MAREE ANDERSON

Let Sleeping Demons Lie by Maree Anderson

Let Sleeping Demons Lie by Maree Anderson
Publisher: Red Sage Publishing
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (123 pgs)
Other: M/F, F/F, Multiple Partners, Anal Play, Fetish, Toys, Fisting, Spanking
Rating: 4 cherries
Reviewed by Wisteria

A leonine Lycan, finds a naked, unconscious female. He analyzes her scent and discovers she’s not Lycan but a clever fake. She’s quite luscious, so he’ll enjoy her regardless. Felinoid Demon, Naamah, is bait for a trap. Her King has altered her genetic makeup, stripped her powers and her memory. She believes she’s human and isn’t aware non-humans exist. The man who licks her awake is damnably sexy… but sex isn’t exactly a priority when she can’t remember her own name! When Brennan realizes the female has amnesia, his protective instincts grab him by the balls. He nick-names her Kitten and suggests finding a safe haven before nightfall. Kitten’s so exhausted she finally lets Brennan carry her. When she drifts off, he shifts to his Were-Lion form. He’s carrying Kitten into his lair when she stirs, and before he completes his shift, she opens her eyes. She freaks but eventually convinces herself she had a nightmare.

Lycans, and Demons, and Lions… OH MY! Draped in fiction, magic, and intrigue-- Let Sleeping Demons Lie is a seductively designed package, just waiting to be ripped apart for your pleasure.

A scheming Demon King has decided to kill the proverbial “two birds with one stone” when he sends his toady demon, Belphagor and a Beguiler, Naamah, into the Lycan world to stop the co-mingling of the two species. Or, so he says. Unbeknownst to Belphagor, he’s being sent on a suicide mission, and Naamah — terrified of were-forms — is cast down, helpless and stripped of her memories and her powers.

This story jumps right in with a devilishly sinful, captivating prologue that will have you saying ‘just one more page’ through the whole story. Admittedly, I intended on only reading the first few pages to get a feel for the book, but found myself moving onto the next chapter and the next, until my son is telling me he is tired and wants to go to bed… and he hasn’t had dinner yet! (eek!)

The Prime of the Lycans, Brennan, is lustfully sinful, with a primal, carnal desire that makes you find ways to relate to him. His sex appeal jumps off the page and makes you want more of his animal instinct and possessive nature. The scenes of lust and love between Brennan and Naamah, his "Kitten", vary between species - humanoid, felinoid, and lion alike - but it’s always well-written and well-scripted. The enemies in this novel are well-written and take on a whole life of their own. The creepy main she/he Hyena, Cass, jumps off the page and I’m sure I’ll have nightmares of that sinister beast tonight.

The best part about this story is that there IS a story. One laced with equal parts of need, desire, lust, passion and real conflict between the characters. There is an underlying age-old undertone of the characters “wants” versus their “destiny” at play. You want Brennan and “Kitten” to be together, but the obligations and risks are high if both give into their desires. Even though the story is short, it is enjoyable nonetheless, and in this case — size really doesn’t matter. I give this book four cherries and I’d highly recommend it to anyone that loves paranormal romances with some torridly good, beastly interludes mixed in.

Let Sleeping Demons Lie by Maree Anderson

Book Stats:

e-book, digital format
Publisher: eRed Sage Publishing
Book Length: Novella
Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-60310-423-4

Brennan’s animal nature takes over when he smells a lioness in heat. In the Lycan Realm, the first male to reach her has the right to claim her. He intends to be that male. What he finds isn’t what he expects. It’s not the fact she’s in human form; he has no problem pleasing her in whatever manner she prefers. No, it’s something deeper, something he can’t quite pinpoint.

When the woman wakes up, he’s even more convinced something isn’t right. She has no knowledge of whom she is, where she is, or what fate awaited her had a lion less in control of himself found her. The pair embarks on a journey full of passion, pain, and discovery that leads to a traitor in their midst and a disturbing secret that may tear them apart.

