What do you think?
Rate this book
Rogues and Wild Fire: A Smoldering Romance Anthology
“I have lived alone for so long, but now that I have found you, I no longer wish for that cold existence.”
A wounded Texas Ranger is sheltered by an ostracized witch. A vengeful wastelander finds respite with a cynical prostitute. An information dealer promises life to a distraught mercenary who chases death.
Rogues and Wild Fire is a beautifully crafted collection of stories featuring world-weary outsiders with cracks in their hearts — and the smoldering rogues who reignite their passions. The scars of former hurts fade as the couples join to express their beautiful, fiery spirits through the bond of flesh and soul.
Showcasing warriors and healers, humans and shape-shifters, detectives and demons, seers and soothsayers, and soldiers from two eras, these tales illustrate the bliss that is possible when the past is overcome and love spreads unbridled and free — like wild fire.
A wounded Texas Ranger is sheltered by an ostracized witch. A vengeful wastelander finds respite with a cynical prostitute. An information dealer promises life to a distraught mercenary who chases death.
Rogues and Wild Fire is a beautifully crafted collection of stories featuring world-weary outsiders with cracks in their hearts — and the smoldering rogues who reignite their passions. The scars of former hurts fade as the couples join to express their beautiful, fiery spirits through the bond of flesh and soul.
Showcasing warriors and healers, humans and shape-shifters, detectives and demons, seers and soothsayers, and soldiers from two eras, these tales illustrate the bliss that is possible when the past is overcome and love spreads unbridled and free — like wild fire.
222 pages, ebook
First published July 25, 2018
12 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Tinker
19 books11 followersBoredom has always been my worst enemy, so books have been good friends of mine, as have the stories that I've been telling myself since I was a young girl. However, it wasn't until I was thirteen, when I met someone who wrote poetry and fan fiction, that I realized I could share the stories in my mind with others.
And so, the worlds and characters filled the pages as they had filled my head for so long.
I have spent the years since then writing fantasy and horror. I actually don't enjoy reading horror because I'm a scaredy cat, but the few horror stories I've written are my translation of the nightmares I had as a child.
As you might imagine, my main reading preference is fantasy. I enjoy the magical and seemingly impossible worlds that fill the genre, and so that is the majority of what I write. I also have a love of languages and cultures that I utilize in the creation of my worlds and stories that I feel brings them to life more fully.
It is my hope that others will find as much pleasure in reading the books I write as I have had in creating them.
And so, the worlds and characters filled the pages as they had filled my head for so long.
I have spent the years since then writing fantasy and horror. I actually don't enjoy reading horror because I'm a scaredy cat, but the few horror stories I've written are my translation of the nightmares I had as a child.
As you might imagine, my main reading preference is fantasy. I enjoy the magical and seemingly impossible worlds that fill the genre, and so that is the majority of what I write. I also have a love of languages and cultures that I utilize in the creation of my worlds and stories that I feel brings them to life more fully.
It is my hope that others will find as much pleasure in reading the books I write as I have had in creating them.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 15, 2018
3.5 (average) stars, however there are a couple stories in this anthology that definitely worth reading. Individual story reviews below:
***WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD***
The Ranger and the Greenwitch by Celosia Crane – 3 stars
I was somewhat disappointed in this story because it didn't feel like a story unto itself but more like a prologue to a larger story...one that I would like to read. I am very interested in learning more about the demigods and the history and politics of the world. Ms. Crane is an excellent world builder. One thing that bothered me, that wasn't included in the story that I think should have been, was the reason behind Diavol's hatred of magi. Was it religion? Did a magi kill his family? Someone with that much hate for a group of people usually has some sort of obvious reason to hate them, and they usually are not subtle about announcing that reason. Another disappointment was that the main characters were not particularly memorable. They were generic. Also, at one point in the story, the woman becomes devastated when she wakes up alone after her night of sex with the guy. She is running for her life through the woods and her first thought is boo-hoo the guy ran off on me, I'm so ashamed! Seriously? You have bigger things to worry about you ninny!
Bewitching the Ranger by Patrisha Harrigan– 2.5 stars
I liked that the interpretation of "dirty ranger" in this story was a Texas Ranger, and that there was magic thrown in too. However, neither the story nor the characters were memorable. To be honest, I couldn't even remember what happened in this story and had to go back and skim it in order to write this review. The main chick's animal friends were cute, but didn't really add anything to the story. Her psychological hang-ups were not trite, which was nice, but the scene at the end with the little girl was a little cheesy and unrealistic considering how vehemently the girl's dad hated the main chick.
