Category: Shifters, Weres

Its Release Day for Alina Popsecu’s Strength To Let Go! New Shifter Series! (excerpt)

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Title: Strength to Let Go

Series: Tales of the Werewolf Tribes, Book One

Author: Alina Popescu

Genre: gay romance, paranormal, werewolves, paranormal romance, supernatural

Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Release Date: July 7th, 2015

Synopsis

After being abandoned by his mates, Shiki Kirishima, beta of the Dragons of the Fang werewolf tribe, returns to his home in Tokyo.

Crippled by grief, Shiki decides to end it all by going into the territory of the Siberian Killers tribe and challenging them to a battle to the death.

His death.

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Ganzorig, beta of the Siberian Killers, however, sees the potentially disastrous consequences of having Shiki die in battle.

Instead, he saves him.

Having suffered loss himself, Ganz takes it upon himself to help Shiki deal with his pain.

Blake, Shikiís best friend since childhood, is as determined to show him there is life after a wolfís ultimate loss.

Could there also be something ëmoreí for them after friendship?

Book Trailer

Pre-order Links

Donít miss the Tickle Me Pink sale on the Wayward Ink Publishing site ñ 25% off all list prices.

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/strength-to-let-go-by-alina-popescu/

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-strengthtoletgo-1840807-145.html

Excerpt

When I got to my apartment, I wasnít feeling any better. I was restless and hurting and angry as fuck and their mixed scents in my place werenít doing me any favors. I fumbled with the backpack I had dropped on the floor of my living room, trying to find my phone. I was greeted by a dozen or more messages from Vicks, one of my twinís mates. Since she had mated my brother she had this weird connection to me too and could feel whenever I was experiencing strong emotions for an extended period. I assumed everything that had happened since yesterday would qualify for that. I sent a quick ìIíll be fineî type of reply to stop her from harassing me and went through my contacts.

Even if I hadnít called that particular number in a couple of months, it was still at the top of my favorites list. He was my best friend since childhood, so it made sense Iíd call him more than anyone else. It just hit me then that Iíd been so lost in my own life, I barely had time to catch up with him or my family unless something critical was going on. I pressed the call button and plastered the phone to my ear, pacing around the room as it rang a few times.

ìCome on, Blake, fucking pick up!î I hung up and tried again. I really needed to talk to my best friend right now. It rang twice and went straight to voicemail. Hearing Blakeís voice brought tears to my eyes and something snapped inside of me.

ìBlake, I wish youíd have picked up the phone.î I laughed softly, shaking my head. ìItís funny, I think this is the first time I call you and you donít pick up. Either wayÖ thanks for being my friend, chibi. IÖ I donítÖ.î I lowered the hand that was holding my phone and let my head fall back, taking a few deep breaths. ìBlakey, tell everyone I love them andÖ yeah, those who know me, really know me, will understand. Sayonara, chibi-tan.î

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I hung up and let the rage take over. I turned around at impossible speed and threw the phone with a loud roar. It hit the wall and shattered into a million pieces. I was crying. I knew because I could feel the heaves and tears, but the crushing pain was battling with the anger taking over my mind. I had lost my soul and my reason to live when Iíd lost Kieran and Kayden. What was left of me was nothing more than the warrior inside. A true samurai would not waste away, waiting for death to claim him at the end of a miserable life. Heíd die in battle, an honorable death his final legacy.

My twin, Shishou, my co-beta, Ren, my sister, even BlakeÖ theyíd get it, theyíd explain it properly to my children. They probably wonít understand, just like I hadnít when my parents had left us. I prayed that unlike their father, they would never get to a point in life where theyíd understand this decision of mine. It meant theyíd go through a world of pain and that was the last thing I wanted for Ryuu and Kimmie.

I took off everything but my jeans. No point in having anything else on. Werewolf rules were sometimes mind-boggling. You could shift into your wolf and back, and you always kept one item of clothing. The picks were random and you might be left in nothing but your underwear. Or keep a tight top and nothing else to cover your lower body. It was wise to choose your own clothes for the occasion. I then promptly flashed to the weapons room in the Alpha mansion, right in front of the wall display of my fatherís katana. I kneeled before it, my legs spread, and then bowed deeply. Getting up, I closed the small distance between me and my objective and removed the katana. I glanced at the wakizashi he always used to wear with his katana. Double sword, traditional samurai sign. I decided Iíd use them both, just as he had in his final battle. I unsheathed the two blades and adjusted my grip. With a final bow, I flashed out.

