My thoughts: I had the opportunity to read both of these books back to back, so I am going to give you my thoughts on the two of them together. You can read on down for more individual information and excerpts from each book.
I actually liked
The Demon Side, Book One better than
The Human Side, Book Two. In
The Demon Side, we meet the demon, Rahovart the Heir, who has been living in this house, or I should say, whatever dwelling was on this property, for centuries. He cannot remember much of anything prior to waking up on the banks of a river, close to where he now resides. He has spent his existence tormenting whomever happens to be the latest tenants.
Then he meets Etta. She seems like a harmless teenage girl, and he thinks it will be easy to get the latest family to leave -- that is, until Etta actually speaks to him and tells him to please get out of her way. Whhaaattt?? She can see him? Where Rahovart was interested in getting them to leave before, now he wants to get to know her better and learn why she can see him!
I am not sure why this book appealed to me more than book two did. Maybe because it was sort of like a Beauty and the Beast beginning? I thought that Book 2 would be Etta's perspective, but it turns out that Rahovart gets sent back to earth as a human to try to get Etta to remember the feelings that they had for each other.
They were both quick reads but I did get a little confused at times with the different hierarchies in the demon and angel worlds. That soon sorted itself out though. I am wondering if there is going to be a third book called The Angel Side?
~I received complimentary eCopies of both books from Sizzling PR in exchange for my unbiased review.~
Title: The Demon Side (Book one of The Demon Side Series)
Author: Heaven Liegh Eldeen
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
About the Book: When worlds collide… Every kid has problems. Every kid has even more problems when they move to a new home. But when a kid with problems moves to a new home that has a Demon living inside it—look out!
Etta’s world is about to spin out of control when she encounters her new roommate—and Rahovart, that ancient trickster, is in for a few surprises too. So don’t mind all the crashing and rumbling; that’s just the normal noise Angels and Demons make when they’re fighting an epic war in the attic.
One thing’s for sure: Etta and Rahovart will have to go through Hell to Heaven and back again before that old Victorian home in Quantico Town finally quiets down…
Excerpt from
The Demon Side:
Etta plopped back onto her bed and stared at the ceiling for a few moments. I wished I could hear her thoughts. Her father had just admitted to being a murderer for all practical purposes, though that was not how I viewed him. I truly believed John only tried to save the village, but his fervor and some help from a desperate Alastor, turned what should have been a heroic act into a bloodbath. Many men have unknowingly fallen from grace in the name of the greater good. Now, hopefully Etta would see that her father was just the victim of blurred lines between good and evil.
“What are you thinking?” I asked as I lay down next to her on the bed.
“Can a person still go to Heaven even if they’ve killed someone?”
“Well, I’m not in the business of getting people to Heaven, Etta. That’s the last place I want them to go,” I reluctantly replied.
“Even if it were me?” Etta stared hard at me with watery eyes, looking right into my blackened soul. I never gave much thought to where her soul would go, except to stop her from mistakenly giving it to me.
“That is a choice for you to make. I can’t force you to choose a side. I can only put the temptations in front of you.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“What do you want me to say? I want to see you burn in the depths of Hell? You’ll never hear that from me. Only you and your actions can decide where you go when you leave this world.”
“I would go if it meant I could be with you, you know.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” As much as I would have loved for that to be the case, her comment angered me. I couldn’t imagine a person like her becoming something like me.
“I know that when you’re around I feel safe nothing could ever hurt me. I get butterflies in my stomach when you touch me. I know your soul, Ra. I don’t know how, but I know. I knew it the second I saw you. You weren’t meant for this existence. You fought for good once, and I’m certain you will again.” Etta was strong in words. She spoke with solid confidence. She described what I felt.
Title: The Human Side (Book two, The Demon Side Series)
Author: Heaven Liegh Eldeen
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
About the Book: From above, Etta’s life seems to be calming down in the town of Quantico, Virginia, but with every passing moment away from his love, Rahovart finds the emptiness unbearable.
After redeeming himself once again as an Arch, Rahovart is still unable to let his past go. Needing to be near Etta, he strikes a deal with Father—except it turns into a mission with great consequences.
With Arch Angel Gabriel in tow, Rahovart sets out to prove himself worthy of Etta’s love, only to face discouragement from Etta’s father, John, and her new boyfriend, Tristan—on top of the threats made to Etta. Would he be able to protect her if she no longer remembered him or shared the love they once held so dearly?
One thing’s for sure: The past, with all of its secrets and lies, will come back to haunt them all.
Excerpt from The Human Side:
“I have two solutions, but the choice of which to accept is up to you. There is plenty of time to think about these choices, but remember, whatever you choose, you will be bound to it.”
“What are the choices Father?”
“Your first choice is an exchange. Swear never to interfere with Etta’s life again, and all you have lost will be restored, including rank and principalities. If and when she returns to Heaven, her memories will be restored. Break the promise at any time for any reason, your soul shall be sent to Purgatory and Etta’s Guardians will be removed from her detail. As for the second choice, go to Earth in human form with no wings, no abilities. Show Etta the same cruelty and disdain as when the Demon Rahovart met her. Etta fell in love with a Demon once. It should be quite interesting to see if she can do it again. She must profess her love without coaxing or prompting. There can be no mention of our deal or what lies beyond the veil, including who you truly are, where you come from. Fail to abide by the rules or rekindle her affections, your days shall be spent on Earth with no recollection of life beyond the veil. But, succeed, and you can return home with the added benefit of continuing your relationship with her. Visit her anytime as long as it does not interfere with work.”
