This month we are spotlighting a wonderful series of books by fantasy writer Diana Rowland. They all take place in the South, not far from New Orleans, and I found that the feel of the deep south with its traditions of voodoo and old world magic are a big part of the feel of these books.

Her main character, Kara is a fragile and yet tough woman who has managed to find her way in the world mostly by kicking down her own fears and by finding her strength in herself. It is an enormously attractive trait for a central women figure in a book and I found myself rooting for her to succeed almost out loud as I read the series.

If you love strong women in your books, if you love an unusual take on the concept of vampires, demons and the paranormal, then you will love this series. Rowland takes us to new places and new lands, while leaving us firmly rooted here in the Deep South of an America that has come to realize that it takes more than raw power to survive. Sometimes it takes cunning as well.

Book 1: Mark of the Demon

Beaulac Louisiana has its share of paranormal creatures, including demons, but they aren’t as much trouble for Homicide Detective Kara Gillian as they are for other cops. That is because she is a Summoner of Demons, which comes in very handy when the mysterious serial killer they call the Symbol Man returns to the town after a three year hiatus. But the traces of arcane power found on a victim’s body points to his return, and with it he brings a nightmare the town had hoped was gone forever.

Kara’s special abilities to see and deal with a world most don’t even know exists make her uniquely qualified to stop the Symbol Man from killing again. She doesn’t always reveal this strange second sight, but the few who are close to her in time come to know and understand her unique strength in the world where demons are more than just creatures from your nightmares.

But this time it may not be enough as she finds herself summoning a creature she may not be able to control. Violent, dangerous and ultimately sensual beyond belief, he is a lord in his world and a power to reckon with in ours. But Kara must find a way to stop the killing as well as discover why a demonic lord of unreal beauty is haunting her dreams and invading her life. And then there is that FBI agent that seems to be always a few steps away. Why does he shake her up so much, and how is it he seems to understand her almost by instinct? Is he really what he seems and how does this agent fit into her world? Could she finally be taking on more than she can handle?

Book 2: Blood of the Demon

With the strange case of the Symbol Man finally taken care of and Demon Lord Rhyzkahl seemingly banished from her dreams, Detective Kara Gillian may finally breathe a sigh of relief and return to a normal life. That is, if she was capable of having a life that resembles normal to anyone. But then, as we soon discover, she has never really had any kind of a normal life even as a child, so why should that change now?

Kara has decided to use her arcane abilities to summon the life essence of her beloved aunt so she can return it to her body. To do so however, she must enlist the aid of the Demon Lord, and that will involve bringing him, and all his terrible sensual beauty, back into her life again. Even if she denies that this is what she is doing, or how much she wants it.

But that irritatingly stubborn FBI agent Ryan Kristoff seems to be not only in her life, but in some way involved in the demon world as well. Even his fellow agent Zack can’t tell her what it is that makes Ryan so familiar with the demon world. As she begins her investigation into several local deaths, clues that show a relationship to the world of the demon kind begin to link the deaths in ways she had not anticipated, or liked. The links lead her to political corruption of the human variety just as the Demon Lord complicates matters by asking her to practice her summoning arts on his behalf. It is an offer she will have a hard time turning down, even if it is a dangerous decision. But then, Kara has become good at making dangerous decisions lately.

Book 3: Secrets of the Demon

Kara returns in this third book in the series working alongside FBI partners Ryan and Zack in the Supernatural Task Force, but something isn’t right. She knows they must be on this special force with her for a reason, but they aren’t about to tell her what that reason is. One thing she knows for certain, it isn’t because they have her ability to deal with the demon world; they are obviously human. Or are they? Somehow she is beginning to have her doubts, and isn’t entirely sure how she feels about it.

Meanwhile, Kara has pledged her word to the Demon Lord and he holds it to her, leading to some very odd and yet interesting full moons together. Beyond the deeper understanding of just who and what the Demon Lord is, he has also proven himself by saving the life of her partner. But now she owes him, and that is never a good thing, because a Demon Lord will always expect a favor in return. And just to make matters a little more complicated, there are a string of murders to solve, tied together by the usual money and sex along with rock and roll and…mud! They would be easier to solve is she knew she could trust her agents, but she isn’t even sure if she knows what they are, let alone who.

Book 4: Sins of the Demon

We return once again to Louisiana,as Kara continues her struggle to solve unusual crimes along with her fellow agents in the Supernatural Task Force. Of course, this wouldn’t have anything to do with her arcane ability to summon demons, would it? She begins to see that the ones we call demons are more like us then you would think, and have their own struggles in their world. And then there is the relationship with the demon lord, may put a bit of a crimp in her plans, but nothing she can’t deal with. Or so she tries to convince herself every time she calls him to her.

Meantime, it appears that someone is trying to make her look even more dangerous than she is, as people who have caused her pain in the past begin to drop like flies, and no one knows why. Things look more suspicious with each new body they find, and Kara is getting no closer to the truth. It is time for her to prove her innocence to both humans and demons, but first she must determine for herself just how innocent she really is. She follows her dreams, and they take her to answers she may wish she had never discovered. The task becomes a matter of life and death as she works to save her own life in a battle against time and hell itself in a conclusion that will shock you and leave you breathless for the next battle.

Coming Soon

I am sure you will be as taken by these books as I was. This is a talented writer who knows how to pull you into her stories and then pull the rug out from under you just as you get too complacent in thinking you know everything. Stay tuned as we continue to explore her storytelling with a look at her Zombie series next week and then our interview with Diana the following week. We will conclude the month with Diana jumping in with her own guest post. I can’t wait! See you then!