A quaint Texas town.

No one leaves. No one enters.

People only drive by Morganville, except for Rachel Caine. She created it.

"I'm from Fort Worth, Texas," the award-winning author said, "and in western Texas there are a lot of little towns that are isolated.

"No one really moves out of town, and no moves in. As I would drive through, I wondered what the story was behind these small towns."

As the imaginative wheels turned, Caine - whose real name is Roxanne Conrad - concocted a storyline that turned into the award-winning series, Morganville Vampires.

Caine is touring Iowa to discuss her books and made a stop at the Fort Dodge Public Library Saturday.

"I thought to myself," Caine said, "how funny would it be if vampires ran the town? So I made them into a mafia with fangs."

The popular series consists of nine books. Only six are available. The others are a work in progress.

The series has gained popularity with teen readers, and Rockwell City Children's Librarian Sarah Weiss thought it was time to bring the author to the area.

"It started off with me asking her to donate books for our high school readers' club," Weiss said, "and she sent us her set of five Morganville Vampires books.

"Her books are absolutely amazing, and she is one of the nicest people I've ever met. I think it's always nice when people who love another's writing get to pick their brain."

Nothing was off limits. Caine shared her inspiration, her history and her dedication to her craft.

"I write 1 million words a year," Caine said, "and I also write in the early mornings, starting at about 4:30 a.m."

The predawn hours could be a testament to the night dwellers Caine so eloquently writes about, but the time is also of necessity because she works as director of communications for a large international company.

Writing hooked Caine as a teenager. At 14, she wrote numerous stories she would shove into drawers when they were completed, not sharing her work with anyone. More than a decade later, Caine began her professional career as a writer and hasn't stopped.

Her success took off in 2003 with the creation of three different series, including Morganville Vampires.

"I really like her books," Ayenna Cagaanan, 13, of Fort Dodge, said. "You know the Twilight series? Hers are much more action-oriented than Twilight. I like books with more action, and a little bit of romance.

"I also like how she writes," Cagaanan said. "She puts a lot of the personal into her writing. It keeps you turning page after page after page."

Caine does find her inspiration for her plots from past experiences. In the Morganville series, characters, like Claire, take on pasts that mirror Caine's.

"As you read on in the series, you'll find Claire's father has heart problems," Caine said. "I gave her this characteristic in honor of my own father, who died in 1989 from heart problems. I still miss him very much and went through the same experiences as Claire when I was her age."

By breathing some of her own life into her characters, Caine said she can understand their reactions to certain situations that arise. The twists and turns then come more naturally and keep her invested in these characters who she writes about for years.

"The characters keep the stories fresh," Caine said about the longevity of her series. "If I really care about the characters and stay invested in them, it comes out in the writing."

But Caine keeps her eyes peeled for new and interesting ideas occurring all around her as well.

"Other ideas start when I notice something odd," Caine said. "Then I think, 'What's the weirdest explanation I can come up with for this oddity?"

Besides talking to the audience of around 25 about her career, Caine had an important message to share with aspiring writers.

"With the Internet, it's easier to put your work out there for all to see," Caine said, "and the fact is, if you put your work out there before it's ready, people will judge it, and as a writer you need to be ready for that. Make your work the best you can before you let others see it.

"If you want to be a writer, you have to learn the boring stuff like grammar and how to type. These are part of the basis that will allow you to move through your career quickly.

"Lastly, don't be worried about rejection. It's part of the business. I was rejected two weeks ago, and I've had books on the New York Times' Bestseller's List. Learn from it and move on to your next project."

Contact Lindsey Ory at (515) 573-2141 or lindsey@messengernews.net.