In our latest episode of Tarot Interviews, we had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Chase McPherson, the creative mind behind the Bloodbound fantasy series. This vampire detective saga explores profound themes of loss, regret, and mental health through richly developed characters and worlds. What made this conversation special wasn't just the insight into Chase's writing process, but the deeply personal journey that has shaped his creative voice.
As we drew the first tarot card The Star, we discovered that hope and optimism permeate Chase's work despite tremendous personal challenges. In a particularly moving segment, Chase revealed how his husband's battle with stage four testicular cancer became a source of inspiration and strength. "I call him my warrior," Chase shared with unmistakable pride, "because it takes a warrior to fight that disease, and when you win, you ought to feel like a warrior." This experience of supporting his partner through illness while maintaining calm and positivity has clearly influenced Chase's approach to storytelling - finding light even in the darkest narratives.
The Page of Pentacles appeared next, symbolizing new skills and growth. Chase discussed how he's currently navigating both professional challenges at his television station job by learning complex software like Adobe After Effects, while simultaneously expanding his creative horizons. After experiencing writer's block with his original Bloodbound trilogy a decade ago, Chase rebooted the series with renewed vision. Now approaching the release of his fourth book, he's exploring additional creative formats including short stories and body horror collections. His husband Tyler's creative endeavours in voice acting and running a Fallout 76-based tabletop RPG through Discord - where players respond by post rather than live - demonstrates how creativity flourishes in their household across multiple mediums.
The Six of Cups revealed fascinating insights into how Chase's childhood influences continue to shape his adult creative sensibilities. Rather than conventional children's entertainment, Chase was introduced to dark comedies like "Clue" and John Waters' "Serial Mom" at a young age. These experiences taught him to find humour in even the darkest situations - a resilience that permeates his writing today. His vampire fiction draws from later influences like the Charlaine Harris novels (which inspired HBO's True Blood), but with a deliberate focus on LGBTQ+ representation that Chase found lacking in mainstream vampire narratives.
What makes Chase's approach to vampire lore particularly intriguing is his willingness to play with established tropes. While maintaining some classics like vampires' aversion to sunlight, he introduces an alternate dimension where these rules can be bent. In one delightful example from his second book, a vampire circumvents the "invitation only" rule by pointing to a doormat that reads "come on in" - written permission being permission enough. This playful approach to genre conventions keeps his work fresh and unpredictable.
The Bloodbound series currently spans three books, with the fourth set to release on March 11th and a fifth in progress. For readers interested in diverse, thoughtful fantasy that centres LGBTQ+ characters and explores complex themes through the lens of vampire detectives, Chase McPherson's work offers something truly distinctive. As our tarot reading revealed, it's a series born from personal challenge, creative resilience, and an unwavering belief in finding hope after darkness.
