk's body hung slumped over the register counter, blood pouring out from his chest.

The shooter’s eyes darted back and forth between the two victims, his breathing chaotic as he rubbed his fingers through his hair and pressed his palms to his temples. His eyes wide as he stared at the bodies and the blood. He didn't immediately realize anyone else was standing there. When he finally noticed Mitchell, it was but a moment before the shooter’s neck was broken and he collapsed next to where his gun had fallen.

Mitchell dashed to the automotive aisle and returned with a pack of terry cloth rags and duct tape. He ripped open Raymond’s shirt, tore one of the cotton rags out of the bundle, and started mercilessly packing the wound. Raymond screamed in agony for a few seconds, then his body became limp as he lost consciousness.

“Sorry Ray, it’s better this way," Mitchell mumbled as an apology.

He put his fingers underneath the bleeding side of Raymond’s body and felt around looking for an exit wound. Sure enough, the bullet had gone entirely through. With one hand Mitchell shifted Raymond onto his side, then shoved another piece of rag into the exit wound. When he rolled him back over, he noticed the fabric on the front was completely saturated and blood was pouring out of the injury again.

“Dammit. Something’s bleeding inside." He took a shaky breath. “Shit!”

He wiped off as much blood as he could to dry the skin, folded a piece of cloth like a bandage, and duct taped it over the opening in his flesh. He repeated the process on the back.

Mitchell looked around and realized he needed to lock down the scene. He stood and flipped the sign on the front entrance to 'Closed,' then hit the nearby light switches so the interior went dark.

He returned to Raymond, lifted him effortlessly, and carefully carried him outside to where he’d left his vehicle in the parking lot. He managed to open the passenger door and put him in the seat, then reclined it back to keep his body at an angle. As he was about to close him in, he noted the seat belt. With a last-minute idea, Mitchell ripped it from the wall of the car and started sliding it under Raymond.

Raymond regained consciousness for a moment, took one look at Mitchell, and began yelling in terror while pulling away.

Mitchell sighed as he realized his fangs had been out because of all the blood and stress. Another mistake. His superiors were going to kill him. He tightened the belt over the wound like a tourniquet, and the sudden pain made Raymond pass out again.

About the Author:

Diedra Drake is a life-long student of mythology and history, with a particular interest in the ways that different cultures tell the same stories using name variations. She is competent in classical Latin, and enjoys reading the classics – particularly Homer, Plutarch, and Shakespeare. For relaxation, Diedra loves to crack open a new historical romance novel or binge a new series on streaming. After a couple of decades being a business owner in the technology industry, she decided to explore her other interests through the creation of a mythic fantasy romance world. She lives in Central Texas with her family, which includes a small cat colony and a couple of dogs, and tries to ensure she gets a daily serving of ice cream for continual inspiration.

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Interview with Jocelyn Adams

Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?

Hey, great to meet everyone.  I was born and raised a farm girl in small town Ontario and still love living in the country, though the farm’s long gone.  I spend my days working at a high school, and my nights playing with my little girl and writing.

Urban fantasy has settled into my heart and made a home there.  I used to be a die-hard Stephen King horror fan, and I still am, but when a friend put me onto Laurell K. Hamilton, I was finished.  That was it.  I didn’t even know I could write, but I suddenly wanted to, and I wanted to write that kind of book, dark, gritty and filled with neat creatures and romance.

Please tell us about your latest release.

Stone Chameleon is the opener to my Ironhill Jinn series.  Lou Hudson is a preternatural pest exterminator, and also the last of the jinn.  She’s living in secret as her species is condemned and was all but wiped out shortly before she was born.  Her element is earth, and she can transform herself into stone.  When her emotions rise, she can even cause an accidental earth quake.  Add in a bad murder wrap, a gorgeous and grouchy highland vampire in a kilt, some mystery and romance, and you’ll have Stone Chameleon.

Was one of your characters more challenging to write than another?

Oh yes.  I don’t usually have much of a hard time feeling out characters, but Amun Bassili, Lou Hudson’s potential love interest in Stone Chameleon, really had me stumped for a while.  Beta readers hated him, so I had to do a lot of tweaking to get that love/hate thing to a perfect balance.  Easier said than done.

Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?

I’m smiling right now.  I kind of have a thing for really good villains, and while Isaac (the highland vampire) isn’t truly a villain, he makes a damn fine antagonist.  He’s arrogant and demanding, but he’s got a softer side when it comes to Lou that slips out now and then.  I wasn’t sure how much he’d play into the series, but after book one, I’ve decided to keep him around and give him a bigger role.

