Whitby Vampyrrhic – in Wartime Britain, Vampires Rule the Hours of Darkness

Severn House cover 2009

I’ve held back on the news about the paperback release of Whitby Vampyrrhic, due to the time it takes for the books to reach the four corners of the globe. Come to think of it, there’s probably a batch of books on a boat chugging through the South China Seas even as I’m writing this.

However! The paperback of Whitby Vampyrrhic is out now from Severn House.

The Vampyrrhic series takes place in and around the real-life harbour town of Whitby on the English coast. A place rightly described by the writer Arthur Machen as ‘a town of a magic dream.’ With this book I wanted to step back in time and look at what might happen if vampires launched their evil crusade in World War 2. A time when mandatory blackouts and wholesale switching off of streetlights plunged Britain into darkness. Perfect for vampires!

It’s 1942. The Second World War rages. A group of filmmakers arrive in Whitby in order to make a moral-boosting film. Beth is an experienced actress who once appeared onscreen with Cary Grant. For Sally this is her first film. She’s incredibly excited and incredibly nervous. Her parents live in poverty. Sally grabs this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to earn enough money to give her mother and father a better life.

The actresses, and the film’s troubled, wayward director, Alec, find themselves staying in a hotel that is linked to the sea by a hidden tunnel. The owner, Eleanor Charnwood, knows some very dark secrets. And, in total secrecy, she is planning to fight her own battles with the undead that prowl the streets of ancient Whitby by night. Soon Beth, Sally and Alec are drawn into Eleanor’s own private war.

Whitby Vampyrrhic doesn’t feature the characters that appear in Vampyrrhic or Vampyrrhic Rites – it’s set many years before David Leppinton’s birth. However, I’ve listened carefully to those who’ve enjoyed those books and written to me with their thoughts. So, I’ve made sure to include the ingredients that made Vampyrrhic and Vampyrrhic Rites such hugely popular novels world-wide. I’ve also added a good few more of those vampiric ingredients and done my darndest to make this novel as exciting and as compelling as I possibly can.

Whitby Vampyrrhic is about vampires that plague a mysterious coastal town. It is also a story about hope, ambition, and the importance of making friends and trusting them with your life. And it’s about discovering what is really important to us as human beings.

And here’s a short film:

I made this to coincide with the release of Butterfly, a novella published by Cemetery Dance, which sold out before it left the printers! The film contains Steve Gilbert’s brilliant artwork and a haunting soundtrack by Alex Clark. Yes, Alex is my son, and a terrifically talented writer and musician. Dads are always biased, aren’t they? But Alex is wizard on the guitar. And his music and Steve’s illustrations blend together so powerfully.

That’s the news for this time. Enjoy your Halloween! And take the very best of care.

—Simon