It’s time for Snippet Sunday and it’s almost Easter. Are you ready for chocolate bunnies, little chickies, and colorful eggs? The Muirlettes and I always paint our eggs with watercolors, although this year we’re going to use a marbling kit that make the eggs look like they hold galaxies. It’s going to be fun.
But today I’m showcasing an older book (came out in 2017) as I’m working on the sequel that should be out in June. It’s part of an unusual anthology that I can’t spill on just yet, but my tale will be a sequel to WILDFIRE’S HEART, Book 1 in the Elemental Hearts series. We’re in Raihana Nejem’s POV and she’s confronting him about all the fires suddenly cropping up around town.
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“I need to talk to you about this.” Raihana handed him the paper with the article about the fires front and center.
“What’s this?” He took the folded newsprint and scanned the words. “The fires in town? We’re a Hot Shot crew for wildland fires. We don’t interfere with structural fires.”
“I know that. Look at the list of places that have burned.”
He dropped his gaze back to the paper. “A bunch of local businesses.”
“Yes, every one of them we’ve visited. Every one, Saif.” She studied his face as she waited for him to make the connection.
He raised his gaze to hers, his brows lowering. “What are you implying?”
“I’m not implying anything, I’m asking a question. Why would these certain businesses be burning?”
“I don’t know.” His frowned deepened. “You don’t think I had anything to do with these fires, do you?”
She swallowed hard at the amazement and hurt in his voice. “You lost control of your fire with me a few times…”
“Yeah, when we made love. But these places didn’t burn while we were there and I’m pretty sure we weren’t having sex when we visited.” He met her gaze, anger and disbelief in his eyes. “You really think I went back to them and set the fires? Are you serious? I’m a thrice-damned firefighter, for the Goddess’s sake. How can you think I would set those fires?”
Shame spiked in her gut, but it couldn’t override the prejudicial fear. “It’s just so strange. Why would an arsonist pick those places? They’re all well established in this town.”
“You’re assuming the arsonist is from this town. Hellfire, even if this person was from Gunnison, what makes you think they’d spare places they know? Serial arsonists just want to see the world burn, including things close to them.”
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Oh glory, she’s really stepped in it now. 😉 There are several great authors on the Weekend Writer Warriors list, the Snippet Sunday Facebook group, and the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group. A few of my favorites are, P.T. Wyant, Karen Michelle Nutt, Veronica Scott, Jessica Subject, Kathy Griffith Karysa Faire, and Iris Blobel.
Here’s the blurb for WILDFIRE’S HEART:
Available everywhere now!
When you wish upon a wildfire…
Hot Shot Saif al Nar is a natural when it comes to fighting fires. As an Ifrit—a fire djinn—there’s no one better. But he doesn’t anticipate the local residents being suspicious and afraid of his ethnicity when his crew comes into town from the fire line for some R&R. Add some unexpected backup in the form of a lovely djinn and Saif is ready to set the town on fire.
A djinn might get burned…
Raihana Nejem retired from being a genie in a lamp centuries ago and now works for the U.S. Forest Service. Fires are devastating her field area, but the sexy firefighter djinn might just be more dangerous. Her people believe Ifrits to be evil demons and Raihana can’t be sure Saif isn’t responsible for the arson fires cropping up in town.
Or they could set the night on fire…
Is Saif behind the arson or is something darker and more dangerous going on? With hearts and lives on the line, Raihana must decide if she can stand the heat that comes with loving a man like Saif.
Okay, that’s intense…she’s brave to have this discussion but I can see why he’s upset. In the real world though, there certainly have been firefighters who were also arsonists, for various reasons. Enjoyed the snippet and all the emotions…
Way to piss off your boyfriend…