"World on Fire" Fireplace Teaser

One more excerpt for World on Fire. This novel is available now! 

Buy it from Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, or many other online merchants. 

The story had a paranormal element to it I haven't alluded much to during the release. Lucian is far from a regular artist. The few reviews have been positive and I'm thrilled readers have enjoyed Lucian's world.

--

“I hope you don’t fear the dark,” he whispered. Cole opened his mouth to question the statement but stopped with a shock when a crack of thunder rattled the windows and the house was plunged into darkness.

Had Lucian known? Cole blinked, trying to force his eyes to adjust to the darkness more quickly. 

“Will Victoria be all right in the kitchen?” Cole asked to take his mind off the situation.  

“She has eyes like a cat,” Lucian replied. “It’s a family trait.” 

Cole accepted the lack of concern and watched the candles’ flames flicker. Back to the interview. He cleared his throat. “You were speaking about your world here.”

Lucian leaned forward and slid the candleholder closer. “I’m now convinced you don’t understand, Mr. Saunders.” He ran his finger through the first candle’s flame, sending sparks that faded so quickly Cole was sure his eyes had made it up. “I thought for a moment you would.”

“What don’t I understand?” Cole asked.

Lucian placed his hand behind the flame to block the other candles and blew softly, extinguishing the fire. The wick sent up smoke, and Lucian blew on the wispy line. Cole’s eyes widened slightly at the sight. The thin line of smoke twisted upward and split paths to take on an unnatural appearance. Cole closed his eyes and rubbed them. The smoke had almost resembled a twisting snake. 

 “I’ll try my best to understand, but you have me confused about what I’m supposed to understand, Lucian.” 

“Hmm.” Lucian touched the middle candle. This time Cole was sure the sparks were real, and he remembered the brief sight of glittering light in the basement. The sight was similar, if not the same.  

“What was that?” Cole asked with a gasp. “The flame sparked.” 

“It’s speaking to me,” Lucian whispered. He leaned forward and once again blew out the flame. The smoke twisted upward, split, and mingled in the air. The snake appearance deepened in detail. Cole gasped in awe. The shape wasn’t a snake but a long Chinese dragon.  The head took a defined shape and the long body had legs. The dim light from the fireplace made it difficult to tell if it had been real or an illusion.

“How are you doing that?” Cole could hardly find his voice.

Lucian chuckled and moved to the third candle. “This is my world.” He pinched out the last flame.

World on Fire excerpt: lobsters

The object was dinner. At least that’s what Cole had been told. The live, twitching sea creature squirmed in Lucian’s grasp. The lobster’s claws were safely held closed by rubber bands, and there was quite a distance of safety between him and the lobster, but Cole still leaned away.

“You want to name it before you kill it?” Cole questioned dishearteningly.

Lucian turned the lobster to look at what Cole assumed would be the face area. “Naming this dinner does go against our discussion yesterday about speaking animals and being unable to kill dinner. Of course, this creature does not speak.”

“Or does it speak and you simply do not have the ears to understand it?” Victoria asked without moving her gaze away from the yard.

Lucian cast a look at her back. Cole saw the horrific surprise in the blue eyes spread to a soundless gasp. “I dare say.” Lucian placed the lobster beside the other on the island table in front of Cole, releasing his hold on both. “We’ll be having salad tonight.”

Cole stood up abruptly to avoid the lobster heading for him and to catch the other before it wandered off the end of the granite. “Lucian?” he questioned the artist just as he disappeared into the basement.

“What will you name your new pets?” Victoria asked.

“My pets?” Cole gasped. “I can’t take them.”

Lucian returned with an empty cardboard box, placing it on the table. “Forgive me for my ignorance.” He took one from the table and held it up, directing his statement to the face area once again. “I may believe you are not speaking to me, but I cannot understand all that I hear.”

If there had been any doubt left in Cole’s mind that Lucian was strange, this cleared it. “You’re keeping them as pets?” he asked after Lucian placed the one in the box.

“I can’t return them to the store for another as ignorant as myself to take them home to murder.”

“You can’t save all the lobsters.”

Lucian laughed appreciatively. “I don’t intend to, but I can’t kill what I eat.”

“But someone else will be able to, so—”

“You want to kill Wilcox and Becca?” Lucian interrupted.

“Who?” Cole asked, bewildered.

Pointing at the lobster on the counter, Lucian said, “That one’s Wilcox, and”—he nodded to the box—“that’s Becca.”

Cole looked down and laughed. “I didn’t mean to insinuate that I would boil them.”

“You think if I return them to the store and another fool buys them that they’ll be killed by that stranger instead?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t allow it.” Lucian shook his head. “These two have been a part of my life, and I can’t allow another to murder them.”

Cole stared at Lucian. “They were a part of your life as dinner until just three minutes ago.”

“Your point, Mr. Saunders?” Lucian picked up Wilcox the lobster and smiled at it. He pinched one claw to hold it out. The other twisted in a desperate attempt at escape.

“My point is that you have no real connection to—” Cole dropped his sentence when Lucian moved away with the lobster. His steps toward Victoria were sweeping circles to the left, and…. Cole shook his head, astonished. Lucian was dancing a waltz with the lobster while moving into the breakfast nook.

“My dear Mr. Saunders.” Lucian danced himself over to Victoria and bowed before he handed her Wilcox. “I wonder what that face you’re making is for.”

Cole cleared his throat and smoothed his expression. I think you’re bordering clinically insane, Cole thought, but out loud he said, “Nothing.”

“I fear I’ve created an unpleasant feeling for you.” Lucian walked briskly across the kitchen to Cole’s side.

Cole leaned slightly away from Lucian, untrusting of the artist’s grin. “Unpleasant?” he questioned in a whisper and looked to the lone lobster in the box, fearing Lucian would have Cole dance with the simple creature.

“Jealousy.” Lucian clamped one hand down on Cole’s waist just as he took Cole’s hand in his other. Cole gasped in surprise and jerked away to free himself, but Lucian’s grip held strong.

“N-No, Mr. Thomas,” Cole said, using his free hand to push against Lucian’s strong chest. “I’m not jealous of anything.”

“You’re blushing so red I fear you might explode,” Lucian whispered in awe, studying Cole’s face. “And call me Lucian.”

Cole lowered his head, attempting in vain to hide the crimson heat racing across his face and up to his ears. “I don’t want to dance, Lucian,” he said softly.

Lucian released him. “I will get you to dance before you leave,” he vowed and took a step back, bowed, and turned to head around the island table.

--

You can buy World on Fire from Dreamspinner Press.

World on Fire teaser # 1

Cole followed Lucian through the house and into his art room, choosing to stand by the door and watch Lucian move both covered easels and the tray of paint to the side of the room. Lucian stepped out into the hall, and Cole walked forward, wondering how Lucian would paint with the easel facing the wall.

Lucian returned a moment later with a blanket and a pillow. He spread the blanket on the floor, and dropped the pillow at one end. Cole raised an eyebrow. “What’s that for?” he inquired.

“Please lie down,” Lucian requested. He moved to the storage trays and opened a few drawers, gathering tubes of paint.

“I’m going to be on the floor?” Cole looked at the blanket. Was Lucian seriously asking him to be painted posed like that?

“Also,” Lucian said, turning to face Cole, “take off your shirt.”

“Take off—” Cole gasped. “You are not painting me naked.”

“I didn’t say remove your clothes, Mr. Saunders.” Lucian laughed, dropping the paints on the floor beside the blanket. “Only the shirt, please.”

Cole hesitated, studying Lucian’s face. He had to be kidding. “Why?”

“I’m not against removing it myself.” Lucian smiled warmly, and Cole looked away.

“I don’t understand—”

“You will soon enough.”

Cole sighed heavily, giving in to Lucian’s strange demand. He unbuttoned his shirt and removed it without returning his eyes to Lucian. “My boss cannot know,” Cole said.

“I don’t have any intention of telling a single soul about this.”

The calmness in his tone soothed Cole’s embarrassment. He nodded once and placed his shirt beside the blanket before sitting down. “Now what?”

Lucian kneeled down, placed a hand on Cole’s shoulder and pushed him back gently. “Lie down,” he repeated. Cole did as instructed, positioning himself on his back and fixing his eyes on the ceiling.

“You’re not known for portraits.” Cole gathered his nerves before they frayed by making conversation. “Do you paint many?”

“I’ve done three portraits.” Lucian squeezed paint onto a tray. “A good friend of mine in college was the first.”

“A friend?” Cole lifted his head to look at Lucian.

Lucian’s movements stopped. He chuckled and resumed spreading the chosen colors onto the pallet. “She was my very first friend, actually. She died before I could finish her portrait though. I finished it later, but she never got a chance to see it.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Cole searched for sadness in Lucian’s expression but found none.

“She didn’t go far.” Lucian tapped his brush into a jar of water, cleaning it.

“What does that mean?”

“Memories keep a person alive, do they not?”

Cole dropped his head against the pillow. “I guess so.”

“You are abnormally beautiful.”

Cole snapped his gaze back to Lucian. “What?”

“Your beauty,” Lucian said with a smile, “it is abnormal.”

Cole’s eyes widened. He was sure it was meant as a compliment, but it was a very strange way of saying one. He felt his face heat up and returned his gaze to the ceiling without a word of response. He had no idea how to reply to such a thing, anyway. Abnormal beauty? What does that mean?

“I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

Cole took a deep breath. “You hadn’t. I’m only confused.”

“You’re beautiful. You should know it.” Lucian straddled Cole’s legs. Shocked by the action, Cole sat up as much as he could.

“What are you doing?” He pressed his hands against Lucian’s shoulders, attempting to push him back.

“Relax,” Lucian soothed, taking Cole’s hand, and he eased his guest back down. “I said I wanted to paint you.” He sat up and touched the brush to Cole’s chest.

Cole jerked from the cold paint against his skin. “I didn’t think you had meant like this.”

“How else would I have meant it?”

“Canvas.”

“You are my canvas,” Lucian argued.

Cole tried to relax but could feel Lucian’s body over his. The sensation was nearly unbearable. Cole tried to calm his rapid heartbeat. He tried to take small breaths. He tried to ignore the excitement building just beneath his skin, where the brush touched. He failed.

“Are you quite alright, Mr. Saunders?”

“No.”

“Honesty is the best policy.”

Cole laughed lightly. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

--

You can buy World on Fire from Dreamspinner Press.

World on Fire excerpt - Fireflies

See the collection and larger version: here or here.

 “Here,” Lucian whispered. He stopped, moved his hand up Cole’s arm to his shoulder, and turned to stand behind him.

Cole wasn’t sure which direction he was facing as he looked into the night. Darker figures stood out against blackness, and Cole understood they had crossed to the tree line. He felt Lucian behind him, his hands resting on Cole’s shoulders—it was the only comfort in the emptiness that surrounded them.

“I don’t see—” Cole dropped his sentence with a short gasp. Small speckles of yellow light floated in front of them. Cole had no idea how far away—or how close—the lights were. First there were only a few, then many appeared.

See the collection and larger version: here or here.

“To see any this soon after a storm is amazing.” Lucian kept his voice lowered.

Cole watched the lights, trying to determine their location, but the night had a disorienting effect and made it almost impossible. “What is it?” Cole asked in a hushed whisper.

“You’re curious but scared.” Lucian lowered his lips next to Cole’s ear. Cole felt a small shiver caused by the proximity. Lucian moved his hands down to hold Cole lightly by the arms. “They won’t hurt you,” Lucian assured him.

The speckles of light danced in small circles, and soon Cole realized they were surrounded. It was as if the stars from the sky had fallen to Earth to dance in Lucian’s garden.

World on Fire 

available Monday 

January 16th.