The Bite of the Wolf by Dorothy Tinker – 3.5 stars
Beda was a very interesting character. I liked how feral and wolfy she was. The guy she ends up mating was a bit bland though. It was kind of difficult to understand what was going on in the story, in that I understood that the Queen was killed and because of that Beda and her brother and her people had to flee, but I had no idea why the death of the Queen meant they had to flee, and it is never really satisfactorily explained. There was also no real explanation why Demason (who was the King...maybe?) killed the Queen. There is no explanation of the motivation and what he hoped to gain by doing such a thing...besides making it so the shifters couldn't shift, but why would he want that? This story also felt like a prologue to a larger story, but it was more complete unto itself than the first story in the anthology.
Captured by Charleigh Brennan– 1 star
I was really disappointed by this story since I love stories about Japanese ayakashi (spirit/creature). First of all, Tegan has all of these amorphous, undefined hang-ups over dating a guy, and then after one talk with her best friend (which isn't even a talk the reader is privy to...all we get is exposition to the effect of "she spilled her guts") and presto-chango! No more hang-ups. This is a huge missed opportunity since there were plenty of other chances for drama that Ms. Brennan could have used...like the fact that Michio isn't human (and is immortal and will far surpass Tegan's lifespan), or that he basically betrayed Tegan and her friends to the ayakashi who are kidnapping women.
I liked that Tegan had to win her freedom, and the freedom of the kidnapped women, by a test of skill, but I find it highly suspect that she would actually win. The resolution was too simple for dealing with ayakashi who are known to cheat. There was also no resolution of the larger problem, that the ayakashi feel like they are entitled to "offerings". Yes, Tegan and her team rescued the kidnapped women, this time, but there is no guarantee that the ayakashi won't do the same thing again in 100 years when they get bored. Tegan's job is a paranormal enforcer and it seems like she isn't really doing her job.
Lastly, I didn't really get a "ranger" vibe from Michio. Yes, he is leading the group through the mountains, but he isn't dirty, or gruff. He is basically a pretty anime boy.
From Death’s Lips by Ynes Malakova– 4 stars
This story was beautifully written. Poetic even. I had to look up a couple of words (yay for learning new words!). Again I felt like this story was a vignette from a larger story, but it held up as a story unto itself. I wish there was more detail about the wider world. We were given only intriguing glimpses. What exactly is a Damica? It is never really explained. And how did Viper go from this Damica position (which sounds upper class) to hooking up with her ammorante, a banale (criminal)? Also, what is the end goal of the Serpentines, the group Viper hooks up with? It sounded like they had a wider political goal than just robbing merchants.
I also wish we were given more information about Viper's ammorante. I was not a fan of the cheating, though I can understand how it could happen given the circumstances. I feel like the urgency of this story was off. Viper was trying to save her ammorante from a hellhole of a prison, and yet she spends at least a year with a band of brigands. Yes, I realize she was pregnant, but she didn't know that for a while, and by the time she decides to actually go after her ammorante the chances of him still being alive at that point are slim to none. I feel like she just wasted a bunch of time.
Grey Dawn Breaking by Nyri Bakkalian – 5 stars
I loved the premise of people of the past coming forward in time. I wonder about that sometimes...how confused they would be just by regular conversation since all of our allusions and references are movie and meme based. They would have to catch up on so much pop culture just to understand what everyone is talking about! Like that scene in Avengers where Nick Fury (I think?) alludes to the Wizard of Oz and Captain America is super excited and goes, "I understood that reference!"
I was not really sure who the "ranger" character was supposed to be in this story, but the characters were so fascinating that I didn't really care that there wasn't an obvious dirty ranger vibe from the characters. I liked that there was a deeper emotional bod in this story than the others. It wasn't just, "oh hey you're hot, let's have sex." The characters instead formed a deep emotional bond based on the healing of mutual grief. I also liked that the story doesn't shy away from the difficult and often terrifying situations that trans people are subject to every day. It raises awareness without being preachy. I have honestly never read a story like this one before and it was beautiful.
Voices and Visions by K. A. Fox – 3.5 stars
The thing that bothered me the most about this story is that we never really know why Ash was ever mixed up with Drake and his crew to begin with. We know why she wants to kill him, just not why she was ever with him in the first place. I liked that Ash can hear the voices of people who have been killed in her head...but then was slightly disappointed that there is some mystical connection with Ry that silenced the voices in her head. I feel like it would have been more interesting of a read if she just heard dead people's voices in her head for unexplained reasons. The plot feels a bit rushed for the first part, then halfway through the story this random character, Shae, is thrown in, just to drum up more drama. Otherwise he is a completely throw away character. And at one point while Ry is talking to Shae, he says, "For killing' my father and brother" (in reference to Ash) which made me think that Ash was the one who killed Ry's father and brother. That really confused me, and I thought for a minute that Drake was Ry's father...yeah, it was just worded in a way to make it a little difficult to understand.
