What Slays in Vegas

Hi all. I have some fun news. I’m getting ready to start a novella today. In a few minutes, I’ll be staring at that blank page, wondering just how anyone thought I could write a book. But hey, that’s part of the process. This one is called What Slays in Vegas and it will be part of a Halloween anthology, due out next year from Kensington.

For me, the beginning of a story is kind of like heading out on a grand adventure, one where I know where I’m headed, but am not sure how to get there or what the road will be like. The excitement comes from knowing it will be fun, and that I’ll end up where I’m supposed to be eventually.

This new novella takes place in Las Vegas, one of my favorite cities. And thanks to the publisher’s need to have some snippets of information in order to write up the back cover copy, I have a pretty good idea of how it begins. At least this is what I turned in to Kensington:

Shiloh is a she-demon in a city that values sin – Las Vegas. In fact, she hasn’t seen this much action since Sodom and Gomorrah. Shiloh a half-succubus, so she’s had trouble fitting in and getting a job over the centuries. She knows how lucky she is to work for the big underworld boss in Las Vegas, Napthulo. Shiloh makes sure his high rollers are entertained, which usually means seduction. And she keeps her head down. Until she picks the wrong man to “entertain.”

Damien is a demon slayer sent to Vegas to kill Napthulo. But it’s hard to get close to the demon. He thinks he has a way in when he runs into Shiloh. Usually his powers repel the succubi, but Shiloh energies throw him off. This causes Damien’s powers to backfire on Shiloh and she loses control too. Shiloh seduces Damien in a wild night with unthinkable consequences. The next morning, the she-demon and the demon slayer wake up in bed together – married.

Worse than the deluxe package from The Hitching Post wedding chapel – scattered all over the room – is that their “I do’s” have meshed their powers. Both demon and demon slayer are horribly compromised.

She could be killed for it. He could be cast out. The solution is an immediate annulment – both legally and spiritually. They’re all set to reverse the curse when Damien comes up with a rather devilish idea. He’ll grant her freedom after Shiloh helps him take down her boss.

I think it will be a lot of fun. And I like the idea of a demon slayer named Damien. Poor guy. I’m thinking it’s probably a family name or something. Blame his parents, you know? Or maybe there’s another reason. Guess I’ll have to write it and find out…

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