W/S: Vampires

This weeks "Writing Supernaturals" post is brought to you by esteemed author Katica Locke, who can be located a http://katicalocke.wordpress.com/  .

On Ms. Locke's website she has a number of articles which provide details into her writing process and views on the types of character she uses in her writing.

Below I've reposted with her permission her article on Vampires in it's entirety. Ms. Lock says:

I was brainstorming the other day, working on a plot for my next Suburban Fantasy story, and I realized I hadn’t written an article on vampires yet. I have been a vampire fan for many years–so long ago that I can’t remember what started my fascination. I do remember chasing my little sister around the house as a child, the broken tines from a white plastic fork held tight between my upper lip and gums like fangs. Yes, I was a strange child. I haven’t changed much.
I grew up in the era of romantic vamps, the dark, brooding sort who lament their lost mortality and strive to atone for their crimes, the kind that can be dangerous, but fight against their baser instincts and thirst for blood. That’s the kind of vampire I like to write about.
In my universe, being turned into a vampire is a deliberate act that takes three days to complete. The act of biting a mortal does not turn them into a vampire. The vampire-to-be must either be willing, or held captive. The first step is to have a significant amount of blood removed and replaced with vampire blood. This works best through a transfusion. Within the first twelve hours of the first transfusion, subsequent transfusions may take place, which help speed the process and may be necessary if the vampire donor is young.
After the blood is transfused, the vampire-to-be must remain out of direct sunlight for sixty to eighty hours, depending on the potency of the vampire blood. Exposure to sunlight, for as little as a few minutes, halts the transformation progress. If exposed during the first day, the vampire-to-be remains mortal and can make another attempt to be turned at a later date.
If exposed during the second or third day, the vampire-to-be is stuck as a ghoul and cannot ever complete the change into a vampire. Ghouls are halfway between mortal and vampire–they live longer, are stronger and faster, hear, see, and smell better, are sensitive to sunlight and heat, and crave blood. The will eventually die of old age, but sunlight will not kill them and do not need to feed exclusively on blood to survive.
After the third day, the mortal has become a vampire, though it can take up to a week for their fangs to grow in and sunlight to become fatal. During this transitional period, they are very vulnerable, at the mercy of a terrible thirst for blood, but not yet strong enough to protect themselves. Most die before having been a vampire for fifty years–more than half of those within the first few months.
Vampires do not technically feed on blood. Their internal organs are repurposed, their digestive system transforming into a storage and distribution center. Blood is held in the stomach until needed, then moved into the intestines, where connective blood vessels have attached, allowing the blood to be sent where needed.
Since a vampire’s heart ceases to beat within a few days of being turned, the circulatory system is no longer needed. Veins, arteries, blood vessels, and capillaries are rerouted into one-way streets, taking blood out to the tissue that needs it. As blood is consumed by tissue, it creates negative pressure, drawing more blood to fill the space. Vampire tissue is so efficient at consuming blood that it produces very little waste product. What is produced cannot be removed in the normal, mortal fashion since the system is no longer circulatory. The waste is simply pushed to the surface and exuded in minute amounts through the pores as a slightly waxy substance, not unlike mortal sweat. This waste is virtually undetectable unless the vampire has poor personal hygiene, in which case it builds up on the skin and their clothes, giving them a musty smell that has long been associated with the undead in folklore.
Speaking of myth and folklore, I ran into an interesting dilemma when I had to choose which parts of the vampire legends to keep and which to disregard, and come up with good reasons for both. I decided the religious aspects had to go since few of my books take place on Earth, and it would seem strange for a vampire who had never heard of Christianity to be repelled by crosses and holy water. Also, it insinuated that vampires are inherently evil, which was something I wanted to avoid.
I changed garlic from vampire repellant to simply repugnant due to its strong odor and a vampire’s keen sense of smell. I didn’t see a use for the OCD behavior of needing to untie knots or pick up and count small items that had spilled, like seeds or rice, except as comic relief. In a truly life or death situation, it would seem silly.
My vampires do have trouble crossing moving water, and they can’t touch hawthorn or garnet, though those particular traits haven’t made an appearance in any book yet. Their bodies are cold, right around room temperature, since all metabolic functions have ceased. Heat degrades vampire tissue, so the colder they can stay, the less blood they need to drink. They don’t have reflections, nor do they show up on film or in digital photographs, however, they are not simply absent from the picture, they appear as a blur. In mirrors, they are like a mirage, a hazy, indistinct form seen out of the corner of the eye, but gone when looked at directly. They will die if exposed to the sun, the light burning exposed skin, the heat and UV radiation damaging the tissue until all the blood inside them is used up and their tissue cannibalizes itself trying to repair the damage being done.
They are adapted to feeding on humans, with small, slender fangs that pierce the skin and arteries without tearing out huge chunks of flesh. They are inconspicuous predators, often trying to blend in with their prey. Their saliva contains pain-killing enzymes which act quickly on open wounds. The act of drinking is often pleasurable and even erotic to the one being drunk from–a unique way to subdue a frightened or struggling victim–though not everyone responds this way. Some mortals take no pleasure from it, while others are intensely sensitive to it. Most find that the act becomes more pleasurable with each subsequent bite.
Now, as far them being evil or soulless, I prefer to let my characters be individuals. A kind mortal is going to become a kind vampire (with some understandable issues about his thirst for blood). An arrogant mortal is going to become an arrogant vampire (perhaps with new narcissistic tendencies due to new-found eternal youth). A timid mortal is going to become a timid vampire (or maybe not–maybe his new strength and urge to kill will give him the push he’s been waiting for to tip him over the edge and he goes on a killing spree). I like having the option to develop the characters. Vampire = monster doesn’t leave a lot of room for character development.
Picking a favorite vampire from among my characters is easy–Lucifer, the vampire stallion. He’s every bit the vicious predator, but with almost human intelligence. You can read about him in The Devil’s Hunt and Broken Wings, both free on FictionPress, and in Magebound, available through Amazon.com and other online book retailers.
Second favorite is Julian Marcellos. He’s dark and sexy, with decades of practice in the art of seduction, but still young enough to be insecure about his vampirism. I’m a sucker for that kind of vulnerability in a character; makes me want to huggle them. You can read about Julian in A Crash-course in Kinsa-sitting here on the website, and in the Suburban Fantasy series, which can be purchased from Shadowfire Press.
As far as vampire villains go, I actually have a couple. In Sparkles & Strawberries, Ezarali and Zarik must infiltrate an S&M club run by a sadistic vampire, and in Empathetic Magic (currently unreleased) the heroes must return a lost necklace to Lord Raethen, a crazed teenaged vampire. Of course, there is hope of redemption for Lord Raethen, because I cannot seem to create unredeemable villains.
That’s everything I can think of. I hope you enjoyed reading this article and if you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask!

I appreciate how Ms. Locke hasn't adhered to common stereotypes when writing her version of the Vampire mythology. She's put a lot of thought into what she wants these characters to be like as well as realizing that the world she has placed them in would have an effect on them and they're mythology.

Personally, Vampires aren't my favorite type of supernatural/paranormal creature, and i studiously avoid fiction in which they are the main character due to their over abundance. Also, i'm more than a little put off by the "blood focus" which is often associated and quit frankly unavoidable when a story is told from a Vampires perspective. 

In my multi-verse, Vampires are relegated to the Gate's Crossing Universe (also known as Earth #1). They are actually part of the Komu (Japanese spider demons) Hierarchy. 

The Komu Hierarchy is organized as follows:
Komu: At the top are the Komu themselves. Komu are always Female, and are "pure blooded" descendents. They live in Japan and rarely leave the compounds which are referred to as nests. There are 4 nests coinciding with the cardinal directions. They consider males disposable.
Pure blooded males ( Master Vampires ): Next are Pure blooded males which the Komu breed with in order to create more Komu, although pure blooded males are also born of such unions. They often have enhanced strength and speed. They are also susceptible to sunlight, but it simply causes severe sunburn and they are capable of remaining awake during the day. They are required to obey the Komu.
 Non-Pure blooded Vampires (Vampires) : These types of vampires are created by Master Vampires. They are also technically undead. While they are not forcibly/magically controlled by their masters, they often trade their servitude for the "immortality" associated with being a vampire. They cannot create vampires themselves, and their ranking within their covens/seethes are based on what they bring in. They have enhanced strength and speed. while the Komu acknowledge the usefulness of Pure blooded males, non pure blood vampires are ignored, in the event they make nuisances of themselves or draw the attention of a Komu they are killed. They are susceptible to sunlight, they are also highly flammable. They "sleep" during the day, although a master vampire can adjust them to be awake during the day but that is at the master vampires discretion.

So that's what i've got on Vampires, Check out Ms. Locke when you have the chance. 
And remember to pick up "Broken Wings" on Smashwords at https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/katicalocke