Do you have a formula for developing characters? Like do you create a character sketch or list of attributes before you start writing or do you just let the character develop as you write?

It depends on the book and how I’m writing it.  I’m a total pantser, so I often just start writing and the characters pretty much tell me who they are.  When I’m participating in the novel marathon I do each year to raise money for adult literacy programs, I do sketch out basic attributes, both physical and personality, but those often change as I write anyway, so I’m not sure why I bother. J

What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?

This is one of my favorites.  It’s so very Isaac.

I must have dozed a bit, because something woke me.  A sound?  Remnants of a dream?  The cool water sloshed over the side of the tub as I sat upright and looked around.  The lack of light suggested the sun had gone down, putting the hour at around nine at least.

“Miss Hudson, do not test my patience,” Isaac bellowed from somewhere beyond the bathroom door.

Definitely not a dream.  My heart tried to escape my throat as I leapt from the bath and wrapped my terrycloth robe around me, still cinching the belt when I entered the living room.

Once again, I found Isaac on the patio, his shoulders heaving to add to the huffing bull image he pulled off so nicely.  I should have known he’d show up after receiving my message upon waking, but it still surprised me. 

He’d shed his sash and wore nothing but his kilt, a wide black belt, and a brass buckle the size of my head.  Growing visibly calm, he took a few steps nearer, his dark gaze sweeping my body before landing back on my face.  “You’re all pruny.  What have you been doing, trying to pickle yourself?”

Maybe I could blame it on sugar aftermath, or possibly stress about Mum, my impending death, or that I’d caused an earthquake with my drunkenness, but his comment cracked me up until I held my aching belly.  When I finished wiping tears from my eyes and shook off the last of my giggles, I found him grinning at me, though it held more petulance than amusement.

“You have a lovely laugh, Miss Hudson.”  The grin flattened.  “It would be a shame to extinguish it.”

Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?

Ironhill stands on the ground that had been Philadelphia before a preternatural war all but destroyed it thirty years ago.  So many of the jinn fell there that the soil is rich with power, drawing creatures of all kinds to live there.  It’s causing a few problems with the regular old humans who are now well in the minority and are beginning to notice.  Lou does her best to keep the peace and acts as an advocate for all of the non-human races.

With the book being part of a series, are there any character or story arcs, that readers jumping in somewhere other than the first book, need to be aware of? Can these books be read as stand alones?

I tend to keep the backstory to a minimum as I’m one of those people who doesn’t like to feel like I’m reading all of the previous books in a series every time I pick up a new one.  There is enough information in book two that a reader shouldn’t be too lost, but it’s still best read in order.

Do you write in different genres?

I do, actually.  I have another pen name that I write adult erotica, both contemporary and fantasy.  Under this pen name, I write contemporary romance, urban fantasy, paranormal romance and a little bit of horror, mostly in short stories.  Under yet another pen name, I’m developing my first young adult literary novel about a child of rape growing up in a small town.  Juggling personalities is rough, but sometimes the muse goes wherever he wants to, and I tend to follow.  J

What are your guilty pleasures in life?

I don’t have a lot of those.  Once in a while I like a little bit of Jack Daniels and gingerale.  I’d also go to the end of the earth to have a great piece of toast and honey.  I share that with my main character in Stone Chameleon.  Yum.

What was the last amazing book you read?

That would be Iced, the latest of the FEVER series by Karen Marie Moning.  I didn’t expect to like it so much since the main character is so young and I prefer adult books, but she writes fascinating characters and hooked me right from the first chapter.  I can’t wait to read the rest of Dani O’Malley’s adventures in Dublin.

Stone Chameleon

Ironhill Jinn, book #1

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  MuseItUp Publishing

Release Date:  May 24^th, 2013

Blurb:

When a series of unusual murders point to Lou Hudson, Ironhill’s equal rights advocate, as the primary suspect, she has but one choice: find the real perpetrator before her trial begins or face execution.

Lou, the last of the jinn, survives by hiding her abilities after the rest of the elementals fell victim to genocide. As a preternatural pest exterminator and self-proclaimed guardian of the innocent, she’s accustomed to trudging through the dregs of society. Hunting down a pesky murderer should be easy, especially with help from the dashing and mischievous local media darling.

For Lou, though, nothing is ever simple. When she discovers the killer’s identity, to reveal it would unearth her secret and go against her strict moral code, resulting in a deadly catch twenty-two.

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Excerpt:

A flare shot over the rooftops to our left. I dove at Blake and slammed him to the pavement as another column of fire streaked toward us. The flames seared my back. The dragon bat was not a happy camper. Someone landed on my backside, crushing a grunt out of me and pounding my shoulder blade while Blake gasped beneath me.

“Bloody hell, Amun,” I said, before I realized he did it to put out the flames eating up my shirt. “Oh, I see. Thanks.”

He pulled me up, and the three of us ducked behind a car in the parking lot beside the Whip and Tickle, a vampire fetish-wear shop. The owl-sized bat swooped over us again, blasting an inferno that exploded the front window of the shop, sending studded leather and melted mannequins onto the sidewalk.

Three of the other creatures we’d hunted lay dead on other streets, the scorpion included, all by my sword when I’d been left with two options: kill or die. Twelve more were contained in three trucks. The bat remained the only unwelcome visitor in Fangtown. Other than us, of course.

“This is madness, Lou.” Amun panted beside me, his arms rising to shield his head as the bat exhaled on a Mini Cooper two cars over, the crackling and popping suggesting we should find a new hiding place.

“I agree with Mr. Bassili,” Blake said, his drawl worsening with his fright. “What the hell in a hand grenade do we do now?”

Rudy poked his almost translucent head out from behind the newspaper boxes he dove behind during the first fiery blast. The poor guy shook so badly I’d have been surprised if he could see anything. I gestured to him to stay put. “We’ve scared it, not something you want to do to a dragon bat.” A deep exhalation centered me enough to think. “I seem to recall the pecking order in a colony of bats. If we want protection from the dominants, we must present an offering of food.”

“And that helps us how?” Amun, his face blackened with soot and smeared with dirt, tilted to rest against the tire of the car, appearing as frazzled as I’d ever seen him. The sight induced a belly laugh that wouldn’t be contained.

He took on a strange expression of one eyebrow cocked and a half-grin, as if he wasn’t sure whether to be amused or offended. “What?”

I waved him off. “Nothing, I think I’m just losing my marbles.” Rising up enough to see around the car to Rudy, I shouted, “Rudy, do you have any rodents in your truck? Rats or mice?”

“No,” he hollered back, “but I can call some for you.”

I nodded. “As fast as you can.”

Flapping came from our rears. Crackling. A blast tossed the front of a car up until it crashed down on its hood, crushing a Mazda behind it.

“Move!” I shoved at Amun and tugged Blake toward the back of the fetish shop, since it was much closer than the front where flames still poured out of the broken window. Amun kicked out with a startling force against the wooden door. It took three tries, but it finally gave. My, but he was strong. We rushed inside and crouched behind a cement wall beside a set of stairs leading down.

“What do you want the rats for?” Amun asked with obvious suspicion. “Tell me you don’t want one of us to go out there and dangle something for that thing to come and snatch, probably toasting us to a golden brown in the process? Because I think I’ve grown a healthy dose of sympathy for marshmallows right about now.”

“Don’t worry, Amun. I’m going, not you. We just need to listen for Rudy to come back, if he hasn’t chickened out and run for the hills. Hopefully rats like to hang out here and aren’t snapped up for evening snacks.” There was a reason the umikan stuck to small, normal pests, other than his ability to talk to them. Although he’d deal with the scarier stuff when the need called for it, he usually didn’t have enough courage to fill a thimble.

“What?” Amun palmed his forehead. “You can’t be serious.” He gestured toward the door. “Have you been oblivious to the destruction that thing caused just in the last ten minutes? It’s pissed, and I don’t think it’s going to care about some little morsel you offer it.” His frown tugged at his features. “Why are you smiling like that?”

I shrugged, hopped up on adrenaline and enjoying the sight of the great Amun Bassili squirming. “This is what I do for a living.”

“You’re enjoying this?” Both of his eyebrows jacked up.

“Yup,” Blake said, rolling his eyes and chuckling from deep in his belly. “Weirdest broad I ever knew. Takes a bit of starch outta the ole manhood, don’t it?”

I wiped the char from my hands onto my jeans. “To do a job one takes no pride in is a travesty, in my opinion.”

At Rudy’s shout from beyond the wall, I said, “Stay here. Don’t come out until I call or you could send the bat into fits again.”

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About the Author:

Jocelyn Adams grew up on a cattle farm in Lakefield and has remained a resident of Southern Ontario her entire life, most recently in Muskoka. She has worked as a computer geek, a stable hand, a secretary, and spent most of her childhood buried up to the waist in an old car or tractor engine with her mechanically inclined dad. But mostly, she's a dreamer with a vivid imagination and a love for dark fantasy (and a closet romantic — shhh!). When she isn't shooting her compound bow in competition or writing, she hangs out with her husband and young daughter at their little house in the woods.

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