Elementals


In Her Element (Book 1)

Darya Drake is a Water Elemental who has lived a difficult life. She’s raising her younger brother, Matthew, who is mentally ill, and she has had to fight off Phages—Elementals who kill and cannibalize other Elementals to steal their powers. It isn’t until she meets Ethan Zale, a Water Elemental with stormy blue eyes and a body to die for, that she dares to hope for a better future. Ethan is everything she has ever wanted, but trouble looms when a Phage begins stalking her. Can Ethan find out who is after her and keep her safe? Will her brother accept another man in her life? Darya discovers true love in the midst of strife, but for a girl who has lost almost everyone she has ever cared about, it’s hard to believe in happy endings.

Content warnings: reference to past abuse, reference to suicide, some violence, merman sex

Available at Amazon (US, UK, CA, AU, etc.), Barnes & Noble, Kobo (US & UK), iBooks/Apple, Everand, Smashwords, and more! Universal Buy Link

Goodreads

Excerpt from In Her Element 

A frisson of fear and magic skittered down Darya’s spine as the killer stepped from the shadows. She was close to her apartment but not close enough—stuck on the dark side of the building where the security lights were broken again. What she could see of his face was human: dark eyebrows, high cheekbones, and full lips that might have been sensuous had they not been curled in a sneer.

Appearances could be deceiving. Like her, this man was no ordinary human. Although she didn’t know what type of Elemental he was, his power crawled over her skin like angry wasps.

“I’ve been waiting for you.” His gaze slid over her in appreciation and then burned with excitement when she stumbled back.

Her heart pounded, and she choked back a whimper. There would be no reasoning with him, no chance for reprieve. He was like the others of his kind she had run into. He was here to kill her.

“You look tasty,” he added with a lick of his lips. It was the last thing he said before he pulled the knife.

Time slowed down, but panic only froze Darya for a moment. She didn’t bother to scream. Screaming was useless with a being who could manipulate the mind of anyone who might come to help. Instead she whirled and ran, pumping her legs until her feet barely skimmed the ground. The cold night air slashed at her hair and eyes, leaving tears whipping off her eyelashes.

Adrenaline and the will to survive spurred her across the parking lot. She could hear the Elemental’s breathing and heavy footfalls behind her as he chased her. Ahead, the traffic in the distance offered a glimmer of hope. The night was still early enough that plenty of cars passed by, filled with people. Join the herd and find safety in numbers was a motto she had lived by her whole life.

The back of her neck prickled in warning a split second before her pursuer snagged her shirt. Her feet lost their rhythm as he yanked her back and sent her flailing to the ground. Pain singed her left elbow as it scraped the pavement, and the force of the fall jolted her.

By some miracle, her purse stayed with her. She jumped up and swung it when he lunged at her. Her bag connected with his shoulder, but he merely snatched the strap and yanked it out of her grasp. She stumbled and couldn’t get her balance before he grabbed her. A scream ripped out of her chest this time, high and panicked. The sound cut off as he used his magic to snuff the oxygen around her.

It wasn’t even a matter of strangling. There was simply no breathable air—proof that he had to be an Air Elemental. Her legs failed her, and her lips and face burned and then numbed as she continued to struggle for oxygen. She had no fuel to fight as he fisted her hair and dragged her farther away from the glow of the streetlight. Then he was yanking at her clothes, but her fading vision outweighed any other fear.

The world narrowed, reduced to a hazy speck at the end of a dark tunnel. With her last ounce of will, she lifted her hands and summoned her own magic—a surge as powerful as the mightiest flood. Raw energy ripped out of her and plowed into her attacker. He grunted as he was thrown a full ten feet.

She was instantly free. Her lungs burned as she heaved in air and sputtered and coughed. Unable to stand, she was forced to crawl on her hands and knees. A sound behind her told her the killer was already getting to his feet. Her palms grated against the rough surface of the parking lot until they were scuffed raw, but she couldn’t move any faster. Still breathless, it was all she could do not to collapse, and her pulse pounded in her temples. There was no moon to cast a shadow, but she knew the moment the Air Elemental loomed behind her.

Darya thought of her younger brother, Matthew, and felt a stab of regret. Who would care for him? Who would look out for him once she was gone? She had made the mistake of being caught alone, and at twenty-one years old, it was the last mistake she would ever make.

When black shoes appeared in front of her face, she braced herself to feel the cold blade kissing her throat. Instead, she lifted her gaze and was nearly engulfed in a fiery hell.


