An Enticing Tease

Remember that time I joined in the cover reveal for Holloway Pack short story “Enticed”? Well, as of last Thursday, the cat werewolf’s out of the bag! Happy release tour to friend and fellow author J.A. Belfield, and happy birthday to Ethan!

Or is it?

Gifts aside, Ethan’s morning hasn’t been anything to write home about. Sure, life is good, the pack is staying out of trouble, he finally has a mate who boils his blood … in a good way.

Except Shelley hasn’t called. Hasn’t come by. Didn’t even bother to join her son and his girlfriend for Ethan’s annual I’m-a-year-older breakfast.

What Ethan doesn’t know is that Shelley has plans. Plans that have been in progress for weeks. Ones that Ethan will never see coming, and that she’s banked on him not knowing a thing about.

She can only hope her secrecy doesn’t force his inner wolf to the surface—at least, not too early.

Enticed: A Holloway Pack Mini can 1) be read as a standalone, and 2) now be obtained via these locations:

Enticed on Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Enticed in print

The e-book is FREE, or you could slap down a few bucks to get it in print.

Not enticing enough for ya? Suppose I slip in an excerpt to show you what you’re in for…

<<<>>>

Sinking down onto the edge of my bed, I worked a finger under the flap and took out a regular old birthday card with a chimp on the front and a simple ‘Happy Birthday’ printed across its top in bulky orange letters. Nothing romantic. No hearts. No confessed feelings. No nouns pronouncing who the recipient might be to the sender.

Though, what could she get one with, anyway? To my boyfriend? My face screwed up at that title. My mate? Somehow, I doubted they did those at Hallmark.

Even so, I found myself opening it, like some part of me hoped she had more to say with her own words than with those fabricated by some anonymous message maker.

Four envelopes marked 1, 2, 3, and 4 had been tucked inside.

Moving those out of the way revealed more of Shelley’s neat handwriting across the inner fold of the greeting card. A cryptic note of: ‘What? Did you think this was it?’

I frowned, my eyes scanning downward to another little note.

‘Pssst, in case you can’t figure it out, the envelopes are number-ordered for a reason. Open them. You know you want to.’

“What the hell’s got into you, Shel?” I muttered, though my lips twitched even as I set down the card and three of the envelopes, and ripped at the flap of number one.

No card sat inside it. No note. Just a tiny black rag of … I grabbed it between my two fingers and slid it out. Lace?

Lifting it to my nose, I sniffed. A faint whiff of Shelley lingered on its surface, but otherwise, it just had that new fabric smell I’d have expected from the stiffness of the strip.

Setting it aside, I lifted number two, tore through the stuck-down flap, and peered inside.

A couple of glossy photos peeked back, and I withdrew them. Stared at the first one. Tried to figure out what the hell the pinkish-but-not-pink, creamy looking whatever the shot seemed to be of. I shuffled out another from behind it—same thing. Kind of. Except the second one had a couple of ridges.

Only when looking at the third did I notice the faint porous-like indentations, the delicate downy-looking hairs, and realised it was a close-up of … “Skin? Lace … and skin?”

Despite my narrow-eyed frown, my lips curved. Shelley was definitely—definitely—up to something.

And experience warned it would be something really bad.

Or something painfully good.

<<<>>>

And now for the giveaway. *wiggles brows*

Prize: 1 Signed Print Copy of ENTICED for your reading pleasure

1 ENTICED 6×4 Cover Art Print for your viewing pleasure

1 Thornton’s Viennese Truffle Bar to enjoy whilst you devour Ethan

Enter here!

/End steamy spotlight ;D

Be Enticed. Be Very Enticed

Anyone in the mood for a cover reveal? ^^ ‘Cause I just happen to have a friend with a new story’s face to show off. …Or, well, perhaps somewhat lower than the face… Fans of paranormal romantic werewolves, rejoice! For the Holloway Pack is back, in—

. . .

. . . wait for it . . .

