The Hotness that is Luc on Original Sin Character Week!

We're one week and counting from Original Sin release! ONE WEEK!!! *faints* So, as promised, I'm kicking off Original Sin Character Week with my beautiful boys, starting with Luc.

Luc is a demon’s demon. He worked in Acquisitions for Hell and had spent five millennia using every tool at his disposal to tempt teenagers down the fiery path. Frannie was just one more soul. Nothing special. But, from nearly the moment they meet, she made him feel things. And she changed him in ways he never could have imagined.



Now, he's chosen sides, and King Lucifer isn't happy about his defection. Which means Frannie is in even more danger just for being with him. It also means "happily ever after" for Frannie and Luc is pretty much out of the question.

Unfortunately for Luc, the song that embodies his torment in this book is World So Cold by Three Days Grace. If you love it, please visit your chosen mode of music purchase and buy it.

Luc's guest post

Lisa bribed me with her soul to do a guest post today because she’s still editing Hellbent. Frannie pointed out that it was really unfair of me to make that deal since Lisa's soul was already headed our direction, but I’m really not all that concerned with being fair. It just made sense to cement it.

Anyway, I’m not much for guest posts, but I got a chance to make Lisa squirm interview Lisa a few months back when she was doing a guest post. Although I’m not a Creature of Sloth, I do believe in efficiency, so, for my post, I’m re-running that interview here. If you have questions for me, post them in comments and I’ll post answers when I get around to it.

Addendum: One brave soul has asked a question.
Sunlight Shadows wants to know: "Out of all the Creatures of Sin, which are your least favorite to deal with, and why?"
Creatures of Pride are superior to all others. Creatures of Wrath can’t chill long enough to get anything done, the Greedy sit around and pine for what they don’t have, and the Envious pine for what others have, the Gluttonous are too busy gorging themselves, and don’t even get me started on the Lazy. Sloth is the worst. They’re totally useless. Each of them is repulsive in their own way.

Here is Lisa's guest post from Paranormal Point of View. Arrivederci.

When Paranormal Point of View asked me to put together a guest post for the blog, I wasn’t sure what to do. I was thinking maybe something about the writing process and how Personal Demons came to be.

But then Luc, my demon and one of my narrators from Personal Demons, told me that idea was boring. What he actually said is that I’m boring. He insisted on conducting an interview to liven up the post. I’ve agreed to do it, but I’m wondering if I’ve made a mistake, because, as I sit here staring at him across the table, it feels like he has an agenda.

Luc: Everyone is writing angel books these days. *stares hard at me*

Me: Um…yeah…?

Luc: So?

Me: *beginning to sweat* So…?

Luc: So why did you write a demon book.

Me: Um… *clears throat* Well…Personal Demons is sort of an angel book—in a way…

Luc: *leans forward as eye narrow* It’s called Personal DEMONS, not Personal Angels. It’s a demon book.

Me: *drops gaze* I suppose it is.

Luc: In the other books, it seems that the *air quotes* demons are often fallen angels. Why didn’t you make me a fallen angel?

Me: Because you aren’t. *glances up to gage reaction*

Luc: *smiles smugly* No. I’m most definitely not. *pushes foot against table and tips chair back* Why did you decide to make me different?

Me: *starting to relax a little* Well, actually you decided that. You’re the one telling the story—well, you and Frannie.

Luc: *smiles*

Me: I’m just the poorly paid help with the laptop. And, while we’re on the subject, could you two talk a little slower. I can’t keep up with your conversations.

Luc: *lowers chair legs to the ground* You should be happy we let you listen in at all. Don’t push your luck.

Me: *drops gaze again* You’re right. Sorry.

Luc: *slouches back in chair* So, my origin is actually pretty interesting. How did you come up with the concept of demons being borne of sin?

Me: Well…your name, Lucifer Cain, popped into my head one day and I went on-line to research the story of Cain and Abel. I found an article that talked about the origin of sin. The phrase “creatures of sin” kept coming up and, as I flipped that over in my mind it occurred to me that, in my fictional Hell, there could be actual creatures of sin. In your case, you were borne of Pride.

Luc: *glares at me*

Me: *sinks deeper into chair*

Luc: Why did you make me a Creature of Pride?

Me: *snorts* You’re joking, right?

