Question 1:   Was Mircea’s first wife’s name Elena or Helena? Or are both correct?

Elena is the Romanian version of the Greek name Helen/a. So both are correct.

Question 2:   In Death’s Mistress, while they were in Mircea’s apartment and just about to leave and meet with Elyas, Dory mentioned that she didn’t know a single vampire other than Louis-Cesare who didn’t tense up slightly when she came within arm’s reach, not even family. I’m wondering – Mircea and Radu (and Horatiu too, I’m sure) clearly love Dory, even if she didn’t know it at the time, so why would they all tense up around her every time she’s near?

Because she’s a crazy, unpredictable dhampir who regularly kills their kind? Roy of Siegfried and Roy loved giant cats. But he forgot what they were capable of, and as a result, one almost killed him. Dory is a dangerous being by her very nature; she can’t change that, and dropping your guard around a predator capable of taking you out is a very stupid move. Readers see Dory’s softer, more human side because they hear her thoughts/follow her reasoning. All the vampires have to go on is what they hear her say, and more importantly, see her do. Most vampires consider Louis-Cesare quite, quite mad for getting within arms’ length of a being who might go into a fit and kill him at any moment. But then, he’s always been a little crazy, too.

Question 3:   What has Mircea done to Dory (before the events depicted in the series, i.e. Dory finding out about his memory wiping) that made her trust him so little? Was it the perceived lack of warmth and nurture a child would normally expect from her parents, or was it because he is a vampire? It’s just that in the books, Dory seemed to think that any show of warmth or concern from Mircea towards her well-being was an attempt to trick her into trusting him so he could get something out of her. This gives me the impression that he has actually done this in the past.

It’s because he is a vampire, partially, yes, but you forget: Dory doesn’t remember her childhood. She didn’t, until very recently, have anything to go on from Mircea except what he told her, and he couldn’t tell her much or risk damaging the barrier he had fought so hard to build. So what did she know? Some vampire sires her, then abandons her for centuries, which okay, is better than killing her outright but doesn’t make her all warm and fuzzy. Then one day, a guy shows up in a tavern in Italy, out of the blue, and claims to be that vampire. It turns out he wasn’t lying, but why does she care? He obviously didn’t, except for finally figuring out that she wasn’t going to die quickly like the rest of her kind and so might be useful. Dory spent centuries seeing herself as nothing more than a part of Mircea’s formidable arsenal—a tool or weapon to be trotted out when needed. She put up with it because, in return, he gave her some much needed protection from higher up vamps, and occasionally shot a job her way. But she viewed him as a necessary evil, nothing more, and resented it greatly when he pretended to any affection. Given the info she had at the time, her attitude was reasonable.

Question 4:   How come when Dory slips into dhampir mode, her voice becomes guttural?

Vampire Dory isn’t human Dory. She may be in the same body, but the mind is very different and draws on the non-human aspects of her being far more than Dory does. She also isn’t used to talking much, since most people assume she can’t! Plus, when Dory relinquishes control it’s usually because things are about to hit the fan. And a sweet/light tone doesn’t really compliment slaughter.

Question 5:   I loved reading Masks, and being able to get a glimpse of Mircea with his first wife. Would you ever consider writing a short story or novella focusing on Mircea and Elena/Helena? Or do you feel that the backstory revealed in the Midnight’s Daughter series and Masks so far is enough? Or (sorry haha) would you prefer to reveal more from within the plot of the the series as it progresses, rather than have a separate short story/novella for it?

Someone who liked Masks! My God, it’s like meeting a unicorn! So I wish I could comment on your question, I really do. But I can’t. I will say that if I ever stop writing these epicly long books and can afford to devote some time to it, I would like to write another book or two on Mircea. His is a fascinating story and I’d enjoy doing more with it. It won’t pay the bills, because you, me and maybe five other people are the only ones likely to ever read it! But sometimes, you have to do things just because you want to, you know? Anyway, we’ll see. And thanks for reading, lol!