We had so many questions about Hunting Prince Dracula, the upcoming sequel to last year’s Stalking Jack the Ripper, after we finished binge reading it. Luckily enough for us, author Kerri Maniscalco was kind enough to answer a few of them!
About ‘Hunting Prince Dracula’
In this hotly anticipated sequel to the haunting #1 bestseller Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer…or has the depraved prince been brought back to life?
Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper’s true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe’s best schools of forensic medicine…and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.
But her life’s dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school’s forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.
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Author Kerri Maniscalco talks trauma, creating a swoon-worthy hero, and more
1. How do you choose which monsters or urban legends to explore? What made you decide on tackling Dracula for the second novel?
I’ve always really, really wanted to write a vampire book. But I wanted to approach it from the angle of a forensic student; one who was tasked with proving through science that vampires were legends and myths. Before I sat down to write Stalking Jack the Ripper, I jotted notes and ideas of where potential books would go. Part of that included knowing who my characters were and how I could use their backgrounds in future stories. Basically, I pick things that make my dark, little heart sing with Gothic delight and go from there.
2. What’s the most interesting thing you learned while doing research for ‘Hunting Prince Dracula’?
Oh my gosh… I learned so many cool things, but one fact I hadn’t heard of before was that although it’s known as “Dracula’s Castle,” there are major debates on whether or not it’s the actual castle Bram Stoker was inspired by. AND Vlad the Impaler (aka Vlad Dracula) never lived there, only passed through.
3. One of the things I find really fascinating about this series is how the exploration of the characters’ backgrounds connects to the overall theme that people are the real monsters. What made you decide to explore Thomas’ background in the second novel (rather than, say, Audrey’s Indian heritage)?
I’ve always had a vision of how I’d like the series to play out, and I think of Stalking Jack as the intro to Audrey Rose and her gritty autopsy-filled world. The second installment has always been my “Cresswell book.” I made the decision to leave Thomas’ background a bit mysterious in Stalking Jack, knowing he’d have his time in the spotlight to share some of who he is and how he came to be. I’m third generation American and have some Eastern European roots, so part of the decision to set the book in Romania was based on my own background and wanting to explore that magnificent region of the world.
4. In this novel, the majority of Audrey Rose’s thoughts and actions are affected by the grief and trauma she has suffered as a result of the events in ‘Stalking Jack the Ripper.’ How did your approach to writing her character change from the first book to the second?
In the first book Audrey Rose—along with most pre-Jack the Ripper Victorians—hadn’t ever lived through a serial killing spree before, so they had nothing to compare it to. Most murders were one-time things, which is part of the reason why Jack the Ripper was especially shocking. I think their sense of security and innocence was stolen forever after those crimes. In the second book, Audrey Rose struggles to find her footing in this post-Ripper world—one where she now knows monsters aren’t always the creatures with fangs and claws. She was more innocent in book one, less aware of how bad the world could be outside her sheltered home. I used my experience with being present during the events of September 11 as a framework for her character arc in Hunting Prince Dracula. It was a tough time in my life, but I channeled those feelings into Audrey Rose’s trauma to hopefully offer an authentic look at grief.
5. Per my Twitter review of ‘Hunting Prince Dracula,’ has it always been your intention to reduce readers’ legs to Jell-O with your writing of Thomas Cresswell?
Hahaha, I loved that twitter review! And OF COURSE. But seriously, I’ve always adored Thomas Cresswell and was hoping to have him slowly grow on readers over the series, but the response to him has been so amazing and unexpected! I can’t even count how many times a day I get excited messages across social media about him, asking why he isn’t real and can I PLEASE make that happen. Needless to say, I had a great time writing the novella from his POV and wouldn’t mind sharing future snippets into his mind with readers. The sass is strong in that one.
6. As of right now, how many novels are you planning to write in this series?
One of the things I enjoy the most is that they’re all standalones, so each story is complete once it ends. That said, book three was turned in right before Hunting Prince Dracula published…and we’ll just have to see what the future holds for Wadsworth and Cresswell. (Ugh…could I BE any more vague?!) Unofficially, I’ve always imagined it as a four or five book series, and would be thrilled to have more of my ideas play out for the crime-solving duo. It really all depends on readers and if they’d like more, though.
7. I know the second installment has just come out, but after reading it, I HAVE to know: Is there anything you can tease for the third novel in the series?
I live to torture readers! Let’s see…book three begins two days after Hunting Prince Dracula ends and at first it might seem like it’s going to be different based on the big name historical figure, but I promise there’s a true life killer at the heart of it. (I’ve teased hints in Stalking Jack the Ripper and in Hunting Prince Dracula, so there are clues for readers to pick up on.) Oh, and it’s not set where you may think it is based on the ending of Hunting Prince Dracula… I am a tricksy, evil author.
“Magic, mischief and mayhem” was pretty much my anthem while writing it, and it may or may not be a revenge novel at its heart—that’s all I can share for now! The official jacket copy and title should be revealed around the start of the new year, and I’ll for sure tease readers up until that point on social media.
About the author
Kerri Maniscalco grew up in a semi-haunted house outside NYC where her fascination with gothic settings began. In her spare time she reads everything she can get her hands on, cooks all kinds of food with her family and friends, and drinks entirely too much tea while discussing life’s finer points with her cats.
Her first novel in this series, Stalking Jack the Ripper, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It incorporates her love of forensic science and unsolved history.
Favorite non-writing things:
I believe curry, avocados, vinyl records, handwritten letters, and my 1950s Smith-Corona typewriter are the best things on the planet. EVER. (Aside from my food blog, www.sndwchsetc.com, that is.) My favorite quote of all time is: “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club” by Jack London.
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