Hey everyone! Today Chris T. Kat is taking over my blog to talk about her latest release Secret Chemistry. *Rubs hands together* This sounds like just my kind of book. And guys, check out that cover. I love it! So, pull up a chair and join us!
M.A. , thank you very much for having me on your blog
again! I'm excited to share my new release Secret Chemistry with you and
your readers. It'll release on January 11th; and I'm doing a
giveaway too! Just comment on this post and you're entered into the draw for
one e-copy of Secret Chemistry. The contest will run from today to the
12th. Good luck and don't forget to leave an email addy!
Blurb:
Not all werewolf societies are created equal. The one Tim Evans grew up in detests those not of “pure blood”—so when Tim discovers his mate is Jay, a male fox-wolf hybrid ten years his junior, it shocks him, to say the least. Too young to claim his mate and too weak to protect him from the rest of the pack, Tim fears for Jay’s life. When a human gets hold of Jay, Tim believes he has lost him forever.
The next eighteen years are hell. Tim devotes his life to his family and running their stable, but anger and depression threaten to consume him. Then fate brings Jay back into his life. Tim knows Jay feels the same attraction he does—mates always do. So why won’t Jay act on it?
Jay Cox: A
hybrid between wolf and fox
Secret Chemistry is an m/m shape-shifter story. The two main characters are Tim Evans, a
werewolf, and Jay Cox, a hybrid between wolf and fox. Why didn't I write a
story in which the two main characters are both werewolves?
That question is easy to answer: the whole plot
wouldn't have worked in that case. I've read a lot of stories dealing with how
a werewolf society reacts if their alpha wolf (or beta or simply a pack member)
shows up with a male mate, especially if he only loved / bedded women before.
Yes, I could have written such a story, and I admit I love reading those kind
of stories. Still, this isn't the point of Secret Chemistry.
I wanted to focus on a different aspect. What if the
werewolf society could deal with gay werewolves but had other prejudices? In Secret
Chemistry Tim Evans' pack doesn't like hybrids; not at all. A lot of pack
members detests the individuals that are not pure-blooded. They even go so far
as to hunt and kill them, uncaring that these hybrids have a human part as
well.
Jay Cox, Tim's mate, is a hybrid between a wolf and a
fox. For those who know me a little bit, know I'm a fox-lover. I've always
been, even as a kid. I've collected pictures, figures, toys, books,
what-have-you about them. Unfortunately (still makes me hopping mad) I lost
most of it during a move. So, what makes foxes—especially red foxes—so special
to me?
Honestly, I don't really know. Most people who have a favorite animal can't pinpoint exactly why it's exactly that animal. For me it's probably the mixture between cat and dog attributes the fox inherits. I've read a book about the red fox which is fittingly titled “Red Fox – The Catlike Canine”. It's written by J. David Henry and I'd highly recommend it if you're interested in the red fox's biology.
For Secret Chemistry I loved the idea of a
hybrid between a wolf and a fox, both animals with strong characteristics in
appearance and behavior.
The wolf is the largest member of the canid family.
He's described as a powerful animal with broad features. They live in packs,
hunt together and have a strong hierarchy within their pack.
The red fox is much smaller in comparison to a wolf.
He's usually described as a graceful and elegant creature but also as wiry and
high-strung. Jay combines the best of both worlds, so to speak.
Tim and Jay are mates and meant for each other. At
first not even Tim can believe his eyes and heart. Just like the other wolves
in his pack he's prejudiced, but once he's over his initial shock he vows to
protect Jay. If necessary with his own life.
If you like you are also welcome to participate in the GoodReads
giveaway for the paperback version of Secret Chemistry here:
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/40767-secret-chemistry
Here’s an excerpt from Chapter Three of Secret
Chemistry:
He lost all sense of time as he
hunted the other wolf... the other guy. His world narrowed to the scent in
front of him.
Sometimes dizziness caused him to
stumble a few steps. Whether the dizziness came from exertion or from the
scent, Tim didn’t know. He didn’t much care, either. Not even about the battle
he had left behind like a coward, not about his parents or siblings. Dimly, he
was aware that they’d ventured deep into Bass River State Forest, a place his
father sometimes took him and Daniel for canoeing.
