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Lone Wolf by Shelly Munro – Review/Guest Post/Giveaway

Lone Wolf and m/m romances

A few years ago, not long after my first book came out, I started to hear about a particular book that was receiving rave reviews and placing well in competitions. The reader buzz raised my curiosity, and I decided I needed to look more closely at A Bit of Rough by Laura Baumbach.

The m/m genre wasn’t one I’d ever considered reading, but since I kept bumping into enthusiastic readers and great reviews, I purchased a copy and started reading.

Laura hooked me right in with her well-drawn characters, and I immediately wanted to read more books in the genre. I soon discovered authors such as Josh Lanyon, JL Langley, Allie Blue, Cameron Dane and Evangeline Anderson. I enjoyed the books so much I decided to write one of my own. Fallen Idol was the first book I wrote, and this book came out with Ellora’s Cave.

I can’t speak for other readers of the genre, but I enjoy the different dynamics between the characters and I like this aspect while writing too. The characters in a gay romance have different strengths and weaknesses and different goals from a female one. There’s also the fact a gay relationship is considered taboo in some societies and this introduces an added layer of conflict to the story. I think everyone, no matter who they are, deserves to find love and sharing in the journey to love and a solid, lasting relationship always appeals to me. Lastly, the fact that there are two heroes to love just adds to the appeal.

After writing quite a few feline shapeshifter stories, I thought it was time to write a werewolf one. The idea was fine in theory, but I needed a plot. I pondered for months, percolating various scenarios and ultimately discarding them.

Fast forward a few months. My husband and I live in New Zealand and are keen travelers. We visited the US, and one of our stops was Yellowstone National Park. I wanted to see two things during our visit—a grizzly bear (from a distance!) and wolves. We saw a bear feeding on a kill, which was very exciting, although probably not for the bison though! The wolves, however, were more elusive since they’re difficult to spot during the summer months. We did hear their howls, early in the morning though. The wolf song was both hair-raising and magical and a sound I’ve never forgotten.

The “encounter” made me even more determined to write a werewolf story, and I continued to puzzle over my non-existent plot. Then, without warning, a strange question popped into my mind—one that would only occur to a writer.

What would happen to a werewolf’s nail polish when they shifted?

As I pondered the answer to this question, a plot jumped into my mind, and all the separate elements I’d been mentally wrestling with—Yellowstone, wolves and the final addition of nail polish jumbled together to form the plot for Lone Wolf.

Lone Wolf is a gay romance, set in an alternative world where humans are clueless and werewolves hold the balance of power. Much of the book takes place at Yellowstone National Park.

And the answer to the nail polish question—Corey Wilson, one of my characters, wears black makeup and nail polish. It turns out shifting isn’t so good for long lasting nail polish. A business opportunity for some enterprising werewolf, perhaps!

Here’s the blurb:

When you fall out of step, that’s when everything falls into place.

R.J. Blake begins a new session tutoring young werewolves in the old ways—before the introduction of the shift-suppressing drugs that allow their kind to live secretly among humans. He expects nothing out of the ordinary. Until sexy, smart, aggravating-as-hell Corey Wilson arrives. Older than the others, son of a powerful Los Angeles pack leader, Corey is an instant temptation he cannot afford.

The last thing Corey wants is three months stuck in the Yellowstone wilderness, followed by the stifling life his father has all mapped out for him. One glimpse of R.J., though, sparks a determination to seduce the older man before he leaves. Yet as R.J. guides him through the sometimes terrifying process of rediscovering his heritage, a deepening respect calls to his artistic soul and fuels a burst of creativity.

When their time comes to an end, Corey senses hesitation behind R.J.’s insistence that theirs was simply a summer fling. Inspiring him to take a leap of faith with consequences neither of them saw coming. A dangerous plot that reaches from the heart of their love to the highest office in the land…

Product Warnings

This book contains a young werewolf intent on seduction, an older werewolf determined to resist said seduction, werewolf politics and brutality, a little spilled blood, and hot, naked manlove in the great outdoors.

Purchase in e-book or print:

Samhain Publishing http://store.samhainpublishing.com/lone-wolf-p-6304.html

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057WU6VY

CONTEST: Leave a comment or ask a question, complete the rafflecopter and go into a draw to win an Amazon Gift Certificate (2 x winners).

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Review:

Are y’all shocked that I read a M/M book?  And that it had werewolves in it?  Who knew, right?  This book from Ms. Munro had me intrigued from the time it was released.  I’ve tried to figure it out.  The cover?  The blurb?  The warning?  Who knows but I’m sure glad that I read it.  🙂

This book had it all for me.  A little bit of suspense (at the end), a sweet love story between a younger man and older man, and a different spin of the shifter world.  Speaking of the world building…it was awesome.  Ms. Munro let the world building slowly come about.  It wasn’t rushed and I never figured out the ultimate twists until they were revealed in the end.  Good lord…

Corey, the younger man has been sent to a wilderness camp in Yellowstone for werewolves that haven’t shifted yet.  There they learn how to shift, hunt and finally be a werewolf.  In their society, weres live among the humans but take suppression drugs to control their inner wolf.  Humans don’t have a clue about werewolves and the wolves want to keep it that way.  RJ is one of the camp counselors that Corey meets.

RJ lived with the knowledge that someone had killed his family just because they were werewolves when he was younger.  He is also in the closet, just like Corey.  When he meets Corey, his inner wolf wakes up and realizes that Corey could be the one but notices the younger wolf has a lot to learn about being a wolf and controlling his urges.

While I loved Corey from his Goth makeup (in the beginning), the honest friendships that made with Teague and the mama wolf and her pups and his utter dismay that his father wanted him to work in the firm.  All Corey wanted to do was paint and he was good at it, too.  He still had a younger innocence that was believable and relatable.  Unfortunately, I didn’t connect all that well with RJ.  I didn’t feel like I got to know him as well as I did with Corey.  Don’t get me wrong I liked him but I felt like something was missing.

What really made the finger turn the page on the Kindle was the plot.  Great pacing, the story was extremely entertaining and interesting.  Plus, the secondary characters were fleshed out and I still want to know about Teague.  🙂  I will also admit that while the book had some manlove in it, it wasn’t graphic in nature.  It was honest and sweet.

Overall, I enjoyed Lone Wolf and I really hope that Ms. Munro revisits Yellowstone again. I know you probably think that I didn’t talk about the book enough and no, I didn’t.  If I did, I would have spoiled it for you.  Seriously, I would have.  Its that good and even if you aren’t into manlove, give this book a chance.  You will not be disappointed.

Shelley Munro is tall and curvaceous with blue eyes and a smile that turns masculine heads everywhere she goes. She’s a university tutor and an explorer/treasure hunter during her vacations. Skilled with weapons and combat, she is currently in talks with a producer about a television series based on her world adventures. Shelley is also a writer blessed with a VERY vivid imagination and lives with her very own hero in New Zealand. She writes mainly erotic romance in the contemporary, paranormal and historical genres for publishers Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing. You can learn more about Shelley and her books at http://www.shelleymunro.com. BLOG: http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/ShelleyMunroAuthor GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/ShelleyMunro PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/ShelleyMunro TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/ShelleyMunro

14 thoughts on “Lone Wolf by Shelly Munro – Review/Guest Post/Giveaway

  1. Thanks for sharing your review and the wonderful post. This book sounds great and I have added it to my TBR. Thanks for sharing the giveaway. evamillien at gmail dot com

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