What do a vampire and a castaway have in common?

You knew it was coming. You knew it would be just a matter of time before I wrote this post. In fact, you're probably surprised that it took this long.

Yet another vampire has captured my attention.

I don't retract my earlier post. I still love Edward Cullen, but Edward inspires that innocent, First Love feeling. Eric Northman is not that kind of vampire.

I guess I should mention that Eric Northman is a character in Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries (aka Sookie Stackhouse novels). These are the books on which HBO's True Blood is based.

While the books greatly differ from the show, they are as equally addicting. I plowed through all eight in about a month and cannot wait for the ninth to be released this May. My opinion about the series varies with each book, but suffice it to say that each one left me yearning for more.

So who is this Eric Northman and why did he, out of all the supes (supernaturals) in the series, win my attraction? Simply put, Eric Northman is the Sawyer of vamps. (In case you've been ignoring the phenomena for the past couple of years, James Sawyer is a character from LOST.)

Eric Northman image source: True Blood Wiki, James Sawyer image source: Google Image Search

Eric, the sexy Viking-turned-vamp, and Sawyer, the sexy con artist-turned-castaway, are the bad boys you don't - but do - want to bring home to Mama. They're serious, yet sarcastic. Tough with a secret sensitivity revealed only to the lucky women to whom they become vulnerable (despite their fight to protect themselves). And when they flash their rare smile at you, you are instantly glamoured/charmed. Their leading ladies (aka you in your not-so-secret fantasy world) hope that they'll be the ones these guys love enough to change for, all the while not wanting to change a thing. Oh, and did I mention that they're sexy? Book 4, chapter 6? Holy vampire! Season 3, episode 6? Yes, please! 

Books 4, 7, and 8 are my favorite Eric novels. Images from Amazon.

So forgive me (Hubby, this means you) if I turn red with book in hand or if I involuntarily drool a little while I watch TV. I'm Cheryl; I'm a fangirl.