Which Comes First? The Wolf or the Man?
Let’s say the man. 
He’s easier to maintain. 🙂 And what about this man? I think of shaggy, a little stubble, some hair on the chest. After all, he IS part wolf.
So what do you think? Does he look like he could be a wolf masquerading part time as a man?
Now here’s the wolf.
Does he look like he could make a suitable mate when in his human skin?
But which comes first, the wolf or the man? Or does it really matter as long as you get both all in one?
To Tempt the Wolf is about a man just like this, who has wolfish interests in the woman who rescues him off a cold Oregon beach. She’s a professional wildlife photographer, although her interests are mostly in photographing wolves. Only she learns not all wolves are the same.
Terry Spear
Thanksgiving in Summer
Last week, I did something really different. I made Thanksgiving dinner, four months early. Lucky for me the house is air-conditioned, otherwise I would have melted in the heat with the oven on for hours.
I decided to have our holiday early because my son was home from Afghanistan for two weeks. Thanksgiving is his favorite meal, and he’s going to spend the real deal at Kandahar Air Base. Just by coincidence MORE THAN A MAN, my Harlequin Intrigue with the 700-year-old hero, is coming out in a few days. And my son looks a lot like the guy on the cover. Of course, he doesn’t think so.
Turns out, the turkey was the big problem with the Thanksgiving dinner. They may be all over the grocery stores in November, but they’re almost nonexistent right now. Other than going out in the woods and shooting them, you’ve got to buy them frozen at this time of year. And guess what? I’ve never cooked a frozen turkey, so I didn’t know how long it would take to defrost. Unfortunately, we’re talking DAYS in the refrigerator. And if you don’t have that much time, your best option is to immerse in cold water, according to all the Web sites I checked out. But there’s one important fact they fail to mention. You know how the wise guys need to put “cement shoes” on a body they’re trying to deep six? Well, guess what? A frozen turkey also floats. So there I was in the early hours of the morning weighting down that sucker (with a heavy pot lid) so I could submerge it. As you can see, it finally worked out.
So what’s your favorite holiday? And how do you make it special?
Rebecca York
Does Paranormal Romance Rate its own sub-sub-genres?
Two or three years ago (or so) I remember going to RWA National and hearing everywhere…Paranormal is hot! Vampires are hot! BUT don’t write them…vampires that is…because publishers are overloaded. The speech would then go on to include the bit you hear a lot, that what you are seeing on shelves now was probably sold two years earlier and while vampires were dominating the shelves editors didn’t really want to see them anymore. Or, if they were still interested, they were being so selective the chances of your vampire making it to print were about the same as him surviving a bath in holy water in full noon day sun.
So, yeah, by now vampires should be dead, right?
But just like the heroes we love, dead or not, they are still going strong. (And not just in romance. Have you shopped for urban fantasy? There is a category that is seriously dominated by vampires–half-blood, full-blood, dhamphir, they are all there.)
Which is making me wonder….is paranormal romance becoming mature enough that it can support its own sub-sub-genres? Are there enough readers who search out vampires that they at least qualify as their own sub-category of paranormal romance? And most importantly, are they here to stay?
Historicals have Regencies, Scottish, Medievals, and Westerns. Contemporaries have Romantic Suspense, and Romantic Comedy. Can we now talk about paranormals the same way? If so, what would those sub-subs be? Vampires, werewolves…???
I say paranormal lovers should rise up and claim our place among the big two–contemp and historical. We deserve our sub-subs too! Who’s with me? And what should they be?
Legend of the White Wolf Video Trailer
While I was writing Legend of the White Wolf, it was cold. Well, as cold as it gets in Texas. Certainly not like the northern reaches. Although I’ve lived in them. 🙂 But right about now with 110 degree heat indexes, I could use a little bit of the cold! Or a lot! So enjoy this “cool” video and maybe if you’re as hot as me, it’ll make you feel a little bit cooler! 🙂 Uhm, unless you take a real good look at the hunk in the story, and then…well, maybe you’ll be hot, too. At least, he definitely is! Hope you enjoy!!! 🙂 Terry http://www.terryspear.com
Are You a Seasonal Writer or Reader???
