Deborah Cooke: “Some like it Hot”

One kiss can melt the coldest heart…

The mysterious Dragon’s Blood Elixir gives immortality to Magnus, the Pyr’s greatest enemy, and his minions. The Pyr must destroy this source of power, and outcast Delaney vows to complete the quest himself. Delaney was exiled because of his dangerous impulses, and success in eliminating the Elixir will either redeem him or end his suffering.

But his plans don’t take into account his sudden firestorm—or fiery Ginger Sinclair. The firestorm revitalizes Delaney, restoring him to his old self. And when Ginger learns about Delaney’s mission, she realizes she cannot resist a strong man with a noble agenda.

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Winter Kiss, book number four in my Dragonfire series, features Delaney – one of the dragon shape shifters called the Pyr–and Ginger, his destined mate. Delaney recognizes that Ginger is his destined mate in the way that the Pyr always do–sparks literally fly when the pair meet. This is the key indication of a Pyr’s firestorm, which is his contact with his destined mate and his chance to conceive an heir. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a Pyr, which gives him a little extra incentive to get it right. The idea is that their desire burns brighter and hotter until the firestorm is satisfied – in this world, the mate is supposed to conceive the first time the pair are intimate.

Of course, I have to play with that set of assumptions! Delaney’s book is the first Dragonfire story in which the firestorm doesn’t proceed according to plan or mythology. It was a lot of fun to challenge the Pyrs’ collective notion of how things should be – that also meant that Delaney and Ginger’s book could be hotter from the outset, which was a lot of fun.

One of the things I enjoy about writing the Dragonfire books is the chance to play with our strong association between love (and lust) and fire. There are dozens of expressions that reflect this link. There are even a few fiery metaphors in the bit I’ve already written above: “sparks fly” when the pair meet; their story is “hotter”, by which I mean it’s more passionate; “desire burns” as the firestorm continues.

There are a lot of other sexual metaphors that draw upon the imagery of fire. You can be “hot” for someone, or even “hot to trot”. An attractive person is “hot stuff” or even a “hotshot”. You can call your lover your “flame” or a former lover “an old flame”. You can have “a flame in your heart” or feel “a burning attraction”. We talk about “passion being kindled” and meeting someone producing a sensation like “touching a spark to tinder”. Strong sexual attraction draws us closer “like a moth to the flame”. We can “meet fire with fire”, too.

As for the physical sensation of desire, there’s lots of fire in those descriptions, too. “Hearts aflame” usually indicates a couple in the depths of passion. An unrequited lover “carries a torch” for the individual desired. We can “burn for” someone, or have “a blazing desire” or even “a torrid affair”. We talk about “sexual heat” and “electricity”. What about “body heat”? We can be “ardent” or have a “fever”; we “flush”; we are “aglow” or “radiant” with love.

Phew! It’s getting “steamy” in here!

My Pyr heroes are dragon shape shifters, which naturally brings the element of fire into the discussion. Dragons breathe fire, after all, so using our existing ideas when talking about their encounters with their destined mates made a lot of sense. But the Pyr are also the guardians of the elements, so I decided that the other elements–water, earth, air–need to be reflected in their firestorms. This isn’t just airy-fairy stuff–my dragon dudes lose a scale when they fall in love, which leaves them vulnerable (as love tends to do.) That lost scale can only be repaired by a talisman willingly given by a Pyr’s mate–so the woman the Pyr hero loves, by loving him in return enough to give him something special to her, heals his vulnerability and makes him stronger.

What’s not to love about that?!

In each Dragonfire book, each partner brings two elements to the relationship– having the four elements in unison gives strength to their lasting union. As you can imagine, usually the Pyr hero brings the element of fire and one other element. Quinn (Kiss of Fire) has an affinity with both fire and earth. He’s the Smith of the Pyr, and his affinities give him the power to sing to metals and to repair the scales of his fellow Pyr. Donovan (Kiss of Fury) has an affinity with water, as well as fire. This gives him both compassion and understanding, and his firestorm helped him become the  foretold Warrior of the Pyr. Erik (Kiss of Fate) has an affinity with air, as well as fire. Air gives Erik the gift of prophecy and his firestorm heightened his powers.

What was challenging about Delaney’s firestorm is that his link with fire was compromised by his having been forced to drink the Dragon’s Blood Elixir. His spark had died, which is why the book opens with him having lost hope of his own recovery. Although I liked his noble impulse of wanting to achieve something with his life, the very fact that he had such a noble impulse gave me the determination to save him. Delaney was the one Pyr who didn’t bring the element of fire to this firestorm. It’s Ginger who brings the spark to their partnership and super-charges him again, which was a fun twist on the whole balance.

I’ll let you read the book to find out how the other elements are allocated in this relationship – and why this firestorm is so tough to “extinguish”!

Or maybe it’s “incendiary”.

Or “a love that burns forever”?

Can you think of any other fiery metaphors or expressions? Do you think a dragon who has lost his spark can still be “hot”? Let’s play with fire! Use one expression in your comment–fire is my fave, but you can choose another element if you like–for a chance to win a signed copy of Winter Kiss. Good luck!

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Thank you for visiting, Ms Cooke!

Leave a comment to enter the drawing, and visit Ms Cooke’s website to learn more about the world she has created.