Fire and Shadow

On Fern's 18th birthday, she discovers she's a fire-starter. It's a gift, and she's glad to have it. But fire starting is a curse as well as a blessing. Fern must learn how to control it, and to do that she has to leave her home and family, lest she burn them all by accident.  Fern travels to a place where other young people have gathered to learn how to manage their gifts. Though none are firestarters, they understand self-control, and there are books to help. And that's where she meets Nik, the enigmatic magician who seems to understand her and her gift better than she does herself.

From the moment they meet, sparks fly, sometimes literally. Nik makes her lose her temper faster than anyone else can, but he understands her better than anyone else, too. Fern realizes something she didn't look for and didn't expect; she's falling in love with him.

But can Nik be trusted? Or is he hiding dangerous secrets of his own?

Read the excerpt here.