Monday, August 4, 2008

HOTTER THAN HELL - by Jackie Kessler


Jackie Kessler is my guest today on the Girlfriend's Cybercircuit Lit Blog Tour. I must have led a sheltered life because I have to admit that I was not familiar with the term "incubus." But my trusty Random House Dictionary came to the rescue with this explanation: a demon supposed to descend upon sleeping persons, especially one in male form fabled to have sexual intercourse with women in their sleep. Ah! So that explains who's been visiting me late at night these past years. Ha! Well, enough about me and my incubus...

In HELL’S BELLES and THE ROAD TO HELL, Jackie has brought readers into an unforgettable Underworld populated by alluring demons and sexy devils. Now Daunuan, the most irresistible incubus of all, is facing one Hell of a challenge... So whose soul do you have to damn to get a promotion around here?

Daunuan was never the ambitious type. There's so much to love about his job just the way it is—mind-blowing sexual prowess, the power to seduce any human, excellent dental plan. But now Pan, the King of Lust, has offered to make Daun his right-hand incubus—a position other demons would give their left horn for. All he has to do is entice a soul destined for heaven into a damnable act of lust. Should take, oh, seven minutes, tops.

Then he meets his target, Virginia Reed. She’s cute. Funny. Smart. Unfathomably resistant to his charms. He can’t understand it. But Daun has centuries of seduction to his credit. He’s the best there is. Sooner or later he’ll transform this polar icecap of a female into a pool of molten desire, and every instinct tells him she’ll be worth the effort.

Meanwhile, he has to deal with a plague of rogue demons Hell-bent on taking him down, sent by an unknown enemy with a serious grudge. And one other problem: the dawning realization that he’s falling in love—that unholiest of four-letter words—with the woman he’s about to doom for all eternity...

HOTTER THAN HELL is Book 3 in the Hell on Earth series published byKensington/Zebra Books and debuts on August 5, 2008.

Jackie Kessler is the author of the Hell on Earth series, published by Kensington/Zebra Books. She has two spin-off Hell stories as well: one, “When Hell Comes Calling,” will appear in the LILITH UNBOUND anthology (Popcorn Press, 2008) edited by bestselling author Elaine Cunningham. The other story is an erotic novella, “Hell Is Where the Heart Is,” to appear in the upcoming RED HOT VALENTINE’S DAY anthology (Avon Red, January 2009). Jackie is also the co-author of BLACK & WHITE, a dystopian superhero novel about two superpowered women—once best friends, now on opposite sides of the law—who must join forces to fight the Big Bad Evil (bwahahahahaha). BLACK & WHITE will be published by Bantam Spectra in July 2009.

Jackie was kind enough to answer some questions...

Name three songs that would be perfect for the soundtrack of your book.

“The Diary of Jane,” Breaking Benjamin (acoustic version). This song moved me so much, I nearly named the female lead “Jane” instead of “Virginia.”

“When You’re Evil,” Voltaire. Oh yeah. Hey there, Daun, how’re you doing?

“Waiting for the Night to Fall,” Depeche Mode. The music, the lyrics—a palpable sense of waiting, of building to something bigger than you.

What is one thing you’ve learned about the publishing industry since getting your first book deal?

You can’t measure your success based on any other author’s experience. (Close runner up: you really need a sense of humor.)

What are you reading now?


Rereading THE DRESDEN FILES by Jim Butcher. Currently on book four, SUMMER KNIGHT.

What is your writing schedule like?

Usually, I write first thing in the morning, before my day job, and then at night, when my Precious Little Tax Deductions are sleeping. (Yeah, I get very little sleep.)

What is your advice for those who looking to get their novel published?

To paraphrase author Cindy Procter-King (Head Over Heels), there are three things you need to get published: talent, persistence, and timing. While it’s difficult to write to the market, you absolutely can hone your craft and develop a thick skin. Write. No matter what, write. And never be daunted.

Thanks, Jackie, and good luck with the book!

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