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Interview with a #Vanlifer

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The one question no one is asking in the current climate crisis is, "how does this impact the vampire population?" Scoring an exclusive interview with Peter and Ursula, the now internet-famous influencers and #vanlifers, our narrator details their evening in Yosemite National Park with a pair of vampires. In this satirical short story, we will learn about Peter and Ursula’s experience as vampires, their unique risks as the climate continues to change, and how they plan to use their celebrity to influence public policy and help the climate insecure. This story presents itself as an interview where the reader will go through the well-documented challenges of vampires among us and new issues arising from climate chaos. A continuation of the fictional evolution of vampires, following in the footsteps of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire , this story shows a different class of vampires. Socially conscious environmentalists with an eye for photography and a growing online brand, these influencers are looking to bring the vampire community into the light.

64 pages, Paperback

Published September 19, 2022

3 people are currently reading
28 people want to read

About the author

M.K. Williams

21 books101 followers
"Adventure for those who love to read. Ambition for those who love to write."

M.K. Williams writes suspenseful literary fiction for the contemporary reader. Her body of work is comprised of multiple novels, short stories, and her non-fiction work includes her self-publishing guides for aspiring authors.

Her first novel, Nailbiters, is an apocalyptic science-fiction thriller that has kept audiences up all night since its debut in 2015. The sequel, Architects, follows a new set of characters as they navigate the dystopian world created in the aftermath of the invasion. Her second novel, Enemies of Peace, is a cautionary tale of the American Dream gone awry. This domestic thriller has shocked audiences who never saw the final twist coming. Her latest series is a time-travel saga set across multiple universes, The Infinite-Infinite is the first in a series of feminist science fiction books across the multiverse.

Williams’ writing influences include a lifetime of watching suspenseful mysteries and action movies and reading Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Ian McEwan, and Lauren Beukes.

After writing and publishing for years, Williams launched Author Your Ambition where she helps aspiring authors. Through videos, e-courses, and books, she helps first-time authors navigate the ins-and-outs of self-publishing. Her Author Your Ambition series of books cover self-publishing, marketing, and writing craft. Each short and information-packed book is designed to cut to the chase and answer the questions that aspiring authors ask all the time.

You can follow her on social media on Twitter (https://twitter.com/1mkwilliams), Instagram (https://instagram.com/1mkwilliams/), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/MKwilliamsa...), and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/1mkwilliams/) for exclusive insights into her writing journey and the elements that inspire her work.

For more information on her work please visit: 1mkwilliams.com

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5 stars
25 (52%)
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18 (37%)
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3 (6%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
5 reviews
February 19, 2023
I throughly enjoyed this book and really hope the author will continue the story and the adventures of the #vanlife vampires in a book #2. There are questions and stories here that I feel are just dying to be told and I am all for it! All and all I say bravo! Good new storyline ideas told by a great new voice.
Profile Image for Siobhan Leahy.
538 reviews13 followers
February 5, 2023
I'd like to thank the publisher and author for sending me a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

I'd never thought of vampires as environmental politicians before. This was a great short story, very thought provoking and cleverly written
Profile Image for Katy.
1,494 reviews10 followers
March 12, 2023
As someone who read everything that Anne Rice produced, the opportunity to read this short story by M.K. Williams couldn't be denied.

So I gratefully started to read, and I was instantly intrigued by the story.

Having that combination of Vampires, and Vanlifers was irresistible, especially as my own daughter and her partner are Vanlifers, here in the UK!

Peter and Ursula bring up some really important questions in this piece, and I find I have to agree with them about so much of their opinions but, just like the interviewer, I'm conscious that I'm thinking in terms of a few generations, considering that my life is finite whereas, providing there are no terrible accidents, the Vampires could live eternally - if they had a constant source of blood, of course!

The details thought of, in describing Peter and Ursula's lives are amazing. There's a wonderful attention to the tiniest details, that brings the story so very much to life - ironically, considering the 'fact' that Vampires are 'technically' dead!

The whole story brought together so many ideas, and details, that I've slowly learned over the last 60-odd years - and from all walks of life.

There's much about the technology that has enabled them to set out as Vanlifers, and their fixation on nature, and how the earth could provide for us all, is something so many of us have realised needs seriously dealing with.

