It’s been a little under a week since the release of “The Beast of Mysore,” and I’m gratified to see that the book is beginning to sell. I am already in the planning stage for the second book in the “Wellington Undead” series, which is going to take the future Duke of Wellington to a place named Assaye, where he will encounter a horde of the living dead and face the fight of his life (well, ‘undeath’).
Perhaps the biggest joy in writing these books has been conducting the research, which never seems to feel like work to me. Much has been published about the life, times, and generalship of Sir Arthur Wellesley, and digging into the minutiae of both the man and the period has been a fascinating, fulfilling experience.
On top of that, there is the challenge of adapting Wellesley’s world to incorporate a strong flavor of the supernatural. How would an army led by vampires go about its day-to-day business? Who gets shit done during the daytime? How are the vampire officers fed? (The answer is, of course, ‘walking blood banks’).
Pretty much every battle that your army engages in would have to be a night action. The foot-soldier of the Eighteenth Century did not have the luxury of night vision equipment, which is why the vast majority of set-piece engagements took place during the hours of daylight. How would that change in a world where your vampire officers own the night?
Interweaving fact, fiction, and pure superstition into a singular narrative has been an absolute blast, and I can hardly wait to dive back into that world later this week. In the meantime, I hope that you decide to give the “Wellington Undead” series a try. Vampires and muskets – what’s not to like? 🙂
