Guest Post

Guest Chick: Asha Greyling

The Chicks are so thrilled to welcome debut author Asha Greyling. Asha is sharing the inspiration behind her fascinating new book. A vampire-mystery mashup???? Yes, please!

Ha, I’m a little nervous about this. I’ve never done anything like it before!

Thank you so much to the Chicks team for giving me the opportunity to write a guest post. This year has been one of excitement and not a little terror for me—my first ever published book, The Vampire of Kings Street, was released last September, and I couldn’t be more thrilled by the welcome my fellow mystery writers have given me since I ventured into this varied and colorful genre of (usually) brilliant and (often) unlikely detectives.

Image courtesy of Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels

It was in fact, this time of year when I first began writing about Radhika Dhingra, herself an occasionally brilliant, unlikely, and thoroughly unofficial detective working out of her struggling law firm in 19th century New York. Our story follows Radhika’s struggle to evade bankruptcy and entanglement in a case that could either irrevocably damage or boost her reputation forever in the eyes of society.

Her first case? Defending a vampire suspected of murdering a local celebrity. It’s a daunting task for a young woman of South Indian descent whose credentials are certainly not from Harvard or any respectable institution. But Radhika, whose character is partly inspired by my own fierce and stubbornly determined Indian mother, isn’t the kind of person who backs down from a challenge—even if that challenge happens to be undead and disposed to drinking blood.

I remember sitting at my desk when it came to me—that vision of a gaslit cobbled street, a little dingy, more shadows than light. There was the door to Radhika’s law firm, a very plain door in a very plain building—and there the unexpected, mysterious guest wrapped in his concealing cloak with something otherworldly about him in the way he stands outside, poised to knock. I still get that funny thrill of excitement when I think about it, because that’s one of the best parts of starting a book—when it’s as much a mystery to you as anyone else, and you can’t wait to begin.

The world of The Vampire of Kings Street is made for cozy autumn nights, curled up in an armchair. It’s a story of light and shadows. Here is a society in which vampires and humans live separate yet close lives, with vampires serving human households and often treated as exotic curiosities rather than thinking beings deserving respect. Radhika herself, because of her sex and race, faces prejudice in her small northeastern hometown that constantly make her doubt herself and her ambitions.

I’ve always had a soft spot for alternative histories, particularly those set in the nineteenth century, a unique time filled with the excitement of new mechanical inventions and the imaginative fancies of Edgar Allan Poe and Lewis Carroll. Writing this book was a genuine pleasure because in a sense, it gave me a chance to go home for a little while.

And on that note, I’d better go make sure my little dog Gwin isn’t getting in the pot of our olive tree sapling again. What kind of dog eats dirt, anyway? That’s a mystery in and of itself.

Thank you again to all the Chicks for letting me ramble on.

Readers, it’s that spooky time of year! What do you think about ghosts and ghouls in the mystery genre?

Asha Greyling lives in Maryland with her furry four-footed muses, Gwin the terrier and a guinea pig who thinks she’s a cat. She likes nothing more than swinging in the playground (unless the local children scare her off), collecting acorns, or sitting down with a good book.

Author website: https://ashagreyling.com/

To buy: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/759640/the-vampire-of-kings-street-by-greyling-asha/

24 thoughts on “Guest Chick: Asha Greyling”

  1. Hestia here.

    welcome to the world of authorism. I am very excited for you. And you did great on the post, BTW.

    I have a soft spot for your era and the 1940s. Not sure why, but they are my two favorite pasts.
    your story sounds very interesting. Defending a vampire? Only someone from another country in their blood would do something like that back then. What a great idea.

    good luck with getting this woman in the world!

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    1. Thank you, Hestia! I don’t know why I like the 19th century so much either, haha – perhaps it’s all the drama and mystery. It wasn’t a perfect time period by any means, and you’re right, I felt that only an outsider like Radhika would be willing to take on a vampire client!

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  2. Congratulations on your debut novel, Asha! That’s a huge accomplishment. I love the set up. It reminds me of a saying the attorneys I used to work with had. “You don’t pick your clients. Your clients pick you.” Cheers!

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  5. Welcome to the Chicks, Asha, and congrats on your first book–such a marvelous achievement, and it sounds like a real winner! I’m not generally big on ghost stories or ghouls, but I do love me a good vampire yarn. Unlike other horror-type characters, vampires have a vulnerability about them that makes them fascinating to me. Good luck with the new career, and I hope there are more books to follow!

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    1. Thank you so much, Leslie! Yes, that’s what I like about vampires as well and really tried to capture in this book. There is something more “human” about them than most manifestations of ghosts and other kinds of monsters. ❤ And – big secret – I'm actually really scared of ghosts.

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    1. Thank you, Kathleen!! Yes, I love fantasy and mystery both. I really wanted to capture the possibilities of fantasy and the analytics of a good mystery in this book – not sure if I managed that, but I hope you enjoy! ❤ ❤

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  9. Asha, we’re so happy you’re visiting us on Chicks today! Welcome! Lovely post–and I have to tell you, although I am under deadline at the moment, I snuck a peek at your book, and the opening chapters are so beautiful and absorbing that I have to steel myself from reading more until my ms. is finished. I can’t wait to keep reading, so Vampire of Kings Street will be my reward for typing The End. (I don’t usually read about vampires after being scared silly by Dracula in a college book/film class–but Evelyn has heart. And I love Radhika and all the period details.) Cheering for your success!

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    1. Wow, Lisa, that’s so kind of you to write. I’m thrilled to be visiting the Chicks today as well! All the best with finishing your manuscript – I’m excited to see what new mystery you’re coming up with next! ❤

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  10. As soon as I read Gigi Pandian’s rave review of your book I read and loved it! I also enjoy alternate histories with supernatural features – the Stoker and Holmes books by Colleen Gleason and Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia are among my favorites in the genre. I look forward to reading more books from you!

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      1. I thought about Certain Dark Things while reading your book because they both create a world where vampires are real and people have figured out how to deal with that knowledge, but otherwise they are completely different!

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  11. A warm welcome to you, and so glad you’re on the blog! Your book sounds fascinating! Wishing you all the best with your new writing career!

    I’m not a huge fan of ghouls, but I can handle kind-hearted ghosts and vampires.

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