Hi all

My name is Louise Delamore and I’m new to Book Brew. When it comes to unusual jobs the hero of my first book HUMAN WITH A TWIST was an antique dealer, so I could talk about him, but”¦ the hero of EMBRACED BY FIRE is a fire-eater, that I think is even more unusual.

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A few months before this story was born I saw a great show; the fire, the drama”¦I knew then that my next hero was going to be a fire-eater ““I just had to find a woman fiesty enough to match him.

Here Ryu (my secret agent hero) is auditioning for is undercover role as a fire-eater in EMBRACED BY FIRE”¦

He rolled his shoulders and swung his arms a few times, loosening the muscles. It was a while since he’d played with fire for an audience, and he was, he reluctantly admitted, more nervous than he expected about messing up.

He reached into the pot and pulled out a torch, lighting it with the cigarette lighter. Fire surged across the tip of the torch and the familiar acrid scent of smoke hit his nose. He threw his mind into the flame, burning away distractions as heat flared in his veins.

With a bold grin at his audience, he stroked the flame across the sensitive skin of his inner arms. The intense heat left a wake of tiny copper scales as his body instinctively protected itself. The scales vanished almost instantly, leaving his skin smooth and unmarked. He reached for a second torch. Touching the tips of the two torches together, he transferred flames to the new torch. With both lit he began a slow, almost lazy juggling pattern. Kait’s eyes followed the graceful dancing flames and he almost purred in satisfaction.

After a few more throws, he caught the shaft of one of the torches between his teeth. There were quick, indrawn breaths from those watching and he smiled inwardly at their reaction, people always loved that move. Looking at the torch he still held, he flexed the fingers of his free hand, making sure the audience caught the movement, then he closed his fist over the flame, extinguishing it. Another satisfying gasp.

Taking the torch from between his teeth, he spun it between his fingers, making the flame flutter and surge, then he ran the flame over his tongue. Once, twice. The dragon beneath his skin roared silently at the taste of fire.

Lifting the torch higher, he carefully lowered the burning tip into his mouth and closed his lips, snuffing out the torch but capturing the flame. After pulling the torch free he kept his mouth closed. The taste of fading fire dancing on his tongue was intoxicating. Spinning both torches like a baton twirler, he flexed the small muscles at the back of his throat and blew two bright flames, reigniting first one torch then the other. There was a murmur from the crowd. Few fire-eaters could hold a flame in their mouths that long and he knew they were impressed.

Of course, he had an advantage over most performers. He didn’t need to hold the flames in his mouth. He could create his own.

Lifting both torches to his mouth he did a double extinguish, then dropped them into their stand. Concentrating on controlling the fury of his fire, he blew a small flame onto the tip of each finger. The murmur from the crowd was louder now. He looked at his audience, his eyelids low, partially hiding his eyes. A happy buzz flooded his system. In this moment he wasn’t an agent, he was simply a performer enjoying people reacting to his skill.

The next part of the performance had a deliberately sensual edge and he let his eyes roam the audience, a slight smile on his lips. When he was sure he’d hooked them, he stroked his flaming fingertips over his throat and arms, then across his chest and stomach. As his fingers skimmed his body, he let his gaze linger on each of the women. Let them imagine his fingers were stroking them, let them imagine their fingers were stroking him.

Finally, he reached Kait, who was watching him with a fascinated expression. His fingertips tingled as his tactic unexpectedly backfired. In his mind, he was no longer touching himself, she was, the thought made heat burst under his skin. Desperate to regain control, he let his eyes lock onto hers. He lifted a hand and leisurely sucked the flames from the tip of each finger, his eyes never leaving hers. The dragon twitched its tail in pleasure when her chest shuddered in response.

Once all his fingers, bar one, were back to normal, he broke contact and let his eyes move to include everyone. With his burning fingertip he touched the three juggling balls resting on the platform, waiting for a rush of flame before moving onto the next. He extinguished his fingertip with a quick lick.

With the balls burning merrily, he pulled his cigarettes out of his pocket and stuck one in his mouth. He leaned forward and lit the cigarette from one of the juggling balls. The unpleasantly familiar taste of bitter molasses coated his mouth. The dragon objected to the false flames, preferring its own. Leaving the cigarette in his mouth, he scooped up the balls and began juggling.

Mentally crossing his fingers, he hoped he still had the dexterity for this next manoeuvre. Juggling one-handed, he took his cigarette out and blew a clearly defined smoke ring. The sooty scent mingled with the smoke already lingering in the air. As the ring started to dissipate he blew more, juggling the balls through the rings.

At last, he placed the balls back onto the rack. Flexing his fingers, his hands hovered over the balls before lowering to cup each flame in turn, extinguishing it.

Turning back to his audience he blew one final smoke ring, this time in the shape of a heart. Several of the women giggled and he smiled at them. Taking the cigarette, he stubbed it out on the palm of his hand. Ignoring the fragmentary flicker of pain, he threw back his arms and gave an elaborate bow. From below his lashes he watched Kait’s reaction.

It’s always gives me a sizzle thinking about the fire between these two 

I’ve never had a job that filled with danger, although I’ve tried a few. I’ve worked in a coffee shop, a men’s clothing store, and an air-conditioner manufacturing plant. I’ve been a librarian, an editor, and a business analyst. However, maybe because my grip on reality is somewhat flexible, nothing I’ve done beats telling stories. Ever since I was a little girl I’ve imagined wonderful heroes and happy endings – so what better stories to tell than romances. I hope you give EMBRACED BY FIRE a try 

Want to know more about EMBRACED BY FIRE”¦

The last thing Ryu McKay needs on a mission to expose a black market information ring is a simmering attraction to his boss. Not only is he undercover, he needs to keep his shape-shifter identity a secret. Despite his desire, he dare not act on his attraction.

For Kait, excitement and that one special man exist only in her dreams. However, everything changes when Ryu walks into her office looking for a job as a fire-eater. Now she wants nothing more than to turn her dreams into reality.

Kait’s attraction to Ryu grows, but can it survive the secrets he’s hiding? Like the fire with which he plays, this man is dangerous.