Review ~ The Devil Made Me Do It by Shawna Romkey

Today I’m sharing my review of Shawna Romkey’s second book in the Speak of the Devil series, The Devil Made Me Do It. I read book one and loved it. Here is my review of The Devil Made Me Do It.

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About the Book:

The demons strike back!

Lily is working with the angels to stifle the last of the demon outbreaks and to figure out how to stop the Silence of God, so life can get back to boring normality. But all hell breaks loose when she’s stolen from school and brought face to face with the devil himself. Lily has to find her way back home to Luc, crack the prophecy that breaks the curse silencing God, and figure out how she and Luc can ever really be together; but Lucifer has other plans for her that don’t include her ever getting out of Hell intact.

Romance | Paranormal | Teen | Young Adult | YA | Fantasy | Angels | Demons
| Devils | New Adult | NA

Review

Fun Young Adult Novel!

An entertaining follow up to Speak of the Devil. I was immediately drawn into the story and the book never slows down. That’s always a win in my opinion. (I think this book could also be a standalone if you haven’t read the first one.)

Ms. Romkey’s writing is excellent and her characters are unique. The imagery used to describe “Hell” is fabulously entertaining and Lucifer is quite the character. You hate him and love him, and can’t quite grasp exactly how insane he is. Parts of the story are hilarious while other parts had me frantically flipping pages to see what happens next. There’s plenty of great action scenes and some sweet romance between Lily and Luc. Many of the other characters, such as the angels, demons, and Lilith were quite intriguing.

The Devil Made Me Do It is well written, well edited, and an enjoyable quick read.  I honestly couldn’t put it down! I definitely recommend this book to all YA paranormal lovers or anyone who likes an entertaining story.

Purchase Links

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1EZAGuZ

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1KuMxcr

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1HjMKJ8

iTunes: http://apple.co/1IVcFwq

About Shawna Romkey

Shawna grew up around farms in the heart of Missouri but went to the University of Shawna RomkeyKansas, was raised in the US but now lives on the ocean in Nova Scotia with her husband, two sons, one rescue dog and one overgrown puppy from hell. She’s a non-conformist who follows her heart.

She’s taught English at the university and secondary levels for close to twenty years and can’t quite fathom how all of her students have grown up, yet she’s managed to stay the same.  She’s a huge geek and fan of Xena, Buffy and all kick ass women, and loves to write stories that have strong female characters.

Athor Links

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  | Pinterest  |  Goodreads

Thanks for stopping by!

Jody

“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” 
~ Nicolas Chamfort

Darkly Delicious Definitions – Defining the Paranormal

Welcome to Defining the Paranormal with non-expert, Jody A. Kessler 😉

First let me acknowledge you, the reader. Hi! If you’re here, then I might assume one of two things about you:

1)   You’re related to me, or are a very close friend, and are somewhat interested in knowing what keeps me so busy all day, every day, for months at a time.  —In case you didn’t know, being an author is a never-ending job!

Or

2)     You’re interested in the paranormal and the supernatural world – and possibly reading about these delightful mysteries of the unknown.

As I’ve stated above, I am not an expert. However, I have a lifetime of study and personal experience dealing with the supernatural. It wasn’t unusual to find me as a young girl, looking for ghosts, reading tarot cards, and playing with a pendulum for fun. (Don’t even get me started on the Ouija board experiences. Perhaps my mom was right after all when she said, “Don’t play with that evil thing!” Note to Mom – Thanks for getting rid of it for me.) Anyway, was this normal behavior for a child? I’m not sure. All I know is that I have been fascinated with the paranormal, supernatural, and metaphysical world for as long as I can remember.

How about you? Are you a believer? Or a skeptic? Perhaps you scoff at such things as spirits and angels. Well, that’s perfectly fine. We all have the right to believe whatever we want. And to be honest, I have spent many hours contemplating and questioning my reality and what is truth and what is fiction. Being an author of fiction, this line is crossed daily, but I continue my search.

So here it is – My first collection of Definitions of the Paranormal

(Please dispute me wherever you see fit – or better yet – add your definition in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!)

Spirit vs. Soul – The soul is your eternal self. Spirit is the definition of when your soul is within the confines of your body. Hence you have an eternal soul, but you also have an internal spirit.

Angels –For thousands of years people have believed in ‘something’ or ‘someone’ watching over them and helping them in times of need or distress. Most of the time angels are there for no other reason than to be by your side. What I’ve read and learned is that there are many classifications of angels, and they have different domains. Here are a few of the more common ones: Archangels, seraphim, cherubim, guardian angels, death angels. – The definition of Angel really varies depending on who you ask.  Mostly, I like the idea of angels no matter who they really are, or what you call them. I believe they are helping, guiding, and making our universe a better place.

