Special Unwrapping: Cover Reveal of WULFE UNTAMED, a Feral Warrior Novel by Pamela Palmer

Feral Warrior Fans have been waiting such a long time for Wulfe’s love story.  He deserves every little bit of happily-ever-after that he achieves … but Pamela Palmer doesn’t make it easy on our wolfishly hunky Warrior! In fact, every single one of the Ferals is in danger of losing their immortality … and their lives.

Brief Synopsis for WULFE UNTAMED:

Wulfe knows the end-game is approaching.  The Mage are preparing to free the Daemon plague and Wulfe’s own small strain of Daemon heritage has been awakened. Worse yet, the beautiful human he once rescued needs saving again. Though Mage sentinels are the ones after Natalie Cash, Wulfe knows his heart is what she really should watch out for. He’ll do everything he can to protect her…and keep his distance. Running for her life while trying not to fall for this gentle, wounded warrior, Natalie’s world’s been turned upside down. But when the Mage begin to free the Daemons, it becomes clear that the Ferals’ only chance of defeating them is for Wulfe to use Natalie to harness the dark forces-and risk becoming evil in the process. The future of the world hangs in the balance, but can Wolfe endanger the woman he loves to save her?

Excerpt from WULFE UNTAMED:

“It’s me, boy. This might hurt, but I’ve got to staunch your wounds.”

Her fingers pressed gingerly, burrowing through Wolf’s fur, as she sought the site of the stab she’d seen him take to the shoulder. Warm blood coated her fingers and she knew she’d found it. As gently as possible, she pressed one of the shirts against the wound, then started searching for any others.

“Poor guy,” she whispered. “You chose the wrong night to come see me, but you probably saved my life.” She needed to get him to a vet. The beautiful animal made no sound, gave no indication of consciousness. He might be alive, but for how much longer?

Something skittered across the floor downstairs, stopping her heart for another moment. Why hadn’t they followed her upstairs? For that matter, how in the heck had she fallen asleep on the guest bed in the middle of an attack on her house? None of it made a bit of sense. The last thing she remembered was hitting one of the nasties with the lamp and the other one grabbing her. Had he hit her, then? She didn’t hurt anywhere. Somehow, she must have stumbled up here and passed out.

As she probed the dog’s side, she felt more warm blood and knew she’d discovered another wound. If only she could see them. If only she had a flashlight. Or…a camp lantern. Yes. Her camping supplies were stored in the closet in this room. Rising, she dug the lantern out of the bottom of the closet and turned it on only a little, bathing the injured animal in a soft glow.

He had blood everywhere. Her gut cramped. How was she supposed to know how much of the blood was his and how much belonged to the men? They’d been dressed so strangely, like some kind of foreign army, in matching blue tunics. And swords.

She pressed tee shirts against the two wounds she’d found so far, knowing she had to find the others, yet wondering what she was going to do with them if she did. She only had two hands. And no telephone or suturing supplies.

“Hang on, Wolf. Just hang on for me. Sooner or later, they’ll leave and I’ll be able to get you to a vet. What are they doing down there?” She heard something roll across the hardwood foyer. Roll. Suddenly she remembered the way they’d broken down her front door and relief left her on a hard exhale.

“It’s not them, it’s the wind. Of course, of course.” Leaping to her feet, she stroked Wolf’s head. “This is going to hurt, boy, but I have to move you if I’m going to get you help.”

She scooted around to his back end and, as gently as she could, lifted his hips and lowered them again a few inches out from the door. Moving to his head, she did the same, back and forth, a few inches at a time until she nearly had him far enough from the door to open it. Once more should be enough.

Sweat beading on her brow, she took a deep breath, squatted at his tail, and lifted his hips one more time.

Suddenly, her hands were empty, the dog just…gone…exploding in a spray of colored lights.

Natalie fell back, landing on her backside, then stared, jaw dropping, as a man appeared out of thin air…a huge, naked man lying on the floor right where the dog had been.

She crab-walked back, the bed catching her in the shoulder blades. This isn’t happening.

The man groaned and began to stir. Natalie tensed, her heart pounding violently in her chest as she pushed herself to her feet, then sank onto the bed when her legs refused to hold her.

Slowly, the man sat up and leaned back against the door, his muscular body marred by half a dozen stab wounds, one on the shoulder…right where the dog’s had been.

This isn’t happening. Dogs don’t turn into men. They don’t!

But even as the argument roared in her head, her gaze took in the sight in front of her. The man was built, his waist narrow, his abs ripped, his biceps as thick as tree trunks, one adorned with a thick golden armband with what appeared to be the head of a wolf. His shoulders were easily half the width of her sofa. Her gaze continued up, reaching his face, and her heart clenched. Scars crisscrossed the flesh every which way, tugging down one of his lips, cutting across one eye. His body might be prime, but his face was made for nightmares. Within that ruined face, eyelids lifted revealing dark eyes that turned to her, contracting on a sheen of pain, radiating a dismay so raw it almost made her ache.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Natalie.” His voice was low and urgent as he struggled to his feet, grimacing. Towering over her—he had to be a full seven feet tall—he watched her with eyes filled with the same intelligence, the same gentleness she’d seen in Wolf’s. “I would never hurt you.”

