Joyce Fetteroll
Artist | Hobbyist | Other

United States

I got inspired to sketch the characters in Blood's Masquerade, the first book in the series my partner and I are writing.

Except for Jasha, none of the drawings came out like the vague images I had of them but now they fit.

The book revolves around the Cresnik, who see themselves as the good vampires, battling to keep the Kudlak, the bad vampires, in check. To complicate the battle, the Cresnik also fight an internal battle against a bacterium that deadens their social emotions and will inevitably turn them Kudlak unless they choose death or find a Chosen, a woman whose blood has a complementary antibody.

Lucien Danishevski is at the heart of the story. Younger than most when the bacterium destroyed his emotions, he's held off the darkness longer than anyone should be able to. Dedicated to fighting the Kudlak, he's a master Hunter, but after seven centuries of fighting the Kudlak and the bacterium he's reached the end of his strength.

Damon, his twin, is torn between supporting his brother's need for release and keeping him alive. Orphaned when young, they had only each other as they shrugged off the oppressive Danishevski families who took them in. Inexplicably, Lucien abandoned Damon to a brutal task master when they were still young and the repercussions have echoed throughout their relationship.

Together, they lead a team of Hunters against the Kudlak preying on Los Angeles.

Dragon Mondragon, an Ancient taciturn Hunter, who has always depended on Lucien's strength against the darkness to renew his own when it flagged. Now, the sincerest repayment may be to support Lucien's end for he knows Damon loves him too much and will fail.

And, to keep the story from being too heavy ...

Mystik Hamrlik is one of the two young Hunters, still a century from feeling the pull of the bacterium's darkness. Deep thinking and friendly, at times his eagerness to understand people draws him to mentally probe beyond their invitation. He struggles against the tradition to respect elders as he understands the depth of damage Dubrava's coddling of Jasha does to his friend's abilities as a Hunter.

Jasha Kirienko good hearted but sees the world in black and white and is often in a flurry of angry frustration when less straightforward views of the world leave him baffled.

Dubrava Zaturetskaya is a 1000 year old self-appointed matriarch of the band of Hunters. A Danishevski before her marriage, she distrusts the twins, still seeing them as the wild orphans of centuries ago who insulted the families who took them in. In many ways she sees clearer than anyone else for she understands Lucien's dedication to duty and refusal to succumb to his own weaknesses could lead him to hold on past his strength. If he turns, he'll be a Kudlak more powerful than the world has ever seen.

Pink Abyss is half fairy, half Swiss. Her father was exiled from the fairy world for mating with a human. Pink is often pestered by morals that whisper to do the right thing, when she was raised by her mother's industrialist family to grab what you need for yourself because no one else will. She provides a "human" veneer for Lucien's Hunters, able to do the day tasks the Cresnik find difficult. Primarily she works on the second volume of her manga style graphic novel, Gothic Pink, that is strongly influenced by the personalities of the Cresnik she lives with.

Zarand Vulchanov, the bad guy, the evil Kudlak and leader of the Kudlak in LA. At one time a childhood friend of the twins, he turned Kudlak far younger than anyone. Zarand knows Lucien still feels the old bonds of their friendship and guilt for allowing Zarand to turn and it's why Lucien has yet to Kill Zarand. He delights in torturing Lucien, especially reminding him that each time Zarand kills or turns a human, it's as though Lucien himself did so.

Sarika Vulchanova, Zarand's sister. Unlike male Cresnik who are turned by the bacterium, female Cresnik who turn have either been forced or have chosen it. Sarika chose it for her own twisted reasons that have nothing to do with Zarand, despite what he assumes.

Michaela Bouchard is small, young and lively, everything Lucien isn't. She's also his Chosen and an equal match in determination and stubbornness so when he decides he's too damaged by the darkness to be with her, she's determined to prove him wrong.

Ilie Kovalcsik is young and barely Cresnik in nature, drawn to technology and computers. He becomes a barrier between the Hunters who believe Lucien is on the edge of turning and Lucien who refuses to reveal he has changed.

Dark Hunger is a goth band and Damon's side project. Music is what keeps the darkness at bay for him and he has carved a band from the Hunters that gives them all a focus beyond the nightly killing. Is this what a secret band of Hunters should be doing? Later, someone will lay into them for all the things they've done that call attention to themselves

Current Residence: outside of Boston (looking in and glad I don't have to tackle the crazy drivers)
Favourite genre of music: metal, alternative rock
Favourite style of art: manga and anime, grungy stuff
Operating System: OS X of course!
Favourite cartoon character: Kenshin, Emma, Inuyasha, Cho Hakkai (Saiyuki)
Personal Quote: Never do today what you can put off until it doesn't need done anymore.

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