. . .

Happy Birthday to Ethan.

Or is it?

Gifts aside, Ethan’s morning hasn’t been anything to write home about. Sure, life is good, the pack is staying out of trouble, he finally has a mate who boils his blood … in a good way.

Except Shelley hasn’t called. Hasn’t come by. Didn’t even bother to join her son and his girlfriend for Ethan’s annual I’m-a-year-older breakfast.

What Ethan doesn’t know is that Shelley has plans. Plans that have been in progress for weeks. Ones that Ethan will never see coming, and that she’s banked on him not knowing a thing about.

She can only hope her secrecy doesn’t force his inner wolf to the surface—at least, not too early.

Enticed: A Holloway Pack Mini by J.A. Belfield – coming April 16th, 2015!

*Can be read as a standalone.

Now available to add to your Goodreads shelf!

[Re-]Release the Werewolves!

Heya, Ever On Wordians. Throwing out an extra post, this week, on behalf of fellow author friend J.A. Belfield and her Holloway Pack prequel novella!

Werewolf Sean Holloway treats the village marketplace like a sexual buffet, though his charm does little to win over his latest entrée of choice. Whether because of Jem Stonehouse’s unique scent, her headstrong nonchalance, or the fact he is forbidden to see her by his pack’s rules, Sean wants her.

When Jem is nothing but flippant toward his advances, he pursues her with vigour, stealing moments alone with her without a libido-driven agenda.

The new and heady experience for him drives their relationship beyond romantic interest, and straight toward love.

That is, until Jem learns the truth about Sean’s heritage. Knowledge of the existence of werewolves leads to only one outcome: death.

In this prequel to Darkness & Light*, we are taken back in time, to the very beginning of Jem and Sean’s love-across-the-centuries relationship.

Did it end there? Or did Sean defy his own pack to save the woman he loves?

*Can be read as a standalone.

Whoa! I only just now realized what’s going on with that guy’s shadow on the cover. Coolness!

To celebrate its re-release, “Instinct” is FREE for a limited time – from release day on Friday, January 23rd until Sunday, February 1st. So if some werewolf romance sounds good to you, grab yourself a copy, lickity-split!

Amazon UK | Amazon US | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords

Goodreads

And don’t forget to leave a review for a chance to enter in J.A. Belfield’s giveaway, in which you could win a $10 Amazon gift card and an e-copy of “Eternal”, the sequel novella to “Instinct”.

“Wolves” or “The Whys and Were-fores Behind the Holloway Pack”

Previously on Ever On Word, I reviewed yet-to-be-released urban fantasy “Caged” by J.A. Belfield, the latest in a series following the exploits of the Holloway Pack werewolves. As of yesterday, “Caged” is on the market, and as of right now, the author is here among us as a part of her new novel’s blog tour! Read on for her answer to the frequently asked question, “Why ‘any of large several predatory canids (genus Canis) that live and hunt in packs and resemble the related dogs’?”

* * * * *

Why wolves? is a question I am asked a lot, and the answer is as simple as it is complex.
On the complex end of the scale: due to having dreamt of (not just wolves but) werewolves from an early age, I feel a connection to this species. I have dreamt of myself as wolf. Hunted as wolf. Raced as wolf. I’ve also witnessed werewolf changes in others—including in Mr. B—and been hunted by wolves. So, werewolves and wolves are a huge presence within my subconscious.

On the simpler end of the scale: wolves intrigue me. Or more to the point, the ability to become one, whilst still maintaining your humanity, intrigues me.

In my mind, it’s like the best of both worlds.

To have the ability to make conscious decisions not driven by instinctual urges and needs alone. To live amongst the human world, because humanity is a big part of who I am, so I’d be grieved to lose that completely in order to become something else.
But also, to know I could release my inner animal, the wild side of me that allows me to become one with nature, to soar amongst a forest I’ve claimed as my own, to experience the unity that comes from a pack hunt, to mate with the intensity that far too many marriages of today lack (maybe my belief that this is the way to go is why I’m still with Mr. B after 23 years), and to be so perceptive of the world around me as every sense is heightened, adding colour and flavour and sensation to the experience that might normally have gone amiss.

And all of this with the safety net of returning to my human life, and allowing the mundane to connect that less savage side of me to an existence I love just as much.

So, yes, the idea of this draws me, intrigues me, and excites me enough to want to investigate it further.

THIS is why I write wolves. This is also why I chose to write my wolves in the way I do. I didn’t want to head toward the monstrous beasts so prevailing in the dark urban fantasy or horror of today, but rather a creature with the ability to blend into their surroundings, whichever of their forms they took. And so, the Holloway Pack was born.

* * * * *

About J.A. Belfied:

One day, a character and scene popped into J. A. Belfield’s head, and she started controlling the little people inside her imagination, as though she were the puppet master and they her toys. Questions arose: What would happen if …? How would they react if …? Who would they meet if …?

Before she knew it, a singular scene had become an entire movie. The characters she controlled began to hold conversations. Their actions reflected the personalities she bestowed upon them. Within no time, they had a life, a lover, a foe, family … they had Become.

One day, she wrote down her thoughts. She’s yet to stop.

J. A. Belfield lives in Solihull, England, with her husband, two children, four cats and a dog. She writes paranormal romance, with a second love for urban fantasy.

She also book blogs over at Bookaroo-Ju.

* * * * *

You can buy copies of “Caged” here:
– Amazon
– B&N
– Kobo

* * * * *

Haven’t read “Blue Moon (Holloway Pack #2)” yet? Well, you’re in luck, because during the “Caged” blog tour, “Blue Moon” will be on sale for just $0.99! Nab a copy here:
– Amazon
– B&N
– Kobo

There’s also a raffle going on!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more posts and interviews and giveaways and all that awesome book launch-type stuff, follow along on the “Caged” blog tour. And don’t forget to wave “hi” to J.A., for me!

“Interesting” or “I Don’t Always Blog About This Stuff. But When I Do…”

Ever On Wordians, rejoice, for I have been nominated for a Liebster Blog Award by author/blogger/British person J.A. Belfield! You all know what that means. …Or, in case you don’t, here are the rules of acceptance:

* Answer the 11 questions provided.
* Create 11 questions for the next nominees to answer.
* Link back to the one who nominated you.
* Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
* Go to their page and tell them.
* No tag backs!

Now you all know what it means – a Q&A session of the most “arousing or holding the attention; absorbing” sort. ^-^

1. What is your favourite genre to read?

Are Robin Hood retellings a genre? Can we make it a genre? ‘Cause I could happily come up with more variations than my “Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale” trilogy! Or we could just throw everything I love into a single genre: Humorous YA murder mystery fantasy, with thieves. (Shoot, I should’ve thrown a murder mystery into the “Ballad” books; then they would have had it all!)

2. You’ve just won a competition and the prize is any pair of shoes in the world of your choice. Describe them.

Shoes, eh? Well, this is coming from the girl who’s worn the same sneakers almost every day for a year or more. But if we’re talking dream footwear… They’d be tall leather boots (brown or black) that could be slipped on and off without too much hassle (but not so easily that they’ll fly off when I don’t want them to!), provide excellent sole-cushioning and arch support, breathe well yet be reasonably waterproof, and which any pirate / ranger / outlaw / minstrel / knight would not be ashamed to wear as part of their epic ensemble. Oh, and they’d better be period for Elizabethan times, so I can wear them on the job at the Bristol Renaissance Faire.

3. Which fictional character would you most like to meet and why?

Only one?? But I would trade in half the real people I know for fictional ones! (What? No, none of you readers are in the “give away” half, don’t be silly.)

What’s called for, here, is a fictional character who gives me access to all the others (I’m such a user…-_-). A character who can somehow smuggle people across reality lines, and who’d be willing to do so for me without any deal-breaking strings attached. That rules out Rumplestiltskin from “Once Upon a Time”; sure, he’s my favorite of the series, but all of his magic comes with a price. (Besides, he’s a creeper.) And Aladdin’s genie goofs around too much (particularly since his release from the lamp downgraded him to only semi-phenomenal, nearly-cosmic power). Hmm… Aha! Maybe I should try Ms. Frizzle! Her magic school bus has done the impossible before! Alright, Friz, I’m taking my chances with you; get messy if you must, just don’t prove my choice a mistake.

4. The zombie apocalypse is upon us. Undead beings are beating at your door, slobbering over your freshly-cleaned patio windows, and you’re barricaded into your living room. Sticking to truth, what’s the most useful item you have to help you swing your way out of this somewhat precarious situation?

Do my kinemortophobic sobs do nothing to change their hearts? …Yeah, I thought not. Looks like my only weapon at this point is prayer. Lord, strike them down, or kill me before they can get me. Amen.

5. I’ll never understand why mashed potato is considered a signature dish for a certain chicken restaurant in the US, so if you couldn’t have both, but had to choose, which way would you swing? Chicken or mash?

I love potatoes, but if they’re mashed, I kinda need meat to go with ‘em. Come to that, I don’t like eating chicken without a side or two, either. Doggone it all! I’d probably just put off thinking about it until my family ate all the food, leaving me to pour a bowl of cold cereal. (This kind of thing happens all the time.)

6. What is your most favourite accent in the world *cough* British *cough*?

Heck yeah, British!

7. If you could visit any fictional land (created world/situation/etc) from any book of your choosing, which world/situation would choose to play witness to and why?

Hmm… I think I’d like to follow my tailor around during Book Three of “The Wilderhark Tales” (which, too bad for impatient me, won’t be out for months and months; but hey, Book One’s coming on May 31^st!). Yeah, he’ll be kind of stressed out for most of it, but we’ll get to meet up with a lot of interesting people, and… okay, I’ll be honest, I would happily stalk him through pretty much any book, never mind what else is going on, because I love him more than is sensible.

8. Slippers or socks? No, they’re NOT the same!

Socks. Socks in my aforementioned sneakers, depending on where I’m expected to walk.

9. Favourite James Bond actor? Why, what’s so special about him, then?

I can name two, and I don’t care about either of them. Never got into Bond. Try casting the Most Interesting Man in the World, and maybe I’ll sit up and pay attention to the preview.

I don’t always watch James Bond movies.
But when I do…

10. Best (in your opinion) special effects for a werewolf film to date? (to the US folk out there, film = movie.  )

I only let you mock me because you’re a Brit, J.A. X)

I’ve seen two films with werewolves in them (we’ll count the whole “Twilight” franchise as one movie), and the werewolves in “Van Helsing”…weren’t the best part. So I’ve gotta give this one to the Quileute pack.

11. And last but not least: Head into your mobile (mobile = cell phone *snicker*) scroll through your ‘favourites’ list of numbers, find the number that you dial the most … Who is it? Can I have their number? ‘Cause they must be pretty cool if you ring them all the while, right?

What d’you mean I can’t have it?

Hmmm, okay then, how about: What topic are you’re planning to write (or blog) about next?

I’ve read British YA humour! I know what a mobile is! I’m not like the rest of these Yanks! You can tell, ‘cause I barely use my cell phone.

I don’t always use my mobile. But when I do…

In any event, my next post will be a stop on somebody’s blog tour for their book. Who’s the somebody and what’s the book? Sorry, not telling! *singsongs* You’ll just have to wait and see-e-e. (:

I can tell you about a post coming up after that, though: The one where I list my 11 nominees for the Liebster Award, and give them some interesting questions for which I hope they’ll come up with interesting answers! Stay tuned, gentle reader – one of those nominees might just be you…