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More booksellers coming soon!
July 18, 2009, 5:02 am
I never gave it much thought until my werewolf book, Heart of the Wolf, ended up as a series. In Heart of the Wolf it was set in the fall, and then in Destiny of the Wolf, also fall. To Tempt the Wolf and Legend of the White Wolf are winter stories.
Now we have spring and wolf pups and new beginnings with Seduction of the Wolf. The next story was supposed to have been a winter story instead, but my mother was tired of winter, so I promised a spring story for her. She died while I was still rewriting Legend of the White Wolf, but I’m sure she knows that Seduction of the Wolf is a story of spring and warmer weather, just for her. Actually, both Book 5 and Book 6 are spring stories.
But of course I can’t seem to coordinate these with the actual release times…oh, wait, no, that’s not true. Legend of the White Wolf will be out in Feb and for many places that’s still winter. 🙂 And Seduction of the Wolf will be out in April, the first spring story. 🙂 Maybe the next one will be summer, instead of another spring, although the release date will be in the fall.
What’s neat is that the seasons can help shape the story. Fall brings color and the end of hot summer. It brings cooler weather good for getting close and a change of clothes. Winter brings cold and snuggling, fires and cuddling, Christmas and hugging. 🙂 Spring brings flowers, rain, warmer weather, and babies. Summer is for weddings, beach trips, tossing the clothes!
But also, characters can be described in terms of seasons.
In Destiny of the Wolf, the heroine thinks of the hero as winter chilled. But she’s autumn, brightly colored leaves and baking pumpkin pies. In Legend of the White Wolf, the hero thinks of the heroine in terms of what she might look like in a bikini, rather than bundled up in winter clothes–to him, she’s a summer babe.So even characters can be thought of personality-wise as seasons.
Have you read books that seem to have a seasonal theme? Are you a seasonal writer? Do you prefer a certain season to read over another?
If you’re at RWA National, I hope you’re having a blast! If not, have a super Saturday wherever you may be!
Terry Spearwww.terryspear.com
Do Your Shapeshifters Own Pets???
Dreamstime© Djk.jpg
On another author blog I belong to one of the authors asked if anyone included pets in their romances or enjoyed reading romances that included pets. But she specifically excluded werewolves.
First, werewolves are not anyone’s pet. 🙂 But I do have a pet in a werewolf story coming out the fall 2010. 
In that story, the heroine had been changed, but she had owned a cat. So now what happens? Pets can add conflict, humor, an extra something special to a story.
But in a shapeshifter story, the dynamics are a little different. Not only do we have a human who owns a…well, cat for instance, but a wolf who does. 🙂 And what about the hunky werewolf hero? How will he react to having a cat in the household?
Dogs can be allergic to grass. Can they be allergic to cats? Can wolves? 🙂
Writing about other worlds is fun because considering things that we just take for granted in our lives, for another species, the rules can be different. To an extent, I try to make it as realistic as possible. On the other hand, some is just pure fantasy. Because I’m sure there are not too many wolf packs out there that have adopted a cat. 🙂 And certainly, it would be difficult to find a lot of werewolf packs who own pets. 🙂
So what do you think? Do your shapeshifters have pets? And what is the best kind of pet for the type of shifter you love if you had to go out and buy them one?
Terry Spear
July Update from Deborah Cooke
It’s July and there’s not that much new in my world. I think that’s symptomatic of summer, even though it’s not that hot this year here.
I’m writing.
I’m weeding.
I’m sitting on the porch, drinking iced tea when I can.
I’m reading. This last because I’m not attending RWA’s National convention in Washington DC this week, so there’s a window of opportunity to attack my mountainous TBR pile. The casualties are piling up fast – I’ve certainly become a fussy reader! But I’ll talk about the keepers on my blog, Alive & Knitting, when I come up with a batch.