Luc: *glares harder at me*

Me: *thinking this interview was a really bad idea* *nearly slides off the chair under the table*

Luc: Where did you get the idea for me to work in Acquisitions?

Me: *takes a deep breath* I knew you were coming after Frannie’s soul, so where else would you work?

Luc: *drums fingers on tabletop* I suppose that makes a certain amount of sense.

Me: *nods and blows out a relieved breath*

Luc: Did you know I’d fall for Frannie? *scrutinizes me with narrow eyes*

Me: *straightening in my chair and trying not to let him see me shake* I had a pretty good idea…

Luc: *leans forward, eyes flashing red* You knew that the cherub would too.

Me: *squirming in chair* I knew there was a chance that Gabe would be drawn to her.

Luc: *through gritted teeth* And I suppose your going to tell me there was nothing you could do about that.

Me: *shrugging without looking at him* Poorly paid help. Laptop. Remember…?

Luc: *blows out tense sigh* Then you also know it’s only a matter of time before I take him out.

Me: *shrugging again* That’s between you and him.

Luc: *nods, satisfied* So you won’t get in the way?

Me: *wiggling fingers in the air* Help… Laptop…

Luc: Good. *leans back again* So, there’s nothing you can to about Frannie?

Me: Um…how so?

Luc: *fixes me in a hard gaze*

Me: *shaking head* You know she doesn’t listen to me either.

Luc: She’s going to get herself killed. *eyes darken*

Me: Then it probably wouldn’t be in her best interest for you to take Gabe out…

Luc: *pushes glowing fist across table* Are you saying he can keep her safer than I can?

Me: *sweating again* I’m saying it may take both of you.

Luc: *sighs deeply* *tucks hand into pocket* I know you’re right, but Gabriel? *grimaces* Of all the slimy celestials they could have sent…

Me: *shrugs* So, any chance there might be a truce?

Luc: *glowing eyes snap to mine* This is my interview. I ask the questions.

Me: *holding up hands* Sorry. So what else do you want to know?

Luc: *eyes lock on mine* What’s going to happen in Original Sin?

Me: Lots of stuff.

Luc: *smirks* Could you be a little more specific?

Me: Well, there are more angels…

Luc: *rolls eyes*

Me: And demons!

Luc: Great. And I suppose they come for Frannie?

Me: King Lucifer still wants her, so…yeah.

Luc: *blows out a sigh* You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?

Me: *lifts hands and wiggle fingers again* Laptop…

Luc: Yeah, right. *stands abruptly* If you’re not going to be any more helpful than that, I’m gone.

Me: *relieved* Okay, so, we’re done?

Luc: *smiles, amused* I’ve got history homework.

Me: *cracks up despite myself* Yeah, right.

Luc: *turns for the door* See ya, Laptop.

Me: *wondering if I’ll ever live that down*

Luc and Gabe are hanging out with Andrea Cremer

I am, in fact, on a holiday blogcation. I'm just stopping by long enough to tell you that my fabulous critique partner, Andrea Cremer (Nightshade, Philomel)  managed to wrangle both Luc and Gabe onto her blog today. AND she's giving away a signed copy of Personal Demons. Get the over there and enter!

The Devil Inside (aka: Luc)

Yesterday wrapped up my EPIC 1313 Followers Personal Demons Twitter Contest! A ton of you entered, and three of you walked away with signed copies of Personal Demons. Congrats! We're three follower away from the EPIC 666 Followers Personal Demons Contest here on the blog. It looks like it will happen soon, so I've got some fun Halloween prize packs in mind! Spread the word and keep watching the blog!

So, my post... Last month I did a guest post for Tor Teen. It was about having Luc in my head. You can read the post in its entirety here. I'm posting the meat of it below, because it dovetails from my Monday post, where I talked about characters coming to life in my mind and gradually making their way onto the page. I know it sounds crazy and, at this point, I'm okay with that, but I've gotten to know Luc, Frannie and Gabe pretty well by now. Not only do they have conversations with each other, but they include me now too. They've also stepped off the pages of Personal Demons and are making there way into the world on their own. They've all done interviews and Luc in particular seems to be in demand. You can read interviews he's done here, here and a new one that posted just today here.

