When Jenna Jenson is attacked by a man whose supernatural
abilities supersede her super hearing, strength and abnormal reflexes, she is
rescued by the demon king, Lucas Thaler and powers she never knew she possessed
are revealed. She discovers she is part of a new breed of immortals prophesied
to evolve that could either save or destroy human life.
After a war in his demon plane and home that killed
his entire family, Lucas has dedicated his life to combating Malum Inmortalis,
whose goal is to rule immortals and mankind. The evil he has battled for
centuries and his purpose is deferred when he hears Jenna’s voice, the woman he
has been waiting for centuries, the woman he’s been dreaming of for centuries,
his fated mate.
Available for purchase:
JL, welcome to the Snarkology! Please tell our readers how long
you've been writing?
I’ve been
writing since I was a kid. I kept journals, wrote poems, and so on. I began
writing my first novel, Demon King’s Desire, in 2011. At the time, I was
working fulltime at NBC Miami, so it took me a year to finish it. In 2012, it was
contracted with Cobblestone Press.
What does your writing space
look like?
There’s
not much to it. I write in my living room on my couch.
Please tell us about your
current work in progress.
I’m
currently writing a new adult romance novel. I began it in January 2014.
Do you write with music going in
the background? What are some of your favorite types/bands?
It depends
on the day. Sometimes, I write better with music, so I listen. Other times, it
distracts me, so I have to turn it off. I listen to all types of music, but
generally when I’m writing I listen to melodic songs. Some of my favorites
include: Radiohead, Oceansize, Bruno Mars, The Fray and Pink.
What is your favorite book
genre? Who are your favorite authors?
My
favorite genre is paranormal romance although I read romances of all kinds. My
favorite authors include: Jeaniene Frost, Kresley Cole, Kristen Ashley,
Nicholas Sparks, Alexandra Ivy, Diana Palmer and Debbie Macomber.
If you were stranded on a desert
island, what three modern conveniences would you take with you?
Only need
two: my laptop and my kindle.
Quick quiz:
Favorite food? Spaghetti
Favorite color? Black
Favorite animal? Dogs
Biggest pet peeve? When people try to talk to me when I’m
reading.
Dream car? Mustang Cobra
Excerpt from DEMON KING'S DESIRE:
“Come in,” she said after he knocked on her door.He slowly opened the door and found her sitting on the bed with a towel wrapped around her. He instinctively turned around dropping the bag with Jenna’s new clothes on the floor. He closed his eyes hoping to wipe away the memory of her in her towel, but he couldn’t. She looked so mouthwatering with her silky smooth skin.Oh God, he thought. “I’m sorry, I thought I heard you say to come in.”“I did.”“But you’re only wearing a towel.”“What is it with you guys and towels? It’s not like I’m naked.”“No, you aren’t,” he said, still turned away from her. “But, Jenna, you do realize the effect you have on men, don’t you?”“Excuse me,” she said. He could hear her walking toward him.“Lucas,” she said. “Turn around.” He did as she asked. “Now look at me, Lucas.”Again, he did. He stared into her eyes and admired the dark brown hue as he ran his hand over the side of her face, feeling its lovely softness. Jenna was all beauty, he thought. She deserved better than him, a monster, a demon.“You are so beautiful, Jenna. Any man in this world would give up his life to touch you once, just like this,” he said as he continued to caress her cheek.She gasped. “I can feel it. I never noticed it before, but I can feel it now.”“What, Jenna,” he asked. “What can you feel?” She could feel what he did because when he was around her, it was hard to keep his emotions in check and hide from her how he truly felt.“What you’re feeling… I think it’s awe.”He leaned down and took her lips in a passionate kiss. As with the other times, he couldn’t help himself. He kissed her, and with equal passion and anticipation, she kissed him, their tongues entwined in a battle of desire.
Review by Melissa Snark:
DEMON KING'S DESIRE surprised me because it wasn't really what I expected of a typical paranormal romance. The author engages in some thorough and complex world-building. Her takes on the different races and how they interact is really interesting and I loved the amount of consideration that went into the development of her mythology. I found the start of the book to be a bumpy ride because a little too much back story is doled out too quickly. The same with the fairly large cast of characters, which I felt could have been introduced more incrementally given the fact this is a full length novel. The story does settle down after the initial bout of bucking and flows more smoothly from there.
I feel it's necessary to make my standard disclaimer--I don't like Fated Mates. For me, FM slays romantic tension before it's even out of the gate. I want love to be the product of free will, not preordained and inescapable. That said, I did appreciate the author's playfulness in forcing Lucas to court Jenna (who he believes is mortal and may reject him). The chemistry between the hero and heroine is good and love scenes are hot.
Lucas, the hero, didn't really fit with my preconception of what a demon should be but that's more than okay. I love being surprised. His romantic quandary is amusing and it helped balance out the overly possessive side of his personality. I enjoyed his buddy relationship with his friend and fellow demon, Cain, who is played for some refreshing comic relief. Cain definitely made me laugh. I really disliked the fact that Lucas falls for the heroine hook, line and sinker before he even meets her, removing all of the mystery.
Of all the characters, I felt Jenna had the most interesting character arc. The heroine demonstrates admirable resilience and courage throughout. Her search for her missing sisters and her growth from a mortal into something more (special) drove the plot. The bad guys (Malum) who don't want her to achieve her genesis provided a menacing element of danger. Action sequences are fast paced and quickly resolved. The plot always carries forward momentum toward something greater.
DEMON'S KING'S DESIRE is the first part in the Elemental Sisters, good news for readers who enjoy series, since the second book, BURDENED BY DESIRE, is already available. Happy reading!
Author Bio:
J.L. Sheppard was born and raised in Miami, Florida where
she still lives with her husband.
As a child, her greatest aspiration was to become a writer.
She read often, kept a journal and wrote countless poems. She attended Florida
International University and graduated in 2008 with a Bachelors in
Communications. During her senior year, she interned at NBC Miami, WTVJ.
Following the internship, she was hired and worked in the News Department for
three years.
It wasn’t until 2011 that she set her heart and mind into
writing her first completed novel, Demon King’s Desire, which was published in
January of 2013.
Besides reading and writing, she enjoys traveling and
spending quality time with family and friends.
Email: JL_Sheppard@yahoo.com
Twitter: @JL_Sheppard
Thank you for hosting me!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Thank you for sharing your story with my readers today. :)
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