Book Showcase: Wolf's Blade (The Paladins 1) by @clare_dargin #PNR #FlavoursofSage

Wolf's Blade

Author Clare Dargin

Series The Paladins

Book # 1

Genre Contemporary, Paranormal, Shifters, Wolves

Heat Level 4

Words 32,000

Publication Date 12/28/2015

Samantha Dixon rescues a wounded wolf shifter in the woods near her home … and unwittingly gets drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a murderer. Callum Blake is on the trail of an evil man who would be king of all wolf kind, no matter the cost … it’s up to Callum to stop him. How can Callum fulfill his duty to protect his pack and save the woman who is destined to be his mate?

Excerpt: 

Callum Blake growled and grabbed his forearm. He opened his clenched fist as the nails on his hand morphed into long dark claws. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes as he fought the urge to shift. He pounded the tree and glanced up at the night sky and prayed in agony to the wolf goddess. He pleaded for help. He’d take anything she had to offer if it would provide even the smallest amount of relief.

Nothing. The pain continued. He shook his head and grimaced in an attempt to remove the fog that was starting to shroud his mind. He silently cried out to her again.

Why are you silent? You’re the reason I took this mission and now you’re allowing me to suffer?

His frustration mingled with his physical pain, adding to his misery. The beast fought its way to the surface. He opened his mouth and howled. A mixture of a roar and a yell, it relieved some of the tension within him, but it did not drive away the urge to shift. Leaning against the tree, he dug his claws into the bark, burrowing deep grooves as he exerted his strength against the muscle contraction. His pulse pounded in his ears as sweat poured down on his face. Unlike his wolf self who resided peacefully inside of him, his lycan did not have the same kind of placating nature. It yielded only to the strongest of commands exerted to it from his mind. It was supposed to live in harmony just as his inner wolf, but it refused.

For wolf shifters, their human and wolf self were like two individuals abiding in one nature. One innately human, sharing some of the same abilities and desires as regular people only with keener senses and more powerful instincts. The other, their wolf side was wild and untamed. It acted on a gut responses, using its innate sixth sense to interact with the world around it. The wolf freely gave into its passions, choosing strength and cunning over calculated reasoning.

The lycan, however, was a being whose nature lived far beyond that of the wolf. Not present in all wolf shifters, it was like a curse of their wolf self causing them to revert to a primitive version of their wolf self. Acting on impulse and rage, the lycan did not use reason or soft emotions like joy, love, and happiness, it understood violence.

Buy Links- 

Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019VS3IZK

Liquid Silver Books-  http://www.lsbooks.com/wolfs-blade-p1090.php

Author Bio

Clare Dargin is a multi-published romance author. She has written for several publishers in different genres, including erotic romance, military romance, contemporary, paranormal, and sci-fi. She lives in the mid-west, and when not surfing the web, she is hard at work writing her next romance novel. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and Amazon.

Web Links- 

Clare's Blog 2 The Haven- http://claresblog2thehaven.blogspot.com

The Embraced: Scribal Love- http://theembraced.blogspot.com

Facebook-  www.facebook.com/clare.dargin

Twitter- www.twitter.com/clare_dargin

Google +  https://plus.google.com/u/0/113201930657713285351/posts/p/pub

Author Page:

http://www.bookstrand.com/clare-dargin

Special Guest: Bebe Balocca

Hi all, 

Today's special guest has just released a hot tiger story (if you know me, you know I love tigers) so I'm especially thrilled that she's agreed to sit down for an interview with me. 
Ladies & Gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Bebe Balocca.

Hello Bebe, thanks so much for being my guest today. I hope you don't mind the heat - here's some iced tea for you while we talk about

The business ones

Please give us a short introduction about yourself
I live in the rural southeastern United States with my family and pets. Ours is a peaceful little town, full of intrigue, secrets and close ties—perfect for daydreaming up some hot romantic fantasies.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?
Mostly erotic mf romance, and some straight-up erotica with mf, ff, and ménage scenes. The erotic romance works I do have intense love scenes, but I enjoy incorporating intrigue, suspense, and humor in there as well. I have some novellas that are pure erotica (as in, the story really revolves around the sex) and those are so much fun to write. It’s really exciting to get lost in the scene and try to get it down on paper so that readers can go right there with me. My goal is to have readers fanning themselves and then hunting down their partners.

Tell us about your latest release
“The Curse of the Tiger”, published by Total-E-Bound, is my first shifter book. It’s set in modern-day Colorado at a fictional free-range tiger ranch. There’s an evil witch, some exceptionally wild animals, and quite a bit of rough-and-tumble sex in this mf short novel.

Do you need a special setting to write in or do you have a ceremony to get you in the mood? What does it look like?
I need total quiet—I wear noise reducing headphones if my kids are home stomping around. My little miniature wiener dog, Scarlett, is usually curled up beside me in her chair as I write, and I like to have some hot herbal tea to sip on. I’m super fortunate that my husband supporting my desire to convert our attic into my office, so I have a comfortable private space just for my work. Yes, I’m a lucky girl, in more ways than one.

