Page turner

DeKALB – DeKalb author Dan Klefstad’s latest novel, “Fiona’s Guardians,” was published Oct. 2, just in time for Halloween.

The novel is about humans who work for a beautiful manipulative vampire. It's been lauded by the Chicago Writers Association and is getting positive reviews on Goodreads. The book can be purchased on Amazon.

Klefstad is a longtime radio host and newscaster at the National Public Radio station WNIJ. He writes in DeKalb and Williams Bay, Wisconsin.

Klefstad spoke to MidWeek reporter Katrina Milton about “Fiona’s Guardians” and his upcoming projects.

Milton: Tell me about “Fiona’s Guardians.”

Klefstad: Fiona is a 250-year-old vampire when we meet her, and she needs 10 pints of blood a night to survive. She prefers O negative, it’s her preference, the way some people prefer Italian wines. In the early 20th century, she got innovative. She didn’t want to kill humans, so she began hiring them. Around 1920, with the dawn of blood donations, she began a network of stealing blood from hospitals. Fiona’s guardians are humans, and she depends on them to survive. Some readers have likened the guardians to modern capitalists and corporations. Vampires are a good metaphor for a lot of things. We all know a co-worker or family member that drains our energy. At the end of the book, I hope readers ask, “Who is my vampire?”

Milton: Are there vampire hunters in your book?

Klefstad: There are also vampire hunters, an ancient order of Catholic monks, Mors Strigae, which means “Death to vampires” in Latin. They used wooden stakes, now they use wooden-tipped bullets. They also use drones with thermal scanner to detect the vampire’s colder body temperatures. They’ve upped their game, but Fiona’s guardians have not. They’ve grown comfortable through the years. Mors Strigae hunts and kills Fiona’s sire, which starts a new war between the vampires and hunters. It leads to a big battle in the Vatican.

Milton: Why did you choose to write about vampires?

Klefstad: I like that you can make vampires whatever you want, but I made the vampires in the book a little more traditional and historical, like stage adaptations of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” I love how vampires are so powerful on the outside: strong, smart, sexually attractive. But they also have weaknesses, including wooden stakes or bullets through the heart and sunlight. They need a weakness to bring a catastrophic end to their centuries-long life.

Milton: What vampires and series did you draw inspiration from?

Klefstad: I borrow a little from all vampire mythology, except “Twilight,” because I didn’t have much to take from or add to that story. I think I’ve seen every vampire movie out there. I drew inspiration from Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee’s Hammer films and Anne Rice. One of my favorite movies is “Only Lovers Left Alive,” and there’s a really good black and white Iranian language film, “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.”

Milton: When was the book published?

Klefstad: The book came out Oct. 2, but I was in the process of writing it for four years. An early chapter was published as a short story in the literary magazine “Crack the Spine” in February of 2017. I realized that there was a larger story there and started writing the novel. The novel is published by Burton Mayers Books, which is based in Britain. I’m their first American author.

Milton: What do readers think about the book?

Klefstad: The reaction so far has been very encouraging. The book has very positive reviews on Goodreads and with the Chicago Writers Association. The theme among all of the reviews is that horror and vampire fans were feeling a bit of vampire fatigue, the sense that maybe the vampire story has pretty much been played out. Readers have focused on the humans in my story, and that’s why my novel sticks out among the vampire genre.

Milton: Are you currently working on another vampire novel?

Klefstad: This is my first foray into the horror and vampire genres, and I find it exciting. The ending of the book does suggest a sequel. I have started writing the sequel, but I am also writing about other things. In January, a short story, “Cowboy Load,” will appear in the literary magazine “Resolute Gentleman.” The short story is about two Arizona guys, one a Trump fan, one vehemently anti-Trump, one white, one black. They both love sport shooting, drinking and dry aged beef. They make an agreement to stay away from the topic of politics, but then they have a discussion at a shooting range.

Milton: Do you have any upcoming book signings?

Klefstad: The way authors discuss their books has changed during the pandemic. I recently had two book discussions and book signings, but most efforts to promote authors’ works has been online. Social media now has a greater role than ever before. I have also done a couple of Zoom events as well, with other writers and readers. I am also a writing coach and have been doing that via Zoom.