Tag Archives: The Apocalypse

Something Wicked is Here

SWILAFINALCOVERMy supernatural romance, Something Wicked in L.A., has been released and is ready for its closeup. The book comes in two parts, beginning with Apocrypha, a short story about a demon who may or may not have lost her taste for leading the susceptible into sin.

Excerpt:

“I’ve been experiencing a little job dissatisfaction,” I said.

It just popped out. I couldn’t believe I’d said it, but the old man had the sort of face you could talk to. When he didn’t respond, I flicked a glance at him to make sure he was listening.

“Hold steady, my dear,” he said. “After I get your mouth right you can tell me about it.”

I sighed and waited for the geezer to finish sketching my mouth. To be honest, I really did want him to get it right. I have a very nice pair of lips for a demon, even if I do say so myself. It was too bad he couldn’t just take a picture, but since demons can’t be photographed, we were stuck doing my portrait the old-fashioned way. I shouldn’t have called him a geezer, even though technically that’s what he is. His name is Greer Richmond and he’s older than dirt. Of course, I am too, but I look considerably fresher than he does.

“You were saying?” Greer prompted, a few moments later.

“Oh, yeah—well, when I started out as a young demon, it was all fun and games,” I continued. “I made a big splash with the whole missing Roanoke colony thing.”

“That was you?” Greer’s bushy eyebrows lifted. “I’ve often wondered what the Lost Colony was all about.”

He was sketching my hair at that moment. I had to squelch the temptation to toss a lock of it over one shoulder. That took some doing—squelching temptation isn’t one of my strong suits. I’m usually better at egging it on.

“Yeah, Roanoke was one of my first projects. I really scored points with the Boss on that one. Lizzie Borden was another high point.” I took a moment to gloat. “Those were the days.”dreamstime_xs_20793807

“What has changed?”

“A lot of up-and-coming newbies are total buzzkillers. It’s become a demon-eat-demon world, and a bunch of recent flashy ‘inexplicable’ events have made it impossible to stand out from the crowd.” I shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong—9/11 was impressive, I’ll grant you. But it seems as if demons are increasingly sacrificing quality for the quick thrill.”

Greer leveled a look at me that had nothing to do with the sketch. “Are you sure that’s all there is to it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Other demons I’ve met speak about their work with a bit more enthusiasm. Just between you and me, Jem, are you quite certain you’re not losing your taste for promoting evil?”

“Did Loqi put you up to saying that?” I jumped off my stool. “You’re wrong. I’m dedicated to the diabolical, through and through.”

Something Wicked in L.A. is still at its pre-release price and its also available to read free through the Kindle Unlimited program, so don’t wait!