How have people — Mormon and non-Mormon alike — reacted to your Mormon-ness?
Some Mormons, especially those who know me, are surprised by my choice of topics. “Vampires?” they say, with a critical lilt to their voices. Then they add self-righteously, “I don’t read those kinds of books.” (Not all Mormons say that, some are really enthusiastic). I hasten to explain to them that it’s not like that. Unconsciously, I put a lot of my basic beliefs into the story. Free agency is a big theme, as is sacrifice. One very kind fan wrote to me and said, “instead of gore and horror there was lyrical beauty.” (Okay, so she was probably too kind). Even after I explain all that, I still have LDS friends (and extended family) who look at me funny. Most of the non-Mormons I’ve dealt with are from New York, and have very little idea what a “Mormon” is. This works to my advantage sometimes — they do things for me, out of respect for my religion, that they might not do for someone else. For example, I’ve told them that I don’t work on Sundays, and they’ve gone out of their way to ar