When I took form at my destination, a small shiver coursed through my body. It was pretty cold out here. Well, northern mountains in Mongolia werenít known for their excessive heat in the middle of autumn.

I had chosen Siberian Killer territory, the fastest way to pick a fight with other werewolves. The one rule they had was any shifter that stepped foot on their territory would be killed. Here I was, standing tall, all focused, muscles bulging under the strain and excitement of an impending battle, taunting whoever was nearby.

About the author

Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, ALINA POPESCU has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and she has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm. Born and raised in Romania, she finds her inspiration in books of all genres, in movies, and the occasional manga comic book. She is a proud geek who needs her fast Internet and gadgets more than she needs air.

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Social Links

Site & Blog: http://alina-popescu.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authoralinapopescu

Twitter: http://twitter.com/alina_popescu

Instagram: http://instagram.com/alinapopescuwriter

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/alina-popescu

Google+:  https://www.google.com/+AlinaPopescu

Amazon:  http://amazon.com/author/alinapopescu

A Stella Review: Taming the Lion (Lionhearts #2) by Elizabeth Coldwell

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Will he sacrifice everything for the sake of his human mate?

Taming the Lion coverThwarted in his efforts to become head of the Amsterdam pride of lion shifters, Kaspar de Wit flees to England. He finds himself in Bath, home of the biggest English pride, and begins to make a new life among friends. What he doesn’t know is that he’s moved to a city steeped in bloody ritual. Destiny seems to have drawn Kaspar to the place where he’ll meet his mate–but does something more horrifying lie in wait for him, too?

Jon Fellowes, professor of archaeology at Bath University, is obsessed with the standing stones that dominate the Somerset landscape and the people who raised them. He’s heard tales of strange creatures, half-man, half-lion, that once roamed the land, but dismisses them till he meets the beautiful Kaspar and learns the bizarre truth of his nature. As an ancient rite is revived and terror stalks the countryside, can Jon and Kaspar overcome the natural distrust between humans and shifters to find true love? Or will one of them be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice?

Taming The Lion is the second book in the Lionhearts series by Elizabeth Coldwell. Since I enjoyed the first book, The Pride Of Amsterdam, I was really curious about this new story, especially as I was hoping to know more about this new lion universe the author has built. Well, I didn’t get what I wanted because the book is set in Bath, England, so I got nothing about my beloved Kees and Arjan.

Moreover this book was heavier and darker, with some really hard to take scenes which I was so not expecting, they destabilized me. I was expecting a paranormal book and shifters.

What I got was:

1) A lot of sex, as in the first book. If you have already read my other reviews, you already know it’s something I need to have in my stories. Here the sex scenes were well done so it was ok.
2) Nothing new about this particular shifters’ world. The book could almost pass for a normal one instead of a paranormal universe because the shifter aspect at the end it wasn’t exactly relevant, apart for a couple of sections.
3) A really dark mystery with dark scenes.  It surely made the story entertaining but it was predictable from the start as in the first book. I figured out the bad person from the start and that’s something I don’t like. I liked the plot but I’d have preferred it was addressed in a totally different way.
4) The story between the MCs is really too simple, Kaspar finds in Jon, a human, his mate and Jon discovers Kaspar is a lion shifter and everything is okay. No drama, no doubts, nothing.

My opinion on the Lionhearted series hasn’t improved reading Taming The Lion, on the contrary. The thing that keeps me from giving up on it is the writing. I found both books well written and I like the author’s style. So I think maybe I’m going to read Vintage Pride too. Maybe.

Cover art by Posh Gosh. It’s slightly different from the cover of the first book in the series. It’s absolutely well done and eye catching but I would have loved something different since I already had seen this one.

Sales Links:  Totally Bound Books – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon   Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 148 pages
Published March 27th 2015 by Totally Bound
ISBN13 9781784305048
Edition Language English

Lionhearts series
The Pride Of Amsterdam #1
Taming the Lion #2
Vintage pride #3 coming soon

 

Snuggle Under the Covers with Cardeno C’s Strange Bedfellows (tour and giveaway)

Strange Bedfellows - Tour Banner

 

WLK synopsis

Strange Bedfellows - cover
Can the billionaire son of a Democratic president build a family with the congressman son of a Republican senator? Forget politics, love makes strange bedfellows.

As the sole offspring of the Democratic United States president and his political operative wife, Trevor Moga was raised in an environment driven by the election cycle. During childhood, he fantasized about living in a made-for-television family, and as an adult, he rejected all things politics and built a highly successful career as far from his parents as possible.

Newly elected congressman Ford Hollingsworth is Republican royalty. The grandson of a revered governor and son of a respected senator, he was bred to value faith, family, and the goal of seeing a Hollingsworth in the White House.

When Trevor and Ford meet, sparks fly and a strong friendship is formed. But can the billionaire son of a Democratic president build a family with the congressman son of a Republican senator? Forget politics, love makes strange bedfellows.

Excerpt:

“Where’s your bedroom?” asked Ford Hollingsworth as he tipped his head back to make room for the man licking a path down his neck.

The handsome stranger shoved Ford’s coat to the floor, slammed him against the wall, and wedged his thigh between Ford’s legs, rubbing up against his balls.

“Oh. Oh.” Ford bucked. “Your bedroom?”

Despite being mostly clothed, Ford was seconds away from coming in his pants. The inner voice he’d spent most of his life ignoring piped up to remind him that he’d never been this aroused with any woman and never would be. But acknowledging that voice meant walking away from his family and his aspirations, so Ford tried ignoring it, something that had gotten increasingly difficult with every passing year and was now impossible.

“Trevor?” Ford had no idea if that was the dark-haired guy’s real name or if he’d created an alias to use with a bar pickup, which was what Ford himself had done. Either way, he was proud he remembered the name, considering he was more turned on than he’d ever been in his life.

Without responding, the man reached for Ford’s shirt buttons and popped them open while he caressed Ford’s chest.

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Amazon / iTunes / ARe / Smashwords / Kobo

 

WLK Author Bio

 

 

Cardeno C - Logo

Cardeno C. – CC to friends – is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few “awwws” into a reader’s day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno’s stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.

Cardeno’s Home, Family, and Mates series have received awards from Love Romances and More Golden Roses, Rainbow Awards, the Goodreads M/M Romance Group, and various reviewers. But even more special to CC are heartfelt reactions from readers, like, “You bring joy and love and make it part of the every day.”

WLK Giveaway
Winner’s choice of ebook from author’s backlist (excluding box sets or anthologies).  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Links and prizes provided by the author and WLK Book Promotions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

presented by:
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A MelanieM Review: Scent of the Heart (Shifting Needs #2) by Parker Williams

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Scent-400x600 2Casey Scott grew up being told he’d never amount to anything, and despite the unwavering love and support from his best friend, Jake, the idea sticks in the back of Casey’s mind. When he discovers he has a unique destiny in an enclave where shifters and humans live together, he seizes the chance, wanting for once in his life to be someone special.

Tsvetok Yerokhin lost his parents to the evil ruler of the enclave when he was a boy. The responsibilities of raising his two younger brothers nearly overwhelmed him and self- doubt took over. When the new Alpha and his Protector arrive in time to save his life, Sev is grateful, but he’s even more shocked when he scents his mate with them.

Casey isn’t prepared for the feelings that sweep over him when he meets Sev, but he refuses to act on them because he’s straight. Still, there is something so alluring about Sev that Casey can’t help being drawn to him.

As the two explore the edges of their new discovery, an evil returns, determined to control the enclave or destroy it. The Alpha and Protector are powerless to stop it, but Casey holds the key to victory. If he can discover what it is, he has a chance to save them all. To be the hero.

Unfortunately, the hero has to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, and for Casey that means losing his heart.

Ever fallen in love with a secondary character?  Maybe two?  That happened for me in the first story of this series, Protector of the Alpha.  It was there that I met Casey Scott, best friend of Jake Davis. Casey ends up getting pulled into the drama and heartbreak that surrounds his friend and Jake’s mate, Zak.  The most human and confused of the three, he was the character who came across as the most accessible and vulnerable.  A secondary character, Casey grew in strength and depth until by the end of the story, he was their equal.

Except in accessibility. In that area, he continued to surpass them just because he was the most human.

Especially at the end, where it seemed he was the unlikely target of the ire of a skunk, one who repeatedly sprayed him to the others endless amusement.   Why was Casey the one who got “skunked”?  The last paragraph supplied only part of the  answer.  This book does the rest.  Who knew a skunk shifter could be so endearing?  Apparently Parker Williams, that’s who.

With Scent of the Heart, Parker Williams continues to build his isolated shifter universe in Alaska, filling in more of its past history and current status with its village inhabitants.  And for the most part, its a universe still on shaky ground.  Once the false Protector took over, the place became the site of torture, depravation, and constant terror for most of those who lived under his rule.  What that means exactly dribbles out in horrific details that surface throughout this story.  It cements Elizar and his wolf enforcer Kell as evils that must be defeated at all possible cost and highlights just how desperate and essential it is  that they, Jake, Zake, Casey and Hakim succeed in overthrowing him.

We bought into their mission and into these marvelous characters first, and now we see what has happened after they think they have achieved their goals.  Pretty realistically, some things are working out great, others not so much.  All three have resigned themselves to staying in Alaska.  For the most past, they like their lives and have shouldered their responsibilities but Casey is missing a relationship of his alone.  That answer to the hole in his heart is an endearing skunk shifter, Tsvetok Yerokhin aka Sev.  Sev matches Casey in his vulnerability and engaging personality.  But his past is full of pain and loss, just as Casey’s is, but in a vastly different way.  That comes into focus when it becomes apparent that he is the guardian of his two younger brothers and had had to do things he is not proud of in order to keep them alive.

As if its not enough for them to adjust to all the changes going on in their lives, it turns out that they are mated, shocking when neither has been attracted to men before.  This book is all about changes, fundamental upheavels in outlook and status that both characters must undergo and adjust to if both are to survive.  It’s a dramatic and heart-stopping journey and I loved every bit of it.  Parker Williams has made us care deeply about these men and the village they live in.  Our hearts are as engaged as Casey and Sev’s in their journey to love and HEA, a path fraught with peril and even death.

And its not over yet.  The end, of course, brings another intriguing (if foreseen) element and the jumping off point for the next story in the series.  Its delicious and frustrating because it will make you want that story now…and it’s not even written.

Until I  get my hands on that next story, I recommend that you pick up and settle into reading the first two books in Parker Williams’ Shifting Needs series.  It has romance and so many different types of shifters to love along with drama, hot sex and endearing characters you can’t get enough of.  Now if only that third book would magically appear…

Cover art by Laura Harner.  I like the woods element but the design is different enough from the first story that it doesn’t exactly pull them together. Only the framing of the title serves to brand the series, not the graphic.

Sales Links:    All Romance (ARe) –  Amazon    Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published June 15th 2015 by Smashwords Edition
ISBN139781941841204
seriesShifting Needs #2

Shifting Needs Series in the order they were written and should be read:

 

M/M Shifter Spotlight: Parker Williams on Writing Shifters & the Scent of the Heart (Shifting Needs #2) by Parker Williams (author interview and giveaway)

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Scent of the Heart (Shifting Needs #2) by Parker Williams
Series should be read in order
Release Date: June 15, 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Parker Williams
Cover Artist: Laura Harner

Sales Links:   All Romance (ARe) – Smashwords – Amazon

-Our Interview with Parker Williams-

We are happy to have Parker Williams here today to talk a little about the allure of writing shifters and romance.

Parker, why do you love to write about shifters?

Parker Williams: I love shifters. They’re powerful. They’re quick. They heal fast. But they also find that special someone who completes them, and a bond forms, putting them together for life. To me that’s the ultimate love story, and usually one of them is definitely in charge in the relationship. I do love alpha characters.

My favorite shifter series is from Silvia Violet. She gives me so many goose bumps from he way she writes them. No matter how powerful, they always have a weak spot, some chink in their armor that people can exploit, but they also are the ones who step up to save the day.

When I decided to try my hand at a shifter story, I wanted to do something a little different. In my world, only a human can be the Alpha, because only a human has no allegiance to one shifter race over another, so he can decide fair and impartially. That’s where Zak came in. He’d been groomed for the job since he was a child, having sacrificed many aspects of his life, because his guardians told him that one day he would need to know all these things.

But Jake… Oh gods, I loved Jake. He wasn’t sure what was happening to him when he smelled that delightful aroma that was Zak. Jake didn’t know what a shifter was, didn’t even believe such a thing was possible, but after he scented his mate, his body began to change.

I think that’s what I like best about it. In my world, shifters are two souls who share one body. They’re aware of each other, but each has their own needs. Jake is the exception. His jaguar is an essential part of him, and his mind is in control while he’s in the jaguar’s body.

But for those who never gave a shifter book a chance, pick one up. If you like powerful alpha men, you may very well find yourself fin love with shifters, too.

Thank you, Parker…now more about Scent of the Heart.

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Casey Scott grew up being told he’d never amount to anything, and despite the unwavering
love and support from his best friend, Jake, the idea sticks in the back of Casey’s mind. When he
discovers he has a unique destiny in an enclave where shifters and humans live together, he
seizes the chance, wanting for once in his life to be someone special.

Tsvetok Yerokhin lost his parents to the evil ruler of the enclave when he was a boy. The
responsibilities of raising his two younger brothers nearly overwhelmed him and self-doubt
took over. When the new Alpha and his Protector arrive in time to save his life, Sev is grateful,
but he’s even more shocked when he scents his mate with them.

Casey isn’t prepared for the feelings that sweep over him when he meets Sev, but he refuses to
act on them because he’s straight. Still, there is something so alluring about Sev that Casey can’t
help being drawn to him.

As the two explore the edges of their new discovery, an evil returns, determined to control the
enclave or destroy it. The Alpha and Protector are powerless to stop it, but Casey holds the key
to victory. If he can discover what it is, he has a chance to save them all. To be the hero.

Unfortunately, the hero has to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, and for Casey that
means losing his heart.

Pages or Words: Approximately 69,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Romance, Paranormal, Bisexual, Fiction, Gay Fiction, New Adult

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

“This night is shot,” Casey mumbled. “Hakii, if you’re there, I’m sorry. I need to find him. I’ll try to be back as soon as I can. Oh, and if you’re not there, I hope you’re getting a damn good laugh at me talking to myself.”
The night air had chilled considerably. Casey threw on a sweater and hurried to the Alpha’s house. Before he could pound on the door, it swung open. Jake stood there wearing nothing at all.
“Oh god, my eyes.”
Jake sighed. “You’ve seen me before. A lot, if I recall correctly.”
“And every time I do, I remember that I need to create eye bleach.”
Jake faked a laugh. “Yeah, you’re hilarious. What do you want?”
“A guy came to my house tonight. His name is Sev, and I think he’s in trouble.”
All humor fled from Jake’s face. “What happened?”
Casey told him about the visit. “He…called me his mate. What the hell is that about?”
“Later. We’ve got to find him.”
In an instant, Jake transformed into a beautiful black jaguar. Zak came rushing to the door. “What is wrong?”
Before Casey could answer, Zak grabbed a heavy coat and squirmed into it. “Jake will track him. You will come with us.”
“Zak, he called me his mate. Why would he do that?”
“You worry about this now? I do not see where this matters. If you prefer, you may stay behind.”
Casey sobered immediately. “No, you’re right. I’m sorry.”
They tracked Jake as he hurried to the woods. When they heard him roar, Zak and Casey ran to the edge of the forest. Jake had transformed back to his human form and, man, was he pissed.
“Come out here, now,” he demanded.
There was no movement, but Casey heard a clicking noise, followed by the familiar stamping of feet.
“You spray me and I swear to the gods I will neuter you. Put your damn tail down and face us as a man, Sev.”

Sales Links:

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Parker Williams believes that true love exists, but it always comes with a price. No happily ever after can ever be had without work, sweat, and tears that come with melding lives together.
Living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Parker held his job for nearly 28 years before he decided to retire and try new things. He enjoys his new life as a stay-at-home author and also working on Pride-Promotions, an LGBT author promotion service.

Where to find the author:

Connect with Parker on: Twitter: @ParkerWAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parker.williams.75641
Or you can visit his website: http://www.ParkerWilliamsAuthor.com

STRW Spotlight Contest Header

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 gift card and a skunk Beanie Baby. You must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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Tour Dates & Stops: June 15 – 19, 2015
15-Jun
Bayou Book Junkie
My Fiction Nook
Inked Rainbow Reads
Nephylim
Amanda C. Stone
Cate Ashwood

16-Jun
Havan Fellows
Emotion in Motion
Wake Up Your Wild Side
TTC Books and More
Christy Loves 2 Read
Because Two Men Are Better Than One
The Blogger Girls

17-Jun
Happily Ever Chapter
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
Bike Book Reviews
Divine Magazine
Prism Book Alliance

18-Jun
Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents
Lee Brazil
Molly Lolly
Multitasking Mommas
Love Bytes
Up All Night, Read All Day
Butterfly-O-Meter

19-Jun
The Novel Approach
MM Good Book Reviews
Rainbow Gold Reviews
Cathy Brockman Romances
Full Moon Dreaming
BFD Book Blog
3 Chicks After Dark
Carly’s Book Reviews
Iyana Jenna

A MelanieM Review: Protector of the Alpha (Shifting Needs #1) by Parker Williams

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Protector400x600Adopted at an early age by a wealthy family, Jake Davis has always seemed to have an easy life. Even in college he was blessed with good grades and an apparently clear path to a pro football career. Good thing his best friend keeps hanging around to keep his head from getting too swollen.

