Heaven vs. Hell. Dark vs. Light. Good vs. Evil

Heaven vs. Hell. Dark vs. Light. Good vs. Evil — Why do we enjoy this type of story so much?

The good versus evil fight has fascinated mankind from our earliest days and has infused some of the best fictional books ever written. Book series such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Hunger Games, have transformed and kept the discussion alive through great stories that we can relate to and embrace.

So why are we so fascinated with the concept? I think it’s because reading a story where fictional characters manage to outsmart and overcome evil gives us power. It infuses us with the belief that it is possible to rise up against something terrible and not only survive but even thrive. It provides us with a sense of hope in a world that sometimes sucks hope right out of us.

When the good vs. evil story includes critters from our oldest history—such as biblical creatures like devils, demons, and angels—the battle is even more fun, because we consider these creatures to have the ultimate power for good or evil, which makes their flight across the pages of our fiction even more fascinating.

I write a lot of stories founded on the concept of good versus evil. Like many people, I suspect, I’m fascinated with the notion of evil. Is there true evil in the world? Or is evil really just a series of layers, ranging from charcoal gray to a lighter gray? I personally believe evil does exist. Which is why I enjoy creating stories where good tromps evil…at least for a while! #:0)

In my Dancin’ With the Devil series, I created a warrior race that walks the line between good and evil and, though my heroine, Astra Q Phelps, works mainly with the angelic realm to defeat evil, she also has at least one foot in the world of devils, specifically the rulers of the dark world, the Royal Devils. This dichotomy makes Astra’s story interesting and creates a built-in tension that makes the stories come alive for the reader. Since I began the series, which has grown to include 5 books with another on the way, I’ve written a lot of books about different paranormal creatures but I haven’t returned to the roots of this concept until now.

 

In my newest series, Holidays are Hell (The first book, Devil Under the Mistletoe, releases this week!) I revisit the concept of devils and angels. However, the world is based on creatures whose foundations lie much farther south than Astra’s (that’s a nice way of saying Hell, LOL). The Perdition Guides in this fun series have been conscripted to carry the newly dead to Hell. But their jobs include much more than just escorting souls. They must also figure out where their “clients” belong in Hell. Therein lies the rub…and the stroke…and the thrust. #:0) In the course of this discovery, the guides must spend time with their clients. Sometimes that enforced familiarity breeds more than just understanding. Sometimes it generates trouble. In Devil Under the Mistletoe, Damian Noire and Amanda Wright discover that it leads to lust…and indecision…and much, much more. I hope you’ll check it out!

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Damian Noire is a Perdition Guide. He escorts people whose souls are stained to their rightful spots in Hell. Business always seems to pick up around the Holidays and this Christmas is no exception. Damian’s assignment is to bring a beautiful young woman to Hell to stand before the judgment assembly, and then take her to her assigned circle of Hell. It sounds simple. But it’s about to become the hardest assignment he’s ever performed.

Amanda Wright might have been unjustly judged. She might not belong in Hell at all. Problem is, Damian really kind of likes her. He especially likes enjoying her lush, willing body under the mistletoe. If he gets her the judgment she truly deserves, he’s probably going to lose her forever. But if he doesn’t help her, an innocent may spend eternity in Hell. It appears to be a lose/lose situation on all fronts. Proving once again that holidays truly are hell!

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AUTHOR BIO:

Sam writes romantic suspense and fantasy/paranormal/sci-fi at a variety of heat levels. She likes to mix a little fun, a little magic, and a little real-life spice to create her fictional characters. Her fun-loving creations fight their way through a dizzying array of dangerous challenges without letting little things like dangerous bad guys, angry, manipulative gods, evil dark world denizens, or killing Furies dampen their zest for life and hot love!

In Sam’s real life, she lives on a hobby farm in Indiana with 11 dogs, 2 horses, and one husband. Not necessarily in that order. No, that isn’t a typo, she has 11 dogs. Sam is a self-confessed dog-aholic!

To find out more about Sam and her work, please pay her a visit at any one of the following online hot spots: Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Blog