So, without Further adieu, here's my guest post from Tor Teen:

Personal Demons is the story of Frannie Cavanaugh—a good Catholic girl with a unique skill set—who finds herself in a battle for her soul between Lucifer Cain, who works in Acquisitions for Hell, and Gabriel, the angel sent to protect her.

When I started writing Personal Demons, all I had was a name: Lucifer Cain. I knew he was a demon because…well…his name was Lucifer Cain. What I didn’t know was how much fun it was going to be writing from inside a demon’s head.

One of the things that makes Personal Demons different is that we get the opportunity to hear Luc’s side of the story from his first-person POV. Because we’re in his head, we’re in on his inner dialogue as he muses about things from the unique point of view of a demon. He’s lived a dual life, moving between two worlds, so his perspective reflects that. Through the course of the book, we also get to see how Frannie messes with that perspective as he struggles to define feelings he’s never experienced before.

For example, here’s a snippet of Frannie’s and Luc’s first exchange from Luc’s POV:

 I watch her write “Frannie and Luke: Steinbeck chapter 26 outline” in her composition book, and for some reason it really bothers me that she spelled my name wrong. I fix it before answering her. “I think he made some choices that he’s now got to pay the consequences for.” One of which is eternity burning in the Abyss.

She looks at me, all incredulity. “Just that simple, huh? No extenuating circumstances. No second chances?”

“Nope. Don’t believe in second chances.” The Underworld’s not big on that concept.

She shifts back in her chair and folds her arms across her chest, scrutinizing me. “You’ve never made a mistake? Done something you were sorry for?”

“Nope.”

“Everybody has something they wish they could undo.”

I lean toward her and gaze into those sapphire eyes. “What do you wish you could undo, Frannie?”

She shudders when I say her name, and I realize I’m being unfair. I pushed a little power at her without really meaning or needing to. But I like the reaction.

When she replies there’s more than a hint of pain in her tone, and the faint scent of rose—sadness. I search deep in those eyes to find the root of it. “Lots of things,” she says without breaking her gaze.

For some reason, out of the blue, I don’t want her to hurt. I feel Hell-bent on making her happy. Just the tiniest push is all it would take…

Stop it. Where the Hell did that come from? I don’t even recognize the sensation that passed with that thought. Demons don’t have feelings. Not like that, anyway. This isn’t a charity mission…I’m here for a clear purpose, and Miss Frannie Cavanaugh is showing promise. Lots of promise.


This passage gives you a peek into Luc’s thought processes. He’s pretty cocky, being a Creature of Pride and from one of the top echelons of Hell. But from the minute they meet, Frannie makes him question everything he’s so sure about. She makes him see shades of gray when he’s convinced everything is black and white. At times his perspective is humorous and other times poignant, but it’s never boring. I hope you have as much fun reading him as I had writing him.

And there you have it. I'm possessed. Writing from inside Luc's head is one of the funnest things that I've ever done. I'm in the middle of writing the last book of the trilogy now, but I have a feeling Luc will still be hanging around in my head long after I've typed "the end" on Hellbent.

Personal Demons Character Week: The hotness that is LUC!

We're one week and counting from Personal Demons release! ONE WEEK!!! *faints* So, as promised, I'm kicking off Personal Demons Character Week with my beautiful boys, starting with Luc.

Luc is a demon’s demon. He works in Acquisitions for Hell and has spent five millennia using every tool at his disposal to tempt teenagers down the fiery path. Frannie is just one more soul. Nothing special. But, from nearly the moment they meet, she makes him feel things. Things demons aren’t supposed to be able to feel. Things he can’t even begin to understand or articulate. But things that make him question everything that he is, nonetheless.


Problem is, King Lucifer has made it crystal clear that failure is not an option—unless, of course, he might enjoy dismemberment and an eternity burning in the Fiery Pit. He’s a demon, after all. You never know…

But he’s also a Creature of Pride, and when the angel Gabriel shows up, Luc knows Frannie’s soul is worth fighting for. He’s never failed yet, and he’s not about to start now. This time, however, the cost of the fight may be more than he's prepared for.

Luc, obviously, is very conflicted. His purpose is clear, and he’s never questioned it—until now. The song that shaped him as a character, and really inspired the whole book, is Savin' Me by Nickelback. If you love it, please visit your chosen mode of music purchase and buy it.

OMG!!! (In this case the G stands for Godless) It's LUC!

The amazing Vania has done it again!

Finally!!!! Here is the scorch-your-eyes-out-hot Personal Demons book trailer #2. And it's...

LUC!

About half the guesses last week were for Luc's trailer, so apparently, he's got a few fans already. (Dudes, his head is already swollen enough!)

So, for Team Luc, here it is...


If you like it, go tell Vania (@reverieBR) and use #thehotnessthatisLuc hashtag! And if you missed the Gabe trailer you can find in here or in my sidebar! =)

Meet Luc!

Y'all are gonna stop believing me, but I totally PROMISE that there will be a smokin'-hot Luc trailer tomorrow. Vania is editing furiously, so we'll have a scorch-your-eyes-out video ready to debut tomorrow, right here on the blog.

But...

in the mean time, I can titillate you with some pictures of Frannie and Luc from Vania's shoot.

You guys ready for HOT????

Take a look at this...

*drools*

And, this one...

Who wants to be Frannie???

Then there's this one...

Yeah, that's what I said. #handmethefan O_O

So, tomorrow! #thehotnessthatisLuc! I cross my heart and hope to die!!!

Sneak Peek #8: Personal Demons

Sadly, this is the last of my Personal Demons sneak peaks. It's just over a month until release. I hope y'all are excited to read the rest. =)

If you want to read the other sneak peeks first, you can find them here.

For my last preview, I wanted to give you some more insight into Luc's and Gabe's relationship. As you might have guessed, they have a history, and it's a long one. Here is their first exchange after the party at the opening of chapter four.

Luc

Monday morning and the hall is crowded with hot, sticky bodies. Mmm…just like home. And then I feel it. That itch in my sixth sense. Gabriel.

I swing my locker shut, turn, and there he is, leaning against the wall next to room 616, talking to Frannie. And she’s smiling up at him and laughing—and flirting—and blushing.

That bastard’s cheating!

Suddenly, I’m flooded with some unrecognizable emotion mixed with rage, and all I want is Gabriel’s bloody head in my hands. Except angels don’t bleed even when you rip their heads off.

In three long strides I’m across the hall. I realize I’m grimacing and tone it down to my best smirk. “Gabriel.”

Frannie looks a little out of it when she turns to me. “Oh… Hey Luc.”

Gabriel smiles. “Lucifer.”

“So nice to see you. What brings you to the humble halls of Haden High?”

“Same as you, dude. A quality education,” he smirks.

Frannie’s eyes clear a little and shift warily between us. “Play nice.” She turns back to Gabriel and touches his arm. “If you need any help writing up that physics lab…”

My rage bubbles dangerously close to the surface. I feel my power surge. “You’re in physics together?” I say, glaring laser beams at Gabriel.

Frannie’s beaming at him in a whole different way. “Gabe is my new lab partner.”

“Really…” I growl through gritted teeth.

He shrugs away from the wall and shifts closer to Frannie. “Just lucky, I guess.”

Luck’s got nothing to do with it. More like divine intervention.

My appraising eyes shift to Frannie. No real damage done. None that I can’t fix anyway. “So, history?” I say.

“Oh, yeah. Let me grab my book.” As she moves across the hall, her brow creases. She shakes her head once, pushing off the fog. I turn back to Gabriel as she twists her lock.

“So why did they send you anyway? Seems like overkill. Any run-of-the-mill angel could fail as spectacularly as you’re going to.”

“We’ll see,” he says. I don’t like the confident smirk on his face. He knows something I don’t.

I put on my poker face as I fish for information. “You and I both know you would have tagged her already if you could. What’s the hold up? A little too much devil in her?”

He’s still smug, but the frustration in his undertone gives him away. I hit a nerve. “You’re still the same stupid chump you’ve always been. All that pride and arrogance that got you here in the first place. I’d think after all these millennia…you have no clue why you’re here, do you? What the deal is with her?” he asks.

Now he hit a nerve. I struggle to keep my composure. He doesn’t need to know he’s right. “All that matters is Frannie’s soul will be tagged for Hell—soon.”

“Yeah, good luck with that,” he jabs. And if I could kill him, I would, but I’ve tried before and it didn’t work out so hot. Turns out the cherub is tougher than he looks.

