After all, angels can't lie. And when Jayne Hamilton wants to know what he does for a living, all bets are off. Because "dating" isn't exactly in the cosmic scheme of the Eternity Gambit, but Love... Well, Love is never really off the table.
Now, if Lucifer can just figure out how to win the girl and get himself fired, he'll be one very very happy angel.
"Filled with sparkling wit and devilish charm, DEVIL TO PAY is a delightful visit to the Shangri-La of Hell!" -- Erin Quinn, The Three Fates of Ryan Love, NYT Bestselling Author
"Only Renee Bernard could make dating Satan sexy as sin! Funny, fresh, irreverent and utterly adorable!" - Dakota Cassidy, National Bestselling Author
First book in the new Eternity Gambit series from USA Today bestselling author Renee Bernard. This is a romantic comedy series with an original paranormal twist that defies categorization and turns every notion of Heaven and Hell on its ear.
An Archangel, a Demon and a Writer walk into a bar…
I was sitting around with some of my author friends who specialize in Paranormal Romances and somehow my brain wandered off to that old lead-in line for a joke and I began to wonder why PNR always looked so serious from afar. Perhaps I’d missed something but all the workshops I’d ghosted and conference conversations I’d eavesdropped on seem to center around topics of sexual heat and world-building, and then there was the epic diagrams of blood-splatter on a cocktail napkin and the proclamation that if a book didn’t have a kick-ass heroine, it was doomed.
Needless to say, I was inspired to go another way because I seem to be a quirky, stubborn soul. I wanted to create comedy where only drama dared to go and I wanted to upend the entire universe to prove that there was still an original way to tell an old story.
DEVIL TO PAY is the first book in my new Eternity Gambit series where Heaven, Inc. and Hades Enterprises, LLc (or H.E.LLc as it’s more commonly known) are recently merged companies both owned and managed by the Corporation. It’s office politics and the wild ride of a universe where Angels and Demons are: a) physically bound to this plane of existence since the restructuring of the organization; b) doing their best to follow the rules and keep humanity on its feet; and c) all gorgeous thanks to the Labor Agreement of 1504 A.D. when Demons complained about the inequality in working conditions. No fiery pits, no brimstone, no pitchforks. They don’t generate evil. They just track it like the world’s quirkiest statistical research firm.
Ever had a bad job? I mean, a job you really hated? It seems most of us have and so the inspiration for my hero was fairly easy to come by. After all, what would be the absolute worst job in the universe? My guess was Lucifer and from there, all comedy flows. Because when an Angel applies for a job and that job is described only with phrases like “work directly with Upper Management”, “play a key role in the Universe” and “No Heavy Lifting”… You can imagine the shock on their face when they find out that they are the next lucky Angel to become the newest Prince of Darkness. It’s an employee orientation no one enjoys.
Because he’s still an Angel. He just gets to run H.E.LLc. And Angels can’t quit. The only way out is to be fired or promoted and no one will tell you how to achieve either one. And when he runs into a beautiful mortal woman who makes him rethink his entire existence—it’s a romance like no other.
Does my heroine kick ass? Not with any martial arts. But she brings the Corporation to a halt with a weapon I tend to favor: a sense of humor.
I was sitting around with some of my author friends who specialize in Paranormal Romances and somehow my brain wandered off to that old lead-in line for a joke and I began to wonder why PNR always looked so serious from afar. Perhaps I’d missed something but all the workshops I’d ghosted and conference conversations I’d eavesdropped on seem to center around topics of sexual heat and world-building, and then there was the epic diagrams of blood-splatter on a cocktail napkin and the proclamation that if a book didn’t have a kick-ass heroine, it was doomed.
Needless to say, I was inspired to go another way because I seem to be a quirky, stubborn soul. I wanted to create comedy where only drama dared to go and I wanted to upend the entire universe to prove that there was still an original way to tell an old story.
DEVIL TO PAY is the first book in my new Eternity Gambit series where Heaven, Inc. and Hades Enterprises, LLc (or H.E.LLc as it’s more commonly known) are recently merged companies both owned and managed by the Corporation. It’s office politics and the wild ride of a universe where Angels and Demons are: a) physically bound to this plane of existence since the restructuring of the organization; b) doing their best to follow the rules and keep humanity on its feet; and c) all gorgeous thanks to the Labor Agreement of 1504 A.D. when Demons complained about the inequality in working conditions. No fiery pits, no brimstone, no pitchforks. They don’t generate evil. They just track it like the world’s quirkiest statistical research firm.
