For Glenn Collin, author of the vampire-themed book “The Sons of Apollyon,” writing a book was the ultimate goal. He achieved that goal 20 years after starting it.
The book takes place in and around the Columbus area, with the final scenes taking place in the ‘Shoe, and a killing scene in Mirror Lake.
“I love Columbus,” Colin said. “And I wrote about what I know.”
This however, is not the average vampire book.
“It’s an adult story,” Colin said. “There are several sexy scenes.”
In the first scene of the book, a prostitute gets killed, and Colin described it as “pretty racy.”
Colin said this vampire story is “180 degrees from what everyone knows about vampires.”
He started writing the book 20 years ago when his wife, Betsy Colin, gave him the idea.
“I’d always been a fan of vampires, and she gave me the idea to put my own spin on a vampire story,” Colin said.
Unfortunately, the manuscript was misplaced, and Betsy didn’t find it until after the family moved to a new home last year.
Glenn said he spent about nine months updating and finishing the story. Once the book was finished, he found a website, offthebookshelf.com, where he uploaded the book.
The website lets people read the rough copy of books and give feedback.
Glenn’s family and friends helped edit the book.
The book was officially released over the summer, and Glenn said it has only sold about 50 copies. He said it is close to breaking even, however.
Glenn’s daughter, Brittany Colin, a third-year in psychology at Ohio State, helped edit the book and make the transitions smoother.
“I can’t believe my dad wrote a sex book,” said Brittany, who is also an aspiring author. “I’m jealous but very proud of my dad.”
His real reason, however, for writing the book is not to make money. He wants to raise awareness about the disorder Transverse Myelitis.
Betsy was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis, which is a neurological disorder where a person’s autoimmune system attacks the spinal cord.
Glenn said he wants to donate a percentage of the profits to the Transverse Myelitis Association because there is no known cause or cure.
“I want to shed some light on it,” Glenn said.
Both of his daughters, Merissa and Brittany, are on the cover of the book.
Still, he doesn’t consider himself a writer yet.
“There are many talented writers out there,” he said, “but only a small percentage makes it.”
