Hi, everyone!  Just wanted to make a quick post to announce Elisabeth Naughton’s winners!

And they are…Ashley Madden (copy of STOLEN FURY) and Eva S (that gorgeous necklace).  I’ll email you ladies in just a few moments.

Now back to your demon fun. Come by tomorrow for a fun treat!

Update: The winner of the gift certificate is…Sarah!  Congrats, Sarah!

Want to know how I make my demons?  Well, I just follow this secret family recipe. (Um, not so secret anymore.)

Recipe for a sexy demon hero:

1. Start with one huge helping of sexy.

2. Remove pointed tail and cloven feet–just won’t work (what with that previously mentioned huge helping of sexy).

3. Throw in a dash of darkness…because, come on, we all like the bad.

4. Add a tortured past.  Cause…he’s a demon.  Not like his life has been all sunshine and sweetness.

5. Drop a heroine in his path, one who won’t faint when she learns that her new lover comes with a few special”extras”–extras can be good. Note: Extras do not include that tail or the cloven feet; hence the removal.

6. When preparing, be sure to turn up the heat. Demons like the heat.

7. Mix well. Don’t forget to throw in some drama, some plot twists, and a villain or two–so that our demon can prove his strength.

8. Enjoy!  Your demon is ready.  🙂

***

Got your own demon recipe to share?  Post away!  One commenter will win a $15 gift certificate to Bath and Body Works.  And, if you’re looking for more demon posts, I’m blogging today at The Bradford Bunch, Novel Thoughts, and the Brava Authors blog.  Have a great day!

Update:  Thank you for all the congrats (and the kind words on my cover!). The winner of the IOU is…Fedora! Congrats, Fedora!

Okay, before I get to my demon talk, I need to do some updatey type info.

First up…I’m doing a writing round robin over at Romance In The Backseat.  The first installment of White Wedding Nightmares was written by the fabulous Angie Fox. I took the second round.  🙂  And now, Michelle Rowan (an author I love) has posted the third installment.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

I’ve also got a cover to share. ETERNAL HUNTER is the first book in my new paranormal bounty hunter series for Kensington Brava, and here’s the cover:

Blurb:

Cynthia Eden delves into the dark realms of the Others, where desires and dangerous games await the unsuspecting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Assistant DA Erin Jerome has a secret. Make that two. One: She’s not entirely human–she’s Other, desperately trying to keep her supernatural strength under wraps. Two: she’s got a killer stalking her–an Other rogue set on “gifting” her bloody corpses, not to mention nights lying awake in terror. Small wonder she’s been having bad luck with men.

But the bounty hunter on her new case isn’t worried about any of that. Jude Donovan is a shapeshifter himself, and the new DA’s midnight hair and addictive scent tell him all he thinks he needs to know:  She’s gorgeous, she’s definitely not human, and she’s bringing out the animal in him in a really good way. He might have to track a psychotic Other stalker through half of Louisiaian. But he might also get the chance to watch Erin’s wild side come out and play.

***

ETERNAL HUNTER will be a January 2010 release.  And, while the book’s hero is a shifter, don’t worry, there’s a demon in the story, too.  🙂  Come on, I couldn’t leave out the demons, now could I?  Zane’s the demon in this book, and I hope to begin writing a separate story for him within the next few weeks.

Ah…see, now on to the demon discussion!

One of the things I enjoy about demons is that, by their very natures, they *should* be bad.  I mean, come on, when you think demon, you don’t instantly think great savior of the world, now do you?  So for my demons–okay, for Zane–I’m going to create a character who fights his own kind. A hero who knows about the darkness inside of him, and he knows just how deadly that darkness can be.

The demons I’ve created for my stories aren’t evil. Well, not entirely. Because I don’t believe anyone can be entirely evil or entirely good. Myth might have set the demons up as the all-around bad guys,  but I like to think the power of redemption is pretty strong.  So my demons get a chance–a chance to prove if more than darkness waits inside of them.

Okay, I’ve rambled a bit.  If you’ve read this entire post, then you deserve a reward!  Well, how about an IOU?   How about I give one commenter an IOU for the ARC of ETERNAL HUNTER?  As soon as I receive my Advanced Reader Copies, you’ll get the first one!    And you can leave me a comment about anything. Got a question for me? Ask away. Read a good demon story lately? Tell me!

And, hey, stay tuned. I’ve got some more fabulous demon authors scheduled on the line up…including the previously mentioned New York Times best-selling author Angie Fox!

Update: The winner of the Larissa Ione book is…Jody F!  Congrats, Jody!  🙂

(Day 22? Day 22!!!)

Today, I want to talk about one of my favorite demon series–the Demonica series by the wonderfully talented Larissa Ione.  🙂  I know many of you have read these books, and if you haven’t read them, well, here is your chance to start! (I’ll be giving away a Demonica book–winner’s choice–to one commenter).

Larissa’s Demonica world is dark and sexy and so enthralling that I literally couldn’t put the books down when I read them. Yes, they were that good.  Her first book, PLEASURE UNBOUND, kept me up until 2 a.m.  But who needs sleep when you’ve got demons?

Blurb:

In a place where ecstasy can cost you your life…

She’s a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure—but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life.

Two lovers will dare to risk all.

Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his desire to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable—and let Tayla possess him, body and soul…

***

Did I mention this book kept me up until 2 a.m.?  A great new take on the world of demons–and so many demons! Larissa has an assortment of sexy demons sure to appeal to just about everyone (except the demon haters!).

