Sunday, December 04, 2016

New Release: Falling into Darkness by L.M. Brown


Lucifer? A Hero?

When you think of romance heroes, the devil isn’t exactly the first person to spring to mind. Far more likely the fallen angel is appears as the villain of the tale.

Certainly, when Lucifer first made an appearance in my Heavenly Sins trilogy, he did little to recommend himself. However, his relationship with the archangel Michael sparked a plot bunny that morphed into the stand-alone spin-off Falling into Darkness.

So, what could possibly be appealing about the devil?

I would imagine quite a lot. 

If temptation was ugly, who would ever succumb to it?  Therefore, in the world of my angels and demons, Lucifer is truly beautiful, and while, after his fall from grace, he does have the more traditional demon form of cloven hooves and horns, he prefers to look as he did as an angel. With looks that tempt the archangel Michael himself, he is desired by many, but a handsome face and well-formed body don’t make a hero.

It therefore fell to me to turn Lucifer into that hero, while at the same time ensuring that his persona as the devil also rang true.  Not an easy task.

One decision I made, fairly on in the story, was to stay in Michael’s point of view throughout the story.  He sees Lucifer through the proverbial rose-tinted glasses and his feelings for the fallen angel help to soften Lucifer’s harsher qualities for much of the time.  It fell to other archangels, such as Gabriel, Raphael, and others, to highlight Lucifer’s many flaws.

Of course, even Michael has to accept Lucifer for what he truly is, as well as accept that he loves him, faults and all.

I hope readers will enjoy my portrayal of Lucifer as well.



Falling into Darkness by L.M. Brown
A  Male/Male Romance

Blurb:

Their love could save the soul of a fallen angel or damn an archangel to an eternity in Hell.

The realm of angels was created as a paradise where angels could watch over the earth as mankind took his first steps. For the archangel Michael, it is the only home he has ever known and he could never envisage another life. Michael’s life changes the day his path crosses that of the favoured son of the morning. From the moment he sees him, Michael wants Lucifer for his own. When the two angels come together the passion surprises them both.

Their love is forged in Heaven, but is doomed the moment Lucifer falls from grace to become the leader of an army of demons.

Separated by war, the former lovers know the time will come when they must face each other in battle.

Their confrontation will set in motion events that neither could have foreseen. For Lucifer it is the chance to persuade Michael to stand at his side, as his partner as leader of the demons. For Michael, it is a mission to save his lover’s soul, while risking his own.

Torn between his love for Lucifer and his duties as an angel, Michael walks a fine line, where one wrong step could result in his own fall from Heaven, and an eternity in Hell.

Excerpt:

Across the table from him, Gabriel’s jaw dropped in apparent surprise as he stared at something over Michael’s shoulder.
Next to him, Raphael twisted in his seat and his expression morphed into one of shock too.
Michael wondered what might be happening behind him, yet he couldn’t move a muscle to see for himself. His spine tingled and he had the strangest sensation someone was staring straight at him.
“What is it?” he whispered, and in the silence of the room even his quiet question seemed obnoxiously loud.
“The son of the morning,” Gabriel murmured as he set Michael’s plate back in front of him with a shaky hand. “Lucifer.”
Michael must have misheard. Lucifer never came into the communal areas of Heaven. He, along with the other favorites, remained solitary, rarely associating with the rest of the angels, and never in a crowded setting such as this.
Slowly, barely able to draw breath, Michael faced the entrance.
Lucifer stood in the archway, the morning sun behind him. There could be no mistaking his silhouette for that of another.
In the brightness of the light, Michael couldn’t tell what Lucifer searched for, at least not for sure. Only his instincts told him Lucifer had eyes for him, and him alone.
Slowly, Lucifer strolled into the room. Every angel in his path stepped aside to let him pass. Some bowed their heads respectfully, but he didn’t acknowledge their deference in any way.
Finally he arrived at Michael’s table and came to a halt.
“Good morning,” Lucifer said.
“I…” Michael mumbled, once again silently cursing his ineptitude.
“I see you still have trouble forming sentences,” Lucifer commented. “Let us hope you can manage more than a single word by this evening.”
“Er…”
Raphael gathered his wits together first and rose to make a sweeping bow. “Great angel, welcome to our table. Won’t you join us and partake of the fruits?”
Lucifer spared the archangel a momentary glance. “I have already eaten this morning.”
Raphael didn’t seem to know what to say, so he sat back down with a bump.
Lucifer returned his attention to Michael. “This evening, at sunset.”
“Where?” Michael asked, his voice croaking embarrassingly.
“Rumor has it your beach is quite pleasant.”
Michael nodded, not trusting his voice enough to try speaking again.
“Tonight then, Michael,” Lucifer said, before sweeping away in a flurry of robes, everyone once again stepping aside to make way for him.
“The son of the morning knows your name?” Gabriel asked as soon as Lucifer had gone. “Is he the one you’ve been meeting each dawn?”
Michael ducked his head. “I wouldn’t say I was meeting him, exactly.”
“But you have been with him in the mornings?” Raphael pressed. “You kept that quiet.”
There would be no escaping the interrogation and Michael accepted he had to come clean.
“I couldn’t sleep one night and ended up walking through the lands to the north of here. I chanced upon Lucifer coming to the pool of jewels one dawn. It seems he visits there most mornings.”
“And you’ve been at the pool with him,” Gabriel concluded.
“I wouldn’t say with him,” Michael mumbled. “I just happen to be in the area at the same time.”
“Just happen?” Raphael chuckled and leaned in to whisper. “I heard a rumor that when Lucifer is diving for jewels he disrobes completely.”
Michael’s face heated again.
Gabriel roared with laughter. “You’ve been spying on Lucifer?”
“I wouldn’t call it spying,” Michael replied.
“But everyone else would,” Raphael teased. “Oh, Michael, what would we do without you to keep us entertained?”
Raphael and Gabriel laughed and teased him for a little while longer, until Gabriel asked the question that had been bothering Michael ever since Lucifer’s appearance.
“If all you’ve been doing is ogling him, how did Lucifer know your name?”
Michael shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe I projected it telepathically without realizing.”
“Or maybe he’s been watching you too?” Raphael suggested.

Buy Links


Falling into Darkness will also be available at Amazon, All Romance Ebooks and other online stores from 13th December 2016. 

Bio:

L.M. Brown is an English writer of gay romances.  She believes that there is nothing hotter or sweeter than two men in love with each other… unless it is three.

When L.M. Brown isn’t bribing her fur babies for control of the laptop, she can usually be found with her nose in a book.

Where to find L.M. Brown:

Twitter - @LMBrownAuthor

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for having me here. Sorry I am visiting a few days late.