Apologies for that terrible, terrible title.

This is the latest in my occasional series of fascinating (yes, really!) facts series… It’s a long story, but I ended up reading about bears earlier today and stumbled upon some interesting facts. Be warned, I haven’t had the time to verify any of these facts, so treat them with the caution you would anything else on the internet.

• The bear ancestor is an offshoot of the ancient Canidae family of dogs, wolves, foxes, and coyotes.
• Bears are very smart and have been known to roll rocks into bear traps to set off the trap and eat the bait in safety.
• In 2004, a black bear was found unconscious in a campground in Seattle, Washington. It had broken into a cooler and used its claws and teeth to open dozens of beer cans. Although it sampled other types of beer, it chose to drink all the cans of only one type of beer. After its drinking binge, the bear passed out.
• A swimming polar bear can jump 8 ft. (2.4 m) out of the water.
• Polar bears have the largest home ranges of any bear. One polar bear can hunt and live in an area as big as Maine.
• Bears can run up to 40 miles per hour, fast enough to catch a running horse.
• Unlike many mammals, bears can see in color.
• Bears can see almost as well as humans, and they can hear a little better. But they can smell much better. In fact, a bear’s sense of smell is around 100 times greater than a human’s. Polar bears can track down an odor from 20 miles (32 km) away. They can smell a dead seal under 3 feet of solid ice.

And no, I have no plans to write about bears any time soon. Which of course means it’s almost certain my next book will involve them somehow…

Shifting Sands is released today! Siren have it on offer until April 3rd with a 15% new-release discount.

The visit to Elk Ridge is supposed to be just another assignment for Tom Barrington. Then he encounters Bryce Reynolds, a generous, warmhearted cowboy who has the easiest smile he’s ever seen. It doesn’t take long for Tom to break all his rules and end up in Bryce’s bed.

Bryce Reynolds believes there’s no such thing as a hot politician, right up until he meets Tom Barrington. Tall, dark, and principled, Tom overturns all of Bryce’s prejudices, and Bryce starts to forget that he doesn’t do serious and he doesn’t do commitment.

As Bryce and Tom struggle to make sense of what’s happening between them, they’re drawn into a political battle—one which could affect the future of every shifter. And when long-buried secrets start coming to light, things turn deadly. Nothing will ever be the same again for the Elk Ridge pack.

 

And to celebrate release day, an excerpt featuring Tom’s appalling decision-making abilities:

“Does every visit by a councilor get this sort of attention?” Bryce asked. “Not to knock your job, but it’s pretty over the top.”

“This is a little different from usual,” Tom admitted. “You’ve got the most powerful shifters in the country about to visit somewhere that has no security in place. All it would take is some anti-shifter nutcase with an agenda, and half the shifter national government could be wiped out. It makes me wonder why they didn’t invite Jesse to Washington instead, where there’d be a controlled environment.” He knew damn well that they had, but was hoping for a clue as to why the invitation had been turned down.

“They did,” Bryce said, a laugh in his voice. “Jesse’s response, if I remember rightly, was I ain’t no goddamn freak show to be paraded around and stared at. Matt wouldn’t have it, either. He figured that if the Council are so keen on meeting Jesse, they do so on Jesse’s terms.”

Continue reading “Shifting Sands – release day and excerpt!” →

To mark the upcoming release of Shifting Sands, I’m going to be embarking on a blog tour arranged by the lovely Will at Pride Promotions. I’ll post more details nearer the time, but a quick heads-up that an Amazon gift certificate will be on offer during the tour!

Having poured boiling water over my foot this morning, I thought that set the tone for the day. I was wrong – I’ve just found out that one of the wonderful crew at The Romance Reviews has rated Red Moon Rising as a Top Pick:

…a fast-paced, well-written and dynamic multi-layered story line…With vividly described settings and well developed supporting characters, this M/M romance is one that captured my heart from start to finish.

Shifting Sands is now available for pre-order from Siren with a 15% new-release discount.

The visit to Elk Ridge is supposed to be just another assignment for Tom Barrington. Then he encounters Bryce Reynolds, a generous, warmhearted cowboy who has the easiest smile he’s ever seen. It doesn’t take long for Tom to break all his rules and end up in Bryce’s bed.

Bryce Reynolds believes there’s no such thing as a hot politician, right up until he meets Tom Barrington. Tall, dark, and principled, Tom overturns all of Bryce’s prejudices, and Bryce starts to forget that he doesn’t do serious and he doesn’t do commitment.

As Bryce and Tom struggle to make sense of what’s happening between them, they’re drawn into a political battle—one which could affect the future of every shifter. And when long-buried secrets start coming to light, things turn deadly. Nothing will ever be the same again for the Elk Ridge pack.

This is the fourth book in the Strength of the Pack series, though may be read as a standalone.

The first two books in the Masquerade series are now available from Amazon in a single volume paperback. And to those of you who are so patiently waiting for the third and final book in the series, I promise I haven’t forgotten Perry and Jack – it’s just that Perry, at least, is so well-mannered he’s been pushed aside for the moment by a pack of rowdy, demanding shifters.

Speaking of whom, I had better get back to working on book five of Strength of the Pack, which is the tale of a side trip Christian and Dave take during the events of the upcoming release, Shifting Sands. Of course, Christian being Christian, it can’t be straightforward. *sighs*

To celebrate turning three years old, The Romance Reviews is throwing a party throughout March. More than 450 prizes are on offer, including books and gift certificates, with the grand prize being a gift certificate for $100.

A copy of my book An Impossible Mate is up for grabs tomorrow. Look at TRR’s event page here to enter – you will need to register so they can keep track of your points, but registration is free and easy.

If you’re visiting my blog looking for the answer to my question, welcome, and you’ll find the answer on the Books page.

Red Moon Rising has received a lovely 4.5 Sweet Peas review from PizzyGirl at Mrs Condit & Friends Read Books, coincidentally on the day that it’s released on Amazon.

“If you are a fan of shifters, I highly recommend this series.”

Taylor Brooks has very kindly hosted me as part of her new feature, Tuesday 20, in which she showcases the first twenty lines of a new or current release. Red Moon Rising is the featured book this week.

Today is a busy day for more than just the Norwegian Curling Team’s pants* (though they too have been busy out on the ice in Sochi), because A Liar’s Moon has received a lovely review from Robyn Elliot at The Romance Reviews. Thanks for the review, Robyn, and I’m delighted you enjoyed the book!

“I would definitely recommend this book for readers who like their M/M characters with flesh on the bones, so to speak, and who enjoy shifter stories involving themes of passion, betrayal and the courage to love. A book to curl up with, with a glass of red wine and a crackling fire. Just don’t open the curtains if the moon is waxing high.”

*Just in case anyone has missed the joy of the Norwegian Curling Team’s pants:

They even have their own facebook page, which I may or may not be following.

Good news all round today – I have my internet connection back, and you would not believe the effort it’s taking me right now not to fall to the ground and kiss it in relief, and The Romance Reviews is going to run another fun party, filled with games and giveaways!

 

My apologies for the silence over the last week – I’m having connection issues. The good news is that I now have a release date for Shifting Sands, book 4 in the Strength of the Pack series. It’s released by Siren on March 27th.

Now I’d better get back to working on the fifth book. Maybe that distraction will stop me whimpering every time I realise I don’t have internet access. I can always hope.