Of Angels and Demons--Rhiannon Leith

Hey everyone, to kick off our Paranormal Theme month, Rhiannon Leith has come by to talk about Angels. She is also generously running a contest for us today. If you comment on the bottom, you will be entered to win a copy of her book Edge of Heaven. Please let us know in the comments whether you would like an e-copy or a print copy. You will have to wait longer for the print copy because its coming in the mail, obviously. LOL. Thanks so much Rhiannon!

When I set out to write Edge of Heaven, I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into. Letting characters like Micah and Sam run loose in your head is not the brightest thing in the world. They can be... err... distracting. They tend to whisper, offer suggestions (of both the proper and improper variety) and some pretty stunning images at times. So it was I found myself staring out of windows, burning many dinners... oh and that delightful moment on the motorway when I almost crashed the car.

I felt quite a lot of sympathy for my heroine Lily, a psychic caught between this pair.

Let’s put it this way—a devilishly sexy demon like Sammael is bad enough. He’s the smart alec, the one always ready with a quick answer and he will do anything and I mean anything to get what he wants.

Micah is just as stubborn, although he would tell you he’s determined. And right. Always right. Except when it comes to Sam.

So here they are, and I thought it was about time they answered some questions.

All right boys, tell us about Angels and demons

Micah: Well, we were all angels once, before the war in Heaven, before the Fall, before we were separated. We lived, mind to mind, body to body, in constant love, in heavenly never-ending wave after wave of bliss.

Sam: Yeah, something like that but with less hearts and flowers. More like lots of sex.

*glances at Micah, who winces*

Of course there was sex. Plus from the look of Mike’s abs here a fair amount of working out. Why do you think angels keep themselves in such good shape if it’s all about the harp practice and the songs of adulation?

Micah: Do you know what angels were? In the beginning, I mean? We were created to hold the Divine Will, the Word and the Light, the One. And then, as mankind strayed, He made us something more, enforcers of that Will. Soldiers, if you like, guardians, but more than that. There was a war in Heaven. We fought, we killed, we did dreadful things. How could we ever recover the harmony we’d known? And yet, I’d do the same thing again. I’d take up a flaming sword and fight my brother.

Sam: He’s so jolly like that. A pleasure to be around. Mind you, at least the old school angels had some fight in them. The heavenly host these days? Dressed in their neatly tailored jackets, pressed trousers and starched shirts? All white naturally. All perfect spotless white. They look like a boy band. Let me tell you, it’s a short leap from dressing in that sort of getup to singing in close harmony.

So Lily changed things for you. How did that happen?

Sam: It was just a job, like any other. A soul to seduce and that’s what I’m good at. That’s what I thought. But as I arrived some mugger had her cornered, and the knight in shining armour was nowhere to be seen.

Micah (dismayed): Hey, I was almost there.

Sam (laughing): You were late, Mike. That made it easy for me. I stepped in and...

*His laughter fades and he sobers, glances away*

Well, Lily changes things. The first moments of attack were blurred and hazy, consumed with a distinctly undemonic, righteous rage.

Micah (incredulous): Righteous?

Sam: Like I said, we were all angels once.

The silence is uncomfortable all of a sudden.

As most of us can’t see Micah, Sam, would you describe him for us? What does he look like?

Sam: Like an angel, of course. Beautiful. Perfect. The type of face that looks best when it’s suffering. He gets this sort of noble stoicism, especially around the eyes.

Micah: At least I’m not a pain in the—

Sam: Angels aren’t meant to say things like that. Behave yourself or you’re going to wind up where I was.

Better break in before someone storms out.

What about Lily? She’s human, isn’t she?

Micah: Lily is a light, a rare being, created for a purpose, closer to angels than even the angels would admit, designed by the Creator for an express purpose. Lily is special.

Sam: Lily surprises everyone. She’s a smart girl. Altogether too smart for her own good some times. She has this tendency to invite in danger.

Micah: Yes, she does. Usually by saying things like “come in Sam, make yourself at home.”

So that’s them – Sam, Micah and Lily. Demon, Angel and Light. The boys may agree to disagree on many things but when it comes to Lily they will do anything to protect her, from outside threats and from each other. To protect her, an angel must fall, a demon must be redeemed—and Lily must travel to hell and back for the men she loves.

Before we leave (and restore some peace and quiet to the place), here’s a little excerpt just to give due warning how much trouble they can be together:

“Are you planning on going back to sleep, Sammael?” Micah asked. “I’d heard so many stories, I’d expected more stamina.”

Lily slid down between them, wriggling into the narrow space. “What sort of stories?” she asked with a giggle.

“Well, let’s see,” Micah went on, “there was the Duke of Aquitaine’s second wife, and his daughter, there were a couple of queens, and at least one Empress, wasn’t there?”

“I’m not listening to you,” Sam groaned, wishing only for silence and peace, and for this closeness never to end. Though he could never admit the last part.

“Ah, but you are,” Micah teased. “How many nuns, Sammael? I never really got a definitive number.”

Growling in feigned bad humour, but inwardly smiling at them both, he rolled out of the bed, flicking the sheets carefully back over Lily’s body. “I’m making coffee,” he said. “Best damn thing humankind ever invented, coffee.”

“Just be careful you don’t meet another woman on the way to the kitchen,” Lily called after him. The two of them collapsed into gales of laughter. Sam didn’t bother to hide the grin on his face when they couldn’t see it. Stupid, to feel this much pleasure out of the bedroom, but there it was. A warm glow—friendship, amusement.

Love?

He huffed out his breath through his nostrils. “You’d have to deserve love in the first place,” he muttered to himself.

Edge of Heaven is available in print and ebook formats. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Letting this pair into your life is dangerous. Especially for the blood pressure.

Links

http://www.rhiannonleith.com/?page_id=11

Twitter: RhiannonLeith

Samhain Publishing: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/edge-heaven-p-6390.html