Zakiya Incekara has always been…odd. Being fluent in six languages and having a flair for international cooking should open the world to him, but those skills leave him isolated.

When Jake sees Zak for the first time, with water beading down his slender form, something inside him shifts, and it hungers for Zak. To have him. To claim him. And Jake knows that whatever it is, it won’t be denied.

When they are approached by a man who claims knowledge of a secret past they share, Jake and Zak are thrust into a world they would never have believed existed. The forests of Alaska might seem an odd place to find your destiny, but these men will meet the challenges head on, as they learn that sometimes you have to make sacrifices to be Protector of the Alpha.

There are so many little surprises awaiting readers in Protector of the Alpha by Parker Williams and none can be divulged because they are spoilers (big and small).  That makes writing this review a tad frustrating, trust me, it really does.  Parker Williams doesn’t go for the typical here. That in itself delighted me when my expectations were upended as to where the story and characters were going.  The discarding of the expected starts with the main characters.

Jake Davis is a muscular, athletic to the point of perfection, hot man on campus.  Adopted by a wealthy family when a toddler, Jake has sailed through his life so far, even if it meant the odd nightmare or so.  But suddenly everything in Jake’s life starts to go so very wrong.  And its starts with another young man new at school.

Zakiya Incekara speaks 6 languages, cooks like a high paid chef, and has the (hidden) martial arts skills of a master.  All that, a small physique, delicate features with long black hair,combined with a small town collegiate atmosphere, make Zak not just the weird boy on campus but a target for bullies.

Then Jake meets Zak and both lives turn upside down forever.  As well as those lives of the people around them, especially Jake’s best friend since childhood, Casey Scott.

I loved all three characters, each as different from the other as can be.  Jake who would be obnoxious, except his personality is kind, protective, and fair.  Zak could be overly quirky except he comes with his own fair amount of past pain and uncertainty.  And  Casey, well, I think most people are going to adore Casey because it’s so easy to relate to him.  Casey has stood in Jake’s shadow for his entire life and thought college would be his ticket to being his own man and to making his own reputation.  Until his father informs him that he will be going to the same college as Jake, no argument and no questions.  The resentment Casey feels and the guilt because it involves his best friend is a situation and emotional state the reader will believe in and understand.  Yep, adore all three.

The mystery you are anticipating creeps into the story slowly at first and then rapidly as events start to shatter the calm of their lives on campus.  Death and anguish are soon to follow as is a journey for all into their pasts and nightmares of their youth.  Then the run to safety is on and so is the pace of the story and the action of the adventure.

Williams tightens his focus on these young men to the extent that others in their story feel less substantial.  And perhaps that’s necessary because the secondary characters here for the most part are temporary ones.  With a few exceptions.  I wished for a little more backstory at first, but that arrives with quite a few shockers of its own so it’s a tricky balance that the author needs to achieve between giving the reader a firm foundation and not revealing too much before the narrative calls for it.  Parker Williams manages that here.  I loved being lured into the new world along with Jake, Zak, and Casey.  It made me their companion and never was I so happy to be along for the ride.

There are some light hearted moments to break up the dread and awfulness that meets them along the way.  Williams is also setting the stage with the characters and events to come in the next story.

Protector of the Alpha was a wonderful read.  It was fun, suspenseful, sexy and full of adventure.  I can’t wait for it to continue in Scent of the Heart.  I highly recommend this story to all that love romance and shifters in love.

Cover art by Laura Harner.  Lovely cover.  I loved the simplicity of the outline although that embellishment around the title was a little too fancy for me.

Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe)  –  Amazon    Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 195 pages
Published November 10th 2014 by Smashwords Edition
ISBN139781937252939
seriesShifting Needs #1

Shifting Needs Series in the Order They Should be Read:

  • The Protector of the Alpha (Shifting Needs #1)
  • Scent of the Heart (Shifting Needs #2)