Water Waltz: not your typical angels & demons

This is a part of the Hot Angels and Cool Demons blog tour.

I love the concept of angels and demons. Regardless of any biblical ties, the idea of such beings is fascinating. To me angels and demons are in the same circle as elves and faeries: magical or supernatural beings that some believe to exist without having proof.

Is there a different between a man with wings and an angel? Probably. However, there’s no difference in my mind. In my writing I’ve taken the concept of an angel and removed the link to religion. In Water Waltz, I’ve created my own version of an angel with the ability to conceal his wings within his body.

Demons are usually considered malevolent supernatural beings from hell or the underworld. If angels symbolize the good, then demons are the evil. I’ve used the idea of demons to create my own version of such a creature. In Water Waltz, my demons carry power over elements, and I separated demons and devils—giving the sensual nature to the devils. 

Water Waltz is a tale with a political nature and a romance twisted deeply into the plot. The angel and demon races share a volatile relationship with humans. Devils and faeries are added to the mix but are not touched on too deeply in the first book.

Varun is a demon with control over water working with an organization to protect humans that are brought across the border for illicit purposes. His angel butler—Triste—is his ex-lover whom he still loves. Varun had only accepted Triste’s decision to end their life together to be his servant in hopes his angel would return to him. Varun rescues a human and discovers a plot to stir up war. While Varun races to uncover the one responsible, Triste goes behind his back to do just the same. But Triste reveals a dangerous secret which jeopardizes his life. It’s up to Varun to save him and rekindle their lost romance.

--

Fremont removed his hat and placed it on his knee. The red hair, freed of the confines of fabric, fell into place. Longer locks around Fremont’s face framed his high cheek bones and gave view to temples without horns.

“Why?” he asked.

“Why have I not returned calls?” Varun sought clarity.

Fremont smiled, shifted in his seat, freeing his tail from beneath him. “I don’t really care when I’m ignored by you. I ignore you as well. I want to know why you’re here and why now.”

“Would you believe I’m lonely?”

“No.” Fremont laughed, placing his arm behind Varun on the seat. “I heard about Barish. I assume it was you.”

“Is there anyone who hasn’t heard about Barish?”

“Since the lounge opened this morning, the whispers have all been about him. Some say he was murdered, and others say he choked on his favorite wine.” Fremont’s lips curved into a smirk. “But the odd thing is, no one cares. It’s just another death, and I can’t say most even cared about him.”

Varun nodded slowly, watching as Fremont’s tail snaked across his thigh. He’d allow the intrusion “Are humans still in the brothel?”

“Yes. When there’s a demand, there’s a supply. Sally wished to relieve the two strays she already employed, so she accepted three more. You know she treats them fair.”

“Male?”

“Yes. The desire to seek a female human for sexual gratification doesn’t exist.”

“Which are seen more with the humans?”

“It’s about even.” Fremont scooted closer. “The angels like humans because they’re tough like demons without being demons. The demons like humans because they’re soft like angels without being angels.” He tilted his head before adding, “And devils like everything.”

“Devils are insatiable creatures.” Varun chuckled. “And they have wicked tails.” His hand closed around Fremont’s tail, removing it from his lap. “Mind your manners, Fremont.”

“My tail has an entirely different set of rules to live by.” Fremont winked.

Water Waltz is now available from Dreamspinner Press!!

Don’t forget that each comment is added to a drawing to win a free ebook from each author on the blog tour!

November 14: Jay Di Meo
November 15: Ellis Carrington
November 16: Daniel Christian Juris
November 17: JK Coi
November 18: Kiki Howell
November 19: Michael Mandrake
November 20: Angel Martinez
November 21: Marie Dees
November 22: Sara York
November 23: Barbara Elsborg
November 24: Hayley B. James
November 25: Ryssa Edwards
November 26: Andi Anderson
November 27: Arlene Webb
November 28: Diane Hartsock
November 29: Kiernan Kelly
November 30: Tour Wrap Up: Jay Di Meo, Misty Malone, & Marie Dees