“All my life,I've been afraid of things, as a child and a woman must be. I lied about it naturally. I fancied myself a witch and walked in dark streets to punish myself for my doubts. But I knew what it meant to be afraid.”

Anne Rice was an American novelist of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. She gained fame for her gothic and erotic vampire saga *Interview with the Vampire*, which redefined the genre with its psychological depth and lyrical prose. Her work often explored themes of desire, morality, and the supernatural with a blend of sensuality and philosophical inquiry.