But the modern Van dwelling that I've been fascinated with for the last ten years, is the thing I loved best about this story - and the contrast in what is actually needed for this Vampire couple - their needs are so few, that they even talk of getting rid of the bed, which, apart from energy needs, is normally the first thing Van lifers sort out for their comfort.

If truth be told, I felt sad for Peter and Ursula. They may have eternal life - if careful. They may stay looking young - albeit without sunshine, and giving up all of the many1 physical pleasures that we all take so much for granted.

They may also experience more of travel, and nature, and exploring this amazing planet in their lives than most - but it comes at a price, that I, personally, wouldn't want to pay.

I guess that, what this story gave me, was a totally different glimpse into the possible effects that our modern world might have, if Vampires were real.

And that's another thing that this story gave me - the idea that, without all of the usual power, allure, and fascination, that the idea of Vampires has given writers over the centuries, then it could be possible for Vampires to actually exist - certainly in modern times, if this story were a real example, anyway!

Considering this was a short story, there was so very much packed into it. Not enough to give a reader indigestion but, surely, enough to keep a person thinking about things for quite some time.

Well, I was in the middle of another book when I started reading this, so I'll finish this now, so I can get back to it once more - but this story was well worth the break, to read it!
Profile Image for The Bookish Chimera - Pauline.
433 reviews9 followers
May 9, 2024
“We lived long enough to see the climate problem get kicked down to the next generation twice, and we as a society just keep trying to kick it down to another.”

Interview with a #vanlifer was a very different book.
If you want a very short read to help you with a slump, or to switch from two different words, this book should be the right one for you. It definitely helped me.
It was an easy read, funny but also interesting. The protagonists are a couple of vampires (who live in a van) and a journalist. The tone is light, and the subjects they talk about varied. Maybe too much. There are so many things in that book, in such a short story (64 pages) that it remains superficial. I wish it had been developed in a longer book, as a lighter mirror of Anne Rice’s work. Formatted a bit differently, to truly look like a magazine article, Interview with a #vanlifer could have become a fun prologue to a deeper story about the couple, their life, and all the things important to them: how to deal with vampire life, ecology, representation, etc. It could become a great book, especially with the way the author uses the genre’s codes and twists them, turns them upside down, to make her own fun and fascinating world building. There are so many greats –and surprising– ideas in this book, but so little space to develop them.
Maybe in the future? In the meanwhile (a girl can keep her hopes!), this short story exists, and is a fun read!
Rate 3.5/5

Thank you Halingbookstorm and MK Williams for the free copy in exchange for my honest review
Profile Image for Sadie.
71 reviews9 followers
April 19, 2024
✨📖 Short Story Review 📖✨

This was such a fun and innovative read!! We’ve all read stories of vampires and know all of the stereotypes by heart: they have sheet-white skin (sometimes ✨glittery✨), they’re crazed & thirsty for blood, have loads of cash/no need for money, they’re incredibly stylish, and they’re usually living in a posh gothic abode. While still paying homage to Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire”, this fresh revamp (pun intended) of the vampire completely flipped the script on many of those stereotypes and presented a vampire that I have never seen before.

Ursula and Peter are vampire influencers and vanlifers who have traveled around the globe showing off their photography skills, capturing the night sky in all its glory. Ready to finally step into the light (albeit very cautiously), they become socially conscious environmentalists who advocate for other vampires, ready to take on climate change and fight for a better future for their immortal kind. They’re charming, fun, gorgeous, and honestly I’d love to sit around their campfire and be their friend! They’re so rad.

The characters are awesome, the vampire humor was great, and honestly I’d read an entire novel on the adventures of these vampire vanlifers!! If you’re a fan of vampires and looking for a fresh, fun take on these immortal beings, this is definitely worth the read!!

Thank you to @haylingbookstorm for the opportunity to read this incredibly fun story 🤍
Profile Image for Nebulous.
343 reviews8 followers
December 13, 2022
M.K Williams "Interview with a #Vanlifer" is an innovative and captivating short story. The book's unique premise instantly caught my eye, and I was now curious about how vampires would be portrayed as environmentalists and influencers. The author is an exceptional storyteller who has created excellent characters. The narration is a great mix of passion, mystery and intrigue, and I appreciate how some questions remain unanswered. I appreciate how vampires are portrayed in this story, especially the deviation from the foreboding manors and instant wealth.