The Saint and the Traveler by Sarah Windsor - 5 stars
Peacock is hands down my favorite character in this entire anthology. He is sassy, he is smart, and he has a fabulous outfit (I want a picture!!). Rowan is pretty cool too in a quintessential "dirty ranger" kind of way. I literally got shivers of revulsion and yelled, "OH MY GOD" when Rowan sticks his hand in the biohazard bin. A+ for emotional shock factor. I also like that there are real consequences in the story, like how Yuri really dies after Peacock told him not to hook for some weird rich guy, or how Rowan comes to regret exacting his revenge. Speaking of revenge, those Valhalla dudes (and dudettes?) are totally believable. I can definitely see a future where bored rich kids get drunk and high, put on crazy armor, and go out and kill people for fun. Scary, but it could totally happen. I was amused that Peacock tried to help Rowan in the fight...but couldn't even pick up the sword all the way. Like, what did he think he was gonna do dragging that huge sword around? And the, "Not him" part...guh the feels!
***WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD***
The Ranger and the Greenwitch by Celosia Crane – 3 stars
I was somewhat disappointed in this story because it didn't feel like a story unto itself but more like a prologue to a larger story...one that I would like to read. I am very interested in learning more about the demigods and the history and politics of the world. Ms. Crane is an excellent world builder. One thing that bothered me, that wasn't included in the story that I think should have been, was the reason behind Diavol's hatred of magi. Was it religion? Did a magi kill his family? Someone with that much hate for a group of people usually has some sort of obvious reason to hate them, and they usually are not subtle about announcing that reason. Another disappointment was that the main characters were not particularly memorable. They were generic. Also, at one point in the story, the woman becomes devastated when she wakes up alone after her night of sex with the guy. She is running for her life through the woods and her first thought is boo-hoo the guy ran off on me, I'm so ashamed! Seriously? You have bigger things to worry about you ninny!
Bewitching the Ranger by Patrisha Harrigan– 2.5 stars
I liked that the interpretation of "dirty ranger" in this story was a Texas Ranger, and that there was magic thrown in too. However, neither the story nor the characters were memorable. To be honest, I couldn't even remember what happened in this story and had to go back and skim it in order to write this review. The main chick's animal friends were cute, but didn't really add anything to the story. Her psychological hang-ups were not trite, which was nice, but the scene at the end with the little girl was a little cheesy and unrealistic considering how vehemently the girl's dad hated the main chick.
The Bite of the Wolf by Dorothy Tinker – 3.5 stars
Beda was a very interesting character. I liked how feral and wolfy she was. The guy she ends up mating was a bit bland though. It was kind of difficult to understand what was going on in the story, in that I understood that the Queen was killed and because of that Beda and her brother and her people had to flee, but I had no idea why the death of the Queen meant they had to flee, and it is never really satisfactorily explained. There was also no real explanation why Demason (who was the King...maybe?) killed the Queen. There is no explanation of the motivation and what he hoped to gain by doing such a thing...besides making it so the shifters couldn't shift, but why would he want that? This story also felt like a prologue to a larger story, but it was more complete unto itself than the first story in the anthology.
Captured by Charleigh Brennan– 1 star
I was really disappointed by this story since I love stories about Japanese ayakashi (spirit/creature). First of all, Tegan has all of these amorphous, undefined hang-ups over dating a guy, and then after one talk with her best friend (which isn't even a talk the reader is privy to...all we get is exposition to the effect of "she spilled her guts") and presto-chango! No more hang-ups. This is a huge missed opportunity since there were plenty of other chances for drama that Ms. Brennan could have used...like the fact that Michio isn't human (and is immortal and will far surpass Tegan's lifespan), or that he basically betrayed Tegan and her friends to the ayakashi who are kidnapping women.
I liked that Tegan had to win her freedom, and the freedom of the kidnapped women, by a test of skill, but I find it highly suspect that she would actually win. The resolution was too simple for dealing with ayakashi who are known to cheat. There was also no resolution of the larger problem, that the ayakashi feel like they are entitled to "offerings". Yes, Tegan and her team rescued the kidnapped women, this time, but there is no guarantee that the ayakashi won't do the same thing again in 100 years when they get bored. Tegan's job is a paranormal enforcer and it seems like she isn't really doing her job.
Lastly, I didn't really get a "ranger" vibe from Michio. Yes, he is leading the group through the mountains, but he isn't dirty, or gruff. He is basically a pretty anime boy.
