Beyond the Forest
Gerard's novels frequently centred around European characters and settings. She used her time spent in Hermannstadt and Kronstadt to write about the culture and landscape of Transylvania. Her familiarity with Transylvanian folklore came about as a result of her husband being stationed in the towns of Hermannstadt and Kronstadt from 1883 to 1885. Her book "The Land Beyond the Forest (1890)" and essay "Transylvania Superstitions" is credited with inspiring Bram Stoker to write "Dracula". The latter publication also introduced Stoker to the term "Nosferatu" to describe the undead.