Ever had a bad job? I mean, a job you really hated? It seems most of us have and so the inspiration for my hero was fairly easy to come by. After all, what would be the absolute worst job in the universe? My guess was Lucifer and from there, all comedy flows. Because when an Angel applies for a job and that job is described only with phrases like “work directly with Upper Management”, “play a key role in the Universe” and “No Heavy Lifting”… You can imagine the shock on their face when they find out that they are the next lucky Angel to become the newest Prince of Darkness. It’s an employee orientation no one enjoys.
Because he’s still an Angel. He just gets to run H.E.LLc. And Angels can’t quit. The only way out is to be fired or promoted and no one will tell you how to achieve either one. And when he runs into a beautiful mortal woman who makes him rethink his entire existence—it’s a romance like no other.
Does my heroine kick ass? Not with any martial arts. But she brings the Corporation to a halt with a weapon I tend to favor: a sense of humor.
“You’re mental, right?”
“I think if we were having this conversation in a basement decorated with torn out newspaper articles, black-light posters and me drooling about how I have conversations with dogs and wear tinfoil underwear, you might have a case.” Luke deliberately glanced around the room, silently pointing out the lack of “mental” revealed by his beautifully appointed modern office and furnishings. If it weren’t for the black onyx desk, it would be easy to mistake it for an extraordinary executive’s digs. “I think we can rule out insanity—on both sides of this argument.”
“Right, since I’m not the one proclaiming to be the Prince of Darkness,” she said with a touch of sarcasm she couldn’t prevent. After all, even pretending to take him seriously made her consider that she might not be firing on all cylinders. Her hands were shaking, so she pressed them together as firmly as she could. Were crazy people like bees? Could they smell fear? “Is it possible you’re just a very wealthy man in need of medication?”
“Sure. Anything is possible,” he conceded, his open smile disarming her as he was obviously beginning to genuinely enjoy the debate. “Jayne, I could be an eccentric billionaire intent on impressing you by pretending to be Lucifer. Stranger things have happened.”
“Name one thing stranger than this.”
“Besides the fashion of the 80’s and people who resemble their dogs?”
“I think if we were having this conversation in a basement decorated with torn out newspaper articles, black-light posters and me drooling about how I have conversations with dogs and wear tinfoil underwear, you might have a case.” Luke deliberately glanced around the room, silently pointing out the lack of “mental” revealed by his beautifully appointed modern office and furnishings. If it weren’t for the black onyx desk, it would be easy to mistake it for an extraordinary executive’s digs. “I think we can rule out insanity—on both sides of this argument.”
“Right, since I’m not the one proclaiming to be the Prince of Darkness,” she said with a touch of sarcasm she couldn’t prevent. After all, even pretending to take him seriously made her consider that she might not be firing on all cylinders. Her hands were shaking, so she pressed them together as firmly as she could. Were crazy people like bees? Could they smell fear? “Is it possible you’re just a very wealthy man in need of medication?”
“Sure. Anything is possible,” he conceded, his open smile disarming her as he was obviously beginning to genuinely enjoy the debate. “Jayne, I could be an eccentric billionaire intent on impressing you by pretending to be Lucifer. Stranger things have happened.”
“Name one thing stranger than this.”
“Besides the fashion of the 80’s and people who resemble their dogs?”
♥ Click on the covers to learn more ♥
Renee Bernard is a freelance writer and host of “The Romance Bookmark” on Readers Entertainment, as well as a contributor to Romantic Times BookReviews magazine. Renee currently lives in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California. (Note an interesting proximity to great wineries!)
DEVIL TO PAY is available now online wherever books are sold and is coming soon to Audio! The Eternity Gambit series is a fun departure from her well-known Victorian set historical romances and creates a new world for readers unlike any other. DEVIL TO PAY is the first book in this new series and is gathering up 5-Star reviews and momentum as more readers discover that office politics can hit a whole new level of crazy when you work at Hades Enterprises, LLc (or H.E.LLc).
For more information, please visit her website at http://www.reneebernardauthor.com or http://www.eternitygambit.com .
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ReplyDeleteA very intriguing excerpt!
ReplyDeleteThe synopsis and excerpt are so much fun!
ReplyDeleteTrix, vitajex(at)Aol(Dot)com
I really enjoyed the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt. This is one for my wish list
ReplyDeleteThanks for the excerpt
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the excerpt, and trying to visualize the gorgeous office with the black onyx desk.
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed learning about the book. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteI liked watching your video for the book. The way it was done reminded a bit of the ads for Omni Consumer Products they did in Robocop.
ReplyDeletenice spotlight
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds like a helluva lot of fun! So to speak. ;) Great fun facts. Congrats to Renee and good luck.
ReplyDeleteLove your giveaways
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