Blaze of Secrets
By Jessie Donovan
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
Pages: 82,000 words, approx. 330 pages
Ebook
ISBN: 978-0989733601
Print
ISBN: 978-0615852195
Blurb
To
avoid persecution, the Feiru will do anything to keep their elemental magic a
secret from humans—even lock away their children for life. Few know what goes
on inside the prison system for magic users, but that is about to change…
Kiarra
Melini overhears the dangerous secrets of her blood and decides that if Feiru
elemental magic is to survive, she needs to die. But before she can finish the
deed, a handsome black-clad man kidnaps her from prison and introduces her to
an anti-prison activist group. As the prison retrieval squad hunts for her,
Kiarra must overcome the demons of her past or risk losing not only her
newfound freedom, but also the man who reawakens her desires and captures her
heart.
Jaxton
Ward finally rescues his older brother from prison, but instead of helping with
his brother’s recovery, he’s ordered to train Kiarra—a stubborn elemental fire
user who claims her magic is gone. But just as Kiarra starts trusting him with
her secrets, the prison enforcers catch up with them. Now Jaxton must find a
way to keep his family safe while also protecting the only woman able to ignite
both his temper and his passion.
Excerpt
Each stroke of Jaxton’s thumb left a trail of heat on her skin.
She’d dismissed the same feeling during training, blaming her imagination and
her yearnings for elemental fire. But the feeling had returned, and she wasn’t
sure what to make of it.
When she’d had her abilities, her fire had always radiated outward.
She’d never heard of heat flaring at another person’s touch.
Even now, she moved her hand a fraction to the south, hoping to feel
the tingle of elemental fire particles. But nothing happened.
Jaxton’s thumb stilled and she looked into his eyes. He continued to
cup her cheek as he said, “Reaching to the south didn’t work, did it?”
“How did you—“
The corner of his mouth rose in a half-smile. “I’m your shadow,
remember? It’s my job.”
It’s my job. Ty had said the same words
to her after her flogging, when she’d asked why he hadn’t done anything to stop
it.
The past was a cold slap in the face. She became acutely aware of
Jaxton’s touch and the scant inches separating their bodies. She’d walked this
road before, allowing someone to get close to her before she really knew much
about them. After Ty, she’d vowed never again.
Kiarra shook her head and tugged her hand. “Let me go.”
He must’ve seen something in her expression because Jaxton released
her hand and allowed her to take a few steps away. She put a clenched fist over
her heart, as if the act could protect it from the memories of betrayal.
“What’s wrong, Kiarra?”
She avoided Jaxton’s gaze and focused on tamping down the painful
memories. After all these years, she’d thought herself past caring. Apparently
she was wrong.
She closed her eyes and breathed in and out, using the same trick
that had helped keep her sanity over the years: visualizing her future. She
pictured the freedom to travel, read, and interact with others who didn’t see
her as a freak or a burden. Her heart still racing, she took another inhalation
and thought of returning to Mt. Rainier National Park, the possibility of
friends, the ability to make her own decisions.
The hurt and panic started to fade, her good thoughts overcoming the
bad. After a little more concentration, she finally contained the memories and
locked them inside the far corners of her mind. She wouldn’t let Ty’s actions
take away her new start; the man wasn’t worth it.
Kiarra opened her eyes. Jaxton stood on the far side of the room,
his arms crossed over his chest. He said nothing, his expression unreadable.
The silence was too much for her. “I’m fine.” He raised an eyebrow
and she continued, “At least I will be, if you leave me alone for the rest of
the evening.”
He uncrossed his arms, the hardness of his face softening. “Are you
sure you want to be alone right now?”
No. “Yes.” She didn’t trust herself
around Jaxton right now.
He put his hands up in defeat. “I’ll send a tray up and expect you
to eat all of it. I’m also going to have someone periodically knock on your
door, just to check on you. And,” he motioned toward the alarm clock on the
table next to the bed, “set your alarm. Meet me in the front room at 8am
tomorrow morning.”
She nodded, hoping Jaxton would leave before she lost her resolve.
Earlier she’d taken comfort from his touch, and oddly she yearned to feel it
again. “You can go now.”
He gave her one last long look before leaving her room.
Without his presence, the room felt empty and cold. But it was
better this way. If she spent too much more time with Jaxton, her resolve would
weaken, and she might do something foolish. One man had already betrayed her in
the past.
Kiarra wasn’t about to let it happen again.
About the Author
Jessie Donovan
wrote her first story at age five, and after discovering the Dragonriders
of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey in junior high, realized that people
actually wanted to read stories like those floating around inside her head.
From there on out, she was determined to tap into her over-active imagination
and write a book someday.
After living
abroad for five years and earning degrees in Japanese, Anthropology, and
Secondary Education, she buckled down and finally wrote her first full-length
book. While that story will never see the light of day, it laid the
world-building groundwork of what would become her debut paranormal
romance, Blaze of Secrets.
Jessie loves to
interact with readers, and when not traipsing around some foreign country on a
shoestring, can often be found on Facebook and Twitter.
Buy Links
Amazon: unavailable until September
B&N:
Unavailable until September
Other: Will
also be sold on Kobo, iTunes Bookstore, All Romance Ebooks, and
Smashwords. Only Smashwords allows indie
pre-orders, and I will have that link shortly.
Contact Links
Website: http://www.jessiedonovan.com
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/JessieDonovanAuthor
Twitter: @JessieDauthor
Giveaway info
Two $10 gift cards to either Amazon or
Barnes & Noble.
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