Describe your feelings when you learnt that your first book was accepted for publication
I was totally elated! I’d been writing articles for magazines and for an educational company (still do, actually) but writing fiction and getting it published is a lifelong dream. It was incredibly validating.

Has the release of your first book changed anything in your personal life? If so, what?
It’s awesome to talk to new friends about what I do. Every now and then, someone is a little taken aback, but the vast majority of people are intrigued and eager to talk about the business and to learn about my projects.

Who is your favourite character and why?
I love Faline in “Curse” because she gets to live out her dream of running a tiger sanctuary. Like me, she doesn’t doll up much for her work days; she just gets out there and does what she loves to do. It’s fun to imagine being around tigers all the time, too.

A favourite line from one of your books
>>>“Oh, um,” Faline stammered and licked her lips. “We could talk about your options, I suppose. I’d say I probably do have a place for you, now that you mention it, seeing as you’re comfortable with tigers.”

“I don’t know if ‘comfortable’ is the right word.” He took his hand in hers and brought it to his lips. “’Experienced’ is better, I think. I’d say I’m pretty experienced.” He pressed his lips to her knuckles and watched for her reaction. “Would you say that you’re experienced, too, Faline?”<<<

The nosy ones

How much of the real “you” is in your stories?
My female characters all have some of me in them, or at least some of how I’d like to be—they’re bold, open-minded, and unafraid to go after what they want, and they tend to make a stumble or two along the way.

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Who was it?
I’ve read Gone with the Wind I don’t know HOW many times. I was so in love with Rhett Butler and thought Scarlet was so ridiculous to keep pushing him away. I mean, what else could a girl want, right?

What’s the silliest error in a book you’ve submitted?
Oh dear. This is embarrassing. I’ve made a couple of anatomical errors that my editors were quick to point out. Let’s just say that as a mom of four and wife of nineteen years, that first time way-back-when is a little fuzzy.

The steamiest scene from your books
In Bubbles and Troubles, book one of my Prescott Woods series, there’s a subterranean spa that’s the scene for some hot (literally – HOT!) love scenes. A natural hot tub with effervescent water and a heated mud bath made for some good clean fun for Carmen and Brock.

Favourite comfort food? 
Tomato soup with loads of black pepper and a grilled cheese sandwich.

The fast ones

Favourite colour? Wine red

Favourite pet? My blue-eyed dappled black and tan mini dachshund, Scarlett

Dog or cat? Team dog, all the way!

Coffee or tea? Hot coffee, hot herbal tea, iced tea – all unsweetened, please

Quickie or candles? Um, I have to choose??

Hunky or chunky? Hunky

Suit & tie or jeans & boots? My honey wears cowboy boots with his suits. It’s pretty hot, I’m not gonna lie.

Walk in the park or chat over cocktails? Gosh, tough one. Guess I’ll go with the chat over cocktails, just because it’s a lot easier to slip away to the bedroom that way…

Good point, Bebe, hehe. Thank you for the interview. Now that all the tea is gone, it's time to look at your book. Here's 

The Curse of the Tiger

She knew that being close to tigers was her destiny, but she never thought she'd be riding on top of one…

Faline Hopper owns and runs a free-range tiger refuge in northeastern Colorado. She loves the animals and the mission of Kat’s Crest, but the sanctuary is on the verge of financial disaster. A mysterious stranger with deep pockets comes to its rescue.

Hunter Cartwright is one tall, cool drink of Alabama water. Sparks fly immediately when he shows up at Faline’s door. He’s ravenous for the blond beauty, but there’s something he needs to make Faline understand before he can really sink his teeth into her.

Something that happens at sundown, when the tigers roam the sanctuary and the nightly hunts begin…

The curse of the tiger was cast by a Native American witch. Abetzi rejects the Great Spirit and worships a powerful demon instead. Faline is determined to free Hunter from the witch’s spell and to stop Abetzi from abusing exotic animals, but at what price?

Will Faline risk everything to put a halt to Abetzi’s cruelty—And will it be worth it?

Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DJ9YSFC

About the author:
I love to read and write erotic romance, fantasy, and sci-fi because of the escape factor: I want to leave the ordinary and travel somewhere exotic, unusual, and sexually-charged in a book. My characters are thrust into unpredictable situations, and they respond with humor, open-mindedness, and loads of scorching passion. I hope you enjoy escaping with me into the sultry world of erotic romance.

Author website: http://www.bebebalocca.com
Bebe on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BebeBalocca?ref=hl
Bebe on Twitter: @BebeBalocca

Special Guest: Jess Buffet

Today's special guest is another one of my Facebook friends and she has come all the way from Australia to sit down for an interview with me. She has brought some hot, hunky males but I do hope she didn't let any spiders sneak into her luggage.

Ladies & gentlemen, please welcome Jess Buffet

Hi Jess, thanks so much for being here today. Here's some coffee to help you cope with the different time zone while we talk about

The business ones

Please give us a short introduction about yourself
I’m a married mum of two. Hubby and I have been together since I was 16 yrs old—so that’s 10 years, 10 months, and 1 day today. ;-) We live in Australia, where most of my books are set, and have a son and a daughter that keep me going.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?
I write erotic MM romance, however I am delving into the MF world now as well. All of my books except the first 2 I ever wrote, are paranormal. It’s my preference. I love the lack of boundaries in a story, making the impossible come to life. Who wouldn’t want to live in a fantasy?

Tell us about your latest release
My latest is Dmitri’s Little Spitfire [Hunter Clan 3].

It follows Dmitri (the second-in-command) and his mate Elijah. Elijah was held by the enemy and mind controlled to do hurtful things to his friends, something he struggles with every day. He also has a secret that not even he has all the answers to, and when everyone finds out what it is, the enemy will stop at nothing to get him back.

In this book, the Hunter Clan find that with every answer comes another 5 questions. But the biggest is probably, if Elijah isn’t human, then what is he? ;-)

Do you need a special setting to write in or do you have a ceremony to get you in the mood? What does it look like?
Hmmm, kids in bed definitely, lots of coffee lined up, and quiet. If there is anything going on around me or lots of noise being made, I get distracted easily.

Describe your feelings when you learnt that your first book was accepted for publication
I wanted to cry I was so happy. But mostly I just sat there stunned in disbelief. Sometimes I still have to pinch myself to make sure this is all real.

Has the release of your first book changed anything in your personal life? If so, what?
I feel I have more direction, more of an identity. Before signing my book I had injured my back and had to have surgery, so the career I had studied so hard for in Child Care was now gone. Child care had been the only thing I had ever really wanted to do, so to have that taken away was hard. But now I have my books, and a passion for them.

Your favourite drink and food when writing
So stereotypical, but coffee or wine. I don’t eat when writing though, I’m likely to make a mess all over my laptop. lol

Thank you, Jess. I believe that was my cue, so here's a glass of local red to enjoy while we talk about


 The nosy ones

How much of the real “you” is in your stories?
There are definitely parts of me in my books, and other family members as well.

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Who was it?
Lol. I’ve had a few. Sage, you already know about my crush on Romeo from your Romeo and Julian series :-D but I also have a thing for a certain assassin in Stephanie Hecht’s Lost Shifter series, Shane.
~Ah, yes, Romeo... He's so crush worthy, but I think you'll have to fight some people for him - including me ;)

What’s the silliest error in a book you’ve submitted?
Silliest? Probably when I wrote fainting bush instead of faint blush. In erotic romance a fainting bush can be taken a number of ways, and my poor editor wasn’t sure if it was just a mistake or an innuendo of some sort.
~LOL

Who is your least favourite of the characters you’ve written? Why?
Victor from book 1 of Hunter Clan. This guy was a bastard, but he was the bad guy. And it’s all good, cause I killed him off real quick at the end J

Favourite comfort food?
Lasagne

A person you admire
Gabrielle Evans—that woman is amazing. She is a mum, wife, successful author, and has so many others things going on. I don’t know how she does it, and still has time for her readers and patience for people like me who are always asking her questions.

I'm still chuckling over the "fainting bush", so here's another glass of wine to help us finish. Here are


The fast ones

Favourite colour? Blue (any shade)

Favourite pet? Dog (so loyal)

Dog or cat? Lol. Dog

Coffee or tea? Coffee

Quickie or candles? Candles (I’m a romantic)

Hunky or chunky? Hunky

Suit & tie or jeans & boots? Oooh, that’s tough, but if they can pull off a suit & tie like Matt Bomer then…yummy!

Walk in the park or chat over cocktails? Walk in the park

Thanks so much for the interview, Jess. And for mentioning Matt, because now I have that image in my head... Ahem. Let's look at your book before I start drooling!

 

Elijah Collins is ashamed. Used to hurt his friends by Potestas, he now finds it hard to even look someone in the face. Especially Dmitri, his mate. When a truth about Elijah is discovered, Potestas also find out. Now that they know his true worth, he becomes an even bigger target than before.

Dimitri Kalas has always prided himself on being calm and in control. It is his job to help protect his Clan, and most importantly his mate. But when he finds out that the people responsible for hurting the Kayan’s mate have also been abusing his mate, he becomes incensed.

Will Dimitri be able to convince his mate that he is worth love and forgiveness? Or will Elijah allow his guilt to consume him and turn himself over to the enemy in order to keep his friends safe?

Buy link: http://www.bookstrand.com/dmitris-little-spitfire

Author bio:
Jess Buffett was born and raised in New South Wales, Australia. She married her high school sweetheart and they live on the Central Coast with their two children. Jess is a hopeless romantic who loves stories about true love that sizzle with a happy ending—which is probably a good thing given what she writes. She is a huge fan of M/M and M/F romance—anything with hunky men in all their glory, whether they be shifters, vampires, cowboys, or the boy next door. Jess is a firm believer in soul mates, happily-ever-afters, and love at first sight, but that sometimes people need a second or a third meeting for the brain to catch up.

Author website: http://jessbuffett.wordpress.com