That Lesbian Vampire Pirate Story
by Raven Belasco
Released: Jul 22, 2025
Genre: Historical Romance
Why this book and why now?
As I was doing the research for my next novel (which adds a pirate aspect to the ongoing vampire series, at reader request) I came across the story of Sadie “The Goat” and Gallus Mag, and I knew they had to be characters I brought into my Blood & Ancient Scrolls series universe. But also… in the next novel they can only be side characters, but their story (the whole biting the ear off and putting it in a pickle jar…and then later settling their beef and Sadie getting her ear back and wearing it in a locket) deserved to be the beating heart of a story. So I put aside work on the novel and wrote this novelette all about them, so that my readers would properly appreciate how *amazing* these characters are when they show up in the next novel.
And also—I was never going to get a better enemies-to-lovers story opportunity in my life as a writer, so I couldn’t say no!
What is a significant way your book has changed since either the first draft or the way you thought it would turn out when you first had the inspiration?
Actually, I was happy with my first draft, which was at short story length—but my editor basically demanded that I add in another shipboard fight scene and pad up the sex scenes more. Who can say no to an editor who wants those things?! So the short story became a novelette—and became a stronger story in the process. My editor was not wrong. So if you enjoy the taking of the Lucky Lish, or any of the spicy scenes, thank my wonderful editor!
Would you and your main character(s) get along?
Would Sadie and I get along? Heh. I think she would find me pretty wimpy and beneath her notice. Unless it is after the vampire part happened, when she might find me a taste snack 😉
Do your character names have special significance or meaning?
Since the main characters are from history, I didn’t name them. But in this story, two of the ships, the Lucky Lish and the Mary-Joan, are named for readers of the series, who have been incredibly supportive and become dear friends.
Is there anything you wish readers knew before diving into this book?
That I only made up the vampire part! Well, and padded up the character’s backstories, since that isn’t in the history and I was free to invent as I liked. But the events that open the story and set Sadie on her path of being a vampire pirate are all part of the Gangs of New York collection of colorful characters and violent history.
What’s your main character(s)’s favorite book and why?
This is actually in the story! Sadie is able to learn to read as a child, and falls in love with pirate stories. The three books referenced in That Lesbian Vampire Pirate Story are real books which were published before 1860: Pirates: The Lives and Adventures of Sundry Notorious Pirates; The History of the Pirates: Containing the Lives of Those Noted Pirate Captains, Misson, Bowen, Kidd, Tew, Halsey, White, Condent, Bellamy, Fly, Howard, Lewis, Cornelius, Williams, Burgess, North, and Their Several Crews … To which is added, a correct account of the late piracies committed in the West Indies; and the expedition of Com. Porter; and Thrilling Narratives of Mutiny, Murder and Piracy: A Weird Series of Tales of Shipwreck and Disaster, From The Earliest Part of The Century To The Present Time, With Accounts of Providential Escapes and Heart-Rending Fatalities
What 3 things would your main character want with them if they got stranded away from civilization, and why?
Well, since we are talking about a vampire, Sadie would just like three healthy human women. I think between the four of them, they wouldn’t miss civilization at all… 😉
Were there any scenes or characters that surprised you as you wrote?
I have absolutely no control over my characters—and I don’t bother to try, as I think they would get cranky, go on strike—and I’d end up with writer’s block! So writing a story for me is a constant, “Oh, uh, I guess this is happening now.” I started off really only thinking about Sadie and Mag, so all the other characters who came in were wonderful surprises along the way, especially Lady Ruthven, who I really hadn’t been expecting at all.
Which character was the most fun to write, and which was the hardest?
Sadie was the hardest, but that’s because I’m not a biracial woman born into slavery. So I had to be very careful with her—and get a sensitivity edit to make sure I didn’t mess up! Lady Ruthven is such a noxious character, but those often turn out to be the most fun to write. I honestly loved writing every character in this story. Playing in the sandbox of both Gangs of New York time and Golden Age Pirate time meant that there wasn’t a boring character to be found!
What song does your character put on to start your book launch party?
Unfortunately, I’ve had “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me)” stuck in my head the whole time I was writing this! So it’s definitely the soundtrack for the book…but I will be very glad to do a group singalong of it with all the characters… and then never have it stuck in my head again!
If your book had a scent, what would it smell like?
Ohhh, love this question! Saltwater, musk, night blooming Dianthus (kinda a clove scent), and a faint metallic tang…
Your characters are throwing a party—what’s the theme?
It would be a fundraiser. That is, you would have a great time, but when you stumbled out from the party at 3AM, you’d find all your pockets empty…
Do you outline your books in detail, or do you prefer to discover the story as you write?
I like to think of myself as the “gardener” type of writer. I buy a packet of seeds, decide where to plant them…but have no idea how they will grow until they do. I know how the story starts, and how it will end, but the journey is always a surprise to me!
Do you have any writing rituals or habits?
I take my small scruffy terrier for walks whenever I am not sure what to write next. Getting your blood flowing and stepping away from the computer is the best thing for continued creativity.
Who are your biggest literary influences?
It’s an eclectic mix that includes Robert Heinlein, Samuel R. Delany, Patrick Califia, Lois McMaster Bujold, Robin McKinley, Patrick O’Brian, and Tolkien. I’m a very omnivorous reader, which is why everything I write is so genre-blending. Neither I nor my writing fit well in one box.
If you could have dinner with any author, living or dead, who would it be?
P. Djèlí Clark—I love his A Master of Djinn series so much, and I missed meeting him at this year’s Readercon. I think we could chat about strong queer female characters and working myth and history into fiction stories from the amuse-bouche to long after dessert is finished.
