Why is a religious sister writing vampire novels? An interview with Sr. Allison Regina Gliot, FSP

A new novel about a young woman and a mysterious vampire explores the question: Is any soul beyond saving? In The Curse He Chose, by Sr. Allison Regina Gliot, FSP, God’s boundless mercy is on full display in ways that might surprise the reader at first glance. But upon reflection, they speak profoundly of God’s love for His people.

Stories about vampires are nothing new, and not even to Catholic publishers. Readers may be surprised to learn that Ignatius Press even publishes an edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula as part of the Ignatius Critical Editions series, and a novel called A Bloody Habit about a Dominican priest vampire hunter.

Sr. Allison Regina Gliot, FSP, is a member of the Daughters of Saint Paul (commonly known as the “Media Nuns” due to their extensive work in the world of publishing, podcasting, and more). An avid reader and storyteller since she was a young child, she serves as an editor for Pauline Books & Media, the publishing house of the Daughters of St. Paul. The Curse He Chose is the first installment of the In Aeternum trilogy.

Sr. Gliot recently spoke with Catholic World Report about her new book, how Catholics can view macabre literature, and how everyone is called to accept the mercy God is offering.

Catholic World Report: How did the book come about?

Sr. Allison Regina Gliot, FSP: I enjoyed a lot of vampire novels as a teen, but I often didn’t agree with the characters’ choices or the underlying worldview being presented. When I was in college at the Catholic University of America, my friends and I were all theology nerds, and we’d get into hypothetical discussions about the theological implications of vampire stories. Those novels and discussions both prepared me to write a vampire story. But The Curse He Chose really came about as an Advent project when I was a postulant in initial formation to become a Daughter of St. Paul.

That Advent, Jesus inspired me to write a uniquely Catholic vampire story as part of my spiritual preparation for Christmas. I initially balked at the idea, since it was so unusual (I thought, “nuns don’t write vampire books!”), but when Jesus kept prompting me to just try it, I eventually took him up on the invitation. I was blown away by the spiritual fruits it bore in my life, and after I finished, I felt him inviting me to share those fruits with others by letting them read it too. That was the start of me showing it to my sisters in community and beginning the path toward publication.

CWR: A lot of people might ask how a vampire story can help the reader grow in their faith. How would you respond to that?

Sr. Gliot: A lot of the old legends surrounding vampires have spirituality woven into their core. Vampires were considered to be a supernatural problem that needed a supernatural solution, so people turned to prayer and sacramentals like holy water or crucifixes for protection. Some of the most famous vampire stories, like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, even involve the Eucharist in an instrumental way. But many modern vampire stories, especially those found in young adult novels post-Twilight, don’t have much reference to God or faith.

The Curse He Chose unites what I see as the best parts of these old and new vampire stories. It is told in a modern YA [Young Adult] style, but it includes faith elements as a major part of the plot and world-building, always remaining faithful to Catholic teachings.

In this book, the characters’ spiritual journeys are just as important as the external dangers they face. Through Christopher and Elizabeth’s struggles with prayer, guilt, figuring out God’s will, and navigating complex—and sometimes conflicting—emotions toward God, readers will find echoes of their own spiritual lives and be encouraged to grapple with those challenges anew. Seeing a lived relationship with God play out through the story and witnessing the power of the sacraments (especially Confession and the Eucharist) in action can also inspire readers to look at the Catholic Church and their own relationship with God in a new light.

CWR: Each chapter opens with a verse from Scripture that relates to the chapter’s events. How did you go about finding those verses?

Sr. Gliot: As a religious sister, I spend a lot of time praying with the Bible through practices like lectio divina and praying the Liturgy of the Hours. Many of the verses I used in the epigraphs are ones that jumped out to me during prayer or that came to mind while I was writing the chapter. For others, I looked at the major themes of the chapter and then searched for Bible verses that foreshadowed that theme.

It was a lot of fun to find the right match for each chapter! And in many cases, the context surrounding the Bible quote adds an extra dimension of meaning. For example, the quote for Chapter One comes from John 13:30: “And it was night.” The chapter literally takes place at night, and that quote can also be symbolic of the main character entering into a time of danger and trial. But when you realize that the quote originally appears during the Last Supper when Judas has just left to betray Jesus, it adds another layer. Just like in the original Biblical context, the scene for Chapter One has been set, the hour for the power of darkness is coming, and big things are about to go down.

