Christy Gissendaner's UNMASKING THE WOLF Guest Post & Giveaway

Gina Moretti is determined to escape her rural home of Clinton, Indiana, a place where wolves have met, married, and mated for generations. As the only daughter of the alpha, she’s lived her entire life under her father’s rule. No way is she ready to find a mate until she’s experienced more of the world. Against her family’s wishes, she goes to Boston where her scientist cousin, Dominic, has offered to give her a place to stay. She stumbles, quite literally, into her cousin’s gorgeous boss.

 

Lucas Mason, a Southern boy turned self-made millionaire, rose above his poverty stricken childhood and now enjoys a life of luxury in Boston. To honor his murdered sister, he hires her lab partner to continue their research. His employee, Dominic Moretti, is on the brink of creating a method to combat the scent of a wolf when his country cousin breezes in. Luke knows in an instant that Gina is his mate. The only problem is…she doesn’t even realize he’s a wolf.

 

As Luke and Dominic get closer to medical trials, an unknown enemy becomes determined to stop them…at any cost. Can Luke discover his foe in time to protect his research…and his mate? And what will happen when Gina finds out he’s not quite as human as he’s led her to believe?

“Ahhh,” she cried out as she tumbled toward the floor. A pair of strong arms clamped around her and jerked her back to her feet. Embarrassed beyond belief, her cheeks flamed with the knowledge she’d just made a fool of herself. In front of Dominic’s boss, no less. It didn’t take a brain scientist to realize the handsome, make that extremely handsome, man before her was Luke Mason.

 

He was sex-on-a-platter hot. Chiseled cheekbones, firm jaw, unbelievably straight nose, and a teensy weensy dimple in the center of his chin. This man was a living, breathing Greek god.

 

“Are you okay?” Piercing green eyes locked with hers as Luke’s grip on her arms slowly loosened.

 

Gina felt a jolt in the pit of her stomach. Despite Dominic’s warning to blend in, she sniffed the air. She had to. Something about this man called to her animal nature. But there was nothing. Not a trace of the wolf scent. Despite his unbelievable height and incredible physique, only the scent of sandalwood and spice came to her. Disappointment swamped her. He was human.

 

Luke continued to watch her. Gina knew he waited for her to speak, but her tongue refused to budge. She’d known he would be good-looking, but the newspaper article hadn’t done him full justice. Instead of a suit, he wore casual jeans and a dark blazer. He had the sort of hair that would curl in the rain. She didn’t know how she knew it. She just did. The golden-brown waves were delightfully rumpled in the middle of his head, as if he’d just risen from bed.

 

Gina gave a tiny moan at the thought of him rising naked from the sheets. He would be gloriously golden, with a tight belly and even tighter buttocks. Physical need rocked her to the core. What was up with lusting after a human? Was it merely the fact he was every woman’s wet dream, or something more?

 

His sensual lips curved into a sexy smile as he scrubbed a hand over his belly. “Hell of sharp elbow you have there.”

 

“Oh God, I’m so sorry.” Gina wanted to sink through the floor. Why was she always such a klutz?

 

“Don’t worry about it.” He drawled in a soft, slow tone.

 

She’d read he was originally from Jackson, Mississippi. The Southern accent was unbelievably sexy, but not nearly as sexy as the man himself. His face was a mixture of Hollywood leading man and mixed martial arts fighter. He was gorgeous, yet hard. She could easily visualize him serenading a woman one moment, and then fighting to protect her next.

You can see the Unmasking the Wolf trailer here.

Today I’m really excited to have Christy Gissendander stopping.  Christy was one of the first paranormal romance authors I read.  So while I have not totally immersed myself into the genre I like it more and more.  The ones that really get my attention and pique my interest are the ones where you don’t know the hero isn’t human.  I mean one minute he’s walking on two feet and talking to you, and the next, he morphs into a bear, a dog or even a werewolf.  There’s just something about that that gets to me.  (big smile) So I asked Christy to tell me what she thought was the reason for the popularity of shifters in romance.  Enjoy.  And stick around.  Christy is offering up a giveaway just for us.

Shifters in Romance by Christy Gissendaner

        What is up with the sudden popularity of shifters in romance novels today? Many people put the blame on the Twilight movie franchise. And who would blame them? The impressively lovely Taylor Lautner…err Jacob Black…is quite fine to look at on the big screen. His shirtless scenes even make my old, jaded heart beat a little faster. But the truth is shifters, most especially werewolves, have been a staple in romance for years.

 

         I’ll admit I’m probably a recent convert to the paranormal side of romance. My first love was historical romance. Regencies, in particular. But there always comes that point where you feel you’re reading the same book over and over again if you stick to the same genre. So I branched out.

 

         It wasn’t surprising that I landed on vampires, especially since so many are set in the Regency era. But then the weres caught my attention. Big, bold, slightly dangerous heroes. What’s not to like? They may a bit hairier at times, but they’re the epitome of what readers like in a hero, an uber-alpha male who’ll do anything to protect the woman (or man) he loves.

 

         My reading material soon influenced by writing career. I veered into paranormal romance, light-hearted comedies and romps that were nowhere near as dark as my preferred reading material, but much more suited to my style. My paranormals tend to be off-the-wall, so for my latest release, I decided to sit down and finally write a proper werewolf romance.

 

        Lucas Mason, my self-made millionaire hero, emerged. Gina Moretti, a red-haired Italian werewolf, was created to be the strong female counterpoint. I had fun with these two. Luke, a Southern boy turned illustrious businessman with secrets to hide and Gina, an open-book who will do anything to escape the shadow of her powerful family, are fated to be mated despite our heroine not immediately recognizing that fact. I had so much fun with Unmasking the Wolf that I launched right into a second werewolf romance. It’s currently in submission and I don’t want to spill the beans yet, but I promise it’ll be unlike any other wolfie story you’ve seen.

 

         So I’ve done a bit of talking, and now I want to hear from ya’ll. What is it about shifters that make your pulse pound a little harder? Leave a comment for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

 

         Thanks to Kim for having me today, and gracias to the readers for coming by. And if you’re in the mood to check out my first ever wolf romance, take a gander at Unmasking the Wolf, available now from Taliesin Publishing.

 

Purchase Unmasking the Wolf from:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Taliesin Publishing

Christy Gissendaner is a romantic comedy author and believes that laughter and love should go hand in hand.

Christy lives in Alabama with her husband and three sons. She’s always hard at work on her next novel, but in her spare time she loves blackjack, karaoke, and anything resembling a vacation!

Places to find Christy Gissendaner:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

As part of her "Meet, Mate, and Be Merry" blog tour, Christy is offering up a win $10 Amazon gift card.  Just answer her question... What is it about shifters that make your pulse pound a little harder?  Be sure to leave your email address with your comment so that you can be contacted.  Contest ends December 30, 2013.  Good luck!