From Death’s Lips by Ynes Malakova– 4 stars
This story was beautifully written. Poetic even. I had to look up a couple of words (yay for learning new words!). Again I felt like this story was a vignette from a larger story, but it held up as a story unto itself. I wish there was more detail about the wider world. We were given only intriguing glimpses. What exactly is a Damica? It is never really explained. And how did Viper go from this Damica position (which sounds upper class) to hooking up with her ammorante, a banale (criminal)? Also, what is the end goal of the Serpentines, the group Viper hooks up with? It sounded like they had a wider political goal than just robbing merchants.
I also wish we were given more information about Viper's ammorante. I was not a fan of the cheating, though I can understand how it could happen given the circumstances. I feel like the urgency of this story was off. Viper was trying to save her ammorante from a hellhole of a prison, and yet she spends at least a year with a band of brigands. Yes, I realize she was pregnant, but she didn't know that for a while, and by the time she decides to actually go after her ammorante the chances of him still being alive at that point are slim to none. I feel like she just wasted a bunch of time.
Grey Dawn Breaking by Nyri Bakkalian – 5 stars
I loved the premise of people of the past coming forward in time. I wonder about that sometimes...how confused they would be just by regular conversation since all of our allusions and references are movie and meme based. They would have to catch up on so much pop culture just to understand what everyone is talking about! Like that scene in Avengers where Nick Fury (I think?) alludes to the Wizard of Oz and Captain America is super excited and goes, "I understood that reference!"
I was not really sure who the "ranger" character was supposed to be in this story, but the characters were so fascinating that I didn't really care that there wasn't an obvious dirty ranger vibe from the characters. I liked that there was a deeper emotional bod in this story than the others. It wasn't just, "oh hey you're hot, let's have sex." The characters instead formed a deep emotional bond based on the healing of mutual grief. I also liked that the story doesn't shy away from the difficult and often terrifying situations that trans people are subject to every day. It raises awareness without being preachy. I have honestly never read a story like this one before and it was beautiful.
Voices and Visions by K. A. Fox – 3.5 stars
The thing that bothered me the most about this story is that we never really know why Ash was ever mixed up with Drake and his crew to begin with. We know why she wants to kill him, just not why she was ever with him in the first place. I liked that Ash can hear the voices of people who have been killed in her head...but then was slightly disappointed that there is some mystical connection with Ry that silenced the voices in her head. I feel like it would have been more interesting of a read if she just heard dead people's voices in her head for unexplained reasons. The plot feels a bit rushed for the first part, then halfway through the story this random character, Shae, is thrown in, just to drum up more drama. Otherwise he is a completely throw away character. And at one point while Ry is talking to Shae, he says, "For killing' my father and brother" (in reference to Ash) which made me think that Ash was the one who killed Ry's father and brother. That really confused me, and I thought for a minute that Drake was Ry's father...yeah, it was just worded in a way to make it a little difficult to understand.
The Saint and the Traveler by Sarah Windsor - 5 stars
Peacock is hands down my favorite character in this entire anthology. He is sassy, he is smart, and he has a fabulous outfit (I want a picture!!). Rowan is pretty cool too in a quintessential "dirty ranger" kind of way. I literally got shivers of revulsion and yelled, "OH MY GOD" when Rowan sticks his hand in the biohazard bin. A+ for emotional shock factor. I also like that there are real consequences in the story, like how Yuri really dies after Peacock told him not to hook for some weird rich guy, or how Rowan comes to regret exacting his revenge. Speaking of revenge, those Valhalla dudes (and dudettes?) are totally believable. I can definitely see a future where bored rich kids get drunk and high, put on crazy armor, and go out and kill people for fun. Scary, but it could totally happen. I was amused that Peacock tried to help Rowan in the fight...but couldn't even pick up the sword all the way. Like, what did he think he was gonna do dragging that huge sword around? And the, "Not him" part...guh the feels!
November 7, 2018
Rogues and Wildfire was a long-awaited release for me. Stories from multiple authors - all romance. I love each and every story but certainly, have a few favorites. The characters are relatable, beautifully flawed, and come together in ways that will make you melt into a puddle on your sofa. There's a story (or more) in there for every romance reader. I highly recommend that you order a copy (or two, like me) and get to reading!
September 11, 2018
Someone call the fire department
This book was amazing! All the authors weaved words into magic, creating just the right mix of sugar and spice. I will definitely bee keeping an eye out for their future works!
This book was amazing! All the authors weaved words into magic, creating just the right mix of sugar and spice. I will definitely bee keeping an eye out for their future works!
August 15, 2018
So many different stories, styles and characters. There's sure to be a love story here you'll find yourself falling in love with.
May 27, 2020
A little bit of something for everyone. Unique stories, varying levels of "steam", characters of every color and persuasion - a well-crafted anthology!
October 19, 2020
I loved it. Grey Dawn is a must-read and most of the other short stories in the anthology were all close seconds.
August 13, 2022
Fantastic read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews