The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns

By Elizabeth Leiknes

Lucy Burns wants a normal life, and she could have it all if only she could break free from the job she hates.

That job? Facilitator to hell.

And her boss is a real devil.

Sassy, fun, and wickedly funny, The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns is a fast and stunning read perfect for any occasion. Elizabeth Leiknes’s fresh writing and comic wit will stick with you long after you've put the book down.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bancroft Press
• Release date: Nov 18, 2009
• ISBN: 9781890862725

Elizabeth Leiknes

Elizabeth Leiknes grew up in rural Iowa and can make thirty-seven dishes featuring corn. She graduated from the University of Iowa before receiving her master’s in writing from the University of Nevada, Reno. Her previous two novels received starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist. She lives with her husband and two children near Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

Reviews for The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns

[sylvie7fox_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book a lot less than a lot of others. It was breezy, and cute in a short story expansion kind of way. Kind of meh, for me though. Not a keeper. I'll definitely swap it for something else.

[tahoegirl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A quick and enjoyable read, but without much substance.

[jmchshannon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was the first book I read for the April 2010 24-Hour Read-a-Thon. I picked it up at 8 AM on Saturday morning and finished it roughly ninety minutes later. I might not have been fully awake when I first started reading it, but there is something about Lucy and her plight that makes one forget about needing coffee and completely absorbs your thoughts. Ms. Leiknes did a fantastic job of presenting a classic good versus evil morality tale, with her own added twist. Lucy is funny, likeable, and snarky. The snark definitely lightens the message but allows the reader to relate to Lucy, even if she can eat all the chocolate she wants without gaining weight. At 167 pages, there does not appear to be much there, but Ms. Leiknes does a tremendous job of raising questions - what makes people good versus evil? Is it one's job, one's thoughts, one's actions, one's intentions, or a combination thereof? In addition, she demonstrates very clearly that one should also be careful of what one wishes - in a very literal sense. More importantly, she presents a great lesson on empathy and the need to always get to know the full story before making assumptions. The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns is deliciously fun in its snarkiness, but it does have a very serious message about having it all and being careful for what you wish. This is no fairy tale in the Disney sense but rather a tale for today's age - one where the bad and the good guys are difficult to discern. A quick read, I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a lighthearted good versus evil story. Lucy Burns will charm her way into any reader's heart!

[thetometraveller · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Who would have the nastiness, the evil, the just plain meanness to take advantage of a ten year old kid's plea for help? Satan would, that's who!When Lucy's sister, Ellen, has a terrible accident, Lucy turns to their playhouse mailbox. She leaves a note, a plea really, for the survival of her sister. Her only mistake was a certain vagueness in addressing it: "To Whom it May Concern" is not very exact, unfortunately. But it got a reply, and her sister recovered.As the years went by, Lucy managed to forget about that reply, and the creepy "I'll be in touch" included within it. She even managed to overlook the birthday phone calls that she received thereafter, the ones that asked what she wished for and somehow granted those wishes, even when the wishes were for a prettier face and bigger boobs.Then, in her first year of college, the Devil came to collect his due. Lucy was placed in his ranks as a "facilitator." There are some high points: she never ages, can eat anything she wants without gaining a pound. And she gets to do away with the some really evil humans, sending them down her basement stairs to hell. But the drawbacks are huge. She has to sever her link with her family, for fear of causing them harm. And she is not allowed to have a close relationship with a man, no boyfriends, husband, children, nothing like that. She is lonely.After years of serving as Satan's minion, Lucy's luck turns one day when she learns that there is a way out. A loophole. By fulfilling three tasks, she can return to her normal life and be free of the job, and the boss, that she hates. But, of course, the tasks are not easy. They take ingenuity and courage, will Lucy have enough of both to break the bargain that she made when she was just a kid?This book was such fun! It is well written, has some hilarious scenes and a truly likable heroine. The story moves along at a brisk pace, it is a short book that just speeds by. The whole thing is charming and quirky, it even contains some nods to classic literature. Try not to like this book...go ahead, try. I'll bet you won't be able to. It is lovable. I, for one, will be fascinated to see where Elizabeth Leiknes takes us next.

[jcmontgomery · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The first thing I noted about this novel, and one that I had to think hard over, is it’s genre. I’ve never had such a hard time figuring out where this book belongs other than under the great-granddaddy of them all: Fiction.There is romance, but it isn’t the focus. There is paranormal, but again, not truly what this is about. Chick lit? Probably the closest as the protagonist is a woman.However, when you come down to it, it’s about hope and redemption. Common themes that affect us all. I asked the author about this and loved her answer."Lucy’s predicament needed to be dismal in order for us to fear for her, but at the end of the day the hope that Lucy will find a way out, find peace in all areas of her life, is what makes readers keep reading. I think that’s what keeps all of us going: that no matter what we’ve done, tomorrow is always a new day. We can wallow in it and become a victim, or confront it and make a change."Lucy Burns just wants to be like everyone else. Something we’ve probably said to ourselves at one time or another. The problem? At the age of eleven she unwittingly makes a deal with “Whom It May Concern”. And yes, it is that kind of deal.Upon turning eighteen she is expected to begin holding up her end of the bargain. So then, what does one do when becoming a Facilitator to hell? Sure, she’s ageless and beautiful, but she can never see her family again, have a boyfriend, a family of her own. She must spend eternity damning people to hell.Quite a job description and a helluva predicament. (Couldn’t resist that one, sorry).This is not what she wanted, regardless of the perks. She misses her life, or at least what it should be. Seeing it happen all around her, reminded constantly by her best friend and young son of what she is missing, she feels trapped by a bad choice and an ever increasing sense of hopelessness.Until she meets one man who gives her a glimmer of hope, and another who makes her believe redemption is possible.All good plots offer a challenge and keep the reader caring about what happens, hoping it will be resolved in a way that will leave them satisfied. This is Lucy, and the author’s opportunity, to take that chance and make it work. Both do, and take the reader on a wild ride, and at one point, quite literally.I have to tell you, this book is not as dark as it sounds. Laced throughout are passages and moments that had me laughing out loud. So much so, that while watching my son bowl I drew stares. Have you ever been in a bowling alley during league play? Yeah, I was laughing that hard.Lucy is special. We all are in our own way. This book is about finding that uniqueness, embracing it, owning it, and using it as the foundation for making our lives better. Hope is part of this, as well as love. It’s these two things that in the end, when faced with the ultimate choice, we rely upon to help us make the right one. Or so we hope.This is as much of a spoiler you’re going to get.The ending is unexpected and expected at the same time. I had to go back and re-read it because I was so excited, I flew through the narrative much too quickly.I did feel that some things are left unresolved or seemingly forgotten, but this is so minor I feel I would have to point it out for most to notice.For a debut novel, Leiknes has garnered some well-deserved attention. I wish it were more. As I said at the end of the interview I posted, I wish her much success and hope to see her other novels soon. I think the highest compliment I can pay her is that no matter how long it takes is fine with me. She is worth the wait.

[mjmbecky · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting concept for a novel, wherein the main heroine is a representative of the devil (or, so we assume), ushering the evil off to hell. In this process, she's given up her entire life and yearns for more fulfillment. While I would have enjoyed more of a set up in the beginning so that I really got what Lucy was doing, I did think the story was engaging and fast-paced. It is an extremely short little novel, but is interesting and engaging.

[anovelmenagerie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The StoryLucy Burns has not exactly made the best decisions… in fact, she’s accidentally killed her sister’s cat and made a deal with the devil… both of which were completely unintentional yet creating lasting effects on her life. No, it’s not such a great start to life, if you ask me! Now Lucy’s reality is one that she never truly wanted in the first place and she would do almost anything to escape it.Although Lucy is gorgeous, timeless, and powerful, she wants for nothing other than a normal life with its normal flaws and pitfalls. If she eats that entire chocolate cake, she wants it to reflect in her hips. She wants to see those fine lines around her eyes and experience saggy boobs. Lucy wants to find love and not just exist as a sex goddess. She longs to see her family again. And, I’m sure, Lucy would love to have a dog that eats bones and not people. When Lucy meets her musical idol, Teddy Nightingale, she learns that there is a loophole in her deal with the devil. She can get out of this deal, after all. But, the terms under which she has to get out of her contract are seemingly impossible… despite that, she’ll go to nearly any lengths to achieve her freedom.The ReviewElizabth Leiknes blended chick lit and the supernatural into a spicy novella that was a fun little trist on a Sunday afternoon. After a long nap and in a quiet house, I put on my favorite fuzzy socks and immersed myself into a crazy tale of the unbelievable. I’ve wondered if I made a deal with the devil, sold my soul away for that greatness, what would it be that I would want for? Would it be fame, riches, or physical perfection? For Lucy, she was given the ability to be irresistible, brilliant, and gorgeous. I’ll admit that sounds fun… for a day or two. But, what this story reminded me is that my real life, flawed an all, is far greater than anything that I could wish or trade for.That’s right… I’ll keep my poochy tummy, my adult acne, my argumentative kids, and my debt and live a life with purpose and with God guiding it. There is great evil in our world and it often wins out over good. People lie, steal, cheat, and murder… there is both an invisible and visible evil presence living and breathing amongst us. Part of walking a spiritual and good life is avoiding that evil and living for the love inside you. That’s what this tale reminded me, today. The bad guys, they’ll get theirs and I’ll leave my justice up to God… he does a much greater job at it than I do.What else did this sinful little novel bring me? Simply, a fun little escape and a story in which I could do nothing but completely root for good over evil. You know… like Star Wars or ET… a story where you get lost to the fight and are absorbed in the fiction of.On Sher’s “Out of Ten Scale:” I’m a huge fan of the novella… this is the 3rd I’ve reviewed this year. I just love getting a concisely written story that I can engulf in one reading. The novella seems to bring across the message of the story across stronger and faster than that of the 400-pager. Comparable… I think to a 30-minute show to a made-for-tv movie… if you know what I mean. I believe that Leiknes had a clever idea in creating Lucy Burns and her plight from the devil. She’s, at heart, a good girl trapped in bad circumstances. What could you not like about Lucy??? She’s just trying to be person she was born to be.Elizabeth Leiknes and Lucy Burns get from me a rating, genre: Fiction:Novella, an 8 OUT OF 10. If you are spending the day at the pool… grab this read and get lost for a couple of hours in a story of the believable, unbelievable!

[quzy_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A Devilishly Fun Read!Lucy Burns just wants a normal life. She's gorgeous, forever young and can eat all the chocolate she wants and not get fat! What's so bad about that?! Well, those are some of the perks of the job she has, but she also can never see her family again, never have a boyfriend and must spend her entire life leading sinners to justice! (That last part isn't so bad really)... What's her job?! Lucy Burns is a Facilitator to HELL! (Hell now located behind her basement door!) And her boss is "a real devil"!When Lucy was 11 her sister Ellen had a horrible accident and ended up in the hospital in a coma. Desperate to save her, Lucy wrote a note:To Whom It May Concern:...Make Ellen wake up and I'll be forever in your debt.Sincerely,Lucy BurnsShe went out in the middle of the night to her & Ellen's magic mailbox, that was in front of their playhouse and usually saved for Dear Santa letters, put the note in, raised the flag and crossed her fingers. By morning "a miracle" had happened and Ellen was fine! Feeling foolish, Lucy raced out to the mailbox to destroy the letter. But her letter was not there. Instead there was a new note:Dear Lucy,It's a deal... I'll be in touch.Sincerely,"To Whom It May Concern"And with that Lucy's fate was sealed. But after 19 years as the devil's check-out girl, she misses her family, would like some steady companionship and has become a bit bored with her routine. She wants out! Eternity is eternity, right?! Not so fast....She may be able to retire after all!... Lucy found a loophole! But it won't be easy and she'll have to follow her heart along the way....I liked The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns! It was fun, sassy and a quick read. A kind of chick-lit with a dark side. How could it not be 'dark' with a job like hers- facilitator to the devil? (Of course going to Squeaky's car wash makes her feel cleansed after a tough day at work!) But in essence Lucy is a single girl struggling to make a life for herself. She's gotten herself into this tough situation and is trying to dig her way out. Along the way, we see her frustrations with her job (it's really not so fun leading sinners to their end all the time and accidents DO happen!), and her personal life (boyfriends aren't allowed but men can still be tempting!) and her success at having a best friend even though she has to lie to her constantly about what's going on 'at work'. We begin to root for Lucy in being able to lead a normal life, and her antics in getting there are what makes this book so much fun! She is a great character! And you will be entertained! I recommend you put The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns by Elizabeth Leiknes in your beach bag this summer!

[cherylk_44 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When Lucy Burns was eleven years old, her sister Ellen was out riding her bike and was struck by a truck. Ellen lay in a coma. The odds of her surviving were slim to non. It would take a miracle. Ellen and Lucy had an old mailbox in their backyard that they would pretend was magical. Lucky sat down and wrote a letter to the attention of To Whom It May Concern. In the letter she asked for Ellen to wake up and in return Lucy would be forever in To Whom It May Concern's debt. A reply was sent saying done and To Whom It May Concern would be in contact with Lucy again some day. That was many years ago. Now Lucy is all grown up and has a job working for the devil himself. She is a facilitator to hell. That means she when it is a bad person's time to go, she helps them along. Lucky for he, she has a gateway to hell down in her basement. Working for the devil does have some perks but there are also down falls. The perks are that you always score some killer birthday presents but the down side is that working for the devil is hard on a relationship; in fact you can pretty much count on yourself being single for the rest of your life. You won't believe it but the devil is job driven and doesn't want his employees getting distracted from their goal...providing people with a one-way ticket to hell. So when Lucy meets Luke Marshall, a professor at the university, Lucy knows it won't work between them or will it? Luke just may be the perfect man for Lucy as he is blind. Before Lucy can even think about starting something with Luke, she must first find a way to quit her job. Teddy Nightingale, Lucy's idol shares with her three steps on how to turn in your notice for good but it won't be easy. What a fun, charming and hilarious story new author Elizabeth Leiknes has conjured up with The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns. I found myself chuckling many times and even reading some of the moments to my husband. You would think that after working for the devil for as long as she has that she would be sinister and as twisted as he is but no Lucy has this innocent about her that makes her so appealing, that you can't help but fall in love with her. Besides who could find fault with anyone for disposing the world of evil with a one way ticket to hell. I have to admit that my sinful delight was enjoying The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns. Elizabeth Leiknes has made a name for herself with this book and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

[sharongoforth · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lucy Burns has what every woman wants - money, clothes, and a great body.  What Lucy Burns wants is what she can't have - contact with her family or a boyfriend.  Why?  Because of a letter she wrote as a child, offering to do anything to save her sister Ellen who had been hit by a truck.  What she received in return was a job.  Her boss?  The Devil.  In the trade off that gave Ellen her life back, Lucy became a facilitator - assisting persons destined for the lower regions through her firey basement door. When Lucy falls in love with a professor, she begins to realize exactly what she has been missing all these years  and starts looking for a way out of her contract.  She finds it in the most unlikely way, via her favorite pop star Teddy Nightingale.  But getting out of the contract isn't as easy as Lucy thinks, and she will be forced to wrestle with herself in determining whether what she wants is best for those she truly cares about.In The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns, Elizabeth Leiknes gives readers a modern day Faustian tale with a comedic twist.  If you don't mind your humor a little on the dark side, then you will find this an interesting alternative to the normal beach read.  Perfect for summer, it is fast paced, clever, and gives a good bit of food for thought about priorities while providing some escapism.