Then Frannie’s back. She brushes against my elbow and a tingle courses through me. “Ready?” she says.

“Yep. Let’s go.” I place my fingertips in the small of her back and guide her down the hall. He may need to cheat, but I don’t. No power, just charm.

PERSONAL DEMONS COVER!!!!!

Dudes! The wait has nearly killed me, but *drum roll* Personal Demons has some rad new clothes!

I want to send a thanks to the totally amazing people who put together a SERIOUSLY HOT and TOTALLY COOL Personal Demons cover: Cliff Nielsen, the artist who did Cassie Clare's covers, and my awesome Tor Art guy, Seth, who came up with a truly fabulous ARC cover and pulled this one together with Cliff's incredible art.

So...you've all seen Gabe, my Hot Boy With Wings:

Here's Luc and his glowing red eyes. He's clearly on a mission. And he's smokin'! Literally!! And I don't mean a cigarette.

Now, picture Frannie caught in the middle and you have this:

What do you think? Hot? Cool?

Sneak Peek: Personal Demons Chapter 1

As promised, and with the blessing of my seriously cool editor, here is the first peek at Personal Demons. If you guys tell me you want more, every Tuesday for the next eight weeks, I'll post a snippet from the book.

Below is the first five pages of Personal Demons. As I said yesterday, Personal Demons is told from dual first person points of view. It opens with Luc, my honest to goodness (or badness, I suppose, is more accurate) demon. I had a ton of fun writing from inside a bad boy's head. Hope you have fun reading him. :p

Next Tuesday, we hear from Frannie. =)

Enjoy...

Chapter 1

Original Sin

Luc

If there’s a Hell on Earth, it’s high school. And if there’s anyone distinctly qualified to make that statement, it would be me. I draw a deep breath—mostly out of habit since demons don’t have to breathe—then look up at the threatening sky, hoping it’s a good omen, and pull open the heavy security door. The dingy halls are quiet since the first bell rang almost five minutes ago. It’s just me, the metal detector, and a hunched wisp of a security guard in a rumpled blue uniform. He hauls himself out of his cracked plastic chair, looks me over, and scowls.

“You’re late. ID,” he says in a three-pack-a-day rasp.

I stare him down for a few seconds, sure I could blow him over with a whisper, and I can’t suppress a smile when beads of sweat sprout on his pasty forehead. I’m glad to see I’ve still got the touch even though I’m getting really sick of this job. Five millennia in the same gig will do that to a demon. For this trip, though, the fact that failure will result in dismemberment and the Fiery Pit is all the motivation I need.

“New,” I say.

“Put your bag on the table.”

I shrug, showing him my hands. No bag.

“Give me your belt. Studs’ll set off the detector.”

I pull off my belt and toss it at the old man as I walk through the metal detector. He hands it back and hacks, “Go straight to the office.”

“No problem,” I say, already walking away.

I slide my belt back on and push through the office door. It bangs sharply off the cracked wall and the ancient receptionist looks up, startled. “Can I help you?”

The office is just as drab and poorly lit as the halls except for the brightly colored notices that cover every inch of plaster like psychedelic wallpaper. There’s a nameplate declaring the receptionist is Marian Seagrave, and I swear I can hear her joints creak as she pulls herself out of her chair. She’s got more wrinkles than a shar-pei and the requisite short, blue, curly hair of all hundred-year-old women. Her round body is clad in the uniform of the ancients: turquoise polyester slacks and a matching floral blouse neatly tucked in.

I meander up to the counter and lean toward her. “Luc Cain. First day,” I say, flashing my winning smile—the one that always keeps mortals just a little off balance.

She stares for just a second before finding her voice. “Oh…welcome to Haden High, Luc. Let me pull up your schedule.”

She bangs on her computer keyboard and the printer buzzes to life. It spits out my schedule—the same schedule I’ve had for the last hundred years, since the advent of the modern education system. I do my best to feign interest as she hands it to me and says, “Here it is, and your locker number and combination too. You’ll need to collect an admit slip from each of your teachers and bring it back here at the end of the day. You’ve already missed homeroom, so you should go right to your first class. Let’s see…yes, senior English with Mr. Snyder. Room 616. That’s in building six, just out the door to the right.”