She was shaking, her pulse racing, her stomach cramping from shock. But not from fear. Because as she stared into those dark eyes, she saw only truth and honor and kindness. And, odd as it was, she recognized the essence of the dog in the man.

“I would never hurt you,” he said again, his voice throbbing with sincerity and desperation that she believed him.

“I know,” she told him.

And she did.   

-  WULFE UNTAMED

P.S. -- I’m so very much looking forward to Wulfe’s story, how about you?

WULFE UNTAMED, a Feral Warrior novel by Pamela Palmer, Avon Romance, scheduled release date – January 28, 2014 – available for pre-order at Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

***click links to pre-order this book now.

Unwrapping: Review of A LOVE UNTAMED by Pamela Palmer

I am a huge fan of the Feral Warrior series by Pamela Palmer, I admit it! I have read every book and novella in this series. I recommend them to anyone who asks and so when I got the chance to read an eARC of the newest release, A LOVE UNTAMED, I leaped at it like I'd come into my own animal. 

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for A LOVE UNTAMED:

The newest member of the elite Feral Warriors brotherhood, Fox is eager to prove himself on the frontlines of battle against the Daemons. When paired with the legendary Ilina warrior, Melisande, he expects the fierce beauty to quickly fall under the spell of his quite considerable charm. Instead, he finds himself spellbound by a woman who's his match in every way.

Beneath Melisande's brittle exterior lies centuries of pain and a violent hatred of all shape-shifters—a hatred that slowly crumbles after they're caught in a deadly and cunning Mage trap and she glimpses a surprising depth in her far-too-seductive partner. Their survival demands unconditional trust—and their salvation surrender to a wild, untamed love.

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Kara, Lyon's mate and the Radiant, is missing. Without the energy provided by the Radiant, the Feral Warriors will eventually die but it's also their love for her that has them searching for her. Fox is new to the group and questions his own worthiness as the originals attempt to weed out the new members that may have been marked by their animal spirits from the worst of the line rather than the best. Partnered with Jag, Olivia, and the Ilina warrior, Melisande, Fox is unsure of his abilities and his need to keep focused while Melisande's presence strives to draw his attention away from the mission to find Kara.

Melisande has no use for any shifter or any Therian but especially wants nothing to do with Feral Warriors. It is only when she discovers that her worst enemy, Castin, is among the newly marked Ferals that she willingly offers her services in finding the Radiant. Not overly thrilled with being teamed with Fox, she puts up every defense to keep her growing attraction for him from distracting her.

Despite Fox and Melisande's determination to ignore their attractions, Fox begins to see the Ilina warrior woman as a challenge and Melisande begins to feel her old needs and desires return and knows that giving in to her sexual needs will serve to make her stronger not weaker. When lost in the Labyrinth together, they need each other's skills and strengths to survive and eventually grow closer. Melisande begins to feel the walls around her guilt and her tortured memories crumble beneath Fox's endearing charms. If they survive the Labyrinth, if they find and rescue the Radiant, what then? Will Melisande go back to being the cold warrior woman and will Fox remain a Feral once the others discover the battle being waged inside him between his animal spirit and a darkness that has attempted to mislead him every step of the way.

I was very surprised at the turn this installment of the Feral Warriors took, but pleasantly surprised. In the past books, the story centered almost entirely on the pair for which a mating was imminent but in A LOVE UNTAMED, the story took many directions at once. I liked this very much. I liked that we were able to understand Kara's fears and trepidations. We feel Grizz's angst over not being worthy of having been marked and discover his interesting past and then are hopeful of where it might lead him. We come to understand Melisande's tortuous past while Fox endears himself to her, and us, through his patience even as an internal battle rages within and visions from the past become something he fears trusting.

A LOVE UNTAMED by Pamela Palmer is unique even for a Feral Warrior novel. It's action-packed as Melisande and Fox journey through the Labyrinth created by the Mage sorcerer, Inir, taking on task after task in an attempt to locate Kara, the Radiant. It's emotion-filled as Fox fights against his growing intolerance for what his animal spirit is telling him and his fear that perhaps he wasn't the one worthy of being marked. It's passion-filled as Fox slowly tears down the walls of self preservation that Melisande has built around her heart after having survived torture and rape only to live with the guilt of her Ilina sisters' deaths. As well as what she did in the name of vengeance.

Melisande is a hard character to like. She's always been there to protect Ariana, her queen, and the secrets that protect her sisters but she's cold and unbending in her treatment of the Feral Warriors. I know many readers don't like her, but I've always found her admirable. I was quite happy when, at the end of ECSTASY UNTAMED, it was obvious that Fox was attracted to her. I wanted Melisande to find her happily-ever-after and Fox is just the charmer to give it to her.

My only disappointment in A LOVE UNTAMED by Pamela Palmer is that I felt the ending was a bit rushed. The story leads us through so many adventures, giving enough bits of information that if a reader were to pick up this Feral Warrior novel as a first read, they would quickly catch on to who and what the characters and story are about - until they reach the end. Had I not known of the mating ritual from previous installments, I suspect I would have been a bit lost. In the end, I do have to highly recommend A LOVE UNTAMED by Pamela Palmer to anyone who has read even one of the Feral Warrior novels, however, if you're going to read one, read them all and then read, A LOVE UNTAMED. Fox is definitely worth it.

Happy Reading Everyone!

A LOVE UNTAMED, a Feral Warrior novel by Pamela Palmer, Avon Romance, available now in print and ebook formats.


                                                                                            

Wacky Wednesday: The Re-Emergence of the Alpha Hero

Cover Reveal for Pamela Palmer's
next Feral Warrior Romance
 coming in December -
Fox - now that's an Alpha!

Over the years that I've been reading romance novels, I've seen the heroes and heroines go through many changes but I am so very glad to see a re-emergence of the Alpha Hero.

In the beginning, the heroines were more genteel and fearful, more submissive and unwilling to cause trouble for fear of retribution. The heroes were Alpha males that took what they wanted from whatever female was available  -  hence romance novels easily lived up to their nickname bodice rippers.

Then along the way, the bodice rippers fell away to heroines who began to fight back a bit. A heroine began to make herself known as someone who wasn't going to submit so easily, who sought to win the hearts of their Alpha men and change them for the better - a very strong bad-boy conversion leveling the playing field a bit. Unfortunately, this led the way to a Beta Hero emerging who at times was too laid back, too easy going, and a bit reluctant to go after what he wanted from his now emerging Alpha Heroine.  I think we still want our men to be real men even if they help around the house and change diapers.

I'm very happy to say that over the past few years, I've read more and more novels from the romance genre that can boast not only a heroine who can give her hero a run for the money but strong Alpha heroes that aren't afraid to show their more gentle side even as they continue to be real men. I like that combination very much.

Whereas the Regency hero remains somewhat the same with his nobility and arrogance guiding his manner toward women, we are seeing Regency women with more spunk and attitude. Women who decide what they want and go about getting it without concerning themselves as to what society might say. It's within contemporary and paranormal romance that I'm seeing the most wonderful changes occur. Strong heroes emerging from men in uniform, strong heroines who have alpha careers who carry over that strong confidence into their relationships with their men. Paranormal heroes and heroines with skills, talents and mysterious powers that put them on an equal playing - or battle - field.

Pamela Palmer's Feral Warrior series is a great example of Alpha Heroes and Alpha Heroines who stand up to each other in both protective instincts and steamy passion. By the way, Pamela's novella, HEARTS UNTAMED, which first appeared in the anthology BITTEN BY CUPID is going to be released as a stand alone in September so if you'd like to read one of her fabulous works to get a taste of the Feral Warriors, so that you may experience them in all of their Alpha glory, this is a good one to start with - be careful though, you'll get hooked, I promise.

By the way, in tribute to our real-life heroes, our military troops, Wendy Corsi Staub is planning to send along some autographed copies of her books to the troops for the holidays and she is asking for messages to give thanks. If you'd like to send our troops a special thank you message, please CLICK HERE to go to the post on avonromance.com. Thank you, it only takes a moment and you'll lift the spirits of someone who is doing their duty to keep us safe and free.

How about you? How do you like your Romance Heroes - Alpha strong, Alpha with a touch of Beta, or all Beta?

Happy Reading Everyone!
Announcement: TINA is the winner of the THREE WEDDINGS AND A MURDER Giveaway - congratulations to her and I hope everyone will read this wonderful collection by these four fabulously talented ladies.  xoxo

                                                              
Hearts Untamed: A Feral Warriors Novella (Originally appeared in the print anthology BITTEN BY CUPID)

Wacky Wednesday: If You Could Be Your Favorite Heroine

I do believe that we read Romance Novels for escape from our every day world, for excitement and romance. But I think my main reason is to let my imagination fly where it may go!

I am currently reading a story that is giving me everything I want while reading. I love stepping into the shoes of the heroine. I love my growing attraction for the hero. I love that there hasn't been a dull moment since I opened the cover and started reading. You might be wondering about now what book I'm reading - don't worry, when I'm done reading I'll review it just not today.

I'm wondering what kind of heroines draw you in so intensely that you experience all that she's experiencing from what she wears, through her adventures whether in the ballroom or on a runaway horse. If you've fallen in love with a certain hero then you probably walked in his heroine's shoes so that you could be folded in his arms, kissed by his lips and experienced the thrill of hearing words of love and passion whispered in your ear.

I've always be drawn to the swashbuckler life. I love the idea of being a heroine who tosses aside her fancy dresses and fine things to take up a life on the sea. A heroine who is as tough as any man yet is willing to be all the woman her sea-faring man will ever need. But then again, being Miss Elizabeth Bennett to her Mr. Darcy isn't such a bad way to go either.

So I ask you this - if you could step into the shoes of a romance novel heroine, what kind of heroine would she be?
Or if you have a particular heroine you most favor, who would she be?
And why is she your choice?

Oh, don't forget there's still time to read my interview with author, Pamela Palmer - who creates some awesome heroines lucky enough to fall in love with some dangerous but oh, so sexy heroes - and comment for a chance to win your choice of any current Feral Warrior novel. Giveaway is open to everyone, US & International, but closes tonight, May 23rd at 11:45PM EDT, so hurry! Click Here for the interview!
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Happy Reading Everyone!

Unwrapping: An Interview with Author, Pamela Palmer

On Friday, I reviewed the soon-to-be released first book in Pamela Palmer's new Vamp City series, A BLOOD SEDUCTION. If you haven't read my review, please do - click here - but be sure to come right back because I've got the author, Pamela Palmer, visiting here with me today to talk about this extraordinary book and her new series. Plus she's got some Feral Warriors that she wants to find new homes for as well.

Blurb for A BLOOD SEDUCTION:

Vampires live only for lust and pleasure in the eternal twilight of Vamp City. But the city's magic is dying. The only person who can restore it? A beautiful woman from the mortal world ... one who knows nothing of the power she wields.

Quinn Lennox is searching for a missing friend when she stumbles into a dark otherworld that only she can see--and finds herself at the mercy of Arturo Mazza, a dangerously handsome vampire whose wicked kiss will save her, enslave her, bewitch her, and betray her. What Arturo can't do is forget about her--any more than Quinn can control her own feelings for him. Neither one can let desire get in the way of their mission--his to save his people, hers to save herself. But there is no escape from desire in a city built for seduction, where passion flows hot and blood-red. Welcome to Vamp City ...

                         *                         *                       *                       *                     *

Truly, if you love dark stories about vampires, you've got to read this new paranormal series.
Now without further ado, I'd like to welcome one of my all time favorite authors, Pamela Palmer!

Amy:  Welcome Pamela, it's a real delight for me to have you here with us today. Perhaps you can tell us a little bit about yourself for the benefit of those who don't know you yet.

Pamela:  Hi Amy! I’m delighted to be here. I’m the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Feral Warriors shape-shifter series, the Esri series, and the soon-to-be released Vamp City series. I have (or will have in about a week) fourteen books in print. I’m an ex-industrial engineer, avid reader, and daydreamer who lives with my family in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.

Amy:  Fourteen books is quite an achievement, congratulations. I've read everything you've written, even your unique historicals under Pamela Montgomerie. Of course, I adore your Feral Warriors and enjoyed your Harlequin Esri Series immensely, so I'm intrigued by what inspires you.
All of your stories have a touch of magic to them, what has been your greatest inspiration in your writing?

Pamela:  That’s a good question and I’m not sure I entirely know the answer. My first passion as a child was dinosaurs. At the age of four, my favorite book was The Golden Book of Dinosaurs. I suppose I’ve always been drawn to the larger-than-life. In fifth grade, I discovered two things simultaneously: space (we did a science unit on the solar system) and Star Trek. I decided I wanted to be an astronomer, then switched to wanting to be an astronaut until I was nineteen and finally realized that the space shuttle was never going to take me to those strange new worlds. But I credit Star Trek with inspiring my love of all things weird and fantastical—Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Virtually the only television shows that interest me are sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal (Fringe, Game of Thrones, Vampire Diaries, True Blood, the Walking Dead, Spartacus (okay, I like hot, naked guys, too)). [Amy: Don't we all! *wink*] But when it comes to my reading, I’ve almost always turned to romance. If the book doesn’t have a strong romance, I’m bored. I adore paranormal romance and I love urban fantasy as long as it contains a strong, satisfying romance.

Amy:  Your Feral Warriors are the ultimate in good guy heroes, bigger than life, and so admirable in their natural instinct to protect women. With that in mind, I'm curious about the muse that took you in a completely different direction when it came time to create your Vamp City series?

Pamela:  Ha! Are you saying the vampire Arturo isn’t a good guy? : )

Here’s the thing about A BLOOD SEDUCTION (Book 1 in my Vamp City series)…it’s book one of five, and it’s going to take all five to tell Quinn and Arturo’s story. Arturo definitely doesn’t start out as the epitome of the romance hero. (A lot of early reviewers are calling him an anti-hero.) Then again, Jag (the jaguar shifter hero of Rapture Untamed) didn’t start out as much of a hero, either. At the 20% mark of Jag’s book he was still pretty much a dyed in the wool ass. I love a hero with a long way to go. Always, always, always, they must have a core of honor and goodness, but they don’t always know it…or, in the beginning…show it all that often. Damon in Vampire Diaries (at least the t.v. show) is a good example of this. I find men like this endlessly fascinating—men that have a lot to learn and a lot of ways they have to change and grow before they’re deserving of love and loyalty and a happily ever after. What I love about writing the Vamp City series, and the reason I wanted to write a multi-book romance, is that with five books I have room to develop the hero and heroine’s relationship slowly. Don’t give up on Arturo just yet. ; ) That vampire has a heck of a journey ahead of him. And Quinn is just the woman to make it worth his while.

Amy:  I'm hoping Arturo does come through as Quinn's hero! A BLOOD SEDUCTION can't really be called a traditional paranormal romance in the sense that it's obviously an ongoing story but it also leans more towards paranormal/urban fantasy. How did you ever convince Avon Romance to take a chance on such a unique and severely dark series with such a, for now, anti-romance hero?

Pamela:  LOL. To be honest, I was surprised when Avon wanted to buy my Feral Warriors series, which is quite dark, though not as dark as Vamp City. At the time, Avon had a reputation for publishing primarily light historicals, which is definitely no longer true. Jeaniene Frost paved the way for me with her Cat and Bones series, which is also a multi-book romance, straddling the line between urban fantasy and paranormal romance. When I told my editor (whom I adore) that I wanted to do a bigger story, a multi-book, she was all for it. I sent her a brief proposal of the Vamp City series, a 2-3 paragraph synopsis of each of the five books, giving her the big picture. She loved it. She’s always let me do pretty much whatever I wanted with my stories.

Amy:  And we are so very thankful that you've been given such freedom with your writing. It's obvious that Quinn, Arturo, and I assume, Zack, will be reappearing throughout the Vamp City series. I can feel a sense of underlying good guy in Arturo Mazza even though he is most definitely one of the most manipulative characters ever created. Without giving away too much, can you tell us how long it will take for him to come to the realization that his emotions for Quinn are stronger than just lustful desire for her to belong to him?

Pamela:  Your assumptions would be correct. : ) On all counts. Arturo does have a lot of honor in him, but he’s a lot like Damon Salvatore (if you’re a Vampire Diaries fan) in believing that life as a vampire is easier if you push aside the morality and embrace what you are. How long will it take for Arturo to start to realize Quinn matters to him? Well, even in book 1, she’s getting under his skin. By the end of the book, he’s done several things, things that could (and will) cause him trouble, for her. No vampire thwarts Cristoff and gets away with it.

Amy:  Cristoff terrifies me as he should and although Arturo helps Quinn knowing they both will suffer, he also knows she will be the one to suffer most. True Bad Boy, that one. It's obvious that there is a question about Zack that is brought to our attention at the end of A BLOOD SEDUCTION - will Zack become a hero presence in the series and will poor Lily ever be rescued from Vamp City?

Pamela:  Ha! Not telling. : )

Amy:  Rats! I thought I could coerce you into giving us a little preview! How many books will we be seeing come to us in the Vamp City series?

Pamela:  The Arturo/Quinn arc will be five books. After that, we’ll see. There are other characters who may get their stories told.

Amy:  I hope so, especially Zack, we see him gain real maturity in this first book.  I found A BLOOD SEDUCTION to be one of the darkest stories I've ever read. It's Stephen King meets Anne Rice with some psychological thriller from Dean Koontz thrown in for good measure. It's BDSM meets horror and leaves the reader (at least it did me) with nervous anxiety and an unwillingness to turn out the light and go to sleep. Of course, I'm a fan of scary movies and books so I truly didn't mind. Knowing from experience how involved a writer becomes in their own characters and the worlds that we create, I wonder how, while writing this novel and those that will come, do you keep from terrifying yourself. Does living with these cruel and dominating vampires give you nightmares?

Pamela:  Honestly, no. The wonderful thing about being the creator is that I’m in control, more or less. My characters might argue that point, and they’d be right—they wind up driving the action more often than not. The scariest part of violence and fear is the unknown. And when I’m the writer/creator, I know what’s going to happen, more or less. I don’t watch horror movies, not the slasher flicks designed to scare. But if I did, I’m sure I’d find they’re never as scary the second time you see one, because they’ve lost the scare factor. You know what’s coming. So while my vamps might be scary, ultimately, they all answer to me.

Amy:  Glad to hear that and I hope you keep that Cristoff under control because I wouldn't want to meet him on the streets of Georgetown. *wink*

I usually finish with the question: If you could be ANY character in ANY book, which character would it be and why? But once upon a time, I was given the opportunity to ask you which of your characters you would most want to be and you answered, that it was Faith from ECSTASY UNTAMED because she can fly.

So, I'm going to go in a different direction: Of all of your characters, including those in A BLOOD SEDUCTION, which is the one most like you and why?

Pamela:  I remember that question! And it’s a lot easier than this one. Lol! Each of my heroines (and truly, most of my heroes) have a part of me, some piece of my personality whether it’s my stubbornness or persistence or sense of fair play. But they’re each their own person, too. So much of who we are is formed early in our lives. Who would Kara (in Desire Untamed) have been if she’d been encouraged to follow her dreams instead of pressured to remain home with her mother, a woman who knew the danger Kara was in even though Kara did not? Who would Delaney (Obsession Untamed) have been if her mother hadn’t been murdered, driving her into the FBI to catch the ones who got away? Who would Skye (Passion Untamed) have been if she’d grown up within the safety of her family instead of the captivity of the soulless Mage? In some ways, they’re all me, or the me I would hope to be if I were put in the same situation. But in other ways, each is a unique individual and not like me at all. So who is most like me? I have no idea. Sorry!

Amy:  I guess that's how it should be then. Just as your characters grow and change so do you. We're glad of that since with change comes more characters. Pamela, thank you so very much for taking time from your busy schedule to spend time with us today. It's been a delight and a very special treat for me as I hope it has been for our visitors. Congratulations on the upcoming release of A BLOOD SEDUCTION and I'm very much looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Pamela:  Thanks so much for having me, Amy! And thanks for the good wishes on the upcoming release. : ) I have a question for all of you. I’ve given you an idea of the types of television I like to watch. What are you watching and loving these days? I’ll let Amy choose two winners to receive a signed copy of one of my Feral Warriors books, winners’ choice. And if you have any other questions for me, ask away!

Amy:  Well, you heard the dear lady, what are you watching and loving most on television these days?

For me, it's GAME OF THRONES and THE BORGIAS but next month, I'll be in 7th Heaven when TRUE BLOOD returns on June 10th. Yay! That's my prize since I'm not eligible to enter the giveaway but you are, so:

For a chance to win a Feral Warriors Novel, please answer Pamela's question- What are you watching and loving most on television these days? -  leave it in a comment WITH your EMAIL ADDRESS because, remember if I can't contact you, you can't win! Two (2) eligible and very lucky commenters will be chosen at random. Those two lucky people will be able to choose which of the Feral Warriors they'd like to have come live at their house - in book form, of course.  This Giveaway is open to EVERYONE (US & International) and will run until 11:45PM EDT on Wednesday, May 23, 2012.  THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! THANKS FOR VISITING!

If you'd like to learn more about Pamela Palmer and her fabulous series, please visit her website - click here to travel there. Happy Reading Everyone!

A BLOOD SEDUCTION, a Vamp City novel, by Pamela Palmer, Avon Romance, release date, May 29th, 2012, available in print and ebook format.

 

                                                      

             

Unwrapping: Paranormal Romance with Shape-Shifters

I know it's supposed to be Wacky Wednesday but since I took a day with 'My Not So Little Rant' last week, I thought we should proceed with our exploration of Paranormal Romance instead. Don't worry, there will be an excerpt or maybe two to enjoy.  ; )

SHAPE-SHIFTERS

     Throughout the world, there are stories, legends, myths, superstitions - whatever you want to call them - about animals that are able to shift into Human form and vice versa. Real or imaginary?

     The authors of Paranormal Romance have taken that question and developed exciting worlds in which Shape-Shifters and Humans not only collide but fall in love with each other such as in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Series.

     There are as many Shape-Shifters as there are animals, or at least there seems to be as many legends of Shape-Shifters as there are animals.

     North American Indians tell tales of skinwalkers and windigos - creatures that once were man but now turn into animals.  Skinwalkers generally turn into wolves but can become mountain lions and bears as well. Windigos, it's said were created from an evil Human who turned cannibal and now must transform into a great tall beast akin to Bigfoot in order to hunt for Human flesh on which to dine. There are also tales of great birds called Thunderbirds transforming into Human form.
     European countries abound with tales of Humans that transform into creatures to roam the night in search of victims mostly in the forms of wolves and bats. In ancient Greece, the king of the gods, Zeus, was said to shift into animal forms in order to seduce women without Hera knowing about it. It seems she found out anyway.
     In Asia, there are tales of Humans who shift into various animals. Some can shift at will to which ever animal they wish at the time. There are tales of Humans shifting into great snakes from which we might have developed the tales of dragons. There are tales of werefox and transformations into badgers, racoons and dogs.
     In South America, Humans are believed to transform themselves into coyotes, wolves, and jaguars. In Chile, there is a tale of a chonchon shape-shifter who is a witch that transform into a vulture. Not very inviting but certainly scary!

     The imagination can take any one of these tales and expand them to become good, evil, or both. Combine these stories with magic and you've created a whole new world just as some Paranormal Romance writers have so delightfully and successfully done.
      One of my favorites is Pamela Palmer and her creation of the world of the Feral Warriors. Therian warriors who can transform themselves into the animal spirit that shares their soul. They work exhaustedly battling the Mage to keep them from freeing Satanan from the Daemon Blade. Confused, start with DESIRE UNTAMED and keep reading - soon you'll begin to understand and be irretrievably hooked. Her latest release is ECSTASY UNTAMED which tells Hawke's story and how he's recuperating from his ordeal of having been trapped in the Daemon Spirit Trap.
      Here's a small taste of ECSTASY UNTAMED:

      "Hawke!" Lyon tried to hold his friend, but it was too late. Reason had fled Hawke's eyes, replaced with a snarling, spitting anger. "Hold him down!" he ordered even as Hawke lashed out with his claws.

      But as the three men tried to contain the thrashing, violent warrior, Hawke shifted into his animal in a spray of colored lights. As one, they pulled back. "Kkkeeeeer." The red-tailed hawk took off on a wild flight through the dining room, flying at the windows, crashing through the glass.

      Kougar ran for the window. Lyon followed, certain the bird had shredded his wings. But if Hawke had done himself damage, Lyon couldn't tell. The hawk soared above the treetops and disappeared. When the Ferals shifted, they retained their human minds, able to control the animal bodies as they did the human.
      Hawke wouldn't have taken off like that if he'd been in control. Lyon feared his friend was lost to the wildness inside him.
     "I thought he'd be okay once he came to." Tighe took a step toward the window, glass crunching beneath his boot.
      Lyon shook his head, his expression grave. "He's damaged." The question was, just how damaged? He prayed the answer wasn't beyond repair.

     Want more? Get your own copy of ECSTASY UNTAMED by Pamela Palmer!

     Another favorite Paranormal Romance writer who takes us into the world of shape-shifters is Juliana Stone. She is the author of the Jaquar Warrior Series and if you love big cats, then these books are for you.  Her latest release, HIS DARKEST SALVATION tells the story of a world where two people are on the brink of chaos, passion and where vengeance collides …

    
     After six months in hell, Julian Castille has returned to the world a changed man. No longer the calm, powerful CEO, but a shifter fully embraced by the blood of his clan. Julian has one goal: find the key to the portal that stands between the human realm and unprecedented darkness—and win back the pieces of his soul. The last thing he needs is a distraction like the beautiful, enigmatic Jaden DaCosta.

     Three years ago, a forbidden night of passion left Jaden forever altered: mated to Julian Castille–bound to a man who despises her. But the temptation to trust this darker, more savage—and more captivating—Julian is overwhelming. And as they fight for their immortal souls, their insatiable desire for each other may prove their fatal undoing…

     Double treat today, first you got a taste of Hawke's story and now, I'm going to give you an extra treat and present you with a taste of HIS DARKEST SALVATION:

     Julian bared his teeth. He was on edge, the strange darkness that clung to him rising to the fore. It agitated her cat something fierce and she trembled slightly at the force of it.
     “I mean it,” she said forcefully. “Back off.”
     His hand reached out and inside everything stilled. She heard her heart beating heavily against her chest, felt the pace quicken as warning bells began to explode.
     Her breath hitched and her mouth went dry as his fingers settled over her clan tattoos. She felt them, burning beneath his touch. Another chunk of humiliation to add to her armour of shame.
     “So beautiful,” he whispered harshly.
     Jaden flinched at his tone.
     “So deceptive.”
     She wanted to rip his hand from her flesh but refused to let him know how affected she was by his touch. Instead, she smiled up at him and let her tongue run along her lips.
     “I’m also the best piece of ass you’ll never have again.”
     His breathing changed, slowed, and the air around them stilled. Jaden’s heart leapt crazily and a wave of dizziness circled her brain. She was dancing with the devil and that was always a dangerous game.
     His hand moved up from her neck to grip her jaw. She refused to look away, though the cold glint in his eye left her stomach tight, nauseous. He looked like he wanted to strangle her.
     “You do not want to mess with me.” He smiled, a cold slash of white. “I’m not anything like what you remember.”

     Come on, I know you want more but you're going to have to get your own copy of HIS DARKEST SALVATION by Juliana Stone to finish reading what happens between Julian and Jaden. Purrrrrrr!

     Question: If you could shape-shift into any animal at will, which animal would it be and why?
     
     Next time - Fallen Angels ... oh don't worry, these are sexy little devils.  : )
     Happy Reading Everyone!

                                                                   
                                                              

 Juliana asked if I could plug KC Klein's new release here and I am most happy to do so ... always interested in something new and different! To read what she posted about her new book, click here.

Awakened in the middle of the night by a future version of herself, Kris Davenport is given a mission: go forward in time to save the world—and His life. Of course, her future self doesn't tell her who he is, just sends her into an abyss and straight into an alien invasion.

He turns out to be ConRad Smith, the callous, untrusting Commander of Earth's army and the world's last defense. There's only one way to know for sure if this strange woman is an alien spy—slice her throat. Except, he didn't anticipate the heat he would feel as he interrogates the hot-tempered, warm-blooded woman. For a man whose sole focus has been survival, she's more temptation than he can handle. But a world on the brink of destruction leaves no room for love…and time is running out.

