"No, I haven't read any of the Twilight series, but I did see the film. I felt that it reflected the deep desire of young women to have the mystery and protection and wisdom of older men. I think many girls mature much earlier than boys, and they are frustrated when they approach young boys for love or protection. Hence the fantasy of a wise and protective vampire coming into the life of a young girl who, of course, appreciates him in a special way."

In 1998 Ms. Rice rejoined the Roman Catholic Church for the first time since suffering a "total breakdown of faith" at age 18. "That was in 1960, before Vatican II, and I was a very strictly brought-up Catholic," she explained. "I lost my faith because what I had been taught was so wrong." An overwhelming desire to "return to the banquet table" and assurances from a priest in New Orleans that she didn't have to resolve all her differences with the church (most notably over the issue of homosexuality) led to the reconciliation.

"Christ the Lord" is one result of Ms. Rice's rediscovery of her faith. With classic Ricean audacity, the story is told in the first person by Jesus himself. Otherwise, "Christ the Lord" seems likely to surprise Ms. Rice's fans and detractors alike. It is devoid of vampires, witches and feverishly gothic prose. Instead, in simple sentences, it describes the domestic life of an extended Jewish family in first-century Palestine as seen through the eyes of a 7-year-old boy who has only an inkling of his true nature.

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Ms. Rice, however, does not suffer casual observations. "Only people who don't know my books," she said gravely, would perceive the change as a major shift. A clumsy question about demons provoked an icy response: "I never wrote about demons. Have you ever read my books?" In particular, Ms. Rice bristles at the notion, held by some ill-informed persons, that her vampire books are light amoral entertainment. "I think they're very Christian books," she insisted, "by somebody outside the church, lost in the darkness, striving to find meaning and sometimes being rebellious."

On the Internet she has challenged bloggers who dismiss her, on religious grounds and otherwise, as unqualified to take on the subject. "I tell them it's sincerely written and it's the Jesus of the Gospels," she said.

Ms. Rice's best-known characters may turn to piles of ash in daylight, but she craves it. When the real sun comes up, it floods her bedroom and balcony. That and the proximity of Christopher are the main reasons she chose La Jolla. "I get very high from the light," she said. In the closet are stashed dozens of pink and blue printed flannel nightgowns, some still wrapped in plastic, a year's supply of Ms. Rice's favorite work clothes. "They shrink and get rough after you wash them a few times," she explained.