At the age of forty, psychiatrist Roger Darvell discovered vampires are real, a nonhuman species living secretly among the ordinary mortals who vastly outnumber them, and he himself is a hybrid, with a vampire mother and a human father. After learning the truth about the craving for blood that had plagued him all his adult life, he came to terms with his "monstrous" side and found love with his human professional partner, Dr. Britt Loren. In between treating their mundane patients, Roger and Britt occasionally venture into problems of the paranormal. They deal with three extraordinary cases in these stories, as they counsel a neurotic young vampire, a guilt-ridden werewolf, and a woman who owns a haunted antique desk. Reading Dracula at the age of twelve ignited Margaret L. Carter's interest in a wide range of speculative fiction and inspired her to become a writer. Vampires, however, have always remained close to her heart. Her work on vampirism in literature includes four books and numerous articles. She holds a PhD in English from the University of California (Irvine), and her dissertation contained a chapter on Dracula. In fiction, she has written horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance, as well as sword-and-sorcery fantasy in collaboration with her husband, a retired naval officer. Her short stories have appeared in various anthologies, including the Darkover and Sword and Sorceress series. She and her husband live in Maryland and have four children, several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a St. Bernard, and two cats. Please visit Carter's Crypt: http://www.margaretlcarter.com