Unwrapping: Pamela Palmer's FERAL WARRIORS

     Pamela Palmer is a hosting a Pajama Party tonight on her blog.
     When:  Tonight, October 11th from 8 PM - 10 PM (EST)
     Where:  The Radiant's Bed Chamber, Feral House, Great Falls, Virginia
     Directions: Pamela Palmer's Blog

     In honor of such a fun occasion, I thought we'd talk a little about the genre paranormal romance and because of the occasion, the Feral Warriors! I do love the Feral Warriors!

     The paranormal romance genre is a blend of all we love in a good romance with the added fun of vampires, witches, demons, angels, werewolves and shape-shifters like the Feral Warriors.  So if you have a taste for stories featuring any of the above then I believe paranormal romance just might be your cup of tea.

     Pamela Palmer's Feral Warriors are members of an immortal race called the Therians.  They are unique members of their race for they have each joined their souls with an animal spirit that has chosen each them specifically. Once joined with their animal spirit, they are easily able to shift from man to beast and back at will. Their numbers were greater once upon a time long before the rise of Human civilization but when they were forced to band together with their traditional enemies, the Mage (the magic ones) to defeat the High Daemon, Satanan, their victory came at a high cost. In order to defeat Satanan, both immortal races were forced to mortgage nearly all their power. As a result, only one Therian able to harness the power of his animal remained from each of the ancient lines. Where once there were many, now only nine remained.  These nine are the Feral Warriors - Lyon, Tighe, Paenther, Jag, Kougar, Hawke, Wulfe, Vhyper, and Foxx. 

     The first five, Lyon (DESIRE UNTAMED), Tighe (OBSESSION UNTAMED), Paenther (PASSION UNTAMED), Jag (RAPTURE UNTAMED) and Kougar (HUNGER UNTAMED)have had their stories told and Hawke's (ECSTASY UNTAMED) is about to be released this month.  It's advisable to read them in order beginning with DESIRE UNTAMED so that you'll benefit the greatest from Pamela Palmer's amazing story-telling.  These books are imaginative, exciting, fast-paced and will leave you hungry for the next one. 

     Perhaps a taste of what is in store if you've never read any of these is in order, so - without further ado - I am happy to present an excerpt from PASSION UNTAMED:

Virginia, 1738

The newly marked Feral Warrior, Black Panther, prowled the wide, flat stone overlooking the raging Potowmack River. Snow swirled around him, driven by a harsh wind as he waited for the ritual that would, goddess willing, transform him into a shape-shifter, one of the most powerful creatures on Earth.

Months ago, the animal spirit of one of the deceased Ferals had marked him as his own.  A bare week later, as he'd set out to find Feral House, the Mage witch Ancreta had tricked him, capturing him. For long months, he'd endured her torture as she viciously tried to pry loose the animal spirit inside him, burning a rage into his soul that never eased.

Now the time had come to know if she had succeeded.

Around him, the six Feral Warriors paced bare-chested, a thick gold armband snaking around each man's arm as they raised the mystic circle.  In their midst stood the Radiant, the lone woman accompanying them -- the one through whom they pulled their power from the Earth.  The mystic circle would enclose the great rock and hide all within it from the prying eyes of the Indians that still occasionally hunted these woods.

The day was dreary, the cold biting against the bare skin of his upper body, a body broken too many times beneath Ancreta's torture. 

Hatred curled in his belly.  Fury lived in his blood.  For seven months he'd been her captive, the third of three newly marked Ferals the witch had capture over the past two years.

Only two had survived, Vincent and him.  Ten days ago, Vincent had escaped.  Nine days ago, he'd risked capture and death to return.  Black Panther tilted his head, letting the wind brush his long black hair from his face.  Vincent had returned for him.  And finally, this very day, they would complete the ritual, the Renascence, to be reborn as Feral Warriors in truth. 

Want more? Feel free to visit Pamela Palmer at her website to learn more about the Feral Warriors but you'll have to get your own copies if you want the rest of the stories.

      Pamela is planning to answer any and all questions we may have about the Feral at her Pajama Party tonight.  So what questions do you have for her?

      I fear that I will not be able to attend as I had planned but I do have a question for her and I hope that she will read it here and answer it on her blog tonight at the Party.

     My question for Pamela is:  Why is it that some of the Ferals, such as Paenther, can shape-shift into their animal form and then back into their man form all the while keeping their clothes and weapons whereas other Ferals, such as Wulfe, cannot and end up naked without weapons in hand?

I hope she answers my question. 

      Watch for the release of ECSTASY UNTAMED on October 25, 2011. Meanwhile, join the fun at Feral House tonight 8 PM - 10 PM on Pamela's blog. 

      Now that you've had a little taste of paranormal romance, if you aren't already reading this fascinating genre, would you read it now? 
      If you're already a fan of the Ferals, who is your favorite?

      I love them all but do have a soft spot for bad-boy, Jag.