Hunting Prince Dracula

by Kerri Maniscalco

  Facts regarding some science mentioned:

  DNA was discovered in 1869 by a Swiss physiological chemist named Friedrich Miescher. He’d called it “nuclein” since he’d discovered it inside the nuclei of white blood cells. Being a student of forensics, and someone who’d read everything she could on the advancements of science, Audrey Rose would have greatly admired him.

  Modern drinking straws were patented by Marvin C. Stone in 1888, though the earliest known straw was used by Sumerians in 3,000 B.C.E.

  Modern/early feminism: Audrey Rose would have been inspired by books such as Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which was published nearly one hundred years before this adventure in 1792. (In both America and Europe women were fighting for the right to vote, so it wasn’t hard to imagine Audrey Rose’s mother teaching her these more “modern” ideas that shaped her into pursing forensics in place of securing a marriage.)

  Drăculeşti and Dăneşti family names:

  Prince Nicolae Aldea and his family members in this story are all fictitious. In fact, most of the surnames are a nod to the families involved with the dynastic rule of Romania prior to the 1800s. Nicolae was named after Nicolae Alexandru of the House Basarab.

  An interesting part of my research was the royal family and how the dynasty could be furthered by placing “bastard” born sons as rulers. I suggest looking up the House of Basarab and the House of Dăneşti if you’re interested in in-depth family trees. They were the main lineages of medieval rulers in Wallachia and where inspiration for Thomas and Nicolae’s rivalry came from. Both Nicolae and Thomas would not technically be considered princes, since their family had ceased to control this region for quite some time, but, well, it is fiction and I love thinking of Thomas as being the anti–Prince Charming of Audrey Rose’s dreams. (Who’s actually very charming underneath his cool exterior.)

  In this story, Thomas’s mother’s line is descended from Vlad the Impaler through Mihnea cel Rău. (Vlad the Impaler’s son.) Mihnea produced heirs, and I imagined Thomas’s mother having ties to them.

  Countess Elizabeth Báthory is a historical Hungarian noblewoman who remains one of the most prolific female serial killers of all time. She reportedly murdered nearly seven hundred people (mostly her servants) and had both the nicknames The Countess Dracula and The Blood Countess. She was rumored to have bathed in the blood of her victims, which really added to her being compared to Vlad III and a vampire throughout history. Anastasia is named after one of Countess Báthory’s children.

  Fun tidbit: There’s a Romanian folktale where a princess named Ileana is taken captive by monsters and saved by a knight. For this story, I wanted to reimagine her as the heroine of her own tale.

  Transylvania:

  Transylvania is the historical region of Romania that houses both Braşov and Bran Castle. During this period in history it was called Transleithania and was part of the Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen, which was ruled by Austria-Hungary. For the sake of this story I kept it to Transylvania and Romania, and I hope that historians and history buffs alike will not be too mad with my embellishments. I have Eastern European roots and tried to do my best with capturing the region and its folklore as accurately as possible.

  Any other historical inaccuracies—like forsaking Victorian protocol with hand-holding, and having a weapons belt crafted, et cetera—were done to benefit both the plot and characters for a (hopefully) enjoyable Gothic tale.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Dear reader, thank you for following my characters on their next dark (and bloody) adventure, and for your love of Audrey Rose and Thomas across social media. “Cressworth” is my favorite thing EVER. (Though “Well Worth” also makes me smile.) I ship each of you so hard. Thank you. Thank you. A thousand, million times thank you.

  I owe buckets full of gratitude to my super agent, Barbara Poelle, for her talent, sharp eye, the idea of giving Audrey Rose and Thomas an accelerated forensics course, and for her unerring ability to make me laugh throughout a deadline and any other curveball life throws my way. (Remember those months of neurological Lyme treatments and that time my face swelled up and I had a serious lisp before meeting JP?) Thank you for being my warrior, B. I could not have done ANY of this without you… or those fabulous gifs you send me.

  To the entire team at IGLA, I’m so happy to have found a home with you. Sean Berard at APA—thank you for escorting Stalking Jack on a Grand Tour of Hollywood. My characters adored the red carpet treatment. Thank you to Danny Baror and Heather Baror-Shapiro, for placing my books in the hands of readers across the world.

  Jenny Bak, aka Magical Editor and friend, working together from the start of this novel has been incredible. Your enthusiasm for always making it a little darker and a little creepier brings out all of my super-villain dreams. I swear you are filled with magie for making this plot and this story spring to life. Especially after I tried killing it in that first draft. Which is very much in the vein of the undead and the whole Dracula/vampire thing come to think of it… multiple puns intended. I can’t help myself! Here’s to darker and more magical adventures in book three.

  James Patterson, I still cannot thank you enough for changing my life. Cheers to a couple of Newburgh kids who never stopped dreaming! Sasha, Erinn, Gabby, Sabrina, Cat, Tracy, Peggy, Aubrey, Ned, Mike, Katie, and everyone who works for JIMMY books/Little, Brown and who was involved in the editing, production/sales/art of my work. Thank you for turning this document into a gorgeous work of tangible art and for your dedication to publicity, sales, and marketing, aka championing my book in every way you can. It’s a Cresswell approved fact that I totally have the best team in publishing. (Extra shout out to Sasha and Aubrey for helping me polish Thomas’s novella into a gorgeous luster while Jenny was out with sweet baby Bak.)

