GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY
Firestorm
(Southern Elemental Guardians Book 3)
(Southern Elemental Guardians Book 3)
by D. B. Sieders
Firestorm is the latest book in the Southern Elemental Guardians series by D. B. Sieders. Also available: Making Waves (novella), Lorelei's Lyric (FREE), Crosscurrents, and Three Wishes (novella).
The author stops by today to share an excerpt from the book as well as a special guest post. You can also enter our exclusive giveaway for a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card or a signed paperback copy of Lorelei's Lyric by D. B. Sieders (US only). Plus everyone who comments wins an ebook copy of Three Wishes by D. B. Sieders (international).
Description
He’s running from the past. She’s running from the future.
Bruce, prince of the American Sylph and guardian of wind and air, loves mixing business with pleasure. An immortal with excessive appetites, he wields his considerable powers to satisfy them so he can forget his past transgressions. But when he discovers a rogue Phoenix on the loose, pleasure comes with the risk of catastrophe.
After nearly a century in hiding, Serafina is forced to fight against a conspiracy to resurrect the Phoenix. Uniting three of her kind could disrupt earth's elemental balance, unleashing a fiery apocalypse. Can she trust the seductive, mercurial Sylph prince to help her, or will her untested passion and fire doom them both and all they hold dear?
Excerpt
He probably shouldn’t have done that, taken an unstable Phoenix on his version of a fun flight, but great gods the opportunity proved too irresistible!
Of course it would be more fun if she’d relax and stop screaming.
Bruce had extensive experience with flying and fledglings. And in his experience, the best way to get noobs to overcome fear of flying was to just boot them off a ledge, or cliff—or drop them from the sky and let physics and psychology work it out organically. It worked for allmanner of birds, and it wasn’t like she would die, for fuck’s sake. She was as immortal as he.
Then again, the whole ticking time bomb issue gave him pause and urged uncharacteristic restraint on his part, which is why he hadn’t actually let her go and settled on carrying through the sky her instead.
Shame to waste such beautiful wings, though.
Right. Compromise.
“Are you done screaming yet?” he asked with as much patience as he could muster. He’d never been more tempted to take someone’s voice, not even a Nixie’s. And their siren calls were deadly.
Her voice just grated.
Sera squirmed and twisted her head so she could look up at him, brown eyes wide with fear, anger, and righteous indignation. With a look of pure defiance, she opened her mouth and screamed even louder. Good for you, little sparrow. Well, not the screaming, but the fighting spirit. Such an odd mix, this one, wallowing in a death wish one minute and burning him to a crisp the next. Her emotional essence reeked of negativity, but also determination. He was a happiness and light kind of guy, and part of his nature was to foster that upon which he fed, so she presented quite a challenge.
Challenge accepted.
And her scent matched the one he’d been tracking. Multitasking at its finest.
Breathless and furious, she stopped shrieking for a few blessed moments. When she recovered, she yelled, “Is this some sort of joke to you? You are playing with fire! Literally!”
“Oh,” he said. “Does this mean you’re done screaming and we can have a conversation?”
“What the hell are you playing at?”
He sighed, banking left as gently as possible lest any sudden moves inspire more unpleasant noise. Screaming was all well and good in other contexts, namely ones that involved cries of shared ecstasy, but the incessant shrill shrieks chapped his ass.
“I’m not playing. Calm down and focus. Can you feel any trace of your brother? I’ve been tracking him by his aura and smoke trails.”
She stared at him in apparent confusion. And jaw-dropping disbelief.
He snorted. “Yes, yes, I know. All this rawmasculinity, charm, and brains, too. I get that a lot. Now, will you kindly close your mouth and open your other senses? I could use a bit of help here.”
She did clamp her jaw shut, at least, but also managed to kick him in the shin. Ouch.
Right. This was getting him exactly nowhere.
He yanked them up hard into a stall and then dropped them into free fall. This time he made sure to conjure a vacuum aroundhis ears to get what would likely be his last moment of peace in the foreseeable future. As they approached the ground, he rolled belly up with her on top, facing the clouds. Then he summoned the wind to his service and slowed their descent, floating them down on a cloud of contentment.
Well, he was content at least. He doubted the creature squirming in his arms had ever been content a day in her existence.
They came to a stop with the delightful prickle of late winter grass caressing his back. Wind was his home and spirit, but the earth’s warm embrace always gave comfort and solace. With a deep sigh of crisp,
cool air, he gave in to instinct and loosened his protective hold on Sera, pulling her into a proper embrace and willing some of that warmth into her as he planted a whisper of a kiss into her hair.
cool air, he gave in to instinct and loosened his protective hold on Sera, pulling her into a proper embrace and willing some of that warmth into her as he planted a whisper of a kiss into her hair.
“Now that’s how you skydive.”
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
"D.B. Sieders has done it again! Though I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in this series, Firestorm became my instant favorite. Bruce is everything I want my heroes to be: humorous, powerful, kind, but with enough dark shadows to keep my angst-addiction satisfied. He also has a bit of sexy androgyny happening, a la David Bowie, and that totally works for me. Sera is a fascinating heroine, simultaneously vulnerable and strong as Bruce helps her discover the depths of her power. Sieders excels at world-building, and the mythology alone is worth the read. (But hey, I'm really here for the sexy bits, and Firestorm does not disappoint!)" ~ Stephanie Moore
"This was a really good book! The action never stopped! I recommend this book with no hesitation." ~ Emily Pennington
Guest Post by the Author
In Firestorm, Wind and Fire Collide in a Storm of Mythic Proportions
Mermaids and water elemental guardians have held center stage until now, and while they make an appearance in Book 3, Firestorm is all about air and fire. Air elemental guardian Bruce made a great wingman in the first two books - he’s one of those surprise characters who started out as a subplot in Book 1 and managed to run away with every scene in which he appeared. As the hero of Firestorm, readers will finally understand what motivates his quest to bring positivity and light to those in his circle and what drives his mercurial nature.
Rogue Phoenix Serafina, his heroine, has spent a lifetime suppressing her connection fire out of fear. Her protective instincts are a strong as Bruce’s, common ground that brings them together in spite of their vastly different natures. They’ll need that common ground if they’re to stop rebellious air elementals from exploiting the power of the Phoenix to destroy earth’s elemental balance - especially as they’re growing attraction heightens the stakes.
About the Author
Award-winning author D. B. Sieders was born and raised in East Tennessee and spent her childhood hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains, wading barefoot in creeks, and chasing salamanders, fish, and frogs. She and her family loved to tell stories while sitting around the campfire.
Those days of frog chasing sparked an interest in biology. She is a working scientist by day, but never lost her love of telling stories. Now, she’s a purveyor of unconventional fantasy romance featuring strong heroines and the heroes who strive to match them. Her heroes and heroines face a healthy dose of angst as they strive for redemption and a happily ever after, which everyone deserves.
D. B. Sieders lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, two children, three cats, and her very active imagination.
Giveaway
Enter our exclusive giveaway for a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card or a signed paperback copy of Lorelai's Lyric by D. B. Sieders (US only).
Plus, everyone who enters the giveaway below will receive a FREE ebook copy of Three Wishes by D. B. Sieders (international).
Plus, Lorelei's Lyric (Southern Elemental Guardians Book 1), winner of InD’Tale Magazine’s 2016 RONE Award for Best Paranormal Novel, is FREE in the US at Amazon, B&N, and iTunes. Live outside the US? Lorelei’s Lyric not free in your area? Sign up for the author's newsletter to receive your free ebook copy of Lorelei's Lyric.
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