Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. The snippets are from my Cloudburst novella, Cloudburst Ice Magic, a paranormal romance sequel to Christmas I.C.E. Magic in the Happy Holidays from the Crescent Moon Lodge Anthology. Cloudburst Ice Magic is out now. You can catch last week's snippet HERE.
In this snippet, the rescue team came for the hikers and Zach and Lily got them on their way with Lily's SAR partner Randy. Caroline made one more play for Zach and pissed off Lily so much, she accidentally burned her hand on the stove feeding the fire. We're in Lily's POV, but Zach is the first to speak.
“What’s wrong, princess?”
“Everything. Nothing.” She swiped at her eyes with
her burned hand and yelped.
“Let me see your hand.” Zach pulled it gently
toward him, clucking sympathetically at the reddening burn. “Let’s take care of
this first. Then we’ll talk about the everything/nothing problem.”
“Zach—”
“Shh, just give me a moment.”
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her palm
as his body shifted from his human guise to his white Ice Demon form. Talons
grew from his fingertips and his hair turned to tinkling crystals. The scents
of cardamom and cloves intensified as he blew on her hand, his breath freezing
the skin. She loved his white skin wreathed in blue shadows, but he still wore
too many clothes to see his snowy physique properly.
Nothing could shake her excitement or curiosity
when he shifted. She’d seen him do it hundreds of times, but it still made her
heart pound with delight.
Lily might be worried, but she knows what she wants. ;) There are several great authors on the Weekend Writer Warriors list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Charley Descoteaux, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Veronica Scott, and Sarah Wesson.
If you're interested in more from Cloudburst Ice Magic, here's the blurb:
Avalanches may bring down
more than snow…
Working
for the Search and Rescue team at the Cloudburst Resort in Colorado, Lily
Sinclair figures she’ll do all the rescuing from now on. When hikers are caught
in a spring blizzard, Lily and her partner head into the storm. Cut off from
communication and facing deadly conditions, Lily fears she’ll never see her Ice
Demon lover before death claims them.
Zach
Snow encouraged Lily move to Cloudburst to grow and learn, but missed her every
day of their months apart. His plans of moving to Colorado get pushed up when
he receives her text explaining her situation, and saying goodbye. He must
negotiate with the local Ice Demon clan to work in their territory to rescue
Lily and the hikers before the Spring Fling blizzard kills them. But he’s
running out of time.
Between
the amorous hiker hitting on Zach, Lily’s self-doubts, and an avalanche bearing
down on them, Zach and Lily must rediscover the love they first kindled in a
Christmas ice cave, and create their own Cloudburst ice magic.
Cloudburst Ice Magic is available at Amazon, All Romance, Barnes&Noble, and Smashwords.
Hmmm....heart pounds when he transforms?
ReplyDeleteMaybe I better try that "shifting" thing on my wife!
Nice 8!
Yes, you should, Frank! I'm sure she'd love it...if she's into paranormal romance. ;) Thanks for commenting.
DeleteLove the description of his snowy form.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cecilia. :)
DeleteWonderful imagery! So very cool!-- pun intended. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL yes, he is. And he can make snow-flake ornaments for your holiday tree, too. ;) Thanks for commenting, Karen.
DeleteI love the descriptions, sight, scent, sound, touch . . . Such a lovely way to treat a burn!
ReplyDeleteI know. Where's my ice demon when I need him for my burns? :D Thanks for commenting, Sarah.
DeleteGreat description -- but is he healing her burn or distracting her from the everything/nothing?
ReplyDeleteHe's actually healing it, P.T., but I had to cut the snippet off somewhere. :D
DeleteLove this! The dialogue flows really nicely and then your description of his transformation pulled me right in.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, Eleri. Zach is sneaky like that. :)
DeleteFabulous descriptions and with the cover it's so perfect. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, S.J. I was trying to find an image that would evoke the emotion surrounding the story. It was a success. :)
DeleteOhhh, wonderful scene! I'm fascinated with his ice demon form so I can certainly see why she would be too. Another excellent excerpt...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Veronica. If you get a chance to read Christmas I.C.E. Magic, you'll get an even clearer description. He's hot stuff, metaphorically speaking. ;)
Deleteno wonder her heart pounds, mine does too just reading it ... well done. loved it.
ReplyDeleteIt gets better from there, Iris. Thanks so much for commenting. :)
DeleteOh, I'm enthralled by this creature. Wonderful, snippet, Siobhan!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elyzabeth. You should see the inspirational picture I have of Zach. Hoo-boy, it's drool-worthy. :)
DeleteAwwww....
ReplyDeleteGreat sensory image with the cardamom & cloves. Brings the reader right into the scene.
ReplyDeleteThe shifting sounds so good, I love how it is part of their relationship.
ReplyDeleteVery descriptive, visual scene. I could almost see him too!
ReplyDelete