A little about Katie Reus: I’ve been reading romance from a young age—ever since I discovered my mom’s hidden stash. Luckily the addiction stayed with me into adulthood. I write paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense for Carina Press, Harlequin Nocturne, and NAL/Signet Eclipse.
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Thanks so much to Tynga for hosting me today!
I grew up in Florida though I now live in the South (which ‘the South’ is technically north of Florida, go figure). Almost everyone I know where I currently live goes hunting in the winter, my husband included. Since my husband is so familiar with the forest around here he took me out so I could watch the way animals react to scent as part of my research.
In Alpha Instinct, most of my main characters are lupine shifters and their extrasensory abilities are akin to that of regular wolves or other forest creatures. So, I wanted to see how real animals reacted to human scent. It’s one thing to read about it, but another entirely to see animals in the wild.
So we trekked through the woods, both wearing specially washed clothes and I had been ‘forbidden’ to wear perfume or lotion, etc. After climbing into a giant tree stand, we sat there and waited. Not gonna lie, I got pretty bored but luckily I brought my Kindle. After sitting there for what felt like forever, we heard a rustling below us. A few seconds later a herd of wild sows and one boar cautiously came out of the woods to the left of us (we were high above them). They moved along at a steady pace until they came upon the trail where we had just come from and it was like they ran into a brick wall. They made all sorts of squealing noises and immediately turned and backtracked the way they’d come. It was so cool to see the way they reacted to our ‘predator’ scents.
Wolves have an even greater sense of smell. Some scientists believe their sense of smell is up to 100 times greater than humans. When writing Alpha Instinct it was cool knowing that I wasn’t exaggerating my characters’ extrasensory abilities! I adore wolves or anything from the canine family and I think (or hope) that shows in my new Moon Shifter series.
Fear has a scent. So does desire…
Ana Cordona has been a strong leader for the lupine shifters who survived after all the males and most of the females in her pack were mysteriously poisoned. As tough as she is, with no Alpha male, the pack is vulnerable to the devious shifter Taggart, who wants to claim both their ranch and Ana as his own. When Connor Armstrong comes back into her life, promising protection, it’s almost enough to make Ana forget how he walked out on her before—and reluctantly accept his offer to mate.
The minute Connor sees Ana again, it reawakens a raw hunger. He must have her for his bondmate—his wolf cries out for it. But his human side knows he must proceed with caution because of their complicated past. If he is to truly have her body and soul, he must go beyond his burning desire and win back her heart. Whatever it takes, he is determined not to leave her side again.
But Taggart and his rival pack are not their only enemies. A human element in town is targeting shifters. Their plan not only threatens Ana and Connor’s future, but the lives of the entire pack…Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository
What do you like about paranormal romance? What is your favorite type of paranormal creature in romance? Answer either question or just leave a comment about today’s blog post and be entered to win a copy of Alpha Instinct (US and Canada only). There will be two winners.
Katie is offering two (2) copies of Alpha Instinct!
Open to US & Canada Only
To enter: Fill the rafflecopter form below and answer Katie’s questions!
Ends February 6th, 2012.
