I miss writing about vampires. I read DRACULA when I was twelve, and it remains one of my favorite novels to this day. I have to admit that I had enormously wicked fun writing THE DIARIES OF THE FAMILY DRACUL trilogy.
If you have any interest in Romanian folklore and the history of the sadistic, charismatic prince known as Vlad the Impaler, you would definitely enjoy the trilogy. I got the inspiration for it while reading DRACULA: PRINCE OF MANY FACES, a biography by Raymond McNally and Radu Florescu. The family tree offered there got me wondering about how -- if one overlaid Stoker's fantasy that Dracula was a vampire -- Vlad would have treated ongoing generations of his descendants. Voila, the first book in the trilogy, COVENANT WITH THE VAMPIRE, was born.
While I was writing COVENANT, I realized I had a story that needed to overlap with the actual events of Stoker's novel -- and so I recast the narrative into Stoker's epistolary (letter-and-diary-writin') style. The story continued in CHILDREN OF THE VAMPIRE and ends with the third novel, LORD OF THE VAMPIRES, which includes the secret diaries of Bram (aka Abraham -- ya think it was a coincidence?) Van Helsing.
In honor of Bram Stoker and vampires and epistolary works, I hereby humbly submit Dracula Blogged.
Comments (13)
This trilogy has always looked interesting to me, but I haven't got around to reading it yet. One of these days, though. :)
Posted by Kailana | June 24, 2007 11:36 AM
Posted on June 24, 2007 11:36
Thanks for coming by, Kailana! I took a look at your site and I'm very impressed -- how on earth do you manage to read so many books while being a student at the same time?
Posted by Jeanne Kalogridis | June 24, 2007 12:37 PM
Posted on June 24, 2007 12:37
Thank you for the nice notice! Please stop by and comment, especially as the action's about to heat up once again.
Posted by Bryan Alexander | June 24, 2007 12:43 PM
Posted on June 24, 2007 12:43
Jeanne!! I love the blog!
I was just thinking of you the other day - I had picked up I, Mona Lisa last week, and had it on the nightstand bookshelf for imminent consumption.
How are you? How's the beloved consort?
Posted by Dimitri LaBarge | June 24, 2007 10:03 PM
Posted on June 24, 2007 22:03
Hi, Bryan, thanks for coming by! Great blog.
Posted by Jeanne Kalogridis | June 25, 2007 8:26 AM
Posted on June 25, 2007 08:26
Dimitri, darling, how wonderful to hear from you! I'm just great -- fingers glued to the keyboard, always -- and George is doing well after a rough patch, healthwise. I checked out your blog -- sounds like you're staying creative and busy, as usual.
Posted by Jeanne Kalogridis | June 25, 2007 8:33 AM
Posted on June 25, 2007 08:33
Jeanne, so delighted to hear that things are copacetic with you, and I'm incredibly relieved to hear that George is well on the mend. I'm going through some of that with my mom now, but trying to stay tough, focused and optimistic. Graawrrrr.
We'll need to have a blistering catch-up salvo via e-mail before too long - I've missed you a lot!
Posted by Dimitri LaBarge | June 25, 2007 9:07 PM
Posted on June 25, 2007 21:07
haha, I don't know how I read so much! I actually graduated last month, but I keep forgetting to change my profile!
Posted by Kailana | June 26, 2007 3:10 PM
Posted on June 26, 2007 15:10
Jeanne,
Your "Diaries of the Family Dracul" is absolutely amazing! It took me a little while to hunt down the entire trilogy in hardcover but the search was well worth it!
I've re-read this series more times than I can count. With each read it just gets better and better.
With truly excellent literature like this series having been published I can't for the life of me understand why Hollywood would want to make garbage like "The Historian" into a film over your trilogy.
Posted by Jennifer G. | July 8, 2007 7:11 PM
Posted on July 8, 2007 19:11
Jennifer,
Gee whiz, thanks for your super-kind comments. I'm so glad you enjoyed the trilogy.
However -- I've got to defend Elizabeth Kostova's THE HISTORIAN. I truly enjoyed it. She has an amazing way of evoking place, and clearly knows her way around the Slavic/Romanian world.
That said... Gosh. If I can get enough comments like yours, maybe I can convince my agent and editor to let me write another vampire series again. I would so love to...
Posted by Jeanne Kalogridis | July 9, 2007 12:34 PM
Posted on July 9, 2007 12:34
hey Jeanne! i just had to let you know that i am obsessed with The Diaries of the family Dracul trilogy. i randomly found Covenant with the vampire in my room among a bunch of books, i had never seen the book before in my life so i thought i would read it and i absolutely loved it! i have to tell you that the other two books were hell to find here in Ireland but i got them :D i absolutely love them!
Posted by Laura | November 27, 2007 6:05 AM
Posted on November 27, 2007 06:05
Hi, Laura! Nice to hear from Ireland... So glad you enjoyed the vampire books. Of all the ones I've written, they were the most fun to write.
Posted by Jeanne Kalogridis | November 27, 2007 7:01 AM
Posted on November 27, 2007 07:01
i agree, i think The Family Dracul trilogy should be made into movies. they are too good to be missed on big screen.
okay just one thing, does anyone else feel a little sympathetic for Zsusanna?
you should definately write more vampire novels!
Posted by Laura | November 28, 2007 3:22 AM
Posted on November 28, 2007 03:22