Hey there.
A good Vampire story with an angle is Vampire Winter by Lois Tilton:
The world is undergoing a nuclear winter, so the sun is almost completely blocked out. The main character (the vamp) is now free to go out at any time, but many of the remaining humans are radiation poisoneed, so he can;t feed on them, he has to keep the "good ones" like cattle and actually care for them... and they are a pain in the ass! It's a great book and I highly recommenc it.
I agree about Ann Rice, her books are too damn long. They are great at the beginning, and great as you near the end. The middle is a fucking chore to get through.