Air Attack by Author Claire Davon - A Guest Post - Excerpt AND Giveaway!
Air Attack
Elementals’ Challenge
Book 2
Claire Davon
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: Nov 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-946621-06-1
ASIN: B07692BSVV
Number of pages: 215
Word Count: 73,756
Cover Artist: Kanaxa
When love drops from the clouds, the sky is the limit…
The last time the Elementals were defeated in a Challenge, the result was World War II—a price humans paid in rivers of blood. Griffin is determined not to let that happen again. He doesn’t need a minor goddess getting in his way—no matter how much the redhead tempts him.Elementals’ Challenge
Book 2
Claire Davon
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: Nov 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-946621-06-1
ASIN: B07692BSVV
Number of pages: 215
Word Count: 73,756
Cover Artist: Kanaxa
When love drops from the clouds, the sky is the limit…
Clea intends to invoke a debt of honor to gain Griffin’s protection, but she has an ulterior motive: to get within striking distance of Griffin’s opponent, who she is certain killed her brother.
She never expected to feel a spark with Griffin, disturbingly seductive as he is. In a world where everyone looks like a god or goddess, why should this one winged Elemental call to her?
Yet their attraction grows fiercer as they journey to Iceland, Luxembourg, and finally Portugal to face Griffin’s foe. But even if they prevail, Griffin is holding onto one last, deadly secret that proves the truth can survive any Challenge, but love may be its final victim.
A Guest Post by Claire Davon
Author of Air Attack
Elementals in the story, who they are, what they want, and how far are they willing to go to accomplish their goals and The challenges of writing paranormal and world-building for the story
Hi all and welcome to my guest blog. Thank you to Jena for having me!
When I first started writing the book that eventually became Fire Danger, the first in the Elementals’ Challenge series I honestly didn’t think too much about the worldbuilding. I had this vision of a gorgeous guy in my head who had wings and controlled fire and, well, who doesn’t like a vision of a gorgeous guy in their head? Later, when I went back to the series I had more of an idea what the Elementals were and was able to fashion the world around them. Battling for the fate of humanity is no easy task, especially when you don’t know when the battle will come or why you are fighting it. The degree of mystery in Challenge, the battle the Elementals must face, created a natural part of the worldbuilding of the series. My intrepid Elementals don’t know why they have to fight to save humanity, but only know that they must.
In writing Griffin, the air Elemental who takes center stage in Air Attack, I wanted to take the series outside the U.S. Griffin is air, after all, and seemed a natural fit to be a wanderer, and Iceland, where the book starts, seemed perfect for him. He is also haunted by the fact that he inadvertently hurt humans when battling his Demonos counterpart in the second World War, which was the last time that the Elementals fought—and lost—Challenge. A relative youngster in the Elementals world (only a mere five hundred years old) Griffin seems easygoing on the surface but feels things acutely deep inside. He doesn’t let it show but it’s there. He lives in today but remembers the past.
I also love to explore pantheons of gods as well as different kinds of paranormal beings. My mind automatically goes to those who are not as well-known as, say, vampires and werewolves, or Zeus and Thor. In finding Griffin’s perfect woman I went to the ancient pantheons of gods. His red-haired air-powered goddess Clea won’t be found in any history books but her mother Dodola is there. So is her father, who is a member of the Tuatha dé Danann. I took a page from other fantasy/paranormal writers and fashioned the characters so that the gods are truly immortal, as long as there are people who remember them. I find that fascinating. Imagine being a god, but your existence depends on the memory of the humans who have left you behind. I haven’t touched too much on this idea, but that’s a story for a later series, perhaps!
I’d love to hear what you think about the Elementals and where you believe the story is going. The mystery of Challenge links the series, but each story has a different couple who are striving for their happily ever after. If you have any questions or comments, I can be found on my Facebook or at my website. Links are below.
Thank you again to Jena for the opportunity to blog on this site. Happy reading!
Thank you for joining us Claire.
Continue reading everyone for an excerpt from Air Attack
Currents of wind blew around and under them. Clea reached out to test the air. There was no need to supplement his gust with her own; he had more than enough. She cursed herself, wishing she had used her time to do more research before she had fled to the Elemental. She needed to know what Griffin’s strengths, and more importantly, what his weaknesses were. Only then would she know what to focus on and how she could help. She couldn’t lose any more family.
Inch by inch, her fear began to leave her as Griff’s strong wings beat in the currents. As they grew nearer, Griff again made the same hand motion he had before, and the sliding door pulled back.
“Neat trick.”
A rumble of laughter echoed in him.
He deposited her on the floor, landing her gently on her feet. Clea’s hands and face lost their chill in the warmth of his remote home. To her dismay, her heart was pounding and when cold left her, beads of fear sweat bloomed on her body. Griffin poured her another glass of wine from the same bottle as before, saying nothing. His wings once again folded against his back.
“That was interesting.” Small ripples danced across the red wine as Clea curved her free hand around the stem. In another moment, she would be shaking. Too much had happened too fast. “Why keep the basket?”