Dragon Tears (Book 2)

After losing his parents and suffering abuse at the hands of his human stepfather, Matthew Drake has lost his grip on reality. He is well aware that there is something wrong with him, but he must stay on the move to keep ahead of his past. Wandering the streets of Paradise City, Matthew uses his power as a Fire Elemental to avoid or kill those who threaten him.

It isn’t until Lucius Brant, a powerful healer and fellow Fire Elemental, enters his life that Matthew starts to feel like he can think more clearly. But Lucius isn’t the only one taking an interest in him. A killer is on the loose somewhere in the city and is trying to frame him. Can Matthew trust Lucius to heal his mind? Can he find out who the real killer is and clear his name? He has to survive long enough to find out.

Content warnings: reference to past abuse, reference to suicide, some violence, love scenes intended for adult audiences only

Available at Amazon (US, UK, CA, AU, etc.), Barnes & Noble, Kobo (US & UK), iBooks/Apple, Everand, Smashwords, and more! Universal Buy Link


Goodreads

Excerpt from Dragon Tears 

Matthew continued to walk down Coconut Drive. The night sky was dark and slightly clouded, and the air around him was humid. It had rained earlier in the evening, and the streets and sidewalks were damp, though they no longer held standing puddles. All of the shops and restaurants around here were one or two stories tall, but it felt like they were crowding the street. He slipped along in the shadows and only stopped to listen to the music pouring out from some of the open doorways.

Then one of the stores up ahead caught his eye. Tucked in between a liquor store and a novelty shop, the place was a small tattoo parlor near the far end of the block. He had peeked inside about a million times before, but his timing was usually off. Tonight, he seemed to have gotten lucky. It sounded like someone was getting some ink done.

Most of the windows of the shop were blacked out or filled with sketches, but the glass front door was clear. Since it was dark outside, he was able to look in and see what was happening in the back. Getting a tattoo didn’t look like a pleasant process, and he couldn’t figure out why the humans did it. By engraving these pictures on their skin, maybe they thought they could call on the power of the beast like Elementals did? He wasn’t sure.

Matthew glanced at the selection of designs in the window and spied a small sketch of a dragon. “Friend of yours?” he teased his mark.

His dragon snorted. “I’m much better looking.

Forgetting their recent argument, Matthew smiled. He was about to make some snide rebuttal when he was interrupted by a group of men behind him. There were five humans approaching the shop, and although none of them looked much older than he did, they were clearly drunk. Their cheeks and noses were red, and their gait was wobbly.

A quick glimpse at their thoughts revealed that they had convinced one of their buddies to go in and get a tattoo. Apparently it was the man’s twenty-first birthday. Matthew turned to leave, but one of the guys noticed him.

“Hey, you,” the fellow said as they came closer. “Did they just finish with you?”

At least, that’s what Matthew thought the human asked him, but his words were slurred and open to interpretation. The guy assumed that he had come out of the tattoo shop. This could be fun.

“All finished,” Matthew answered. Why not mess with them a bit? After all, people were bugging him all the time.

The whole group of them stopped and stared at him.

“Oh yeah?” one of the other fellows said. “What did you get?”

Matthew smirked. “A dragon. I’m very fond of dragons.”

Although he didn’t know why this was funny, a couple of them snickered.

“Did it hurt?” the birthday boy asked.

“Pain is relative.” He was quite certain these humans knew nothing of pain.

They looked a little uncomfortable, but they didn’t back up.

“Well, come on,” the first guy said. “Let’s see it. You didn’t put it somewhere nasty, did you?”

Matthew raised one eyebrow in amusement. Usually he kept his mark to himself, but this was too good to pass up. They’d asked for it. If they really wanted to see his dragon, he’d show them.

He could tell he and his dragon were on the same page. With a grin, he rolled up his sleeve to grant their request. He felt a creepy-crawly sensation run up his back as his mark clawed its way over his shoulder and down his arm. The beast added a dramatic flourish by snapping its jaws and whipping its tail once it reached his bicep. His dragon really wanted to charbroil these obnoxious humans, but its threat display proved sufficient.

The men gaped at him, and one of them actually fell over. Matthew laughed at their expense and dropped his sleeve again as he turned and walked away. Before he slipped through the narrow alleyway between the buildings, he looked back and saw them hurry away from the shop. Apparently none of them wanted a living tattoo.



Passion Fire (Book 3)

When Livi meets Matthew Drake at the Paradise University dance studio, she has no idea what a steamy tango she’s in for. As Fire Elementals, they’re both passionate, and they’re naturally drawn to each other. Unfortunately, Livi’s father wants her to marry someone else—not just anyone, but Matthew’s worst enemy, Erasmus Drac. Forced to choose between the two men, Livi must decide whether to submit to family pressure or follow her heart’s desire. To do that, she has to understand Matthew’s painful past and draw strength from his power. Will she surrender to the flames of passion, or will she just get burned?

Content warnings: reference to past abuse, reference to suicide, paranormal violence, spicy love scenes

Available at Amazon (US, UK, CA, AU, etc.), Barnes & Noble, Kobo (US & UK), iBooks/Apple, Everand, Smashwords, and more! Universal Buy Link

Goodreads


Excerpt from Passion Fire 

Livi’s lips parted in disbelief as she spotted the man who had entered the dance studio. He was the last person she expected to see, and her heart did a funny little jig at the sight of him. His short brunet hair looked like smooth dark chocolate, and his bangs fell in sexy strands across his forehead. As she watched, he scanned the room with an intensity that made her squirm.

Although she knew he was young—only twenty-two—there was a quality to his features that made him seem timeless. With every step he took, his lean, muscular body moved with a careless grace that heated her blood. She would have recognized him anywhere. Matthew Drake was not a man one soon forgot.

The first time Livi had seen the mysterious Fire Elemental had been at a party at the Brants’ house several years ago. They had met briefly at various social gatherings since then, though he probably didn’t remember her.

Dispelling her surprise, Livi started toward him across the studio floor. Then she remembered the rumors she’d heard, and she slowed her steps. Although Matthew was supposedly a descendant of Drakon Rex, one of the most powerful Fire Elementals who had ever lived, there were shadows over his past. Some said he was insane, dangerous even, while others claimed he’d once been a Phage—an Elemental who murdered and cannibalized his own kind for power. Could any of it be true?

Livi shook her head. Fate had thrown them together, and she wasn’t about to miss an opportunity by listening to gossip. With a deep breath to steady herself, she intercepted him and stood looking up into his dark, hypnotic eyes.

“Hi, Matthew,” she said. “I thought I recognized you.” Out of habit, she smiled and offered her hand.

He accepted the handshake, and his palm and fingers were rough and warm against her skin. “Hello. Why are you here?”

Her smile faltered, but she forced it back into place as she withdrew her hand. “Taking dance lessons, same as you. I’m Livi.”

He returned a small grin that nearly stopped her heart. “Yes, I know. I remember you. You’re a Fire Elemental too, and we’ve been at a lot of the same parties. We’ve never really gotten the chance to talk, though.”

Flattered that he knew who she was, she felt her cheeks grow warm. Could he be attracted to her, too?

“So,” she said, trying to make conversation, “what made you want to learn how to dance?”

As part of its community involvement program, Paradise University was offering this eight-week package of ballroom lessons at night, but most men wouldn’t be caught dead here. She couldn’t believe Matthew was here with her now.

Although he turned pink for a moment, he shrugged. “What I really wanted to do was sign up for a martial arts class, but it was booked up. This course was being offered at the same time, and after seeing some of those dance shows on TV, I thought I’d give it a try. What about you?”

She laughed. “I guess you could say I’m still trying to find myself. My father calls me a dilettante, which I think is a fancy way of saying ‘dabbler.’ I like trying new things.”

“It’s good to do new stuff,” he assured her. “Now you’ll be able to find yourself here every week.”

She embarrassed herself with a snort.

He stepped closer, and she could smell his clean, woodsy scent. “Look out. The humans are bearing down on us.”

She glanced around and saw that he was right. While they’d been talking, the room had steadily filled up with the other students. The two instructors—a man and a woman—were making their way over to them.

“Don’t worry,” she teased him. “I’ll protect you.”

The surprise on his face was priceless, and then he let out a breathy laugh. Even his laughter was sexy.



The Drake Trilogy Boxed Set

Get the first three books in the Elementals series in one boxed set. This trilogy includes In Her Element, Dragon Tears, and Passion Fire, so you can follow Darya and Matthew Drake from their first meeting with other Elementals to when they finally come into their full powers.

Content warnings: reference to past abuse, reference to suicide, some violence, love scenes intended for adult audiences only

Available at Amazon (US, UK, CA, AU, etc.), Barnes & Noble, Kobo (US & UK), iBooks/Apple, Everand, Smashwords, and more! Universal Buy Link