MASQUERADE
Los Angeles
1993
He was a very old vampire, weary of living, weary of coming alive only in the darkness of the night.
For three hundred years he had wandered the unending road of his life alone, his existence maintained at the expense of others, until the advent of blood banks made it possible to satisfy his ever-present hunger without preying on the lives of the innocent and unsuspecting.
And yet there were times, as now, when the need to savor fresh blood taken from a living, breathing soul was overwhelming.
He stood in the dim shadows outside the Ahmanson, watching groups of happy, well-dressed people exit the theater. He listened to snatches of their conversation as they discussed the play. He had seen the show numerous times; perhaps, he thought wryly, because he could so easily sympathize with the Phantom of the Opera. Like Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's tragic hero, he, too, was forced to live in the shadows, never to walk in the light and warmth of the sun, never able to disclose his true identity.
And so he stood on the outskirts of mortality, breathing in the fragrance of the warm-blooded creatures who passed him by. They hurried along, laughing and talking, blissfully unaware that a monster was watching. It took no effort at all to drink in the myriad smells of their humanity – a blend of perfume and sweat, shampoo and toothpaste, face powder and deodorant. He sensed their happiness, their sorrows, their deepest fears.
He waited until the crowds had thinned, and then he began to follow one of the numerous street beggars who had been hustling the theater patrons for money and cigarettes. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of homeless men roaming the streets of Los Angeles. On any given night, you could find a dozen or so panhandlers lingering outside the Ahmanson, hoping to score a couple of dollars that would enable them to buy a bottle of cheap booze and a few hours of forgetfulness.
A faint grimace played over his lips as he moved up behind his prey.
After tonight, there would be one less beggar haunting Hope Street.
A little background info...
MASQUERADE is the first vampire story I ever wrote, and was originally published in an anthology titled "The Topaz Man Presents Secrets of the Heart".
When it went out of print, I got the rights back from Topaz. I added a poem to the beginning of the book, did a little rewriting here, a little tweaking there, and was thrilled when I was able to sell the story to Leisure Books as part of AFTER TWILIGHT.
I was also thrilled to be doing the anthology with Christine Feehan and Ronda Thompson, two of my favorite authors.
AFTER TWILIGHT turned out to be everything we hoped it would be. It made #33 on the NEW YORK TIMES extended bestseller list. It was also #61 on the USA TODAY bestseller list and #4 on the Waldenbooks Bestseller list. Chris and Ronda and I were thrilled.
It was also voted Best Paranormal Romance by the readers at Loves Romances, and placed 2nd in the Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence.
REVIEW
From the first moment I began this story, I was captivated by it's haunting beauty.
As he watches PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, Jason, the darkly beautiful vampiric hero of the story, is captivated by the lovely mortal, Leanne who is the image of his first love. In a way, their story is a reflection of the one she participates in on stage. After they meet and fall in love, Jason realizes that to love her, he must leave her lest one of them be destroyed; but he keeps on holding onto their love for just one more day. When Leanne discovers the truth about the man she loves, what will the fate of their love be?
As I read this story, I could hear the soundtracks of PHANTOM, JEKYLL AND HYDE, and even HIGHLANDER in my heart. Jason's tortured love for Leanne, the yearning for a love that can never be, is perfectly captured in this tale that brings more than one tear to the eye and at least one smile. I do, however, have a major complaint with it; I wanted a whole book about these characters.
Amanda K
Reviewer TRCC
