Masked

Venetian courtesan Catarucia Rigarda Archisani, spurned by her lover, wishes to be so beautiful that she will never be forgotten or ignored. When the capricious gods Venus and Amor grant her the wish, her only escape is to remain masked, except in the presence of her blind musician, Giancarlo Salvi. Accused of bewitching the men of Venezia, Catarucia must not only defend herself, but find a way to break the curse she so foolishly brought upon herself.

“Masked” originally appeared in Written on the Coast: Thirteen Tales of Magic and Mayhem Written in Lincoln City, OR, Soul’s Road Press, 2012.

DAYLE A. DERMATIS has been called “one of the best writers working today” by USA Today bestselling author Dean Wesley Smith. Under various pseudonyms (and sometimes with coauthors), she’s sold several novels and more than 100 short stories in multiple genres. She lives and works in California within scent of the ocean, and in her spare time follows Styx around the country and travels the world, all of which inspires her writing. She loves music, cats, Wales, TV, magic, laughter, and defying expectations. To find out where she is today, check out www.DayleDermatis.com.