Aura  – In terms of parapsychology the aura is a subtle, luminous field of energy around any living thing – like a halo. I have found that many people don’t believe that auras are real. Why? I can only guess that it’s because they can’t see it. My argument is this, you can’t see the wind and yet everyone believes in it. A light bulb glows and creates an aura that we can all clearly see, and usually feel its heat, and sometimes even hear its hum. It’s easy for us to believe in the existence of a light bulb. Energy is measurable. Human beings are energy factories. We’re constantly creating heat and metabolizing our food into useable energy for our bodies to function. Now just imagine how much more energy a human body produces over that of a light bulb. Our field of energy extends beyond the skin. Just because you can’t see it with your eyes, doesn’t mean it’s not there. However, many people can see and or feel the aura. And, it’s not just body heat they are sensing. I’ve also talked to people that see the auras of animals and plants.

Ghost vs. Place Memory – Ghosts are spirits without their body. Okay, so you’re probably saying, “Wait. Isn’t that called a soul?” Yes and no. The ghost still has an attachment – usually emotional — to the body, but unfortunately, the body is dead. Hence the reason that many ghosts (but not all) will resemble their previous human form.

A place memory can also resemble human form – like ghosts – but the spirit has departed. A place memory is a strong energy signature that leaves an imprint on space. It reminds me of the quintessential ‘lady in the window’.  The story about a woman who stood at her window for forty years waiting for her lost love to return from war. To this day, a hundred years later, you can still see her standing there. — Does this story sound familiar? This is the classic version of a place memory. The lady’s spirit is gone, but she left her imprint on time and space. There are many documented cases of place memories and they are not always visual. Auditory and olfactory place memories are also common.

Incubus & Succubus – I have read documented testimonies about real encounters with these supernatural entities, and the history goes all the way back to medieval times. I don’t have personal experience with this – Thank Goodness! – but I’ll give you a brief definition from what I’ve learned. Whether they are real or not — the testimonies or the entities — I can’t say. All I know is, I truly hope I never encounter one.

Incubus – a male demon that has sexual intercourse with women – usually when they’re asleep.

Succubus – the female version of an incubus.

That’s it for now. There are many books on each of these subjects. I’ve actually read quite a few. If you’re truly interested in learning more, do your research well and only take the bits and pieces of information that feel true and right to you. Be on the lookout for Tools of the Trade – A Hands-on Approach to the Paranormal. Coming soon.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jody

(This has been reblogged from earlier this year as part of the Angel Dreams book tour, but I wanted to share it again in case you missed it.)

 

 

 

 

Behind the Book – A Special Look at Death Lies Between Us

Behind the Book – A Special Look at Death Lies Between Us by Jody A Kessler.

Death Lies Between Us is the first book in the An Angel Falls series. It is a new adult paranormal romance and new release from Crescent Moon Press. If you haven’t had a chance to read Death Lies Between Us, here is a little more about it.

DLBU cover

Saving the life of someone you love should not be the worst thing you have ever done, unless you are an Angel of Death.

Disgruntled with his position in the afterlife and conflicted by his feelings toward his new client, Nathaniel Evans forgoes the rules and saves nineteen year old Juliana Crowson from being hopelessly stuck in Forge Creek. This alters Juliana’s destiny and she finds herself in a series of near death accidents.

In the mountains of Colorado, Nathaniel comforts Juliana as she struggles to understand her paranormal abilities while coping with her brother’s drug addiction. When an ill-tempered Native American Shaman teaches her the difference between ghosts and place memories, she decides she wants nothing to do with the supernatural world. Too bad she doesn’t know that Nathaniel is part of it.

Will fate bring these two together, or has Nathaniel made the biggest mistake of his afterlife?

Here’s the skinny behind Death Lies Between Us

1) The setting for Death Lies is loosely based on Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Many readers think that the novel is my hometown (that location is undisclosed), but it isn’t. I have visited Pagosa Springs many times and love the town, the hot springs, and the surrounding area.

2) There is a lot of Native American mythology and folklore in Death Lies Between Us. I have my husband to thank for that inspiration. He is part Native American and even though the majority of my writing is the work of my imagination, he has been a wonderful resource for me.

3) Juliana Crowson is an herbalist in training. She works at her grandmother’s herb shop, Native Naturals. Juliana’s love of healing plants stems from my long time passion and study of herbal medicine.

4) The music influence in Death Lies Between Us comes from my own experiences of hanging around with musicians, going to concerts, and my obsession with Alternative Rock. I can’t imagine life without music in it, and I also love to write about it.

Does music influence your life? If so, how? Or share a favorite band or album. I love hearing about new music!

If you have anything you would like to know about Death Lies Between Us, feel free to ask in the comments.

And because I am so excited, I am sharing my good news here. Book 2 in the An Angels Falls series has just been signed with Crescent Moon Press!  Release date has not been set. Stay tuned 🙂