If you're looking for a short, unique read, do not skip this one. I look forward to reading more books from the author.

Thank you to the author and VoraciousReadersOnly for giving me a free review e-book. This honest review is left voluntarily.
Profile Image for Mc Chanster.
532 reviews
January 12, 2023
A great short story! I loved the “twist” of the vampire nomads and I instantly liked Ursula and Peter as soon as they were introduced. I thought the author did a fantastic job packing in a lot of interesting topics – climate change, global illness / disease, prejudice against those who are different – there is a lot of potential discussion and brings up many questions that we have yet to answer. Williams is a wonderful storyteller and I would be excited to read more from this author!

Thank you Voracious Readers and MK Williams for my copy! I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Siâni.
118 reviews16 followers
February 19, 2023
I love reading fantasy when it doesn't feel like fantasy.

Williams added enough background news stories and information to make this story feel real and believable. Despite it being a short story, it didn't feel unfinished or rushed. It's a glimpse into the life of two vampires who live in a van.

I particularly liked when Williams challenged some of the tropes.

'"Have you ever tried stepping into the sun?" I ask casually. "No, but if the roles were reveres, would you risk it? It's like me asking if you would jump out of a plane without a parachute. Maybe you'll bounce?"'

Williams has built a world where the myth of the vampire exists alongside the reality of one, which makes this a very entertaining read.

The title is also quite funny.
Profile Image for Amanda | Techabooks.
111 reviews
July 1, 2024
I love when authors take the smallest thing, like a simple play on words, and turn it into a unique, interesting, and important story. In this novella’s case, the near homophones ‘vanlifer’ and ‘vampire’ led to an interview style discourse on the impact of climate change on modern day vampires. I loved it from start to finish and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a quick but insightful read.
Profile Image for Sandy.
325 reviews3 followers
April 14, 2024
Van Lifer or Vamp Lifer ❤️ This book was great ! Loved diving into a world where this could be a possibility. Climate change - camp grounds - interviews- depth & to the point conversation. Loved being able to dig into a mind that would be amazing if it were real . Or is it ? Great read. Amazing . Def recommend
Profile Image for Destiny Imperati.
1,034 reviews37 followers
May 10, 2024
ARC Review ✨️
☆Captivating short story♡
Looking for a short story about not your average vampires? This one's perfect! It covers a bunch of different topics and was overall very unique! The author created an amazing story in the style of an interview, which was the best part! I couldn't get enough of our vampire couple🙌😍😍
Profile Image for Marie Campbell.
314 reviews6 followers
April 28, 2025
INTERVIEW WITH A #VANLIFER
by M. K. Williams
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ALC Review

Quirky short listen about a vampire couple that are taking risks as climate changes around them. This was a fun and unique listen. It almost felt like I was listening to a documentary about real vampires and their lives as environmentalists. Picturing vampires as environmental activists or internet influencers was not on my bingo card this year, but way neat to think about now. I enjoyed the way this author wrote their book and look forward to more of her books.

#VANLIFER #environment #vampires #shortread #bookrec #bookreview
Profile Image for Sam.
2,541 reviews41 followers
October 3, 2022
I did really enjoy this brilliant dystopian vampire story! An excellent idea, amazing written, straight away I was captivated with the idea & storyline! Brilliant! Loved the characters & the overall feel for the book! I do strongly recommend & will look for more by this writer!
1 review
February 12, 2023
I enjoyed the new take on vampires lifestyle. The transformation was more “realistic “ and less glamorous. I did like the linking of the story to the climate changes. All in all I would definitely like to follow Peter and Ursula through a longer journey.
Profile Image for Harriet Ashford.
Author 3 books98 followers
January 30, 2024
A fresh, clever take on vampires.
I think I'm going to spend today daydreaming about two vampires who are invested in being environmentally friendly and who spend their free time hiking Yosemite after nightfall.
Profile Image for Carly Beck.
97 reviews2 followers
May 9, 2024
Such a good quick read!! Loved the the mc in this book
Profile Image for Hayley Gallant .
817 reviews81 followers
May 9, 2024
4.5 stars (rounded up) 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

"Are you hopeful that Dr. Rice will be able to find a cure?" I ask. After all, the pair have highlighted how difficult their predicament is in their videos and blogs. With the limitations on them, whi wouldn't want to return to "normal"? "We're not holding our breath," Peter says. He catches himself in this colloquialism and laughs. "Even if we were breathing."

