It is April and at the end of the month, Authors and Readers will be converging to Columbus, Ohio for the 2010 Romantic Times Convention. Readers will be lugging books for authors to sign. I know, I've done it myself. This month I am cornering my quest where I have tried, and failed, to meet an author, and have a book signed.

I had mentioned one of my favorite "mysterious heroes" - from Anne Stuart's Dangerous Lover, when someone raved so much about Night of the Phantom that I knew I needed to find it...and I did. I had been told that Anne Stuart would be at a booksigning, but I didn't make it due to bad weather. Then I was hoping to meet her at RWA, but my trip to DC was later than the booksigning. Alas, I have the book, I have yet to have it signed by Ms. Stuart, but I did get my photo taken with Fabio a few years back - so that has to count for something!

Night of the Phantom is a Harlequin American Romance published in 1991. What is amazing is that the gothic feel of the story, and lack of modern technology/amenities, has made the book timeless - it could be a new release. It is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast tale, which is ironic when you look at the cover - hardly a beast. But also very indicative of the time. The cover doesn't really convey the storyline, but hey - it's got Fabio - and Fabio on the cover definitely helped sell books.

Addendum: I went to RT with Night of the Phantom, and a few other titles. Looking forward to finally having it signed, I was shocked to learn that she would only be at a special booksinging where we could not bring in previously purchased books. Not to be daunted, I managed to catch her after a panel - and I finally got my books signed! Ms Stuart said it would be okay to copy her comments from her website about Night of the Phantom

From Anne Stuart's website:

"Night of the Phantom was a major career turning point. It seemed very risky at the time, and it was one of those I wrote in a white-heat, barely taking time to eat. I'd just suffered a loss in my family, and at that point I wasn't interested in being a docile author or playing by the rules-I just went full-tilt into it, trying to forget my grief, and fortunately it worked. It's never been reprinted, even though it was a big success and made it into RWA's list of top ten books of the year (or whatever they were calling it back then). I think they're waiting for me to hit the Big Time. It even had Fabio on the cover. It was a dreamy, erotic take on Phantom of the Opera crossed with Beauty and the Beast, with ghosts and crazed fundamentalists thrown in for good measure. Love that book"

Below is my review for Night of the Phantom.

Megan Carey found herself in a modern day tale of Beauty and the Beast. To protect her father, she had gone to see the reclusive Ethan Winslowe. But Ethan was not to be pacified by her presence. He wanted revenge on her father, revenge for the costly actions by a man who should have protected her. Instead her father had sent her in his place.

She was at the mercy of Ethan. A man, regardless of the tales told. Not a phantom, even though he stayed in shadows and the dark. A genius, true, but a master manipulator. She was a prisoner in his absurd mansion, and she feared. She didn't believe her life was in danger, but she feared how long she would be held. What was happening to her father - and did he even worry about her. She was supposed to be in Europe, but instead she was being held captive by a man whose mystique was beginning to captivate her. He protected her. His friends were loyal. There was more to the man than a mystery, and Megan was determined to discover his secrets.

I searched for Night of the Phantom based on a friend's recommendation. The story is almost two decades old, but it has a timeless quality. Ethan lives in a remote desolate town, and his home lacked contemporary furnishings. He also didn't have much in the way of modern technology. This book could conceivably be set today. I have a fondness for a Beauty and the Beast tale, and a hero who feels that for some physical limitation, he is the Beast. The gothic touch to the story was a refreshing change, and reminds me why I enjoyed these stories. Many women might not agree with Megan falling for Ethan, after he had essentially imprisoned her, but I feel that Ms Stuart adequately dealt with that issue. I truly enjoyed this classic Anne Stuart romance... with Fabio on the cover.

Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com

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