There might be your problem... unpatched Bloodlines is buggy as all hell.
Unless you got it off Steam or another download service, I recommend installing at least the official 1.2 patch (query the search engine of your choice for a dl location), or, better yet, get the latest Unofficial Patch (dl link in the thread on this board, latest version is 7.1) - it already includes the official patch, btw.
Be sure to start a new game, though. This might be unpleasant, but'll save you a lot of unnecessary frustration.
If, however, you got the game by download, I'm quite stumped as to what the problem is, I'm afraid.
"While sanity provides a comfortable perspective of the universe, only through its absence one will be given a glimpse at what might lie beyond.
The question remains, though - Does insight remove sanity, or will insight be given to the mad?"