Professor Alfred Rhys Smythe returns home to Victorian London after years abroad only to discover that a blood-thirsty cult of vampires is stalking the city's theatre district. In My Soul to Take, Part I: Corpses So Lively, Smythe investigates the mysterious death of a young woman who has since begun haunting the dark streets of the theater district and preying upon the local residents.
He quickly seeks the aid of Scotland Yard Inspector Arthur Jenkins, who has long suspected that a growing horde of undead may be nesting in the city, but has yet to act officially against the threat. The two men begin to suspect that a famous Russian actor may hold the key to the mystery of the origins of the vampire horde.
Inspired by the eerie atmosphere and vivid action of the classic Hammer Horror films starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, author William A. Veselik weaves a tale that is blended with equal parts mystery and edge-of-your-seat terror. The story continues in Part II: Enter Death, Stage Right.
William A. Veselik is a life-long fan of horror novels and films, especially those featuring a vampire theme. Vampires, says Veselik, are fascinating characters because they are often enviable for their considerable supernatural powers and yet infinitely pitiable because of the terrible curse they must endure. Veselik is the public relations coordinator for a Virginia community college. During his college years Veselik worked as a part-time gravedigger before embarking on a five-year career as an award-winning newspaper reporter and managing editor. He and his wife, Cheryl, live in Southwest Virginia.