Even Demons Get The Blues — Maree Anderson

Rezon was the Demon King's lieutenant for four thousand years but even the most badass Demon in Hell gets jaded, so Rez joined the Beguilers. Only trouble is now he's been beguiled by Leisa, a tormented human woman who's captured his heart. When Leisa picks up one loser too many, Rezon's provoked into whisking her off to his lair to show her what a real man -- uh, make that Demon! -- can do for her. Leisa's been tagged by a Destroyer and her soul is forfeit, so when she inadvertently shatters Rez's defenses and bonds with him there'll be Hell to pay -- literally.

TO MY READER:
I wanted to write a truly alpha male hero so when a story idea about a demon popped into my head, how could I resist? Demon or human, my take is we're all looking for that special someone who'll truly love us for what we are. The result, Rezon and Leisa's story, is gritty and at times rather dark but above all it's a story of redemption and happy endings. And for those of you who like a laugh, there's always my witty and urbane Demon King to lighten things up as he attempts to help Rez solve his predicament. Enjoy!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
At the tender age of twelve, Maree Anderson was pinching her mom and dad's books and reading them at night by the hallway light. It took her a few more years -- okay, decades! -- to pluck up enough courage to write her own stories but now there's no stopping her. She lives in Auckland, New Zealand, with her real-life hero who encouraged her to quit work and take up writing full-time -- what a man! She's a mom to two extremely understanding kids who don't mind getting their own dinner when she can't tear herself away from her keyboard, and one very portly ocicat keeps her company while she's writing. Feel to visit her website www.mareeanderson.com and drop her a line coz she'd love to hear from you.

EXCERPT:
He cupped her face in his palms and stroked her hair back from her damp, flushed face. She smiled at him, her pleasure shining in her emerald eyes. He'd never seen a human so beautiful. Even the stunningly gorgeous Beguiler females he'd known paled in comparison.
Rez kissed her long and deep, inserting a desire for sleep into her mind.
It'd taken every ounce of will he possessed to protect her from him at the moment he'd released his essence inside of her. He felt curiously drained, as though she'd sucked all his vital energy from his body. He needed to rest, to examine this experience in minute detail.
But Leisa somehow resisted his compulsion and kissed him back, wrapping her body around him. And her mind.
He felt her essence seeping into him, insidiously infusing his veins with everything she was. Before he could take steps to protect himself he'd absorbed her -- her hopes, her deepest desires. Her pain.
He knew her.
And unconsciously, instinctively, not knowing what it was she was doing, Leisa began to draw knowledge from him. Desperately he fought her, exerted his will and battled her relentless desire to know all there was about him, to bond with him as no creature had dared attempt before. Finally his compulsion won out and sleep swept her away.
But it was too late. She had the knowing of him.
Amediel. My Amediel.
Intimately linked to her mind and body, still, Rez heard his true-name echoing in Leisa's mind as clearly as though she uttered it aloud.
Panic engulfed him, countless ice-cold shards piercing his body, crystallizing around his heart. He unsheathed himself from her body and flung himself from the bed, backing up until he hit the wall. All his senses heightened, becoming preternaturally alert. His pupils dilated, elongated. His hands became talon-tipped claws. His body bulked, muscle mass increasing to battle-ready proportions. His skin became armored with iridescent, impenetrable scales. He crouched, coiled, tensed and poised to battle.