CWR: There are references to classic vampire lore, such as the “Renfield Inn”. Was the classic literature an influence in the writing of the story?

Sr. Gliot: I actually didn’t read Dracula until after I had already written The Curse He Chose. But I’ve been influenced by many vampire stories and legends over the years, and when I finally read Dracula more recently, I loved seeing how complementary it was with the themes and spiritual struggles in The Curse He Chose.

The hidden “Easter eggs” throughout the book reference many different vampire stories, both classic and contemporary. That was partly because I thought it would be fun for the readers to discover them, and partly because The Curse He Chose didn’t arise from a vacuum. My take on vampires was influenced by all the vampire stories I’ve encountered over the years (either drawing inspiration from them or critiquing them), and I wanted to acknowledge that larger body of lore in my trilogy, even in a little way.

CWR: Without giving too much away, the main vampire character displays traits that move the story towards some of the most important elements of the Catholic faith. Is this symbolic of our fallen nature, or is there something else going on there?

Sr. Gliot: The vampires in my story are my idea of what it might look like for humans to reject God and their own humanity to the greatest extent possible. In that way, they parallel demons, who are fallen angels and yet always bear their angelic nature. We are all touched by original sin and fall in various ways, but vampires have chosen to fall as far as is possible for humans to fall, and they revel in that act of rebellion against God and the rest of humanity. (At least, most of them do. Christopher’s story in The Curse He Chose revolves around the regrets he’s beginning to develop about the evil he’s embraced… regrets that vampires are never supposed to have.)

CWR: Being a book about vampires, there is a certain element of the macabre here, but balanced well with elements of hope and faith. Is there a danger in other media of an over-fascination with the macabre, focusing too much on the “dark” things?

Sr. Gliot: I think that depends on the media you’re looking at. I appreciate stories that don’t shy away from the darkness, since that is a part of human experience, especially as a consequence of sin. But I personally prefer stories that place dark things in the context of Christ’s victory over death and the salvation he offers us, or at least that show that God is near to us even in the darkest nights and chooses to share in our sufferings out of love for us. Darkness is real, but hope is also real and can be much more difficult to grasp, which is why it’s so important to explore in stories.

CWR: How many books are planned for the series? Do you have the whole series mapped out already? And what is the significance of the series title, In Aeternum?

Sr. Gliot: There will be three books in the trilogy. Books 2 and 3 continue to follow Elizabeth’s and Christopher’s journey from Christopher’s point of view, exploring his past that led him to become a vampire and his struggles in the present to accept God’s mercy and figure out where he belongs. Both are already written and will be released in 2026!

As for the series name: “In Aeternum” is a Latin phrase that roughly translates as “into eternity” and appears in several traditional Catholic prayers. I chose it as the series title because it speaks to the true life and immortality we find in God (as opposed to the unnatural undead state of vampirism), and the characters’ movement toward life in God.

CWR: What do you hope people will take away from the book?

Sr. Gliot: Besides enjoying the story and getting invested in the characters, I hope readers will walk away with a deep conviction that God desires a personal relationship with each one of them and that they are never beyond his reach. It’s always possible to return to God through prayer and the sacraments, and through making choices to love and help others to the best of our abilities.

I’ve already received many responses from readers who shared that The Curse He Chose made them fall in love with God and the Catholic faith in a deeper way. I’ve heard stories of teens who are discerning religious life or becoming Eucharistic ministers at their parish after reading this book, and of young adults who have started attending daily Mass or making a renewed effort to be honest with God in Eucharistic Adoration after reading The Curse He Chose. To me, that is an absolute joy to hear. I’m grateful that God is using this book to touch people in such concrete ways!

CWR: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Sr. Gliot: Just that, as a religious sister, I’ve been praying for everyone who reads these stories since long before they were published. And my sisters are praying for you as well–that is part of our mission as Daughters of St. Paul, dedicated to sharing the Gospel through all forms of modern media (which now, apparently, includes faith-based vampire stories!).

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