This was such a good book!

It's not a genre I normally pick up, but when M.K. signed on as a client with me and started describing it ... I knew I had to give it a chance.

And I am so glad I did!

It's a satire that doesn't feel like a satire as you read it. And it has vampires who care about the environment. AND it's written interview style?!

So awesome.

What you get:
• Short read (under 50 pages)
• Interview Style
• Satire
• Environmental Worries
• Vampires
• Influencers
• Read In One Sitting


You can grab it off Amazon! Ebook & paperback available.
Profile Image for Kristen B.
37 reviews1 follower
June 11, 2024
What a unique, fun read. This book was unlike anything I’ve read, which is shocking considering the topic centers around vampires. There were several times when I thought to myself, “Wow, I never considered they would need to do x,y,z.” M.K. really thought about the plight of vampires and what their lives looks like day to day.

The author is doing an article on vampires turned influencers Ursula and Peter. They live in a van, traveling the world to spread their message, advocating for climate change. The novella takes place over the course of their interview, as they engage in conversation over their lives.

I have never read climate fiction before, but I would consider reading more in the future after this book. It was done in an entertaining, informative and thought provoking way.
Profile Image for ABurch74.
416 reviews2 followers
May 9, 2024
A short story in the vein of “Animal Farm”, the author takes a rare approach to addressing climate change and the current political climate. Told from the viewpoint of a couple of vampires, the author uses satire to address the changing political world and the effects that those changes have on everyday life in America.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. My review is my own opinion and is left voluntarily.
Profile Image for Jen Kern.
3 reviews1 follower
November 12, 2022
What a creative story! So many important topics are covered and explored in such a unique way.
Definitely recommend!
Profile Image for Jess.
38 reviews24 followers
February 17, 2023
What if, instead of leading a glamorous, decadent, gothic lifestyle, you had modest, down-to-earth vampires living the simple life: traveling, nature photography, and grassroots campaigning about climate change?

This novelette reads like a well written Atlantic or New Yorker article. The author has clearly done a lot of research about the topics covered - van life, environmentalism, and vampires - and does a skillful job at weaving them together into a coherent narrative. Unfortunately, what gives it such an authentic journalistic tone also makes it flat: it's dry and matter of fact, which was hard to find compelling. A further downside to me was the length. Unlike a magazine article, it rambles. The pacing was even but slow; it could stand to be shorter and a bit better organized.

Lastly (and perhaps this was a deliberate comparison between vampires and the human condition), very little in the story felt uniquely vampiric to me. Many of the issues and concerns of the interviewees felt universal - these could apply to anyone, human or vampire. Overall, the story feels most about the challenges of being an environmentalist.

All that said, I did enjoy the story and its very original premise. If you like interview articles or are interested in climate change, you'll probably like it, but if you're looking for a vampire story, this probably isn't it.

Thank you to the author and Voracious Readers Only for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you would like to support the author and read Interview with a #Vanlifer, please visit: https://1mkwilliams.com/interview-wit...
Profile Image for Kathleen.
268 reviews8 followers
January 2, 2023
Based on the title, I expected this short story to be a humorous farce on vampires, it wasn't. I was also hoping that it would get scary by the end of the story, but it didn't. Instead this tale was a pleasantly couched treatise on global climate change. It did briefly address some of our questions such as: Are vampires independently wealthy? And, If vampires aren't into attacking innocent people and sucking their blood, how do they meet their nutritional needs? I did find the story enjoyable, however, and it is a good short choice if you want to read but don't have the time to tackle a novel. I received my copy of this book from For Voracious Readers only.
Profile Image for Susan Windos Harris.
3 reviews
March 11, 2023
An homage to Anne Rice’s Interview With A Vampire, this short novella brings vampires into the social media, digital nomad age in which living your truth, combatting prejudice and being climate aware are important bases for a well lived life however long it might be and vampires live a long time. It’s well written, well thought through, well imagined and a must read for anyone interested in the vampire genre.
I read a complimentary copy from Voraciousreadersonly.com
Profile Image for Laura Juntunen.
Author 12 books38 followers
December 25, 2022
Quick and contemplative.