“Will do,” I say, smiling. It won’t hurt to stay on administration’s good side. You never know when they might be useful.

The bell rings as I make my way out the door into the now bustling halls, and the scents of the sea of teenage humanity hit me in waves. There’s the tangy citrus of fear, the bitter garlic of hate, the anise of envy, and ginger—lust. Lots of potential.

I work in Acquisitions, but it isn’t usually my job to tag them, just to sow the seeds and start them down the fiery path. I get them going on the little ones. Starter sins, if you will. Not enough to tag their souls for Hell, but enough to send them in our direction eventually. I don’t even need to use my power…not that I’d feel guilty if I did. Guilt isn’t in the demonic repertoire of emotions. It just feels more honest when they come to sin of their own volition. Again, not that I care about being honest. It’s just too easy the other way.

In truth, the rules are clear. Unless their souls are tagged, we can’t force mortals to do anything out of character or manipulate their actions in any way. For the most part, all I can do with my power is cloud their thoughts, blur the line between right and wrong just a little. Anyone who says the devil made them do it is feeding you a line.

I stroll the hall, taking in the scents of teenage sin, so thick in the air I can taste them. All six of my senses buzz with anticipation. Because this trip is different. I’m here for one soul in particular and, as I make my way toward building 6, a crackle of red-hot energy courses through me—a good sign. I take my time, walking slowly through the throng and scoping out prospects, and am the last to arrive in class, just at the bell.

Room 616 is no brighter than the rest of the school, but at least an attempt has been made at decorating. Prints of Shakespeare’s plays—only the tragedies, I notice—grace the walls. The desks are grouped in twos and are nearly full. I walk up the center aisle to Mr. Snyder’s desk, holding out my schedule. He turns his slender face toward me, glasses perched just at the tip of his long, straight nose.

“Luc Cain. I need an admit slip…or something?” I say.

“Cain…Cain…” He rakes a hand through his thinning gray hair and scans down his class roster, finding my name. “Here you are.” He hands me a yellow admit slip, a composition book, and a copy of The Grapes of Wrath and looks at his roster again. “Okay, you’ll be seated between Mr. Butler and Miss Cavanaugh.” Then he stands, pushing up his glasses and smoothing the unsmoothable creases in his white button-down and khakis. “All right, class,” he announces. “We’re shifting seats. Everyone from Miss Cavanaugh up will shift one seat to your right. You’ll all have a new essay partner for the rest of the semester.”

Many of the good little lemmings grumble, but they all do as they’re told. I sit in the seat Mr. Snyder motions to, between Mr. Butler—a tall, skinny kid with glasses, bad skin, and obvious self-esteem issues—and Miss Cavanaugh, whose sapphire-blue eyes stare straight into mine. No self-esteem issues there. I feel the play of hot electricity under my skin as I stare back, sizing her up. And her size is definitely petite, with wavy, sandy-blond hair that she’s tied in a knot at the base of her neck, fair skin, and fire. A definite prospect. Our desks are grouped together, so it looks like I’ll have plenty of opportunity to feel her…out.

Personal Demons Teasers

Today officially marks three months to the release of Personal Demons. *throws virtual confetti*

The cupcakes are being passed =)

This is all very exciting and a little nerve-wracking. At this point there hasn’t been much buzz, because there are still no ARCs. I’m hoping that will change very soon.

But I am not a patient person—it’s a character flaw, I know—so…I’ve decided to post teasers starting tomorrow. Each week I’ll post a Tuesday Teaser from Personal Demons—just a page or two to give you a feel for the story and introduce you to the characters. (I probably should have asked my editor before I posted this. Hi, Melissa. *smiles innocently and waves*)

Anyway…

There are a ton of YA paranormals out there, and several of those paranormals have an appealing bad boy.

I have one of those. His name is Luc and he’s an honest to goodness (or badness :p) demon.

I like to think that Personal Demons is unique in a lot of ways, but one of the biggest is that I know of no other book where you get the story right out of the bad boy’s head. We get half of Personal Demons from Luc’s first person perspective.

You ever been in a demon’s head? It’s surprising the things you’ll find in there. =)

So, tomorrow, I’ll give you the first three pages of Personal Demons, and they’re from Luc’s perspective, so you’ll get to see just how “bad” he really is…