Meanwhile, you might want to check out an alternate “conference” happening in the blogosphere. Drop by the Galaxy Express this week for the Parallel Universe Event being hosted there. There will be workshops and guests and authors commenting from the RWA National conference. And yes, I have a workshop on Worldbuilding, coming up on Thursday there. It’s not just for Science Fiction Romance – worldbuilding is important no matter what kind of fiction you write.
Stop by and say hello!
Here’s the LINK for my workshop on worldbuilding.
Tweets, Friends and Blogs
I know, I know, there are so many means to promote and discuss online lately. MySpace, FaceBook, Twitter, GoodReads, blogs, websites, etc. If ever a reader had picked up a book and wondered “I’d like to find out more about this author” now is the time that can happen. Ten years ago it wouldn’t have been as easy. But now, we’re everywhere!
So I jumped on the FaceBook bandwagon a little over a month ago. I was initially worried about keeping my family members and friends apart from the readers and fans. Didn’t think one would want to read about the other. But no worries, it doesn’t really work that way, and heck, I’ve just been having fun with FB. I’m not a huge promoter. When I have a book out, I’ll blog about it, and it shows on FB, and I link my contests to it, and will post about writing. But mostly I just like connecting with friends and readers. It hasn’t become a timesuck for me…yet. Five minutes, a couple times a day, seems to work.
You can find me here: http://www.facebook.com/michelehauf
I also signed on to Twitter. I’m still trying to figure out the promotional value to Twitter. Because believe me, my daily life is just too boring to be interesting enough to grab Followers. But I would like to figure how to use it to increase my readership. I recently started a Twibe (a group of Twitterers) for vampire readers and writers called VampChix. I’d like it to become a group of like minds who chat about their fav vamp books and movies. Is that possible on Twitter? Who knows? But it’s worth a try.
Find me Twittering here: http://www.twitter.com/michelehauf
And Twibing here: http://www.twibes.com/group/VampChix
As well, I thought to link a blog to the VampChix Twibe. It’s in it’s infancy right now (only one post) because I’m hoping to get suggestions as to what people really need from a blog right now. I know, there are SO MANY blogs out there, why do we need another? I’m not sure why, but I sort of have this compulsion to just start up new things when the idea strikes. Hee.
Find the VampChix blog here: http://vampchix.blogspot.com
So if you like vampires, and have some ideas for things you’re missing online, but would like to see, email me, or stop by the blog, or even join our Twibe. I want to use these amazing online groups and tools in the best way possible, but I think that can only work when we all join and share our thoughts and visions.
Michele
Upcoming 2009 Movies
I’m such a movie whore. 🙂 One of my favorite pastimes other than writing is going to the movies. Although, Drag Me to Hell had pretty much stunted my activites for the moment. Sorry, Sam Raimi (I love you, man!), but I wish I had waited for this to come out to DVD…or TV. Smart movie, but dumb characters. I give that one a C-/D+ at most.
But enough about that. I want to talk about what the rest of the year has in store for us. Though I have my eye on some of these, there are those that will have to prove themselves before I care.
Blood: The Last Vampire. Now, if you’re a fan of anime, like I am, then you know there’s a good chance you’re going to fork up the money to see this one. It was released on Friday, but to no fanfare. If they’re going to take the time to turn a classic anime movie into a theatrical remake, shouldn’t they have put the marketing behind it? That doesn’t bode well in my book. After all, the same thing happened with Blood and Chocolate and we wall saw how that turned out–or not.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I stopped reading HP after the fifth book. Not because it didn’t intrigue me, but rather, I had gotten busy with other things and just now started reading it. However, since I hadn’t gotten that far into it yet, I decided to put it down again and wait to to see the movie. This time, I want to experience the fun having not read the book ahead of time to see whether or not I still enjoy it.
