Scott Mariani - Uprising

Because, the next time he opened his eyes — and there would be a next time — it would no longer be as a man. Joel Solomon would have become a vampire.

Alex looked up at the sky. There were still enough hours of darkness to find shelter before the dawn came.

And the snow kept falling.

What was the inspiration for the Vampire Federation hooks?

The original inspiration probably dates back to my childhood. I was vampire crazy as a kid, and always wanting to see old Dracula movies. Then about seven years ago, it came to me that it would be great to write a modern vampire story drawing on some of the classic gothic elements in Bram Stoker’s seminal novel Dracula: the spooky ship sailing in from Romania, the half-mad ghoul enslaved to his master, the wicked vampire brides, the end battle in the castle guarded by gypsies — it’s all right out of Stoker. But at the same time I wanted to combine that with all the hallmarks of a modern thriller — upbeat pacing, fast-talking dialogue, and plenty of explosive action.

Are you still as vampire crazy now as you were as a child?

I suppose I must be! I can’t seem to survive long without watching a good vampire movie, whether an oldie like Nosferatu, or something more modern and hip like Blade. My DVD collection has everything from 30 Days of Night to Eddie Murphy’s Vampire of Brooklyn]

What is it about vampires that makes them so appealing to people?

Firstly, vampires are scary, and we all love to be scared. But I also think that vampires symbolise qualities many of us secretly yearn to have ourselves. Vampires are incredibly free — at least, when they’re not subject to Federation laws. They’re unbelievably powerful, can have tremendous sex appeal and glamour; and of course there’s the immortality factor. That’s the allure that seduces Jeremy Lonsdale, the politician in Uprising who falls into the clutches of arch-villain Gabriel Stone. Lonsdale had everything a mortal man could desire, and yet he craved the kind of power that only becoming a vampire could offer. Of course, it didn’t quite work out for him that way…

Do your characters ever surprise you?

Sometimes a character will grow in the telling, or even deviate completely from the original plan. In Uprising, Dec Maddon was initially destined to be a minor character, something of a lowlife whose only function in the story was to witness the ritual murder at Crowmoor Hall, and then tell his story to the hero Joel Solomon. He was then going to be turned into a vampire before being viciously destroyed by Gabriel Stone. In short, he was expendable! But as I began writing him, I became sympathetic towards him and his role changed. It was as though there was another layer of him underneath, waiting to be discovered. I realised that Dec should have more of his own journey in the story. And he will have a big role in the next book, which is something I would never have imagined at the outset.

Some of the vampires in Uprising, for instance the villain Gabriel Stone, are much more frightening than many of the recent crop of vampires in books and films…

From the start, my vampires had to have fangs! I consciously wanted my character Gabriel Stone to hark back to the Stoker tradition that portrays the vampire as a lethal predator without a single shred of morality. It’s a great white shark in human form. Even friendlier characters like Alex Bishop, with whom I wanted the reader to empathise strongly, have something of an edge to them when you realise that you and I are really nothing more to them than a food source! So you’re rooting for the heroine, but some part of you is afraid of her, too…

If you were a vampire, would you support the Federation?

Good question! I think the Federation was born from a genuine need for vampires to protect themselves from detection in the modern age, in order to be able to carry on. But what may have started out in a spirit of well-meaning idealism may have been open to abuse and ultimately led to a degree of corruption. I would not entirely blame certain vampires for finding the Federation oppressive and dictatorial; then again, who would want evil predators like Gabriel Stone and his sister Lillith in charge?

A fun setting in the book is the vampire-themed bar/restaurant run by vampires for vampires, right in the middle of London. What made you think of it?

Movie fans may spot lots of film references in my books, especially this one! The idea for the ‘Last Bite bar and grill’ was inspired by Jack Rabbit Slim’s diner in Pulp Fiction, where the walls are lined with stills from classic movies and your waitress for the night is Jayne Mansfield or Marilyn Monroe. I loved the idea of doing the same thing with vampires, so it was always in my mind. Then one night I happened to wander into this very loud, very packed, upmarket bar in St James’s Street in London, and I thought that it was exactly the kind of place where vampires would hang out — as well as wannabe vampires and people who just want to seem a bit dark and dangerous. So I modelled it on that, and cheekily placed it in the same location. I think the Last Bite would be a great success in real life, actually!

What can readers expect from the next Vampire Federation book?

Lots of surprises, some new characters, some new developments with the existing ones. Dec Maddon will continue his evolution and become a fully-fledged vampire hunter. Joel Solomon will have to try to come to terms with what he’s now become. He and Alex will somehow have to confront what’s happened between them.

The secrets of the cross of Ardaich will be explained, plus we’ll be seeing more of those nasty, mysterious creatures living in the Siberian ice caves. And will Gabriel Stone be back? You’ll just have to wait and see!

As ever, many sincere thanks to Keshini Naidoo and Sammia Rafique at Avon for all that they do; to Inspector T.B for helping the author maintain a semblance of realism in all matters police procedural; and to all the other usual suspects involved in this story’s long, slow evolution from a mad spark of an idea into the book that is now in your hands.