Guilt made a quick appearance and
would probably be his companion for some time to come, but Tim just couldn’t
force himself to care about anything other than the scent, and more
specifically about the source of the scent, fleeing from him. The originator of
the scent belonged to him and only him. Tim would protect the guy, no
matter what it would cost him.
Having acknowledged the owner of the
scent was male and that he still intended to do whatever was necessary to keep
him safe, Tim pulled up his last reserves and sped up.
Tim quickly closed in on the scent's
carrier. Rounding a tall tree, he almost ran straight into another wolf. Trying
to catch his breath, he blinked at the dark-furred wolf who gasped as hard for
air as Tim did. He didn't recognize the wolf, which could only mean she wasn’t
a member of his pack.
Tim was confused. The wolf in front
of him was grown-up and female. Still, she carried the scent on her. Tim
frowned. She carried it on her, but she wasn’t the source. Boldly, he stepped
toward her, searching for some hint of the scent’s source. The wolf growled
deep in her throat and bared her teeth.
Tim stopped in his forward movement,
gauging his chances against the larger wolf. He was strong, but he’d only ever
brawled with wolves his age. Taking on an adult wolf could backfire, badly.
While he pondered his chances, a
small movement behind the wolf’s forelegs caught his gaze. Tilting his head
slightly to one side, he barked. A small head peeked out from behind one
foreleg. A small, gray-and-red-furred head with a black snout, black ear tips, black
socks, and the brightest blue eyes Tim had ever seen appeared.
Tim reared back in
shock. He was face to face with a hybrid pup.
Putting some space between them, Tim
just stared silently at that… thing in front of him. The pup nudged its
mother’s legs. Hesitantly, she allowed him to sit between her forepaws. The pup
directed a soft, questioning yip at the wolf.
The wolf answered the yip, and Tim
tried his best to at least get a hint of what they were talking about. Of
course, all wolves could converse telepathically, but only if they chose to
include you in their conversation. While they were in their wolf form, it was
also their only way to communicate.
The older wolf didn’t seem inclined
to allow Tim to eavesdrop.
She bored her dark-amber gaze into
Tim’s, and he hastily distanced himself a few inches. Tim stuttered, What…
what is he? It’s a boy, right?
The mother straightened up, her
voice full of pride. Yes, he is. He’s also a hybrid between wolf and fox. He
unites the strength of both our breeds. Not that you or your kind would
understand that.
My kind?
Yes,
your kind. The one that hates the unknown.
I don’t—
Yes, you
do. You’re scared of a sweet, innocent child. Now, please let us go so I can at
least rescue one of my children.
The pup started to whine. He got up
on his hind paws to angle for his mother’s snout with his forepaws. She obliged
and bent down her head. The pup licked her snout fiercely, his tail swishing
back and forth. All the while, he emitted soft yips.
Tim was surprised by the effect the
affectionate and tender gesture had on him. Tears welled up in his eyes. The
desire to help protect the pup—or should it be kit?—skyrocketed so fast and
high that Tim shook his head to clear it.
A loud howl echoed through the wood.
Immediately all audible signs of wildlife vanished. A shocked silence settled
over the wood.
The pup scurried behind his mother’s
legs, peeking out from behind them. He trembled visibly, his small chest
heaving way too fast and his eyes shining even more brightly. It took Tim a
second to recognize tears of absolute terror pooling in those beautiful eyes.
The wolf got up with a terrified
look on her face. Tim watched her ears, showing her alertness and that she was
ready to dash off any second. His gaze darted from her to the small pup who
looked at him in a way Robin sometimes did. It was his you’re going to make
this okay, right? face.
Do you
need help?
The older wolf turned startled eyes
at him. She narrowed them while also nudging the pup’s head behind her legs.
So you
can kill him?
The pup gasped, then
whimpered. Tim’s heart broke a little bit upon hearing those sounds. He was
unsure about a lot of things, but he knew for sure he’d do everything in his
power to keep that little buddy safe.
Buy link for Secret
Chemistry:
