I found your vampires very interesting. They were evil creatures, yet their evil was the result of their inherent evil as outlaws, not that of being a vmapire. How did you come up with that idea? How did you choose which pieces of vampire lore you would use, and what you would add that was different?
I am a fan of the gothic TV show Dark Shadows and the lead vampire, Barnabas Collins, started out as a mean vampire but quickly became sympathetic. I got to wondering what if vampirism were more a case of money or power corrupting, more than an inherent evil? What if becoming a vampire didn't necessarily make you bad, but that you were bad to begin with? Some folks gain riches and help others, while some wield wealth as a weapon to get what they want. Why? Because it was in their nature to begin with? That was my premise for Milus Clint. A vile excuse for a human being to begin with, becoming one of the undead certainly made no improvments in his attitude. I think at one point in the novel he says to one of his men something like "Some folks make excuses for bein' bad. Me, I was born that way." I developed a legend of sorts to go with them, selecting pieces of vampire lore I liked and discarding others, such as the invitation into a house before they can enter. My vampires go where they want, take what they want, without remorse or pause. I also wanted to straighten out what could damage them and why.
I noticed that Grimm and The Headless Paper Boy are both set in New Salem, Maine, a town I assume you made up. The Headless Paper Boy is set up for more novels. Are we going to get any more Grimm stories? And will you have any vampires visit New Salem?
Yes, New Salem is my concoction, as is my other mythical Maine town, Dark Harbor. I have developed a whole supernatural and natural history for both. You'll see Dark Harbor in Night Demons and Dark Harbors soon with any luck at all. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see vampires in New Salem--lots of weird things happen there, I am told :). The next Nightmare Club book is called The Blue Terrors and after that The Lighthouse Ghost. And Grimm will have a sequel if there is enough interest, because I purposely