I listened intently as Father explained my options. Both carried heavy consequences if I failed to abide by their guidelines. He’d given me a life or death decision to make, but I didn’t need time to think. Without thought or question, I gave Father my answer.
Please take some time to get to know Heaven a little better -
About the author: Heaven Liegh Eldeen started her writing
career three years ago after being challenged by a relative. With her ‘Oh, Yes
I can!’ attitude, determination and support from her family, she completed her
first novel The Demon Side, which released in October 2011 and has been a
finalist for Best Paranormal Romance in Romcom Inc.’s 2011 Reader Crown Awards
as well as Oklahoma Romance Writers of America 2012 International Digital
Awards. On November 28th, 2012 she celebrated the release of The Human Side;
book two of The Demon Side series, which won Turning the Pages YA Paranormal
Romance of the Year.
When she’s
not kissing owies, climbing Mount Dishmore, or obsessing over her Facebook book
page, you can find her at the computer revising or editing one of her five
works in progress or Saturday evenings as a co-host to KMYC’s 1410AM The Dirt’s
with Lori Schulz. Having lived in many
states, she has now settled down in California with her husband, her son, and a
beta fish named Barry and guinea pig Skunkers.
1. How do you typically write? Do you plot it all out beforehand or do you
just let the story pour out?
I cannot plan a story out to save my life. I quit trying
after my first novella The Demon Side. My brain moves at a million miles per
hour. So, as I write the story is always moving in different directions.
2. Do you have a favorite place to
write or “must haves” while writing?
If you see me grabbing a Pepsi, a bag of Hershey Kisses and
my Ipod…watch out ‘cause I’m on writing mode.
I’ve tried writing in silence with nothing to keep my mouth moving and I
simply cannot do it. I end up with sentence such as ‘See Johnny jump.’
3. Do you have a job outside of being
an author?
Yes I do. I’m a mommy and wife first. If I’m not having my
pant leg tugged on, or climbing a mountain of laundry, you can find me
co-hosting KMYC’s 1410am The Dirt with Lori Schulz
4. Do you
have a favorite quote?
Hell is yourself and the only redemption is when a person
puts himself aside to feel deeply for another person. ~ Tennessee Williams
5. In one sentence, why should we read
your book?
The Demon Side is a story told from the perspective of the
ultimate celestial bad boy, Rahovart, who is thrown off his game by Earth’s
most misunderstood schizophrenic, Etta.
6. What do you come up with first when
creating your character- the back story, the plot, the characteristics?
I came up with Rahovart the Demon first after watching a
scary movie with husband. I found myself
wondering what life would truly be like on the other side as a Demon and from
there everything else seemed to fall into place.
7. What does a day look like in the life
of your main character?
For Rahovart, his days are spent the same as previous
days. He wonders around the Victorian
home on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, that he has been banished to
playing pranks and terrorizing the tenants until he finally rids himself of his
unwanted roommates.
8. What time of day do you like to write?
I’d love to be able to write 24/7 but mommy and wife duties
only allow me to write in the mornings, right after I shove my wee-one off to
school and boot hub off to work. So, from 8am-1:30pm you can find at my
computer typing away.
9. What is the most you have written in
one day?
A freak incident happened where the stars aligned and my
husband and son actually both out of town for a whole weekend together. I’m not
sure how much I wrote in one day since I try to focus more on quality and not
quantity, but by the end of the weekend I had written twelve chapters in The
Human Side, book two in The Demon Side series. Ahhhh, that was an awesome weekend except for
the ten pounds I gained from all the Pepsi and Hershey Kisses.
10. If your book was made into a TV series
or movie, what actors would you like to see playing your characters? Feel free
to add pics.
Okay get ready for a lot of pics. Ha-Ha I’ve had time to
think about this. For Rahovart, hands down I want WBFF Pro fitness model Bobby
Momenteller.
Etta has to be played my Emma Watson.
Liam Neeson and Sandra
Bullock would be the perfect parents, John and Rene Divad.
Travis Fimmel would be the perfect Lucifer!
Silly questions –
1. If
you could have a superpower, what would it be?
I would have Grammar Powers. Not only would I know exactly
where a comma or semi colon should be placed but I could help others as well!
2. Do you have any hidden talents?
I can put lipstick on with toes and end my thumbs behind my
fore fingers. How I learned I could do those things or what they would be
useful for, I have no clue.
3. If someone wrote a book about your
life, what would the title be?
Project Girls
4. Talk or text?
TEXT! A little known fact about me is that I am partially
deaf. Shocking I know since I do radio but I have tricks I use to know what
people are saying however, the volume on my phone doesn’t go high enough for
those tricks to work.
5. Guilty pleasure tv show?
*coughs* Army Wives.
The show is a little out there and soap opera-y for me typically, but
something about it is like a really good car wreck (if there’s such a thing).
You don’t want to watch but you can’t keep yourself from looking to see if a
head rolls out of the carnage.
6. Most __________ in High School?
Most likely to spend life in prison! I still hold the record
for most fights at my Jr. High and High School but no worries folks, I am truly
a reformed woman. Now I’m all love,
peace, and chocolate.
7. Ebooks, paperbacks or hardcovers?
I love paperbacks!! But, I am a woman who craves instant
gratification at the lowest price possible. With eBooks, I can buy several
books and get them immediately for the price of a paperback or hardcover. Well,
on some books. Some eBooks I can’t help but laugh at their prices.
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