Hi everyone. Don’t i have the best guests? I’d like to welcome Karenna Colcroft who is bringing us her new release, Veggie Burgers to Go, the second in the Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat Series. These books have been dear to my heart since i first heard about them because i was a total vegetarian for many years and am still a semi-veg with a strong health-nut leaning. So these are my kind of werewolves. And it appears Karenna likes to do the unexpected in her books — just like me. Remember to comment with your email address and you may win a pdf copy of Karenna’s short story, Tofurkey and Yams.
Karenna, you have the floor!
Preconceived Notions
In romance stories, as in life, there are some things everyone assumes to be true.
People assume that all wolves eat meat, werewolves included.
People assume that alpha males are dominant in all parts of their lives.
People assume that in werewolf packs, all members have to do what the Alpha says no matter what.
I have problems with preconceived notions. I like to take them and play with them and turn them on their figurative ears. That’s probably how I ended up with a vegan werewolf who refuses to eat meat even in wolf form, who happens to be the lowest-ranked in his pack but is able to resist the Alpha’s commands. It’s also probably how I ended up with a werewolf pack Alpha who’s submissive in bed.
You know what they say about assuming things…
The vegan werewolf, Kyle Slidell, and submissive Alpha Tobias Rogan are the main character and the love interest in my M/M paranormal series Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat. Published by MLR Press, the series currently consists of two novels and a short story, with three more novels planned. Kyle and Tobias are mates.
One of the strongest Alphas in the United States, Tobias nonetheless chooses to remain Alpha of the smallest pack in the country, a pack some don’t even recognize as separate from the nearest larger pack. Being with Kyle makes Tobias’s Alpha powers stronger, but all Tobias wants is a nice, quiet life with his pack and his mate. And all Kyle wants is whatever makes Tobias happy.
You know what they say about not always getting what you want…
In the first novel, Salad on the Side, Kyle is changed into a werewolf during an attack by a jealous woman who wants Tobias for herself. And shortly after his change, Kyle is kidnapped by a psycho member of the neighboring pack who has a grudge against Tobias and wants to start war between the two packs.
In the second novel, Veggie Burgers to Go, released January 6, another Alpha who wants control of Tobias’s pack and the neighboring one goes to great lengths to get what he wants, and Kyle almost loses Tobias.
Fortunately, in the Christmas short story Tofurkey and Yams, the only thing trying to come between Kyle and Tobias is Tobias’s Scrooge-like view of Christmas.
You know what they say about the course of true love. And true love is exactly what Kyle and Tobias have.
The Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat series is available from MLR Press, http://www.mlrbooks.com. To find out more about Karenna Colcroft and her books, please visit her site, http://www.karennacolcroft.com.
Blurb for Veggie Burgers to Go:
A member of the Boston North Pack is attacked by humans who say they were hired by a shifter. The same night, Melia, the wolf who changed Kyle, returns to Boston. The pack suspects Melia of arranging the attack, but Kyle believes someone else is behind it. He just doesn’t know who.
A member of the Boston North Pack is attacked by humans who say they were hired by a shifter. The same night, Melia, the wolf who changed Kyle, returns to Boston. The pack suspects Melia of arranging the attack, but Kyle believes someone else is behind it. He just doesn’t know who.
The next day at the regional alpha meeting in Pennsylvania, Kyle finds his answer. Saul Hughes, another alpha, has a long-standing grudge against Tobias. He claims Tobias is too weak to control a pack and makes it clear that he wants control of Boston North. But no one suspects how far he’ll go to get it.
Excerpt:
The afternoon was broken into two sessions. The first was still public, although the business on the agenda Zane read didn’t sound any more interesting than most of the morning had been. The only part that I cared anything about was Tobias’s declaration of me as his mate, which would be the last public thing before Zane sent the guests away. After that, some private alpha stuff would happen. The guests would be on their own to entertain themselves.
The afternoon was broken into two sessions. The first was still public, although the business on the agenda Zane read didn’t sound any more interesting than most of the morning had been. The only part that I cared anything about was Tobias’s declaration of me as his mate, which would be the last public thing before Zane sent the guests away. After that, some private alpha stuff would happen. The guests would be on their own to entertain themselves.
I wished I’d packed some books.
The boring things only took about an hour, which happened to be about as long as I could tolerate. Then Zane said, “Kyle Slidell, please come forward.”
I’d made up my mind that it didn’t matter what any other shifters thought about Tobias’s and my relationship. I’d been determined not to let any of them intimidate me and not to be nervous about standing up in front of a group this size.
All that went right out the window when I actually walked up to the table and stood beside Tobias. My heart beat as rapidly as it had that morning during our fight, and I couldn’t look out at the crowd without feeling just a tad bit nauseated. Fortunately, I had Tobias to look at. His smile and the love in his eyes made all this worth it.
“You may begin,” Zane said. He sat.
Tobias took both my hands. “I have found my mate,” he announced.
Something swirled around us. Nothing tangible; nothing visible. Energy, maybe, or magic, which I’d never believed in until I’d found myself in the middle of a bunch of shifters. Something that took Tobias’s words and made them absolute truth.
“And I have found mine,” I said.
Tobias gave me a tiny nod, letting me know I’d said the right thing. We’d practiced this a couple times, but I hadn’t wanted to ruin the moment by over-rehearsing. “In front of those here assembled, in front of the Arkhon of the Northeast Region and the alphas of all packs in that region, I claim Kyle Slidell as my mate,” he said.
Sometimes I pictured my connection to Tobias as a cord that joined the two of us. Now that cord wrapped around us, not only joining us but binding us to one another so strongly we wouldn’t be able to undo it. There wasn’t much chance that I would want to anyway, but it weirded me out a little. Tobias had already claimed me in front of our pack, and I hadn’t felt anything like this. The only explanation I could come up with was that so many alphas in one place amped up the magic factor.
I didn’t have to say anything else. Apparently in werewolf culture, the more dominant mate claimed the lesser one and that was the end of it. So I just stood there looking into Tobias’s eyes at all the emotions that I knew reflected my own and waited.
“It is done.” Zane stood again. “The Northeast Region recognizes Tobias Rogan and Kyle Slidell as mates. And so it is.”
I didn’t expect anyone to speak, but Chal grinned and called out, “Congratulations.” Several others echoed him, and a lot of tension ebbed out of the room.
I wanted to kiss Tobias, or at least hug him. Something warned me that wouldn’t be a good idea. Saul wasn’t there to flip out again, but the other alphas who had agreed with him were in the room. Neither Tobias nor I wanted a repeat of that morning. I squeezed his hands, and we let go of each other.
Isn’t that a wonderful excerpt. I think these are a must have. Thank you, Karenna, for being my guest and to all of you for visiting. And remember, if you like my guests and posts, i love your follow! : )