Orphan. Not on your life. I pretty much know the details of this movie without having to see it, so why bother? An weird orphan child is adopted and placed in the household of a nice family, only to discover that she’s a evil little bitch who should be locked away in time-out for the rest of her life. Can we say The Omen? How about The Bad Seed? The Good Son? How is this movie any different? 
Thirst. I don’t know if this will be opened widely or will it just be thrust into an independent theatre and forgotten about. That tends to happen a lot with foreign movies (i.e. Blood: The Last Vampire). However…I LOVE the premise of this. A priest who becomes a vampire? Okay, so like we might have seen a priest become a demon (i.e. The Exorcist), but this is a vampire and it’s an entire movie about it. Not some scenes where he’s sitting in an insane asylum looking a bit crazed in the eye. Even better, it’s an ASIAN vampire movie, meaning we get to experience another culture’s interpretation of a classic monster with a romantic undertone. If you don’t believe me, just check out the trailer here. You can bet I’ll be in the audience and happily reading subtitles that I hate so much. 😉
9: Yes, that’s the title. But since Tim Burton is doing this movie, who cares what it’s called? 😀 I like Tim Burton that I’d pay money to see his movies even if they let him direct the last episode of Guiding Light. Yeah, Mr. Edward Scissorhands, you can count me in for this one.
The Wolfman: You think I’m not going to see this? Benicio Del Toro? Anthony Hopkins? Need I say more? If I could reserve my seat now, I would.
Twilight Saga: New Moon: From what I understand, Edward spends some time away from Bella in this second installment. If that’s the case, then I might go see it. Don’t ask me to read the book. I’m sorry, guys, but that’s asking too much.
Sherlock Holmes: After Robert Downey Jr.’s wonderful performance in Iron Man, how could I possibly miss this? Granted, it’s not exactly “otherworldly” as we know it, but it’s Robert Downey Jr. Yeah, I’m in.
So what movies are you looking forward to seeing (or not) this year?
ROOTS
When I was in grade school, the DC Public Library used to send a “library basket” to each classroom once a month. The teacher would display the books on the chalk shelf below the blackboard, and we’d get to come up and choose which ones we wanted to take home. One morning, when I was in fifth grade, she put up a book called RED PLANET, by Robert Heinlein. On the cover was a picture of a person in space suit and a weird-looking creature. As soon as I saw that cover, I knew I had to read that book, and I elbowed a couple of boys out of the way to grab it off the ledge.
That’s how my love affair with the weird began. Until my early twenties, science fiction and fantasy were my chief reading material. Just like with my first science fiction novel, I have vivid memories of reading my first shapeshifter story, DARKER THAN YOU THINK, by Jack Williamson. I was fifteen at the time, and he made me want to BE a werewolf. But it took years before I dared to write my first werewolf book, KILLING MOON. Looking for a unique theme, I settled on a werewolf detective who used his wolf senses to solve crimes. (Yeah, like Moonlight for vampires. But I thought of it first.)
I’ve been writing shapeshifter books ever since, but I haven’t given up my love of the paranormal in general. MORE THAN A MAN, coming out in August, is one of those books that’s hard to fit into a category. It’s about a man named Noah Fielding who’s lived for seven hundred years. Of course he’s left a lot of lovers behind and escaped lots of dangerous situations, but he meets his match when a dying millionaire devises a diabolical plan to discover Noah’s secret. And he’s willing to use any means, including kidnapping the woman Noah loves.
Living forever is such an appealing concept, but it brings a whole host of problems with it, as Noah has discovered over the years. And it’s an interesting challenge for a writer. Kind of like the Superman problem. If you can’t die, what puts you in jeopardy?
RT gave MORE THAN A MAN a Top Pick 4.5.
They said, This top-notch mystery could be the best of the 43 Light Street series! . . . York has outdone herself with first-rate characters, a roller-coaster ride of a story and a plot that will keep readers holding their breath.
Needless to say, I was thrilled. And I was astonished to see how much the guy on the cover looks like my son.
If you’re not reading shapeshifter books, which paranormal themes do you like best?
Rebecca
Shapeshifter Romance 