Hi everyone–
I know my pal, Allie Ritch, is a great favorite of yours, and today’s new release won’t disappoint. Allie is bringing us Mating Season and she’ll be giving away a copy to some lucky person who comments with their email! The setting for Mating Season my be frozen, but this book sounds hot! Here’s Allie —
Mating season on the arctic planet of Jensen is a time for eligible men to winter with a potential spouse. In the past, Koll’s big size and gruff disposition have scared off many available women. When Shila literally falls into his arms, he hopes maybe this year will be different.
Shila belongs to a race of shifters who are able to transform into enormous frost bears. She loves Koll’s large body and sexy growl, and she understands the benefit of having a strong protector. With two male shifters stalking her, she needs Koll to keep her safe. But can he defeat the competition?
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A lot of people assume that if you’re a writer of m/f romance and a woman, then you must invest a lot of yourself in your heroines. Well, yes. This is true not only for my heroines, but for my heroes, my villains, and my minor characters, as well. Every single character, good or bad, comes from my imagination, so they all have a bit of me in them. In writing Mating Season, though, I have to admit I had an extra special attachment to the hero, Koll.
In Mating Season, the arctic planet of Jensen is a beautiful and brutal setting in winter. The man vs. nature conflict makes village life—the strength of the community—essential for the inhabitants. The problem is that Koll doesn’t quite fit in. He’s a giant who towers over his peers, a grown man who still carries the insecurities of the boy everyone made fun of for his size.
I can really relate to that. Although I’m now average size for a woman, I grew extremely fast. I reached my full height by the time I was eleven years old. As you can imagine, I was the kid shoved to the back of all the photos, even when my classmates caught up to me and all you could see was my forehead. Growing that fast meant it took a while to get my coordination, too. Up until college, I have a lot of memories of being pinned spread eagle on the concrete with my backpack on top of me.
With age, of course, I’ve grown into my body and accepted myself, but first impressions are powerful. Late bloomers experience the flip side of the coin and can probably relate with Koll’s friend, Gilby, who’s the smallest man in the village. Of course, Gilby makes up for his size by being the most boisterous.
Koll finally accepts himself when he meets Shila, the one woman who fits him perfectly. As a bear-shifter, Shila has a very different perspective on life. She thinks Koll’s big, strong body and growled responses are sexy, not a drawback. Isn’t that the best part of love? True love highlights the positives and makes you the best version of yourself. And once Koll accepts himself, his community does, too.
This was the first book I’ve written a dedication for. I wrote, “This one is for all the people who have ever struggled to fit in.” Have you ever struggled to fit in or find your place in the world?
For a chance to win a copy of Mating Season and follow Shila and Koll’s journey, just include your e-mail address in your comment. And here’s a sneak peek of what you might win:
Excerpt:
By nightfall Shila was a very satisfied woman. Koll was a vigorous lover, and after several rounds in bed, he’d heated a bath and made love to her in there. She’d especially enjoyed the experience since she adored the water as both woman and bear. Thanks to her people’s quick healing, she was only a little sore, and the tenderness between her legs made her feel smug and well-serviced.
She was ready to go outside, though. Too much time cooped up made her restless, and she was anxious to examine her surroundings. The moment she stepped outdoors, she sniffed the air to see if there were any signs of Tartok and Cikuq. Although the brothers were wily, they’d have a hard time beating her nose. They definitely weren’t anywhere near Koll’s home, which gave her hope that maybe she’d shaken them for good.
“Show me the whole village,” she told Koll.
He stood beside her, looking delightfully furry with his coat on.
Shila expected him to protest since most males liked to keep their mates to themselves, but he actually looked pleased.
“This way.” He took her hand and kept hold of it as he led her forward.
Behind them, Koll’s sled hound, whom he’d introduced as Greyfell, followed at a respectful distance. The canine had barked and growled when Koll had first let him out, but Shila had quickly established the hierarchy. Her bear could eat a hound like him for dinner, not that she’d put him on the menu. She clearly outranked him.
“Are you warm enough?” Koll kept her close as they fought their way through the snow past the nearest houses.
Shila nodded. She rarely got cold, and at the moment, her hand was throwing off more heat than his was. Maybe he was chilly? Shaking loose of his grip, she put her arm around him and pulled him in tightly enough they bumped thighs when they walked. She didn’t mind sharing her body heat and was pleased to feel his stride fall into sync with hers.
“Better?” she asked.
He returned a smile—one of the full ones he’d started to give her after their first round of sex. “Much.”
Still alert for the brothers stalking her, Shila sniffed every corner of the village while Koll told her the names of everyone who lived in each home they passed. Relief flooded her when she was certain there was no sign of her pursuers. Then she realized she was being herded into a squat building filled with villagers.
“What’s this?”
Koll answered with his usual succinctness. “Tavern.”
She might have guessed as much from the odor of alcohol permeating the place. The clawless people had a perplexing habit of poisoning their liver in small doses to addle their senses. When she was younger, she used to watch the villagers stumbling out of such places from afar. Their tipsy antics were always good for entertainment.
There were a lot of people here tonight, like bears gathering at an especially good hunting spot. So many voices should have formed a cacophony. Instead, there was a steady murmur. Even that died the moment they caught sight of her and Koll. Several men and women gaped, although they didn’t bare their teeth. Shila didn’t care for their intense eye contact, but since they smelled of surprise and curiosity, she didn’t take it as a threat.
A man near the back, one who appeared especially drunk, chortled. “Will you look at that?” He hiccupped. “She’s nearly as big as he is!”
Shila felt Koll tense a second before he stepped forward and pinned the fellow with a lethal glare. “Careful.”
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Website/Blog: http://allieritch.wordpress.com
Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/allieritch
Liquid Silver Books Buy Link: http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/matingseason.htm
Amazon Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Mating-Season-ebook/dp/B008MICWMG/ref=la_B007NL8FMO_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1342620628&sr=1-5
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Leave your comment with your email to WIN! Tuesday, July 24th, two things happen — Kay Berrisford brings her new book to this blog with a great giveaway and Genetic Celebrity releases from Loose Id! Go over to Beautiful Boys Books to follow the Blog Tour.See you there! : )