Part of Series
Is the Heat a deadly fever…or a fiery desire that could save them both? Deirdre Graves got lucky. When the Heat, a djinn-created virus, wiped out most of humanity, she was isolated at her university’s wildlife research station high in the mountains. Safe...for the moment. But with winter closing in and her choices narrowing down to freezing or starving, she builds a device that could save her life. Trouble is, the only way to find out if it works is to leave her sanctuary and face the djinn. One moment, Amaal al-Tariq is exploring his newly acquired mountain lands—or, more accurately, his place of exile. The next, he’s flat on his face, trapped by one delicate human woman carrying a device capable of rendering him helpless. Regaining what is most precious to him—his freedom—means gaining Deirdre’s trust. If that means using the attraction simmering between them to his advantage, so be it. He just never expected her courage and compassion to reach the one thing he’s kept to himself for so long...his heart.
Author
A native of Southern California, Christine Pope has been writing stories ever since she commandeered her family’s Smith-Corona typewriter back in the sixth grade. Many reams of dead trees later, she’s happy to announce that her debut novel, Fringe Benefits,was published by Pink Petal Books on April 8, 2010. Her short fiction has appeared in Astonishing Adventures, Luna Station Quarterly, and the new journal of dark fiction, Dark Valentine. Her paranormal novella, Playing With Fire, was released on August 5, 2010. While Fringe Benefits is a straight contemporary romance, she writes in a variety of genres, including paranormal romance, fantasy, horror, science fiction, and historical romance. She blames this on being easily distracted by bright, shiny objects, which could also account for the size of her shoe collection. After spending many years in the magazine publishing industry, she now works as a freelance editor in addition to writing fiction. She lives with her husband and an explosively fluffy Pomeranian mix. Her house is pink, but don’t hold that against her.
