Guest Post: Devil Take Me Anthology with C.S. Poe

Today I am so pleased to welcome C.S. Poe to Joyfully Jay. C.S. has come to talk to us about her latest release, the Devil Take Me anthology. Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

Hello, friends! I’m C.S. Poe, one of the contributing authors in the devilish wicked anthology, Devil Take Me. I’m absolutely honored to be printed alongside some of the most talented paranormal and urban fantasy authors in our genre, including Jordan L. Hawk, Ginn Hale, TA Moore, Rhys Ford, and Jordan Castillo Price.

I’m mostly known for my mysteries, but when I get the opportunity, I love diving headfirst into the bizarre. In 11:59, Asuka Kawashima is a former officer of the NYPD. He’s become a vigilante of sorts—hunting grotesque monsters born from the nightmares of humans that have steadily been taking over New York City.

In an urban jungle where residents fear the night, where sleep is restless, and anyone can become a victim once they begin dreaming, Asuka stands alone. A deal with the Devil has left him immune to the nightmares, as he had his ability to dream be removed in order to keep protecting humanity. But the Devil also took Asuka’s abstract sense of dreaming, which has left him a shell of a man. This alone—the ability to hope and love and dream of a future—is reason enough for Asuka to do the Devil a favor in return for his soul.

I drew on a lot of inspiration from Greek mythology when writing 11:59. It was so much fun to pull books off my shelves and peruse the pages, looking for those wonderful, minute details that would bridge the world of Classical Greek characters and storytelling with my gritty New York City, all while being able to take artistic liberties necessary for a modern urban environment. Here are a few personalities and elements relevant to my novella.

Thanatos: Personification of Death.

Hypnos: Personification of Sleep.

River Styx: The principal river of the Greek Underworld—a boundary between the world of the dead and the world of the living. The ferryman, Charon, carried the souls of the recently deceased over the waters. Although many Greek heroes, including Odysseus and Heracles, visited the Underworld via Charon’s ferry, in order to complete tasks as part of their epic journeys.

Poppies: A flower associated with both Thanatos and Hypnos. In Greek mythology, the brothers are presented as wearing crowns made of poppies.

Gates of Horn & Ivory: Due to the similarity of ancient Greek words, such as ‘horn’ and ‘fulfill’ compared to ‘ivory’ and ‘deceive’ the wordplay was used in such literary works as The Odyssey, to express dreams had by characters and whether they could be considered true or false. Unfortunately, this play on words cannot be preserved in modern English.

Orpheus & Eurydice: Although the lovers’ story can differ, as Plato presents Orpheus as a coward and mocker of the Gods, and Virgil paints him as a much more romantic hero, the most commonly taught story is that his new and beloved wife, Eurydice, dies after being bitten by a snake. Orpheus travels to the Underworld to bring her back, and Hades allows this only if Orpheus takes her hand and does not look at her until they’ve reached the world of the living. Unfortunately, just as Orpheus sets foot upon the earth and turns to help Eurydice, he breaks his promise by looking at her and she’s lost to the Underworld forever.

I hope this has interested you in 11:59 and that you enjoy our anthology on October 16th! Thank you so much for your support.

C.S. Poe

Tour:

10/10/18 – My Fiction Nook: Jordan L. Hawk
10/11/18 – It’s About the Book: TA Moore
10/12/18 – Love Bytes Reviews: Ginn Hale
10/13/18 – Joyfully Jay Reviews: C.S. Poe
10/15/18 – Two Chicks Obsessed: Rhys Ford
10/16/18 – The Novel Approach Reviews: Jordan Castillo Price

Blurb

Devil Take Me

Temptation lurks around every corner in worlds sometimes dark, sometimes lurid. Giving in is both dangerous and satisfying, though never in the ways one expects. While these enticements offer a vast range of benefits and boons, the cost is a soul and the devil expects his due. Sometimes suave and charming or calculating and cruel, these devils have schemes and desires of their own. They can be creatures to run away from… or toward.

Join the most unique and celebrated authors of LGBT urban fantasy and paranormal fiction for a fast-paced and unpredictable ride, from a city on the other side of reality, to a world suspended in dusk, to a twisted version of the 1960s and 70s.

Meet devils in top hats and waistcoats, a defrocked motorcycle-riding priest, and a genderfluid antihero—among many more. Full of humor, romance, horror, action, intrigue, and magic, these stories have one common element….

They’re one hell of a good time.

11:59

Asuka Kawashima is a man without dreams.

Nightmares plague humanity and cross into the waking world—chasing after their dreamers and transforming them into hideous monsters that haunt New York City at night. When Asuka is faced with the choice between dying or selling his soul to the Devil, he offers it in exchange for the chance to continue protecting people. But the Devil is sly, and while he takes Asuka’s ability to dream, making him immune to nightmares, it also removed Asuka’s abstract sense of dreaming. Now life is gray, hopeless, and without wishes.

A chance meeting five years later leads Asuka to Merrick Grace, a man who, despite the dismal world around them, still believes there will be a day when monsters cease to exist. When the Devil reappears, asking for a favor in return for his soul, Asuka must make another difficult decision…

If the chance to dream again—to share a life with Merrick, full of hope and happiness—is worth the risk of almost certain death.

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Bio

C.S. Poe is a Lambda Literary and EPIC award finalist author of gay mystery, romance, and paranormal books.

She is a reluctant mover and has called many places home in her lifetime. C.S. has lived in New York City, Key West, and Ibaraki, Japan, to name a few. She misses the cleanliness, convenience, and limited-edition gachapon of Japan, but she was never very good at riding bikes to get around.

She has an affinity for all things cute and colorful and a major weakness for toys. C.S. is an avid fan of coffee, reading, and cats. She’s rescued two cats—Milo and Kasper do their best on a daily basis to sidetrack her from work.

C.S. is a member of the International Thriller Writers organization.

Her debut novel, The Mystery of Nevermore, was published by DSP Publications, 2016.