Amy and Robert

“One evening I was at a spring ball dancing with all who requested the honor and attempting to decide who would become my husband when I saw a strangely beautiful man standing apart from the crowd. He was tall and well dressed and had dark wavy hair. He was the most handsome man I've ever seen. He was watching me. When my dance partner returned me to my seat by my mother, he approached and introduced himself to us in such a smooth and lovely voice. The sound of which caused a very calming yet exciting feeling throughout my entire being. His name was Robert. My mother questioned him relentlessly, which I found quite embarrassing and feared her protective diligence would deter his interest in me, but he didn’t seem to mind and politely answered all of her questions. He said he was in town on business and the man he had come to see had invited him along to the ball. Finally, my mother allowed him to be my dance partner. Ruthie, I had never felt that way about any man as I felt for Robert. He led me to the dance floor and his touch was like the thrill of heat lightening coursing through my veins and when his dark eyes looked into mine it was like the stars shining in the deep black sky of a hot summer night. I could barely keep from gasping in pleasure and surprise.  When our eyes met as we faced each other on the dance floor it seemed as though in that instant our very souls became one and we were joined for life. His attire and his manner proved to me that he came from a respectable family and his dancing was flawless, masterful yet smooth. I trembled and thought I might faint with excitement as he led me around the floor, I was so taken by him as he held me so tight.”

In Chapter 3 Amy describes to Ruthie how she first met Robert and experienced love at first sight. The scene is a familiar and common one in many 18th and 19th century novels. Chaste matrons, usually mothers or relatives, escort their expensively attired virgins to the ball to display to eligible suitors who survey the available ladies in hope of finding an attractive wife with a wealthy father. The matronly escorts supervise the dance to ensure the young ladies return home with their virtue intact. I often wondered why these men at the balls didn't just knock the old gals out of the way and ruin the helpless virgins out on the veranda or in a secluded room. It doesn't seem as though a middle-aged woman would be much of a shield against a horny young man and a beautiful young lady in an era when young ladies were primarily sex objects. Of course, gentlemen were hopefully raised with some respect for women and if not, the fear of the father's retaliation may have served as a deterrent.

Much of Amy's attraction to Robert may have been his mesmerizing vampire charms but I like to think that it was purely physical attraction. I wanted their passion to rival that of Emily Bronte's Heathcliff and Cathy of Wuthering Heights. First love is powerful in itself, but more so for Amy who is totally inexperienced and completely innocent. As we learn later in the story, Robert had the same reaction as Amy even though he is older and assumably more experienced. When two souls become joined as one nothing, not even death (or "undeath") can keep them apart.

Susie Burdick

As the lifeless body slumped to the dirt in the trash-strewn alley, Ruthie made her way through it to look down at the corpse, “Good Lord,” she shook her head in sympathy, “there’s no animal wild enough around here that can do that much damage.”

“We’ll have to dump him off the end of a pier,” Amy said.

“But look at his neck,” Ruthie said, “it’s torn apart. When his body washes up to shore, people will see his neck and know he didn’t drown.”

“All right then,” Susie said, “we’ll just have to cut his head off so no one will see his neck. We’ll tear the damaged skin off completely.”

“What!” Ruthie and Amy both looked at Susie in shock and disgust.

“Cut his head off?” Amy asked, “the idea is repulsive, Susie. What would we use for a tool if we did?”

“Amy!” Ruthie exclaimed, “Would you even consider doing such a horrible thing?”

“How do you suggest we dispose of the body without casting suspicion, Ruthie?” Amy asked.

“The train will arrive soon,” Ruthie suggested, “let’s lay him in its path.”

“Fine,” Amy agreed, ‘but not here. We’ll carry him down river where there is less chance of witnesses. We will have to wait and watch to be sure the train comes and does its job.”

“Don’t I get to give an opinion on this subject?” Susie asked, “Maybe we have the strength to tear off his head with our own hands. Or perhaps simply tear the skin away from his neck.”

Amy caught her breath in surprise and disbelief while Ruthie trembled in fear and revulsion. They both stared wide-eyed at their new companion until Amy regained the ability to speak, “What will the townspeople think when they discover his mutilated body? How could you even entertain such a gruesome thought? When you kissed your babies farewell did all the human feeling leave you entirely?”

This is an excerpt from Chapter 24 of Whaling City Vampires: Love Beyond Death that shows the contrast between Susie and her sires. Susie didn't know vampires existed until she became one herself, but she adapted quickly and wanted to learn about all of her vampire traits and use them to her advantage while Amy's priority was to simply keep herself alive until her lover Robert's return. Ruthie, although grateful for Amy's friendship, was a devout Christian and saw herself as the most evil of sinners. Allowing herself to take advantage or enjoy any of her vampire traits for her own personal gain would only make her hate herself more and drive her even further from God.

My Motivation for Writing Whaling City Vampires: Love Beyond Death

When I finished my Bachelors degree in English in 2004 and after my father passed away in 2003, I wanted to write a novel that utilized some of the things I learned in college while also paying tribute to my father’s memory. I based the story in New London, Connecticut-The Whaling City-for my late father because he was born and raised there and had great affection for his hometown. He worked most of his life at the Savings Bank of New London (It’s a whale of a bank!) and was a member of the New London Lions Club where he happily and generously performed many years of community service.

In order to use some of my college education in my writing, I based a couple of the characters on some of my favorites in the novels I read and enjoyed as assignments. Amy is a composite of the heroines of many 18th and 19th century novels of the literary canon. Her father was a wealthy respected man and her mother was an obedient, devoted wife and excellent housekeeper and mother. Amy was raised to become a good wife like her mother, too fragile and weak minded for anything else. Bachelors, approved by her father, would be allowed to visit Amy in the hopes of winning her hand (and her father’s money) in marriage. The main goal of any young woman was to find a wealthy husband in good standing in society.

Ruthie was loosely based on Frado from Our Nig; or, Sketches from the Life of a Free Black by Harriet E. Wilson, which was a reading assignment for an African-American Literature course I took. I loved Frado and so badly wanted her to be free and have all the opportunities and happiness as the entitled white children. Ironically, Ruthie gained freedom by becoming a vampire, but because it wasn’t her choice to become a vampire, she was robbed of some human freedoms.
The remaining characters weren’t intentionally based on any precise elements from college, but I’m sure my reading of so many 19th century novels as part of my studies contributed to their situations and personalities.

 I chose to write a vampire novel because of my love for the old vampire soap opera, Dark Shadows, which ran for several years in the late 60’s to early 70’s when I was around 10 or 12 years old. Like so many kids my age, I would run home from school, in my case the bus stop, so I wouldn’t miss it. My mother would already have the TV turned on and tuned onto the channel when I got there and we would watch it together.

Barnabus Collins was a classy vampire. He had his moments of blood lust that took precedence over his respect for human life when he couldn’t resist his natural urges to feed on blood at the expense of an innocent person. But he also suffered from self-hatred and guilt over his unnatural cursed condition and longed to be human again and enjoy the sun on his face, a good meal and loving relationships. So, the vampires in Whaling City Vampires are based on the Barnabus Collins type of vampire where they must remain hidden from the daylight, find discreet ways of acquiring the blood they need for sustenance and can only be killed by decapitation or a wooden stake through the heart.

Another reason I chose to write about vampires is that I could place them pretty much anywhere in time and leave myself the option of writing a sequel years later while the characters would remain the same age. When I first started writing the story I wrote about Amy in present day New London and the story that would become the final book would be a long flashback. I was going to reunite her with Robert in present day New London, but I didn’t think vampires could remain undetected in one small city like New London for over 150 years. But I suppose in fiction, anything is possible.