I adopted the name Mad Margaret from a character in Gilbert & Sullivan's operetta, Ruddigore. Margaret was batshit crazy over her love of the evil Sir Despard Murgatroyd and lived in an old graveyard, where she sang to flowers while plotting the downfall of her imagined rival, Rose Maybud.

I, on the other hand, live in a large, messy house in Bucks County, PA, with one husband, two daughters and two cats. I work as a professional writer, actor, singer, director, facepainter and acting teacher. When I don't want to change out of my pajamas, I write articles for The Collinsport Historical Society, their publication Monster Serial, do some graphic design, edit video and audio projects. I love old horror movies and musicals and horror musicals, especially if cannibalism is involved. Shakespeare, Sondheim, Monty Python, Taika Waititi, Hitchcock. As a kid I watched Dark Shadows, the Monkees and old movie musicals faithfully.

Then I write Dark Shadows Fan Fiction. One brief parody on "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," and the seven-installment Willie Loomis World Series, based on one of my favorite characters.

A few years ago I made the acquaintance of a mutual friend of John Karlen, and she gave me his contact information. I wrote John a four page letter explaining how much I admired his work and sent it along with a red baseball cap with a Polish flag on it. A few days later he called to thank me and I became friends with both him and his son, Adam. August 2013 I flew to LA to visit them and do a podcast interview for Collinsport Historical Society. John, Adam and I continue to keep in touch by phone.

Since then I have done other similar interviews with Sharon Lentz, Christopher Pennock and James Storm, always over a meal or drinks.

My series follows the basic plot line but not exactly. It's how I would have conceived the story, given the opportunity and there are definite diversions. First off, Willie is born in 1956, so the time period is altered.

Prequels Little Willie (#1) and Globetrotters (#2) cover the character's early childhood, young adulthood and world travels with his partner Jason McGuire. In The Maine Event (#3) The pair hit Collinsport and create havoc. Changes (#4) finds Willie hanging out in a vampire's mausoleum for 6 days before they move to This Old House (#5). There vampire Barnabas pursues his hobbies of brainwashing and kidnapping women. (#6) Interlude Introduces Dr. Hoffman who seems to have the answers for Barnabas' problems, but they're not always successful. So Julia implements Plan B in (#7) Haplessly Ever After, which interferes with Willie's efforts to create a normal life for himself.

The series also appears on Archive of our Own but in its original state, not the rewrites I've posted here. I hope you enjoy them. Feel free to leave any comments in the review section; they're always appreciated, and visit me on Facebook.

Author Mina225 and I have compiled a special website to celebrate the 50th anniversary. Check it out at http:///dsfanzine. It consists of (mostly) original fanfiction, artwork, personal stories and videos. If you would like to contribute a work, send it to me at Dsfanfic@. Please keep fics at 15,000 words or less.