Eric Wilson Q&A: His classic vampire trilogy mixes horror with Bible history
“I wanted to expose good and evil in a more modern, deep, and subtle way.”
We talk to the author of The Jerusalem’s Undead Trilogy, a vampire series that takes readers on a riveting journey, melding imaginative fiction with biblical and archaeological history.
With more than 20 books, author Eric Wilson has written lots of different kinds of stuff—from novelized dramas and mysteries and supernatural thrillers to social and religious nonfiction. “Some of my books explore the hope and light in this world,” he says on his website. “Others face off with darkness and doubt. Which Do You Choose?”
His vampire novel trilogy Jerusalem’s Undead recently celebrated its 15th anniversary. Fact is, I’ve wanted to talk to Eric about these books pretty much since I started Monster Complex.
In our Q&A, Eric tells Monster Complex about the origins of the vampire series, the conflicted conversations that the books have led to, how these novels fit into the larger picture of Eric’s approach as an author, and why Stephen King is a genius.
Below check out my interview with Eric. I’ve also posted info about the Jerusalem’s Undead novels in the series.
You can also find out below about his two most recent nonfiction books. This includes a memoir (that he co-wrote with family members) of his religious upbringing—and some of the complications that came with it, and a book that shares the origins of humanitarian organization Compassion International.
But this is Monster Complex. So, we’re going to start with the vampire books…
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Q&A with Eric Wilson about the Jerusalem’s Undead biblical vampire trilogy
Q: You’ve written a number of different kinds of books - from your vampire series to paranormal mysteries to nonfiction titles and religious books. How do you define yourself as an author?
My website says it all. I love to explore the light and joy in this world, as well as the doubts and darkness. They're all part of the human experience. Which makes me, I guess, a human author.
Q: Given the different kinds of works you’ve written, what inspired you to write the vampire series Jerusalem’s Undead trilogy?
I loved The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, as well as This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti, but felt they were both very in your face. I wanted to expose good and evil in a more modern, deep, and subtle way.
Q: In the years since the books were first published, have you had any interesting talks with readers about how the books impacted them?
I’ve had more discussions about this trilogy than any other books I’ve written. I’ve had people tell me they had never read a Bible, but we’re going to now that my trilogy had shown them new things.
I had others refuse to receive any more ministry donations from me because I was “dabbling in evil” and they didn’t want my evil gain. (Secret: I took home less than 10K per book.)
Q: Which came first—the fact that you wanted to write a vampire novel (and then you developed the religious anchors as you were writing it)… or did the religious anchors come first and then you built a vampire story around them?
I’ve never built one of my own novels around a religious idea. I build my stories around questions which intrigue me, then let my own beliefs inform the writing organically. Anything else feels preachy and didactic to me.
Q: What are your favorite vampire books or movies or whatever? What do you think makes great vampire fiction?
I love the symbolism of life in the blood and the desire for something richer, deeper, more pure. From Bram Stoker’s Dracula, to the old Nosferatu film, to Let the Right One In, I have enjoyed these explorations of good and evil. Octavia Butler is an amazing writer, so I’d love to try Fledgling. I’m not into sparkly vampires.
Q: What are your pet peeves that you’ve seen in vampire fiction? (And how did you avoid the same problems in your own fiction)?
Glamorizing what was originally a depiction of evil. Stephen King is a genius because his books often wrestle with the evil within much more than the evil without.
Q: What are the best ways for readers to connect with you and keep track of your author updates?
You can find my socials, email, etc, at my website: WilsonWriter.com.
Jerusalem’s Undead Trilogy
Field of Blood (Jerusalem’s Undead #1)
Judas hung himself in a place known as the Akeldama or Field of Blood. But what if his death didn’t end his betrayal? What if his tainted blood seeped deep into the earth, into burial caves, causing a counterfeit resurrection of the dead?
Gina Lazarescu, a Romanian girl with a scarred past, has no idea she is being sought by the undead.
The Collectors, those released from the Akeldama, feed on souls and human blood. But there are also the Nistarim, those who rose from their graves in the shadow of the Nazarene’s crucifixion—and they still walk among us, immortal, left to protect mankind.
Gina realizes her future will depend on her understanding of the past, yet how can she protect herself from Collectors who have already died once but still live?
Haunt of Jackals (Jerusalem’s Undead #2)
When Jesus was resurrected, ancient scripture says many rose from the grave. Today, 36 from this group of undead remain. Known as the Nistarim, they are here to watch over the world.
When Judas hung himself, his blood mysteriously gave rise to another group of undead: the unholy Collectors. Now very much alive, they feed on souls and human blood.
Both groups of immortals still walk among us in an eternal struggle. Now both are after a single target—a boy named Pavel who may possess the key to the Collectors' unlimited power...or ultimate downfall.
Gina, a woman fleeing for her own life, is determined to protect the boy at all costs. She has survived one battle with the undead already, but has no idea how long she'll be able to stay a step ahead of them.
Valley of Bones (Jerusalem’s Undead Trilogy #3)
For millennia, two groups of immortals have roamed the earth in a spiritual chess game for human souls. Now they enter the time of Final Vengeance.
On one side are the Collectors—unholy, undead entities who feed on misery and blood. In opposition are the Nistarim—saints raised from their tombs during the Nazarene’s resurrection, who work to protect mankind.
Natira, a powerful Collector infused with Judas’s blood, is on the verge of finding the last of the Nistarim. To destroy them all in one master stroke, he must find the Nazarene's Crown of Thorns which is believed to be buried near Jerusalem.
But the Nistarim have a potent weapon of their own, a boy who carries immortal blood. He has been hiding and waiting until now, when both sides collide in a battle of biblical proportions at Israel's historic Valley of Bones.
Recent nonfiction titles from Eric Wilson
American Leftovers: Surviving Family, Religion, and the American Dream
by Eric Wilson, Shaun Wilson, and Heidi Wilson Messner
American Leftovers is the story of Heidi, Eric, and Shaun, three children who follow their parents through eastern Europe on Bible-smuggling adventures in the early 1970s. When they return to the States, they face third-culture questions of home and identity.
They also deal with sexual situations and abuse, while settling into an evangelical bubble with their parents who pastor a fast-growing church. Everything collapses when their father runs off with an eighteen-year-old girl, leaving behind his family and church. This forces Heidi, Eric, and Shaun to reconcile their own spiritual fervor with the lies and dysfunction so close to home.
What Are You Going to Do? The Inspiring Story of Everett Swanson and the Founding of Compassion International
by Eric Wilson and Matt Bronleewe
In the early 1950s, war has scattered hundreds of thousands of orphans across South Korea. Many Koreans sacrifice everything to help. When Reverend Everett Swanson shows up to preach to troops on the front lines, he is faced with the nation’s horrendous conditions and must ask himself: What are you going to do?
Risking lives, careers, and families, he and his Korean partners start Compassion International. Seventy years later, the relief organization serves over two million kids worldwide.
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