ABOUT THE BOOK Just as the journalist was so transfixed by the words of the enigmatic vampire penned by Anne Rice, so readers have been fascinated by her works. Born into the vibrant, mystical and deeply historical culture of New Orleans and raised in the Roman Catholic church, Rice has been producing bestsellers since 1976. Long before Angel and Spike, Edward Cullen or Bill Compton, Rice's vampires brought a unique take on the idea of undead bloodsuckers with complex human emotions. Her writing has never shied away from exploring dark places in the human or non-human psyche. Her lush and luxurious way with words brings her characters to life while also reveling in the ornate beauty of the written word. Rice has also proven that she is capable of writing about more than vampires, with dozens of novels under her belt. Although she has influenced the Gothic subculture, Rice appeals to a broad range of readers, with fans from all walks of life. Her evocative and descriptive prose draws the reader in, weaving a spell as deftly as her supernatural characters. MEET THE AUTHOR Sara McEwen is an experienced writer and a member of the Hyperink Team, which works hard to bring you high-quality, engaging, fun content. Happy reading! EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK In the meantime, tragedy had darkened Rice's life. Her daughter with Stan had died at only five years old, suffering from an unexpected leukemia diagnosis. The loss of her child put Rice in a very dark place. She found solace in her writing, having graduated with her M.F.A. during the same year as Michele's passing. Previously, Rice had composed a short story called Interview with the Vampire, and as she mourned the loss of Michele, Rice decided to expand the story into a full-length novel. She fleshed out the story of Louis, a haunted young man who wished for death after the loss of his wife and child. He found a strange version of death in the form of Lestat, an enigmatic and unscrupulous Parisian vampire who took the struggling young man under his wing and gave him the questionable gift of immortal life. Louis, however, was not cut out for the life of an undead predator, instead preferring to feed on animals and try to maintain his morality, despite his lack of a soul. His life became further complicated when he adopted Claudia, a young vampire, and tried to deal with the responsibilities of caring for an impetuous predator trapped in the body of a small child. Rice sent her manuscript to a range of publishers, but they all rejected her work. The feelings of rejection, on top of her grief over Michele, pushed Rice into developing OCPD (Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder) as a way to deal with the stress. She became obsessed with avoiding germs and making sure that her doors and windows were locked. During this pessimistic and difficult time of her life, Rice tried to stay focused on the possibility of publishing her novel, although at the time the "vampire fad" had not yet launched and it was tough finding someone to take a gamble on her work. CHAPTER OUTLINEBackground and Basics + Who Is Anne Rice? + Childhood and UpbringingAnne Rice the Writer + Major Work and Accomplishments by the Dark Pen of New OrleansPublic and Private Persona + News and Recognition + Personal Life + Public Statements and Attributed Quotes + ConclusionExtras + Trivia and Facts About Anne Rice + Sources + Additional ReadingAnne Rice: A Biography
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