Guest Post & Giveaway ~ WORLDS OF FIRE: METAMORPHOSIS by Deborah A. Bailey

Metamorphosis (Worlds of Fire, #2)
by: Deborah A. Bailey
Series: Worlds of Fire
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Release Date: October 18, 2022

On the Floating World when two Alchemists fall in love it can be...complicated.

Asira is a member of a high-ranking family of Alchemists who exert control over the libraries that store magical texts. Jaydon, an unconventional but powerful teacher of transmutation at the university, is from a gargoyle shifter group known as the Gigun.

Asira finds Jaydon frustrating and too fascinating for her own good. But she desperately needs his help when she becomes the target of a classmate's dangerous use of forbidden magic. With Jaydon's assistance, the two of them uncover a conspiracy that threatens the well-ordered world of the Alchemists.

Struggling with his growing attraction to her, Jaydon is called on to use his knowledge of the magical Books of Fire to determine Asira's fate. And depending on what secrets the books reveal, he may be forced to make a life-altering decision that will either bind them together… or permanently force them apart.

Creating the Worlds of Fire Series

You could say that this series began years ago when I got the idea of a worlds separated by a portal. In that idea, the heroine finds that she has been given the power to cross from one world to another. There's a lot more to that story that I won't go into right now but was always in the back of my mind.

I've always loved fantasy and sci-fi. Many of the stories deal with alternate universes. In fact, there are theories that they actually exist. So, maybe it's not so fictional after all. But for the purposes of my worldbuilding, I decided to take my original story idea and expand on it.

In the Worlds of Fire universe portals are created by phoenix shifters. When they are triggered by some element or event, they regenerate. Just as with the mythical phoenix bird, the shifters burst into flame. When that happens, a portal opens. That portal can lead to any other world – or worlds. By going through the portal, travelers can instantly arrive at any of the worlds that have an existing portal.

The catch is that humans need access to crystals – called, keys – that give them safe passage. Shifters can travel without the keys. In Metamorphosis, there's backstory about the portals and the powerful Books of Fire which contain magical texts. These texts include various spells and enchantments that the Alchemists have collected. However, though the Alchemists control the texts, they don't control the phoenix shifters. The phoenixes have their own world and their own rules.

My intention for this series was to tell a different story in each book. So, each one can be read as a stand-alone, though I do mention events and characters from other stories. For instance, Metamorphosis mentions main characters from Blood Red Moon. The stories have a connection, even though they are set on different worlds.

In Metamorphosis, the action mostly happens on the Floating World of the Alchemists. The main characters, Jaydon and Asira are involved in intrigue and fall in love as the events unfold. In Blood Red Moon (the first book in the series) the action takes place on an alternate Earth of shifters, humans, and vampires. In the upcoming book, Metal and Ash, the main characters are a husband and wife who are part of a space military made up of Cyborg soldiers.

In each story there are new characters and situations with the portals as the common thread. In this way I can create a new world each time, while adding specific things that will be familiar to readers of the series.

As a writer it gives me the chance to imagine new worlds and characters. And it gives me the opportunity to include my favorite story elements – mystery, suspense and romance in fantasy and futuristic settings.

Jaydon picked up his stylus and shoved it behind his ear. Continuing to study her, his brows furrowed as though he was having an internal conversation. Thinking things over with himself and not sharing his conclusions with her.

Sure, she was used to intense stares from the magisters. They used them as an intimidation tactic. It was part of their mystery to be imperious and detached, to only associate with others on their level or from a specific Order. You were either in the Court hierarchy or you weren't. Even the most advanced students didn't have that kind of clout, no matter what Aurum family they belonged to.

"Are you sure you don't want to see my papers on the topic?" Sitting there while he watched her was unnerving. Not that he was bad to look at, because he wasn't. His features were finely sculpted, and his wavy shoulder-length black hair framed his face so that his almond-shaped eyes and full lips were accentuated.

He shook his head in response to her question, his gaze still fixed on her.

A noise outside caught her attention. There was chirping coming from the open sliding glass door that led to the balcony. Another perk of magister mentors. Private offices and balconies overlooking the spice gardens.

"Come in."

A small yellow bird flew in and perched on a shelf above one of the desks. It chirped and then turned its head to study her. Another chirp, then a turn of the head to the left and to the right.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"Nice bird."

"No, I was asking her."

"You were what?" She looked at him, then at the bird again, then at him. "Does she talk?"

"Yes."

"What does she say?" She would go along with it for now. She'd be done and then hopefully get picked by a mentor who was more serious and less messy.

Purchase Metamorphosis from:

Amazon | Paperback | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Goodreads

The Worlds of Fire Series:

Deborah A Bailey's Romantic Fantasy, Science Fiction and Paranormal Romance novels include suspense, a bit of mystery and a lot of romantic heat.

Her short stories have won awards from the Philadelphia Writers' Conference and have been published in US1 Magazine and the Sun and are included in, Electric Dreams: Seven Futuristic Tales.

Places to find Deborah A. Bailey:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Amazon Author Page

You can follow the Metamorphosis Book Tour here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Subscribe to Read Your Writes Book Reviews: