Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born into the Molchanov family of Kyakhta—our name long associated with the tea trade that flowed between Russia and China. Surrounded by books and travelers’ tales, I developed a keen fondness for history, mystery, and the written word. My education, though designed for a lady of my station, was wide in scope and rich in imagination. I penned but one novel—a gothic tale of vampires and lost love—never intending it to stretch beyond the warm circle of my children and guests. It was, in my eyes, no more than a pastime, a “lady’s handicraft,” meant to amuse and enchant.
To lend the work an air of foreign intrigue, I signed it with a pseudonym—Baron Olshevri, a playful nod to fiction itself, as the name echoes the Russian bolshe vri, meaning “lie more.” In its English rebirth, the riddle remained intact—Marquis Orliez, or “more lies.”
Though I wrote only this one book, it was bound in black velvet and passed from hand to hand like a secret. Even in the harsh walls of a prison in 1919, my daughter once heard a stranger recall it as a cherished treasure. That, I think, is all any writer could hope for.
The dedication—E.L.Kh.—belongs to my daughters, Ekaterina and Lyudmila. The book was first gifted on March 19, 1912, and it remains in our family still, a whisper from the past wrapped in shadow and ink.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book is titled Vampires—a tale spun from dusk and dream. I wrote it after reading the freshly translated Dracula, a novel that stirred something deep and ancient in me. It wasn’t fear it awakened, but fascination: with forgotten brides, with lingering shadows, with the echo of centuries murmuring through castle stones.
I wondered—what lives had brushed against Dracula’s before his name became legend? What hearts had loved and broken in silence? And what if those haunted stories had not yet ended, but merely lay dormant, waiting for the right soul to unearth them?
With this in mind, I began writing—not with grand literary ambition, but with the simple joy of storytelling. The tale came to life as letters and diaries, as love and loss scattered across continents and generations, stitched together by something older than memory. A private amusement at first, a gift for my daughters. And yet, it took on a pulse of its own.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Ah, one could say that my writing habits are quite in keeping with the delicate balance of a noblewoman’s life. I do not write in haste, for I believe a story should be coaxed gently from the shadows, like a flower blossoming at dusk. I often take long walks through the garden before sitting to write—there, amongst the roses and lavender, I find my thoughts settle like the evening mist, and only then do I allow myself to pen the words.
I also have a peculiar habit of composing by candlelight. The flickering flames seem to carry me away from the mundane, transporting me to another world where the only sound is the rustle of paper and the occasional creak of the floorboards. The quiet is not unsettling, but rather soothing, as though the words themselves are in harmony with the old house’s heartbeat.
Of course, I write with an air of secrecy, as many do when creating something not meant for the public eye. I often leave my manuscripts hidden beneath velvet covers or tucked away in drawers, as though they are treasures to be uncovered only by those who are meant to find them.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have always believed that books are like secret doorways—each one opening into another world, another mind. Among those that left the deepest impression upon me, Bram Stoker’s Dracula arrived like a gust of night wind, cold and intoxicating. It awakened something in me—a longing for twilight tales, for hidden letters and ancient tragedies, for shadows that linger even after the candle is snuffed.
I have also held a lifelong reverence for Shakespeare. His ability to weave the beautiful and the brutal into one seamless breath continues to astound me. I often return to his tragedies, especially Macbeth and Hamlet, for their understanding of haunted souls and the price of desire.
Beyond these, I have loved the great Russian storytellers, of course—Turgenev, with his soft melancholy, and Lermontov, whose romanticism burns with a quiet, fatal fire. Yet it is perhaps the atmosphere of stories, more than their plots, that influences me most—that lingering sensation when a book becomes a fog in your mind, sweet and strange.
What are you working on now?
At present, I find myself once again drawn into the shadowed corridors of the world I first created in Vampires. The tale continues—this time, the thread leads far from the ancestral lands of Eastern Europe and into the sun-baked temples and obsidian altars of ancient Mexico.
The heir of the cursed castle, having uncovered the letters and secrets of the past, begins to experience strange visions—memories that are not his own. They pull him toward the ruins of a forgotten empire and the long-dormant serpent curse that winds through his bloodline. The story explores reincarnation, the weight of memory, and a forbidden link between the darkness of the Carpathians and the rituals of the Aztecs.
It is a tale of mirrors between past and present, life and afterlife—of ancient gods and immortal thirst. I write slowly, letting the story steep like tea in a silver samovar. Some things cannot be hurried.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I must admit, I am quite new to the idea of “promotion,” as it is now called. In my time, stories were written to be shared within the drawing rooms of close friends, among family, or whispered by candlelight on long winter evenings. I would often hand my finished pages to my daughters or guests, watching their faces as they read—this was the only “review” I ever truly sought.
If a story found its way into another household, passed along like a secret, that was reward enough. So, while I have little experience with websites and marketing methods, I trust most in the quiet magic of word of mouth and the loyalty of those who fall under a book’s spell.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write as though no one will ever read your words—and also as though they will be treasured by someone a hundred years from now. Let your imagination lead you, unburdened by fashion or approval. A tale spun from sincerity, even if humble, carries further than one crafted to impress.
Above all, do not be afraid to weave mystery, melancholy, or quiet wonder into your pages. The world is ever in need of stories that offer escape, enchantment, or a fleeting glimpse into the soul of another time.
And remember—sometimes the tales we write to amuse ourselves or delight a child become the ones others cherish most.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That one should never discard the whims of the heart, no matter how impractical they seem. A well-lived life, like a well-spun tale, is stitched together from intuition, curiosity, and the courage to dream beyond reason.
Another I hold dear: Write with ink, but live with velvet gloves. It reminds me to craft carefully and live gently, even amidst storms.
What are you reading now?
At present, I am leafing once again through The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe—its brooding landscapes and veiled suspense never fail to stir something within me. I often return to such works not merely to read, but to wander—like one revisiting a familiar path through a moonlit garden, where shadows feel like old friends.
And, as always, Shakespeare rests on my nightstand. His lines are like spells—ever revealing something new beneath their timeless rhythm.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I find myself drawn once more into the shadowed realm of my vampire tale. What began as a singular story, written to amuse my children, now unfurls into something larger—a tapestry of dark legacies and ancient curses that span centuries and continents.
The next installment follows the heir of the castle far from Transylvania, into the lands of ancient Mexico, where echoes of his past life stir. There, beneath temple stones and serpent-laced myths, he uncovers a haunting link between the blood rites of Aztec priests and the same immortal hunger that once ruled Eastern Europe.
It seems the story is not yet done with me.
What is your favorite book of all time?
The answer, to my mind, is simple: Dracula. Its pages are imbued with a darkness that is as enthralling as it is tragic, and beneath the blood-curdling tale, there is a deep, melancholic beauty. I find myself forever captivated by its exploration of immortality and human frailty, the pull between the eternal and the fleeting. This novel was not only a source of inspiration but a mirror reflecting the darker, unspoken truths of the world.
It is, after all, through the veils of shadow that the most profound truths are often revealed.
Author Websites and Profiles
Marquis Orliez Amazon Profile