But eventually she met Eric, her true love, and after years of being a Battle Couple, they decided to retire, marry, and pursue a normal life.
Kate's now on her second husband due to Eric's sudden but tragic death. She has daughter Allie, just about to turn fourteen, and son Timmy, aged two. And her past Buffy-type lifestyle is about to come home to roost. Can a mom with two kids and a bunch of housewife responsibilities keep Santa Diablo safe from demonkind's evil machinations?
That's the question Julie Kenner's Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom answers, often hilariously.
So far, the series consists of:
- Carpe Demon
- California Demon
- Demons Are Forever
- Deja Demon
- Demon Ex Machina
This series contains examples of:
- Alliterative Title: Deja Demon.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Kate gets pissed at demonkind for attacking her in her home, leaving mysterious artifacts around, and making her late for the only date her daughter is likely to invite her to.
- Back from the Dead: Kate's first husband, Eric, who is occupying the body of David Long, Allie's chemistry teacher.
- Bad Ass Family: Kate, Eddie, Allie and Eric.
- Bratty Teenage Daughter: Allie and her best friend Mindy slide close to this on some occasions.
- The Chosen One: Eric-in-David's-body
- Chekhov's Gun: One per book:
- Kate herself in the first book
- The bag full of saints' bones in the second.
- Eric's ring in the third.
- David/Eric himself in the fourth.
- Counting to Three: She does have a toddler.
- Daddy's Girl: Allie, to her biological father, Eric.
- Dead Man Writing: from Eric by way of a secret bank account & safe deposit box
- Disappeared Dad: Eric, Kate's first husband
- Disposable Man: Eric. Kate slips into
wangsty reminiscences of him multiple times a book. - Eye Scream: Stabbing a demon through the eyes is the best way to kill them.
- Family Versus Career: but the career is, in this case, demon hunting.
- Fantastic Medicinal Bodily Product: Ground saints' bones can reverse death.
- Feminine Women Can Cook: Subverted. Kate has a small handful of dishes she can make well, but what she makes best is orders from the local market/caterers.
- Full-Name Ultimatum: Mother of two, it's only to be expected, particularly when one is a teenager.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Kate is a blonde, and cute and wholesome, continuing to hunt demons because it will keep her family and friends safe — virtuous!
- Half-Human Hybrid: Eric/David. Apparently he was unaware of his nature until it was exposed in Deja Demon.
- Happily Married: Kate and Eric. Not so much with Laura and her husband. and potentially not so much with Stuart and Kate.
- Hell-Bent for Leather: Nadia.
- Honorary Uncle: Grandfather, actually, in the person of Eddie though Kate has allowed the family to believe there's a blood connection through Eric, Eddie is just another hunter.
- Housewife: Kate was one happily before demons came to town. Now she juggles housewifery with demon hunting.
- Improbable Infant Survival: Timmy, the youngest kid in the series, is most fiercely protected by Kate. Other kids may or may not survive, but they're usually high school age, and therefore nearly adults.
- Improvised Weapon: Kate tends to wear barettes with metal clasps; good for stabbing demon possessed humans in the eye.
- Love at First Sight: Kate and Eric.
- Love Triangle: Eric/David —> <— Kate —> <— Stuart
- Make It Look Like an Accident: Since the world at large doesn't know about or believe in demons, Kate has to do this to avoid going to jail for murder when she takes out a demon.
- Mama Bear: Kate, natch.
- Married to the Job: Stuart has a bit of this problem. And so does Kate.
- Muggles: Stuart, Laura's husband, their daughters, and pretty much everybody but the Forza Scura, the reason Kate lies and the reason she has to Make It Look Like an Accident or self defense when she kills a demon.
- Muggle Best Friend: Laura
- Our Souls Are Different
- Demons can cohabit with people who have been tempted because the soul is willing to permit it.
- People who are of strong religious faith will, even at the moment of death, stick around and fight; to keep a demon out of their body until the body will no longer accept the presence of a life force.
- Real Women Don't Wear Dresses: Kate, being a mom of a toddler, tends toward sweats and jeans except for when she has to wear dresses for her political aspirant husband's dinner parties.
- On the other hand, she's come to appreciate the piercing ability of a good set of stiletto heels applied to a demon container's eye.
- Red Herring: one a book.
- Religion is Magic: Holy Water will hurt/burn demons, even if it's only a couple drops in a glass of water or on a baby wipe.
- Romancing the Widow: Stuart marrying Kate.
- Running Gag: The family cars keep getting destroyed by demons.
- Seeking Sanctuary: Churches are safe ground from demons, and a lot of the important artifacts belonging to the Church are kept there.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: Kate and Laura both can pull off thirtysomething devastating hotness when they set their minds to it.
- Smitten Teenage Girl: Allie for her chemistry teacher. And pretty much anything male. But it only lasts until she gets in on her mother's secret. Then there are more important things to focus on.
- Stood Up: The captain of the surf team does this to Allie in California Demon.
- Sword Cane: David's cane has a sword in it.
- Tampering with Food and Drink: Kate slips some holy water into the glass of a man she suspects to be demon possessed in Deja Demon.
- Tell Me About My Father: Allie, since Eric was her father, not Stuart, and it's been years since his death.
- Theme Naming: All the book titles are Pun Based Titles that are also Shout Outs, that with "Demon" in it.
- With This Ring: Kate and Laura have conversations about Kate's fidelity and whether she's ever taken her wedding ring off since marrying Stuart.
- Allie wore a ring of her dead father's on a chain around her neck.
