Meet the Nun who Writes Catholic Vampire Novels

October 31, 2025: A religious sister's inspiration to author a Catholic vampire trilogy originated with Jesus, though she worried her fellow sisters would consider her “crazy.”

Vampire fiction is not typically associated with motivating young people toward becoming Eucharistic ministers, attending Eucharistic adoration, or exploring a religious vocation. However, the “In Aeternum” series is distinct, created to draw its audience toward Christ.

After sensing Jesus "stir up the story idea," Sister Allison Regina Gliot, a Daughter of St. Paul, began writing. Gliot recalled telling Jesus in prayer, "The nuns are going to think I’m crazy that I wrote a vampire book." Despite her concerns, Gliot's story has been published after this act of faith.

The “In Aeternum” trilogy starts with “The Curse He Chose,” which focuses on Elizabeth, a Catholic teenager who gets caught in a conflict between vampires and must flee with a vampire outsider named Christopher. The narrative continues in the second book, “The Light They Left” — which was announced on October 31st and will be released on January 2, 2026, by Pauline Books and Media, the publishing division of the Daughters of St. Paul.

Evangelising through Urban Fantasy

The Daughters of St. Paul, also referred to as the “media nuns,” engage in evangelisation using various media, including social media, storytelling, and, evidently, young adult Catholic vampire books. Gliot stated, "There are a lot of teens and young adults who love fiction, who love supernatural fiction, who love urban fantasy and sci-fi stories," adding that if a Catholic alternative is offered, "it can genuinely move them forward in their relationship with God and their relationship with the Church."

Besides their significant appeal to young adults — particularly following the “Twilight” phenomenon of the early 2000s — vampire novels have an additional draw. Gliot pointed out that traditional vampire narratives contained overtly Catholic elements. For example, in Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” a crucifix, holy ground, and the Eucharist provide protection against vampires. Gliot, who grew up reading vampire stories, questioned, “Why did that get cut out?”

Gliot was initially attracted to her community by the “deep devotion” the Daughters of St. Paul have for the Eucharist. By integrating spiritual realities throughout her novel, Gliot aimed for her work to support young readers in their faith, especially concerning things like the Eucharist. She elaborated, "By having characters like vampires who are super attuned to invisible spiritual realities, it helps readers see and realise that those realities are actually real." She affirmed, "Vampires are not real, but the Eucharist actually is Jesus."

Theological Themes and Character Struggles

Her books address not only vampires but also the journey of having a relationship with God and the difficulties that accompany it.

The primary character, Elizabeth, grapples with issues Gliot herself has faced in her faith. Gliot shared, “One of the things that Elizabeth fears in showing her anger towards God is: What does that say about her?” continuing, “If some part of her hates God, is she going to run into the limits of God’s love? Or is God only helping her because she’s doing what he says?” Concurrently, the outcast vampire, Christopher, “has to learn how to experience” God’s forgiveness and love.

In the narrative, vampires have “rejected their humanity” to the extent that they lose their human memories. However, in Book 2, Christopher begins to regain his past. Gliot explained, "He struggles a lot with forgiving himself and struggles to accept forgiveness from others," concluding, “And so accepting forgiveness from God is an even harder thing in some ways for him.”

She mentioned that the story features “organic Catholicism woven in.” The power of the sacraments and other theological concepts are “all wrapped up into the action and the emotional stakes of what’s going on in the story.” To ensure that "readers are not going to walk away with any misconceptions about Catholicism," several other sisters and a priest reviewed the manuscripts. The book even provides a “fact or fiction” section at the conclusion as an aid for readers.

Gliot stated that the most significant theological concept presented in the series is that “God never gives up on us — that you are never so far gone or so far fallen that you can’t come back to him, but you have to make that choice to come back,” adding, “He’s there, he wants you, but it’s up to you to start taking those steps towards him and responding to that grace.”

Impact on Readers

While writing, Gliot felt Jesus' call to pray for her future readers. Although she recalled asking herself, “What future readers?” she prayed regardless. When the first book was released, Gliot witnessed these prayers being answered.

Readers have reached out to Gliot via handwritten letters and social media “to share how much they love the book and cannot put it down and how they’re sharing it with all their friends.” However, she has been most touched when readers have shared that the book “changed their relationship with God” positively. Gliot reported, “I’ve had readers share that they have become Eucharistic ministers at their parish after reading my book or that they’ve started discerning religious life or going to daily Mass.” She concluded, “God is present with the reader, just like he was present with me when I was working on the book.”

Source: Catholic News Agency