Today we have visiting Love Bytes author Tina Blenke. She is answering some questions for us , offers an excerpt to her new release
and there is also a giveaway you can participate in
Welcome Tina!
Book Name: Shifting Weight
Book one of a series
Author Name: Tina Blenke
Tina is a retired Air Force brat and has lived in several states as well as a handful of countries. She has always had a soft spot for literature and is a voracious reader. When she isn’t writing, she can be found cuddled up with a good book. Though Tina adores a thrilling novel with sappy lovesick heroes, she is terrified of things that go bump in the night. This makes for quite a complicated relationship with zombies, something that she just can’t get enough of.
Author Contact:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tina-Blenke-Author/487878157926041?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinablenke
LinkedIn: Tina Blenke
Instagram: tinablenke
WordPress: http://tinablenke.wordpress.com/
Website: http://tinablenke.wix.com/author
Tumblr: tinablenke
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Cover Artist: Latisha Waters
Blurb:
Jason is a West Coast wolf Shifter who leaves his native Pack Lands to search for his destined mate. When he finds the large muscled man working out a local gym, Jason is ecstatic and apprehensive. Eric is a Changeless human and there are tense sides to the politically heated debate around the integration of Shifters and Changeless. Jason is at risk of losing control of his wolf without bonding with his destined mate. But, will Eric accept that Jason is a Shifter? And can Eric trust Jason after his heart has been left shattered from a previously failed relationship.
Categories: Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance
Buy Links:
Who are your favorite paranormal authors?
In my own genre, I enjoy reading Stephanie Hecht, Cardeno C, and Lynn Hagen to name just a few. Outside of the romance, I really love Rob Thurman’s sick and twisted mind. Cal is one of my favorite characters in all of literature and I can’t get enough of his relationship with his brother Niko. In M/F romance, I like to read JR Ward, Charlaine Harris, Kresley Cole, and Larissa Ione. I’m lucky that all of these authors have fantastic series that keep me begging for more.
Tell us about Shifting Weight. What was your inspiration for this book?
There were a couple of guys at the gym one morning. One was asking the other about squat techniques and working out tips and it just stuck in my head. Later, I saw something else about bears and the two just sort of merged together into a great story. The shifter aspect came a day or two later. When the story didn’t leave my head, I decided to write it down and soon this became a nice little short story. When I was about half way through, I could see how it could easily become a series if I chose to take that route. Within a few weeks, the story was complete and other stories in my universe began to emerge.
How do you celebrate a new release?
With my first story, we went out to dinner to celebrate. It was a big affair with courses of delicious food. But now? It’s still a big event with block letters on the calendar that I refer to as my book’s birthday but it’s much more low key. I’m usually on to the next project by that time and I’m eyeballs deep into promoting the story so it’s more work to look forward to.
Are you a morning person or a night person? When do you do your best writing?
I like to think of myself as an afternoon kind of gal! I love to sleep in but I hate wasting the day away in bed when there’s so much to accomplish. I love to go out but I a few times a year is enough for me so the afternoon is great.
I do my best writing when I can have some delicious time to let the words flow. Because of my work and family schedule, the best time I can find for writing is sometimes at lunch time, late at night when all of my home chores are done, or ridiculously early in the morning when my muse is awake and the house is asleep. I wrote the sex scene for Shifting Weight at four in the morning on the tiny keypad of my cell phone.
What is your favorite snack food?
I have a weakness for potato chips and French fries. If anyone tries to take a bite of either when I’m in my snacking zone, then they risk a serious possibility of losing a limb. No joke.
Can you tell us what you have coming up next?
I just released the sequel to Shifting Weight titled Shifting Gears. This just came out in December and continues the story in Whitewater with Jason’s cousin Justin. Justin is excited to leave the West Coast Pack Lands to search for his mate, also. Jason was able to find his mate so Justin wants to find his, too. He’s a young wolf and eager to set out on his own. Soon, he meets his mate and enters into a May December relationship.
I’m literally working on the third book in the series – as in it’s open in the other window and the edits are back from my beta readers. This story is a little darker with a touch more angst with characters you might not see coming. You’ll see our first two sets of couples again and learn more about Shifters. I think it’ll be a great ride.
Jason allowed himself to run that night. Elation filled him making it easier to relax and allow his wolf to flow into his mind and body. The shift was seamless, years of transitioning helped his wolf to take control in under a few painless minutes. Jason knew of wolves who could never shift because the pain was so intense. It was unknown what the cause was but some insisted that it was because the Shifter’s true mate had never been found and the man could not control the beast inside of him.
The old wives’ tale had haunted Jason especially as years passed without locating his mate. Now that he knew Eric existed, it was one less thing to worry about. Now he could focus on worrying about Eric finding out he was a Shifter. Eric’s acceptance. If the two would find love and happiness despite fate playing a factor, then, and only then, could Jason think about starting a family with Eric. Maybe he was jumping the gun, but he had always wanted a man to love and a family to care for. Was it too much to want? Shouldn’t he be satisfied with finding a mate? All of this thinking and stress was weighing him down. Yes, he had found his mate, but would Eric want Jason?
His legs pumped harder as he made his way across hills and through forests with large trees reaching up towards the skies. It was not the familiar woods of his home on the Pack Lands but it felt good to stretch his limbs, pull deep pulls of fresh air into his lungs, and feel the wind tickling through his fur all over his body. With a grin, he imagined his large bear of a mate with sexual wants that matched his own.
Pages: 60 pages
Tour Dates: November 17, 24, December 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, January 5, 12, 19, 26, February 6
Tour Stops:
17-Nov
24-Nov
1-Dec
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
8-Dec
15-Dec
22-Dec
29-Dec
5-Jan
12-Jan
Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves
19-Jan
26-Jan
2-Feb
Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings
Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of Shifting Weight and a gift certificate
For some reason wolf shifters seem to be the most sexy so that would be my choice. Although I just read a series of books about chipmunk shifters and they seemed like a lot of fun. Thanks for the giveaway!
I’d like to see more birds and other unusual shifters…
Dragon please.