Welcome Hayley B. James today

I love reading fantasy of all sorts. Creating a new world (or tweaking the rules in the world in which we live) adds to my enjoyment as a reader. I particularly enjoy gorgeous demons or angels in my fantasy.

When I set out to write Water Waltz, I knew I had to include some sexy demons and angels. At first Varun seems cold and distant, but he’s protecting his heart the only way he knows. He’s calculating, intelligent, and strong-willed. He’ll stand up for what he believes in, no matter the consequence. The angel he loves is Triste. Triste has a caring heart but his past weighs on his shoulders and often causes him to forget that caring nature. He gave up happiness two years ago to serve as Varun’s butler. The reader learns of his past and his intentions throughout Water Waltz.

For this series, I took the real world and changed the rules, moved the land, and created a world shared by humans, demons, angels, devils, and faeries. I took small bits of culture and dress from 1800s and 1900s and molded it together for Water Waltz and Fire Tango. At times it seems the story takes place in an alternative history, but the timeline of inventions is jumbled. Motorized vehicles are popular, but firearms are almost unheard of, for example.

Many demons are born with a bond to an element type. Varun controls water. It bends to his will and serves his requests with diligence. He uses this bond to assassinate those who break the rules and abuse humans, but as the world plot progresses into Fire Tango, he must find other uses for his control over water.

Each story in the Elemental Attraction series is stand alone, but the characters progress along with the overall plot for the world, so it’s recommended you read in order. For example, side characters introduced in Water Waltz share their story in Fire Tango.

Water Waltz introduces the reader to the world of Elemental Attraction with a treasonous plot involving humans and demons. Fire Tango expands the world into the devil country and culture with a murderous conspiracy against the lead character, Fremont.

Buy Elemental Attraction: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=54_699

About Hayley:

Hayley B. James is a m/m romance author first published by Dreamspinner Press in March 2011. She writes novels about law enforcement (Undercover Sins), fantasy (World on Fire), and fantasy creatures (Elemental Attraction series). Writing is her part-time job and full-time hobby. She works in a small office during the day and lives in her written worlds at night.

Hayley resides in New Mexico with her neurotic cat who is terrified of her own tail, and her Shih Tzu puppy who adores any and all visitors. She reads m/m romance, mystery, comic books, real life crime, fantasy, and yaoi novels. She may or may not have an unhealthy obsession with police officers. It's still up for debate.

Blog: hayleybjames.com

Twitter: twitter.com/HayleyB_James

Facebook: facebook.com/HayleyBJames.author

Tumblr: hayleybjames.tumblr.com/

Fire Tango Blurb:

Devil Fremont’s unwillingness to divulge even the smallest details of his past makes building a relationship with his lover, Leandre, a struggle. Doubt and frustration tear at the couple and put their bond to the test when Fremont’s secrets find him after his ten years in exile and force him home to Spezia to face serious charges.

Whatever mysteries Fremont has buried, Leandre does not believe murder is one of them—though his waiting fiancé is a surprise. As Fremont trusts his lover with his past, a second murder throws him deeper into the law’s hands.

Desperate to save Fremont, Leandre searches for the truth. But the conspiracy he uncovers goes deeper than he ever imagined. With Fremont’s time running out, Leandre must act quickly to reveal the true culprit before he loses his bond mate for good.

Fire Tango excerpt:

“How did it go?” Triste questioned gently, watching Varun approach.

Varun touched Triste’s cheek as he always did as a greeting. The act never failed to warm Triste’s heart. “He’s well and being treated fine.”

Triste scrutinized Varun’s expression. It was a little too blank for his liking. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”

“I’m afraid so.” Varun directed Triste out of the building. Their driver, Amer, had parked the vehicle at the curb. The pale-type angel leaned against the hood while reading a newspaper. He folded it when the two approached.

“Sir.” Amer nodded to Varun and opened the back passenger door. “Cheri,” he addressed Triste in the manner he had taken up during the short time Varun and Triste had been separated.

“Did you find what I requested?” Triste paused halfway into the vehicle behind Varun.

“But of course. It doesn’t have much to it, though.” Amer closed the door after Triste was seated and walked around to get behind the wheel. In the front seat, he picked up a newspaper and passed it to Triste. “I pinched it from the Department of Records.”

“You did not,” Triste replied with a laugh, snatching the paper from Amer’s hand.

“I actually asked Lady Sila if I could take it.” Sila had lived in the same building as Varun before he and Triste had purchased a home.

“I appreciate you hunting it down for me, Amer.” Triste settled back beside Varun and folded the newspaper to read the story Amer had marked. “A murdered human isn’t exactly newsworthy. The one Fremont is accused of murdering received merely five lines of text.”

“Humans are discarded by purchasers without a care about being caught. It’s routine enough for STAR to pick up the bodies that they have a team for just that.”

“But if a devil is guilty of cold-blooded murder and not simply damaging the goods, I bet it’ll make the front page, and STAR will be seen in the best light possible.” Triste stole a glance at Varun. “He didn’t do it, so why is he guilty? Is STAR in great need of good publicity?”

“That they are, but in Fremont’s case, we can’t blame STAR’s desperate need to look like heroes.”

“Shame.”

“It would make it easier to clear his name if I could blame STAR.”

“So you mean to tell me Fremont found some trouble he can’t get out of.” Triste folded the newspaper in a way that left the five lines of text visible. “Can you get him out of it?”

“I’m not sure. I’m hoping Leandre might be able to.”

Triste handed the paper to Varun. “I can’t imagine Fremont choking and stabbing a human. He’s a devil, and we both know I don’t like devils, so it means a great deal when I say that Fremont is not someone who could harm another. Not like this.”

Varun glanced over the short article and details about the human’s corpse. “You had hated him not too long ago, Triste.”

“That’s because he had something I wanted back.”

Varun smiled at Triste and touched his cheek. The angel’s green eyes studied him. It was the shared color between his angel and Fremont that had attracted him to the devil after Triste severed their love to complete a job for STAR. He could pretend he was still with Triste while wrapped within Fremont.

“He knew from the start what you meant to me.”

Triste kissed Varun’s palm. “What do you think Leandre can do for him?”

“He’s not exactly an ambassador, but as the leader of The Alliance he has connections and knows others with similar ties. I hope he can find the right devil in Spezia to get Fremont’s past pardoned and have him accepted back into their country. Being extradited is better than executed.”

Triste slowly lowered Varun’s hand from his face. “Why would Fremont need a pardon to be extradited to his country of origin?”

“He didn’t leave Spezia on free will,” Varun explained. “But I promised Fremont I wouldn’t tell a soul. I know you wouldn’t repeat anything, but a promise is a promise.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to break your word.”

“The trick will be having Leandre to do what I ask of him without knowing why.”