Anytime I find myself waffling on a book rating, I pretend I’m watching Russell Crowe, wearing the latest in Gladiator fashion, brandishing a weapon as he screams, “Are you not entertained?” What happens next stays between me and Russ, but the intended outcome is simple: if the story entertained me, I give it a higher rating, copy-editing errors be damned.

My initial hesitation in bestowing 4 tombstones (rather than the original 3.5 tombstones) lied in the slightly disturbing character known as Cass. She added the right amount of evilness to the story, but her depravity almost went too far. I could have gone without the last scene she was in. It didn’t seem it was necessary—she could have been defeated in a less disturbing manner. The scene didn’t ruin the story for me, just left a nasty taste in my mouth. Then again, that was likely the intention.

Overall, I was thoroughly entertained by Let Sleeping Demons Lie by Maree Anderson. Her writing style is informal and hilarious, including much Valley Girl verbiage. Hearing a lion shapeshifter talk of his utter awesomeness is, well, awesome. I love it. Naamah and Brennan fit together, physically and mentally. Their interactions are sweet, if not bizarre, and I instantly liked them.

Book Stats:

e-book, digital format
Publisher: eRed Sage Publishing
Book Length: Novella
Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-60310-423-4
Adult Content, Demons, Magic, Shapeshifters, e-Books by Jackie

Even Demons Get the Blues

Book 1 in a new series
Reviewer Score:

(5 out of 5)
____________________________________________________________________________

Even Demons Get the Blues

(Book 1, Demon series)

by Maree Anderson

Summary: 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.

Dakota’s Review: Who would have thought a bad ass demon could fall in love, let alone get the blues? Evidently, Maree Anderson! In Even Demons Get the Blues, Rez finds himself falling in love with a human. I was immediately skeptical but as the story unfolded, I found myself rooting for Rez to beat the odds and be able to claim Leisa. While I was expecting more resistance from Rez it was obvious he was still a bad ass demon when it came to protecting the love of his life.

Along with the wonderful hero and heroine, I found myself wanting to know more about Asmodeus, the King of Demons. Ms. Anderson’s creation of this demon king has me hoping she’s going write give him his own book. Maybe if I beg? I definitely look forward to reading and reviewing the next book in this new series by Ms. Anderson. Especially if I get to see more of the yummy Asmodeus.

Rated 4 Delightful Divas by DakotaThe Blackraven’s Reviews!

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.

To My Readers: 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!

EVEN DEMONS GET THE BLUES was chosen by Romance Junkies Book Club as a 2009 club favourite:
“The Romance Junkies Book Club is 2,500 members strong and made up of readers and authors that come to us from all over the net. Many of our members belong to romance communities, blogs and review sites. We asked our book club members to share with us a debut author title that they read this year that rocked. [ ] Even Demons Get The Blues was picked by our readers’ group.”
~Romance Junkies Readers Group

“Unique and witty, Even Demons Get the Blues is devious entertainment. Rezon and Asmodeus are deliciously dark and memorable while it takes some time to warm up to Leisa, mainly because readers don’t know why she’s suffering for quite awhile. It’s the guys who make Even Demons Get the Blues so much fun with their wily banter. Even Demons Get the Blues is an original, sensual page turner.”
-Lisa, JOYFULLY REVIEWED

“Anderson drew me into her well-written tale, and even within the confines of novella length, she created vivid characters that I came to care about. I would have liked a bit more soul-searching from both Rez and Leisa in the last half of the book, but it definitely worked as is. Also, kudos to Anderson for neatly balancing the steam-to-story ratio and not overwhelming either with the other!
If you enjoy fast-paced, clever, and steamy paranormal romance, I think that you’ll enjoy Even Demons Get the Blues as much as I did. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from Maree Anderson!”
-Chris, FANG-TASTIC BOOKS

“Paranormal books are so fun to read, especially when there are so many imaginative authors like Maree Anderson writing them. This books gives readers a chance to step out of the box and into the world of Demons. Not bad for an afternoon of entertainment.”
-Roni, ROMANCE BOOK SCENE

   2009

        • Freaks Of Greenfield High
             Second Equal
             Oklahoma Romance Writers Finally A Bride contest, young adult category