Vampires exist in some manifestation or another in folklore throughout history all over the world. Most recently, Stephenie Meyer and to a lesser degree Anne Rice have popularized vampire stories with romantic elements. In the original tales, vampires are the partially decayed corpses of one's friends and neighbors returned from the cold grip of death with an animalistic thirst for human blood and little mind of their own. Love was probably not in the air on those nights.

On the Other: Even These Tales are not 'True'

In the real world, the closest thing to a vampire is the modern-day vampire culture, an alternative lifestyle combining goth elements with sadomasochism. Practices within this culture include the consumption of blood and the surgical implanting of "fangs" with which to bite one another. Whether or not you find this romantic depends on your individual tastes.

Bottom Line

Vampires are an ancient fiction. Originally closer to our understanding of zombies, writers as old as Bram Stoker have reinvented the monsters to suit their times. As our culture evolves, so too do our mythologies. This process continues into the modern era. There are no "true" vampire stories, therefore Meyer's interpretation is no less valid than Stoker's.

Source:

Keyworth, David (October 2002). "The Socio-Religious Beliefs and Nature of the Contemporary Vampire Subculture." Journal of Contemporary Religion 17 (3): 355--370.

essortment: A History of Vampires

Diverse Realm: History of the Vampires