Wanna read an excerpt of PLEASURE UNBOUND?  Trust me, you should.  And wanna win a copy of PLEASURE UNBOUND?  (Or, if you’ve read that one, how about DESIRE UNCHAINED or PASSION UNLEASHED?  It will be winner’s choice!  Just leave me a comment–let me know what you’ve thought about the 30 Days of Demons so far.  Have you had favorite posts? More posts about a demon topic you’d like to see?  Let me know what you think!

Update:  The winner of Jessa Slade’s ARC is…Michele! Congrats, Michele!  I’ll email you with prize details.  Thanks for all the wonderful comments!

Hi, everyone!  You’re in for a serious treat today–one very lucky commenter will win an ARC of Jessa Slade‘s October release,  SEDUCED BY SHADOWS. I took a look at the cover the other day–and, wow, what a cover. Wait–look.  See what I mean?

This looks like one fantastic new series, and I’ m eagerly waiting for the October release!  Jessa, welcome to my demon fun!

***

First, let me say Thank You! to Cynthia for letting me play on 30 Days of Demon. This is my first guest posting, very much in advance of the October release date of my first book.  And in a paragraph of firsts, I am thrilled to say that my first box of ARCs came in the mail on Friday!  So I’d like to give away the first copy to a commenter here today.

Have you ever had one of those days when you wonder, “What on earth possessed me?”

Possibly I’m revealing too much about myself here on Cynthia’s blog, but I have those days faaaar too often.  Since I’ve heard that writing is the poor woman’s psychotherapy, perhaps it’s no surprise that my demons get exorcised on the blank page.

In my debut urban fantasy romance, SEDUCED BY SHADOWS, I asked, “What if some demons felt… well, bad about the whole eternal darkness bit? What if they wanted their shot at redemption? What if they possessed certain tragically unlucky humans in a desperate attempt to repent – only to discover that sometimes being good isn’t as easy as a fallen angel might hope?”

It certainly explains some of my less stellar moments.  How ’bout yours?

Because while it might be simpler to explain why bad people do bad things, from my earliest days in Sunday school, I wondered why good people do bad things.  We curse.  We lie.  We neglect to tell the people we love how much they mean to us.  What possesses us?

My hero, Ferris Archer, has been possessed by a teshuva – a repentant demon – for a very long time.  He knows it’s not an excuse for his bad behavior; no, it’s a challenge, to fight harder for what’s left of his demon-mottled soul.  But when he meets Sera Littlejohn, the first female possessed, he fears now for his heart.  He’ll have to find the courage to embrace the other half of his soul or face a damnation darker than even he can believe.

But contemplating the infinite concepts of good and evil can overwhelm us, whether we’re demon, human or something in between.  And while we’re guiltily wondering what possessed us, maybe you’ve had the sneaking suspicion that being bad can be awfully good, as Sera discovers early on in SEDUCED BY SHADOWS:

***

Sera walked into her bedroom, still naked. Damp heat followed her out of the shower in a slowly uncoiling mist. Only the slant of streetlights through the blinds lit the room, casting deep purple shadows. And he was there, a lean, dark outline with his black trench coat buttoned tight. Spicy musk teased her senses.

She blinked. “I’m dreaming. That’s why I’m wandering around my apartment naked. I never wander around naked.”

“Not wandering. You were coming. For me.” He stood unmoving, but the trailing edge of his long coat shifted in a draft she didn’t feel. “I will make it a sweet dream.”

She touched her forehead, in lieu of pinching herself and drawing his attention to her naked parts. Dripping strands of her hair tangled around her wrist. “I don’t need a wet dream tonight. Go away.”

He moved closer. “You called. You’ve called forever.”

“I don’t even know you… ”  She trailed off when he raised a hand to brush back her hair. He had the square, blunt hands of a working man, but his thumb feathered across her temple, almost too lightly to feel. The touch sent ripples of shivery sensation through her body like a pebble in still water.

It was just a dream, she reminded herself.

“So lonely,” he murmured. “So lost.”

“I’m sorry for you, really. But I can’t help you.”

“You’re the only one who can. But I meant you, my love.” He stroked the back of his knuckles along her cheek. “You’ve been alone so long, so long afraid, close to giving in, calling all the while.”

“I’m not . . . I am not your love.” She pulled away.

“I’ve breathed your soul. Whom else can I love?”

“You haven’t breathed on anything of mine.” Her skin prickled at the thought—a pleasure she hadn’t indulged in in a long time.

From behind, his hands slid over her shoulders, down her arms, then skipped to her bare hips.

That made her shy away as nothing else had. “Don’t touch me.” Not there. The unspoken words echoed in her head.

He held his hands framing the scars. The long shadows of his fingers hid the red and white puckers of stitched flesh. “I will make you whole again, as if you’d never been broken, nothing left behind.”

Speaking of dreams, everyone said she was dreaming when she’d promised herself the same after her accident. “What, you’re a physical therapist?”

“Quite the opposite.”

While she pondered what that might be—as if the riddles in dreams even mattered—he eased her back against him. The leather of his coat was cool on her backside and shoulders. Her thoughts scattered.

“I will take away your loneliness, your fear,” he said.

“I’m not afraid.” And, stupidly enough, that was true.

He whispered into her hair, “You will be.”

***

So what do you think?  Is the lure of the darkside too strong to resist?  As the real-life drama in Tehran plays out, do you wonder if there are times when being ‘bad’ is heroic?

Thanks for reading!  You can find Jessa at:

http://jessaslade.com

http://www.facebook.com/jessaslade

http://twitter.com/jessaslade