When the most recent outbreak of human vampirism occurred in the narrow oasis of New Mexico's lower Rio Grande Valley, the terrifying oral tradition that had been passed on for more than four centuries had yet again been sadly reconfirmed. Every two decades or so, one or more bloodthirsty ghouls would appear that would prey upon the unsuspecting and completely vulnerable members of New Mexico's small but harmonious and tightly knit community that had long been an admixture of First American, Hispanic, and Anglo residents.
As a young curandera, Lorena Pastore was only twenty-five years old when the last outbreak occurred, and she remembered the devastation and shocking horror that had rapidly spread throughout her beloved community at that time. She had erroneously predicted that she would be well into her middle years of life when the next outbreak would be anticipated to once again rear its ugly head. Sadly, that was not to be the case. For some inexplicable reason, after only a brief remission of a little more than a seven-year hiatus, the malignant disease of human vampirism had been reincarnated. This time, the vampiro outbreak was destined to appear on Lorena Pastore's very own doorstep.
A native of Houston, Donald W. Hill, MD, FACP, graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, in 1978. After completing his medical school training at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston in 1982, Dr. Hill did his postgraduate training in internal medicine, hematology, and oncology at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque in 1987. At the time he cowrote this novel, Dr. Hill had completed over thirty years of medical practice that included working in multispecialty clinics, solo practice, and everything in between, including academia and clinical research. A fellow of the American College of Physicians, Dr. Hill is a published scholar, but Vampiro is only his second attempt at serial fiction after completing his groundbreaking masterpiece, The DNR Trilogy. Although he's now back on the mainland, Dr. Hill was living and working in Hawaii when he cowrote this novel. Dr. Hill has openly professed that he does not personally enjoy the genre of science fiction and, to be more specific, the subgenre of vampirism. During the time that this work of fiction was cowritten, the author often stated to anybody willing to listen that the possible existence of bloodthirsty ghouls was quite a disturbing concept. If there's such a thing as a vampiro that's indeed roaming some remote corner in the desert of the great American Southwest, Dr. Hill truly doesn't want to be privy to such a horrifying reality. Nonetheless, he accepted the challenge from Thomas Cavaretta to be a coauthor (as well as a coconspirator) to collaborate on this project. It was Dr. Hill's specific task to conjure up a plausible medical and scientific explanation for human vampirism from the perspective of a practicing hematologist/oncologist. If Dr. Hill was indeed successful in this endeavor, the reader will be the final arbiter to opine if this lofty goal was achieved. In the meantime, turn on the night light and make sure all the doors and windows are locked shut.
