Thursday, July 13, 2017

Fire Danger by Claire Davon - Blog Tour with Excerpt and Giveaway





Fire Danger
(Elemental’s Challenge Series, #1)
by Claire Davon

All her life, a faint memory of her parents and fire has glowed at the back of Rachel Quinn’s mind. With her parents long dead, there is no one to clarify what it means.

When a gorgeous winged man rescues her from a pack of werewolves, something flares to life inside Rachel. Suddenly she can see the paranormal world around her, a world unseen by mortals. And far more complicated.

When Phoenix’s massive orange-and-red wings erupt from his back, he knows his Challenge-an age-old battle against his Demonos counterpart-is upon him. Heeding Rachel’s cry for help adds a layer of complexity never seen in any previous Challenge.

Rachel, they discover, isn’t entirely human. Like Phoenix, she commands fire. Fire calls to fire, and soon they are succumbing to a fierce attraction. As the Challenge bears down on them, though, Phoenix must discover what the Demonos has in store for mankind. If he doesn’t succeed, the entire world will be swallowed up in darkness-and Rachel along with it.



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Excerpt


Kamal’s wings quivered slightly, but she couldn’t tell if they were shaking in silent amusement or anger. Before she could say anything more, Kamal spoke again.

“It has always been understood that we do not interfere.”

“Why?” Her voice was as tight as her lips.

Kamal shook his head. “There are many things we don’t know, and many more we don’t need to know. It has worked for thousands of years—for all of us. We have a saying: ‘avoid that which requires an apology’. As long as we stay neutral, we need not apologize. We are not going to, what is the saying, rock the boat now.”

Rachel found her fury growing again. “Dammit, Grandfather, these are people we’re talking about.” Heat rose in her cheeks, reminding Rachel of the vampire’s lack of blood. Rachel shivered.

“Your Phoenix may have been human once, but he hasn’t been human for over a millennium.” Kamal’s gaze took in her thin lips, the high color in her cheeks, and her stiff body. He sighed. “Habibti, I will take care of you, but I should not interfere further. However, you are my granddaughter. I won’t let what happened to your mother happen to you.” He glanced over at the papers on the desk and floor and tipped his wing to them. “If Farouk comes, I will be waiting.” He shrugged in a way that she usually did. “I can tell you this. Your research, everything is meaningless.”
Phoenix stiffened, and if he had still had his wings, she thought they would have bristled.

“This is good stuff,” Rachel said indignantly.

“It is good research for your other Elementals. Their Challenges have also started, as you must be aware. The Sphynx left India a little while ago.”

“Some paranormals have tried to stop Rachel, but other than that, we haven’t found many signs of Challenge,” Phoenix said.

He turned the wing to Phoenix. “The signs started when you moved here. When Farouk killed Rachel’s parents. You were drawn here, to San Francisco, for Rachel, but also for something else.” Phoenix frowned at him. “You were summoned to your Challenge.”

“Of course.”

“The reason you can’t find a link to your Challenge, the reason you haven’t been able to determine where it is, is because it’s right here.”

Rachel nodded, realizing her instincts had been right before. She had known, somehow, that Challenge could only happen in one place. “Who? How?”

Kamal shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s coming, though, and soon. It’s human. That is why you can’t find it.” He turned to Rachel. “Habibti, you have great power in you. Use it wisely.” He gripped Rachel’s shoulders again and kissed her forehead before he stepped back. He paused and then held a hand out to Phoenix. Phoenix took the proffered hand and pumped it once. Kamal took another step back, toward the broken door. “I must go, but I will be watching. Phoenix, take care of her. Good luck.”

Rachel wanted to argue, but after a look at her grandfather, she let it drop. Feeling strange and uncertain, she went to him. The big man looked down at her from his superior height, his face gentle.

After a moment, he held out his arms. Rachel stepped into his embrace and hugged him. Her hands landed on his leathery wings. The heat of him against her skin and the cinnamon/clove scent permeated her nostrils as they hugged.

His large chest sighed out a breath. “I love you, habibti. You are my only living descendant.” He pulled back and Rachel tilted her head up to him. “I will protect you.” He gave Phoenix a stern look. “You will protect her as well, or you will have me to answer to.”

Phoenix smiled, but it was a ruthless smile. “She is mine to protect, Ifrit.” There was an undercurrent in his voice.

Kamal released Rachel and stepped back again. “I see how it is. I am glad.” He raised a hand in farewell and his wings followed. Phoenix’s wings were soft and feathered, and Kamal’s more like dragon wings. Rachel was mesmerized by the difference in their anatomy. “Farewell, Elemental. Farewell, granddaughter.”

After he left, Phoenix looked at Rachel thoughtfully. “I have underestimated you.”

She smiled wanly. “The good news is that they had a reason to warn me off. Even if we don’t understand it.” She moved to Phoenix. “The bad news is that I need to learn how to use my powers.”

She touched him, their skins still warm from the dance of the flames. The fire called to her, and she moved into his arms. They went around her in an instant, pulling her close.

His mind was barred deftly, with a durable wall. Emotions danced around the edges of the barrier. She touched it with her own and felt him yield, but his true mind was still shuttered. “Aleric?”

“Ah…” He pressed his lips to hers, his mind still closed. “I am glad you are with me. I am glad we are together.”




About The Author



 Claire can’t remember a time when writing wasn’t part of her life. From the time she was a pre-teen, she wrote stories, most of them romances. She used to write stories with her friends, with each of them choosing a famous person or a character from their favorite TV series, and model the novels around that. One of her earliest stories, unfortunately lost to time, centered around the 1970s series Starsky and Hutch (she was partial to Starsky).Although she read primarily fantasy and science fiction as a teenager, it didn’t take long for Claire to discover Harlequin romances and their happily-ever-after endings.

Claire has many irons in the fire, including short stories across a multitude of genres to go along with her romances, from contemporary to paranormal. Originally from Brookline, Massachusetts, Claire now lives in Los Angeles. In addition to writing she has an office job she loves, does animal rescue, reads, and goes to movies. She loves to hear from fans, so feel free to drop her a line.

You can find Claire at 

        

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