Poor Little Emo Geek Vampire

One of the problems that readers seem to be running into with Vlad is that Vlad is not your typical vampire, and that his story is not a typical vampire read. So, I thought I'd compare and contrast the Vlad series with what seems to be the norm out there right now with vampire fiction. Note: I adore vampire fiction, but there seems to be a disturbing trend of "this is the only vampire story I want to hear" out there, and Vlad is very different than your usual vampire stuff. As an example, the TWILIGHT series has already been written...and Vlad is nothing at all like Edward. This comparison is just something that popped into my head, (and it's my blog, so nanny-nanny-boo-boo) and I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Typical male vampire: sexy, aloof, dangerous, extremely intelligent, well-read, snappy dresser, always knows the right thing to do or say.

Vlad: awkward, troubled, only somewhat dangerous, frequently fails math tests, fairly well-read, too-fond of the hole in his Converse sneakers, frequently stumbles over his words...especially in the presence of Meredith Brookstone.

Typical vampire story: Human girl falls for vampire boy, whacky hijinks ensue, often featuring instances where boy nearly bites girl.

Vlad: Apart from that whole thirst for blood thing, leads a relatively normal life full of crushes, hanging out with his best friend, and dealing with the horrors of school.

In short, Vlad is a normal kid, just like you. He hates math class, gets snarled at by his principal, can't wait for the weekend, wishes his Aunt would get him a cell phone, you know...the usual. But he's dealing with all of the normal crap you're dealing with AND he's a vampire. So the books are very much about being an outcast in every sense of the word. Vlad only fits in half way with humans, and half way with vampires. There's a little romance, sure. But not a lot. There are several one-liners, and a lot of nifty scenes with blood. You'll find adventure, thrills, laughs, and reflection--but you won't find TWLIGHT within this series' pages.

Edward (and many other typical vampires) is perfect. Vlad is very much flawed. Because I'm flawed. Because we're all flawed.

Someone once described Vlad as a "poor little emo geek vampire". I think that sums him up rather succinctly. What do you think?

P.S. Still sick. Blaaaargh...