I’d like to tell you that I made up all the information Shalimar and Morticia offer regarding real-life vampires, but of course I didn’t. For those who would like to learn more about this growing American subculture, I recommend Piercing the Darkness: Undercover with Vampires in America Today by Katherine Ramsland, and Bloodlust: Conversations with Real Vampires by Carol Page. In case you’re wondering, the epigraph by Ty King comes from “Some Assembly Required,” a second-season episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, easily one of the best-written television shows ever produced. Homages to Buffyspeak and the Buffyverse permeate this book, as seemed appropriate.
I am greatly indebted to the sources who have supplied information about the workings of the U.S. Senate, but who, for some odd reason, have all chosen to remain anonymous. Special thanks to Jodie Nida and James Vance for reading and commenting on an early draft of this manuscript. Friends and readers of this quality are invaluable.
Readers are invited to e-mail me at [email protected], or to visit my official website at www.williambernhardt.com. See you next time.
– WILLIAM BERNHARDT