The vampires may be fictional (though even that's up for debate to some), but the environmental issues are not; it made me stop and think.

Also, I have a soft spot for vampire stories, and M.K. spun them in a new way, which I really enjoyed. Fun, quick read!
400 reviews
February 16, 2023
Interview with a #vanlifer, MK Williams, meet Peter and Ursula who are vanlifers interview takes place Yosemite, and they tell their story, and they are vampires, includes climate change challenges. Great fun short ish story. 4*.
Profile Image for Scarlet.
8 reviews1 follower
April 30, 2024
🏕️🩸SHORT STORY REVIEW🩸🏕️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🚨Spoilers🚨

When we hear the word “vampire”, our minds drift to the inevitable creations of Hollywood. One may think gothic beauty, old world lore and the creations of Anne Rice. Another may dig into the vein of vampires that ✨sparkle✨ in the sunlight(because titsoak, iykyk 🐀✨). Some prefer the original vampire, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. No matter what, when we think vampires there are a few commonalities. Wealthy beyond belief, model like qualities that have been amplified to the nth degree, with a craving for blood. Be it human or animal. I adored how this story payed tribute to my favorite vampire movie of all time, Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire”, while still giving us a fresh taste of a classic story.

Peter and Ursula are environmental influencers with a secret. They share Ursula’s long exposure photos of the Milky Way over Yosemite, create nighttime guides for stargazing in national parks. No pretty pink and orange sunrises to be found on their instagram page. But when they decide to step into the light, more figuratively than literally, their secret is out. #vanlife vampires. but in a modern world where passports, social security and border checks exist, they’re limited to a minimalistic lifestyle traveling across the country in a custom van that protects them and their secret from those that don’t agree with the possibility of coexistence. Our eco-friendly couple explain how they’ve found ways to feed themselves without going straight for the jugular(pun intended), instead working with farmers to create a sustainable lifestyle, while also helping those like them who aren’t ready to step out into the world today deal with the ever impactful issues of climate change, to make the world a better place for not only their own kind, but the future generations of humans as well. l

I loved everything about this story, from the vampiric humor and making light of Hollywood stereotypes, the characters were funny, and I wish we could’ve spent more than one night with Ursula and Peter. A dream is a wish our hearts make.. so I can dream that I’m actually hanging out around their campfire and learning long exposure photography from some of the coolest vampires I’ve ever met. I’d read an entire novel about their adventures and meetings with other vampires, even their #vanlife fans/followers and their plans for the future when vanlife is no longer suitable for them. Such a fun, fresh and innovative read about a very real world issue that we can all understand.

thank you to HaylingStormBook for the chance to read such a fun story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Casey Baumberger.
Author 2 books
May 4, 2024
M.K. Williams has a way of crafting vampires that make someone like myself (not a vampire enthusiast) read her work from cover to cover in one sitting. These aren't your high fantasy, sparkly, bat transforming vamps. No. These vampires are essentially every day people, with a few modifications that are incorporated much like the modifications many people experience when living with a chronic illness (which vampireism is in M.K.'s world). Because of this, the subjects of our narrator's interview, Peter and Ursula, are incredibly relatable and charming. So much so, that I could easily imagine running into them at the next campground.

Williams' story beautifully addresses hot button topics like climate change and financial security in a way that gently holds a mirror up to the reader and asks "what do you think"?

This novella is a well-crafted, enjoyable read that I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys van life, political satire, or fantasy elements. And even if those aren't typically up your alley, I'd still suggest it!
Profile Image for Marissa (rissareads13).
121 reviews1 follower
April 28, 2024
Interview With a Vampire gets a makeover with modern upgrades. Climate change social media influencers grant access to their strange ways via an interview.

It felt like this book was written for me. I am unhealthily obsessed with vampires and try to do my best for the Earth. Although it was a short, quick read, I really did learn a lot. This book is definitely worth picking up, even if you don’t particularly enjoy the supernatural. Not quite a fun read, but surely the good kind of interesting.
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