“He doesn’t need it to maneuver in air, but he likes to let the unwary believe what they will. Don’t underestimate Amai,” he said, steel in his tone. “The basket may look stupido, but he is ruthless and dangerous. He didn’t kill my predecessor by being a fool.”
Hoping her voice was level, Clea met Griff’s gaze. “I have learned not to misjudge anyone. Danger comes in many packages. Still, you’ve got to admit, it’s ridiculous.”
He flashed something that might have been a smile, but it was gone before she could be sure. “That’s the point. It’s a natural tendency not to take the ridiculous seriously, and he has caught many people by surprise that way. He was made into his current form by the primitive people of Mangaia, and he chooses to keep the trappings of his creation.”
Griff didn’t move, but he was in her mind, beating at her shields.
“Let’s talk, Clea. Who is Patrik?”
She opened her mouth to speak but before she had any words, there was a crack of thunder. It was followed by another one, and another, until their surroundings seemed alive with electricity. Clea’s hair floated out and Griffin’s feathers stood up. There was a fleeting impression of a hooked nose on his face, like a beak. For an instant, he looked like the half lion/half eagle that was his other form, before it faded to his normal countenance.
Wind kicked up and swirled outside the house, whipping small trees at the bottom until their branches bent close to the ground. It picked up snow, sending it coursing through the air, and bits of debris whirled in the currents. Griffin still hadn’t moved, cocking his head to one side.
“Amai’s parting shot. He can be a child,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
Griff’s power grew, almost a tangible force in him as he took in a deep breath. When he exhaled, the wind stuttered and then stopped swirling. It began churning in the opposite direction, rising away from the house. Lightning streaked down, but before it could crash to earth, Griffin caught it mentally and sent the electricity back up the path it had followed, lifting his hands as if to direct the path. In the distance, Clea heard a yelp before the storm ended as fast as it had manifested.
The buzz in her body subsided. There was no need for it yet. It may be best to keep her powers hidden until she had need of them. Amai was not the only one people often underestimated.
Inch by inch, her fear began to leave her as Griff’s strong wings beat in the currents. As they grew nearer, Griff again made the same hand motion he had before, and the sliding door pulled back.
“Neat trick.”
A rumble of laughter echoed in him.
He deposited her on the floor, landing her gently on her feet. Clea’s hands and face lost their chill in the warmth of his remote home. To her dismay, her heart was pounding and when cold left her, beads of fear sweat bloomed on her body. Griffin poured her another glass of wine from the same bottle as before, saying nothing. His wings once again folded against his back.
“That was interesting.” Small ripples danced across the red wine as Clea curved her free hand around the stem. In another moment, she would be shaking. Too much had happened too fast. “Why keep the basket?”
“He doesn’t need it to maneuver in air, but he likes to let the unwary believe what they will. Don’t underestimate Amai,” he said, steel in his tone. “The basket may look stupido, but he is ruthless and dangerous. He didn’t kill my predecessor by being a fool.”
Hoping her voice was level, Clea met Griff’s gaze. “I have learned not to misjudge anyone. Danger comes in many packages. Still, you’ve got to admit, it’s ridiculous.”
He flashed something that might have been a smile, but it was gone before she could be sure. “That’s the point. It’s a natural tendency not to take the ridiculous seriously, and he has caught many people by surprise that way. He was made into his current form by the primitive people of Mangaia, and he chooses to keep the trappings of his creation.”
Griff didn’t move, but he was in her mind, beating at her shields.
“Let’s talk, Clea. Who is Patrik?”
She opened her mouth to speak but before she had any words, there was a crack of thunder. It was followed by another one, and another, until their surroundings seemed alive with electricity. Clea’s hair floated out and Griffin’s feathers stood up. There was a fleeting impression of a hooked nose on his face, like a beak. For an instant, he looked like the half lion/half eagle that was his other form, before it faded to his normal countenance.
Wind kicked up and swirled outside the house, whipping small trees at the bottom until their branches bent close to the ground. It picked up snow, sending it coursing through the air, and bits of debris whirled in the currents. Griffin still hadn’t moved, cocking his head to one side.
“Amai’s parting shot. He can be a child,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
Griff’s power grew, almost a tangible force in him as he took in a deep breath. When he exhaled, the wind stuttered and then stopped swirling. It began churning in the opposite direction, rising away from the house. Lightning streaked down, but before it could crash to earth, Griffin caught it mentally and sent the electricity back up the path it had followed, lifting his hands as if to direct the path. In the distance, Clea heard a yelp before the storm ended as fast as it had manifested.
The buzz in her body subsided. There was no need for it yet. It may be best to keep her powers hidden until she had need of them. Amai was not the only one people often underestimated.
About the Author
Claire Davon has written on and off for most of her life, starting with fan fiction when she was very young. She writes across a wide range of genres, and does not consider any of it off limits. If a story calls to her, she will write it. She currently lives in Los Angeles and spends her free time writing novels and short stories, as well as doing animal rescue and enjoying the sunshine.
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Thanks for hosting me! Happy reading to all!
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