  Mom and Dad—I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to thank you enough for always encouraging me to be as creative as I dared as a kid and teen. Your belief that I could turn any dream into reality is what gave me the spark to try. Thank you for being there to offer support—and medical jokes/puns—and to help nurse me through the rough patch. Who knew that a girl who wrote about buckets of blood could get so queasy when hers was taken? Vial/Vile will always make me laugh inappropriately; I love you both more than any humble words can say.

  Kelli, you’re the best sister the world has ever known. Thanks for your extraordinary ability to read and critique the earliest drafts of my work. Dogwood Lane Boutique remains my most favorite place to shop for tour clothes (and, let’s be honest, #bookstagram props), and I’m so proud of you for slaying your own dreams. And for the family discount…

  Laura, George, Rod, Jen, Olivia, Uncle Rich, Aunt Marian, and Rich—I love you all and am so lucky to have you. Jacquie, Shannon, Beth—thank you for celebrating ALL of this with me. Ben it’s always a blast whenever you’re around and not just because you bring cool toys for the cats.

  Simona and Cristina of Bibliophile Mystery—mulţumesc. Thank you for reading over/correcting my humble attempt at Romanian, and for making sure it was accurate for native speakers of the language. I cannot wait to visit you in Bucharest and Braşov one day soon!

  It is absolutely essential in this business to have a squad that’s there through it all. Here are just a few of mine: Kelly Zekas, Alex Villasante, Danika Stone, Kristen Orlando, Sarah Nicole Lemon, and Precy Larkins—thank you for reading, messaging, texting encouragement, and offering up advice as wise and brilliant as each of you are.

  Traci Chee, your friendship and humor always keep me in great spirits. I still laugh every time I think about crying over Pink the singer instead of the color, and the mass confusion that deadlines wreak on us all. Thank you for your stellar advice on my second draft and for all of our wonderful phone talks, texts, and emails throughout the year. Working on our books together is the stuff dreams are made of, and our friendship is even more kick ass. I’d be lost without you!

  Stephanie Garber, you’re one of the mo
st magical friends a girl could ever hope for. Our coffee or wine talks are the absolute best! (And our gif game is pretty terrific too. Especially when Stormtroopers in tutus are involved.) I’m pretty sure we’re long-lost sisters with how often we finish each other’s sentences. Also thank you in advance for a room full of Julians in your next book. You’re welcome for that, fellow readers 6

  To Irina, aka Phantom Rin, your illustrations for this series are epic and amazing. Each time I see one of your sketches I pinch myself. Thank you for bringing my characters to life in such deliciously creepy and beautiful ways. I couldn’t resist using them as inspiration for Nicolae’s drawings and hope I did them justice.

  Brittany, aka Candlemaker Extraordinaire, from Novelly Yours, thank you for some of the most lavish and amazing book-scented candles around. I’ll never get over how gorgeous blood splatter or glittery mica on a candle can be. Shout out to Jessica at Read and Wonder for designing the magnetic and quote bookmarks—I love the top hats on Audrey Rose and Thomas! Jess from Wick and Fable, your Cresswell tea and Audrey Rose blend give me life.

  I’m infinitely grateful for ALL the book bloggers and bookstagrammers out there, and wish a special thank you to: Ava and the Knights of Whitechapel, Kris at My Friends Are Fiction (aka my fellow pizza-loving pal), Rachel at A Perfection Called Books, Hafsa and Asma at Icey Books and Icey Designs, Melissa from the Reader and the Chef, Brittany from Brittany’s Book Rambles, Bridget from Dark Faerie Tales, and Stacee aka Book Junkee aka my Cresswell cheerleader for adding MORE kissing scenes; I can’t thank you all enough for what you do for both myself and my books. Pilar, “Pili,” your daily Sherlock gifs are always appreciated, and your adoration of Thomas across the Twitterverse makes him preen even more. He will truly be insufferable by the end of book three.

  Sasha Alsberg you are such a gem—thank you for loving Audrey Rose so much and for cheering her on. I am so happy to share the shelves (and an obsession with historical homes) with you! Also, a GIANT thank you to all the booktubers out there who’ve posted AMAZING videos or have hosted readalongs for both Stalking Jack the Ripper and Hunting Prince Dracula. I am continually blown away by your love and support of this gritty Victorian world.

  Goat posse—Anita, Lori, Bethany, Ashlee, Riley, Precy, Mary, Kalen, Eric, JLo, Lisa, Amy, Michelle, Darke, Justin, Jennifer, Angela, and Suzanne—you are some of the very best people in the world. Much #GoatWub to you all.

  Librarians and booksellers: My respect for you is boundless, much like the infinite numbers of stars in the sky. Books are powerful weapons and you wield them with the utmost care and precision. Thank you for everything you do for both readers and writers across the world.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Kerri Maniscalco grew up in a semi-haunted house outside New York City, where her fascination with gothic settings began. In her spare time she reads everything she can get her hands on, cooks all kinds of food with her family and friends, and drinks entirely too much tea while discussing life’s finer points with her cats. Her first novel in this series, Stalking Jack the Ripper, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. She’s always excited to talk about fictional crushes on Instagram and Twitter @KerriManiscalco. For updates on Cressworth check out KerriManiscalco.com.

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