Like Fire Through Bone

Vasilios Eleni has learned to make the best of life as a eunuch and valued slave in the household of a wealthy silk merchant. When he begins having dreams of a demon who steals away children and eats them alive, Vasilios's well-ordered life begins to unravel. General Markos Özdemir has been ordered by the Emperor to investigate the kidnapping and murder of children from the capital, but he’s become frustrated with lack of progress. When he learns of Vasilio’s dreams he begins to suspect they are the key to tracking down the demon.

Vasilios and Markos work together, and soon the attraction between them flares, leading to deeper attachment. Vasilios admits to his feelings for Markos, but knows they must first find a way to exorcise the child eating demon. Their quest takes them into to desert to seek out mystics and a half-man, half-serpent monk, as well as heretics, ex-concubines, and angels. The mission remains unsolved when Vasilios is trapped in the household of a cruel man. Things go from bad to worse for Vasilios,  and getting back to freedom and the new love he has with Markos could cost him his life.

Like Fire Through Bone will be released on September 13th, pre-order it here.

I finally, finally get to talk seriously about Like Fire Through Bone. 

About two years ago I started writing a story I intended to be in the area of 30K long which was roughly the length of the story I written just before that. So I wrote 30K and then the story became 35K and then 40K. By the time it was 60K and I was still not close to being done I realize that I was going to write a full length novel. 

I finished it rather quickly, it probably only took about three weeks to write. Then I let it sit on my computer for six months or so while I felt very intimated by the process of editing such a long manuscript. Finally though I was talking about it with the wonderful and talented LJ LaBarthe who offered her services as a beta reader thus kicking me in the ass and getting me to actually edit it. After she gave it a very thurough betaing and history fact checking, I decided to submit it the Dreamspinner Press who accepted it. 

 I love Vasilios and Markos as characters. Their relationship together is one of my favorites I have ever written. All through the editing process I never got tired of rereading the scenes they were in together (a rare thing for me). I loved writing about Vasilios' struggle to understand himself as an autonomous person again and Markos' patients and kindness.  

There is some dark imagery in this book. Both because of the horror elements innate to a plot that revolves around a demon who kidnaps and eat very young children, but also around issues of slavery, and abuse.

My editors were wonderfully supportive in this process and actually liked the book. One of them told me she thought it was an interesting fantasy novel with a strong romantic subplot.  

I am all together very proud of this book though both as a fantasy novel and as a romance.  

~~~ 

Almost as soon as I had finished writing the first draft I knew there was more to this universe and this spectrum of characters then I had been able to cover. So when Dreamspinner asked me if this was going to be a series I said yes.  

Officially Like Fire Through Bone is the first of the Into Fire series and I am three chapters into writing the second book. Although it won't focus on Markos and Vasilios the way this one does they, along with most of the other characters in Like Fire Through Bone, will be making an appearance.  

All in all I am looking forward to having people read it and seeing what everyone thinks.  

Oh and there are appendices in Like Fire Through Bone... four of them.