About The Darkest Gift by Len Handeland
A dynamic, enthralling tale of love, jealousy, rage, and the Supernatural!
When a self-loathing Gay man—Jack, meets elegant yet incredibly mysterious Laurent Richelieu, he thinks his stroke of bad luck with men and women has come to an end. Or is it the beginning of a nightmare?
As the two begin their courtship—Jack encounters horrifying experiences involving paranormal experiences, vampirism, and possible reincarnation, making him question his sanity. The more time Jack spends with his mysterious European love interest, the more revealed about the dark secret awaiting Jack. Are they destined to be together? —does Laurent honestly care for Jack? Or is there a much more sinister plot involved? Can the help of a self-described Voodoo High Priestess named “Queen Raphaella” alter Jack’s predestined future, or is his fate already sealed?
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During my childhood, I was always fascinated by vampires and monsters. What little boy didn’t either pretend to be or wish they were a vampire? Seeing Bella Lugosi as the King of all vampires in “Dracula” spread fear mixed with fascination in my young heart and mind. As a child of the 1960s, I (along with countless other children of that era) grew up watching the classic Gothic horror TV soap opera “Dark Shadows.”
The reluctant vampire Barnabas Collins, brilliantly portrayed by the late Jonathan Frid, unearthed and existing amongst his long-lost relatives the Collins family, thrilled and sent chills up and down my spine! As a teenager, my interest in vampires went from watching them on television to reading about them in books. Reading “Interview with the vampire” by Anne Rice as a teenager (and all the rest of her fantastic vampire chronicles!) were books I couldn’t put down! Her brilliant description of these powerful and mysterious beings had me completely mesmerized! I became consumed and obsessed with vampires; I will always be grateful to Anne Rice for being my inspiration!
This obsession inspired me on more than one occasion during Halloween to dress as the diabolical Count Dracula. Years later (as an actor in Community Theater), I was blessed to have been cast in the role of Count Dracula based on the classic 1924 play “Dracula” played initially by Bella Lugosi on Broadway which further endeared me to vampires. I threw my heart and soul into that role, and deeply searched the dark inner side of my being to portray this refined and evil monster known as the “King of all vampires.” The role temporarily drained my energy. After recovering my strength, my obsession led me to want to write a book about vampires. No, not the classic tale of vampire meets woman, bites, and hypnotizes woman, to make her believe she is the long-lost love of the vampire.
Instead, the story of two men, one who happens to be a 250-year-old vampire who meets another man he believes is the reincarnated soul of his long-ago destroyed vampire lover. In writing this book, I hope to show that love (whether heterosexual or homosexual) is eternal. That sometimes love, which can be taken away, sometimes brutally, can sometimes return to us. Hopefully, my book will have people looking beyond each of my characters’ sexual orientations, so the focus is love, eternal love. It was vital for me to give a thorough background on each character’s personality, but equally as important, where they came from and how they developed as individuals, as human beings are complicated, as are vampires! Togetherness, separation, and being reunited under different circumstances as well as locations and times. I hope you enjoy reading this book and that it thrills and entertains you as much as I have had the pleasure of writing it!
In addition to writing some of my hobbies include, Martial Arts, Billiards, Biking, Hiking and I enjoy Vegetarian cooking.