Jessica does not appear in Harris’s novels, on which the show is based, but the author told Zap2It that she is pleased with the character.

“Oh my gosh, is she not great?” Harris told Zap2It. “I love Jessica.”

Harris also praised Deborah Ann Woll, who plays Jessica in the series.

“She’s one of those people who are actually prettier the closer you get,” she said. “But she is lovely and sweet and I just think her Jessica is a fantastic addition.”

She continued: “When I first saw Bill convert her I thought, ‘Oh no!’. And then when she popped up and she was such a terrible vampire I thought, ‘Why didn’t I think of that? Bill needs that’. And it really works wonderfully for the show, I think.”