This installment of the Fascinating Fiction podcast (an audio series of short stories written by authors on HubPages.com) features a particularly touching story by Austinstar: The Vampire
Because I found the story to be so inspiring, I thought it would be fun to ask Austinstar some questions about the story – the Q&A follows:
Simone: What inspired the story?
Austinstar: One of my patients in my early years as a Medical Technologist.
You use some medical terminology in the story- did you do research on it, or were you just familiar with some of the tools and machinery that your characters interact with?
I’ve been a Medical Technologist (Lab Technician is an incorrect term, but more familiar) for over 33 years.
You share a pretty powerful lesson in the story- is the idea of living life to its fullest while one can something you try hard to practice in your own life?
I do believe in living life to one’s utmost ability. Because of this man, I went out in the world and did things that I would otherwise never have done. Specifically, travel a lot.
Is there anything else you would like to add about this story?
I’ve had many, many patients over the years and some really stood out like Henry did. It’s never a bad time to influence someone’s life for the better.
. . .
I strongly recommend reading the story in its original Hub form, and also checking out Austinstar’s other wonderful Hubs.
If you’re interested in submitting a recorded HubPages story of your own, send an email to podcast (at) hubpages.com 😀
HubPages Blog 
Brilliant, Simone! And what a lovely voice you have! So much better than mine. You did a great job, thank you.
Thank you, Austinstar! That’s very kind of you to say. And your story is really fantastic! It gave me a fresh perspective on life just when I needed it. I hope your other readers feel the same way 😀