Vanessa North is in the house and she's brought a sexy shifter with her!
I am so excited to have my pub sister and fellow member of Love, Lust and Laptops here!
I had the pleasure of reading one of Vanessa's Bonsaint brothers not to long ago, and am still pining. Now, to vex me further, she's brought me another Bonsaint! Vanessa, are you trying to torture me with men I cannot have?
Oh well, at least we aren't going to talk masturbation today...or are we?
Either way, I am thrilled to have the very talented Vanessa here to showcase her new work. Vanessa, the floor it yours!
Hi Rosanna! Thanks for having me back, I
promise, this time, I’m going to be on my very best behavior.
*waits for the laughter to die down*
Today, I wanted to talk a bit about my first
M/M book, Shifter’s Song. Shifter’s Song is my second book for the Musa
Publishing shared world “The Wiccan Haus,” and yet another member of the
Bonsaint clan is headed to the Haus. This time, it’s Edouard’s turn to get some
Wiccan Haus healing.
You see, Edouard is a bear shifter who can’t
shift. He’s a bossy control-freak who’s a little afraid of his own bear. But
when his brother Bruno goes missing en route to the Wiccan Haus, Edouard finds
a whole lot of motivation to get past his issues.
Meanwhile, bird shifter and pop music sensation
Lincoln Tucker is at the Haus for some much needed R & R between tours. He
sets his sights on Edouard upon arrival at the Haus, and discovers the big bear
might just be everything he’s ever wanted, but he doesn’t trust himself to be
there for the long haul.
Title: Shifter’s Song
Author: Vanessa North
Release Date: 3/8/2013
Tagline:
When his brother goes missing en route to the Wiccan
Haus, Edouard discovers an unexpected ally--and more.
Blurb:
Edouard Bonsaint has a bear-sized problem. He hasn't
shifted in ten years, and isn't sure he even can anymore. Chaperoned by his
youngest brother, Bruno, he heads to the Wiccan Haus to ask Rekkus for help.
But when Bruno doesn't show up on the other side of the portal, Edouard's
inability to shift is no longer his biggest problem.
Lincoln Tucker has it all: money, fame, and a golden
voice. But he's in the closet twice over--few people know he's gay, and even
fewer know he can shift into a songbird at will. Downtime at the Wiccan Haus
between tours allows him to be himself. Throw a big toppy bear-shifter into the
mix, and Lincoln might just have all he's ever wanted--if he can trust himself
to hold on to Edouard.
With passions and tempers burning hot, can Lincoln
help Edouard bring forth the bear and save his brother?
Excerpt:
“Tell me about your brother,” Lincoln finally said,
setting down the cup of tea Sage had brought him.
“Bruno is…quiet. He’s the kind of guy who thinks about
everything at least three times before he actually does it. He’s a writer, and
he doesn’t seem to mind if most of his friends are fiction. He’s kind of a
loner.”
“I’m sorry he’s missing.”
“Yeah.” Edouard tried to swallow a bite of his food
but it felt like it would stick in his throat. Finally, he managed to get it
down and took a sip of water. He looked back across the table at Lincoln and
his hand paused halfway back to the table, forgotten.
The look on Lincoln’s face was thick and carnal,
determined. He’d seen that look on the dance floor of the gay bar he visited in
Quebec City sometimes—when another man looked at him that way, it usually meant
he was going to get lucky. Edouard felt heat flood his gut as he met Lincoln’s
eyes. Lust, hot and sharp, flared up, and his jeans suddenly seemed three sizes
too small. Paired with it was a raging sense of guilt that he was even thinking
about sex while his brother was missing.
“What do you do? For a living, I mean,” Lincoln asked.
“I’m a wildlife photographer. I sell prints through my
website, and I’ve had some pieces in some pretty big magazine spreads. Being
not-quite-human helps me get closer to the animals. I understand them better.”
“What do you shift into?” Lincoln asked. Edouard
bristled, then realized Lincoln was just making typical Para small-talk. Still,
he was surprised as anyone when he answered.
“I don’t, that’s the problem—why I came to the Haus.”
“Okay, what are you supposed to shift into?” If there’d
been any mocking to Lincoln’s voice, Edouard wouldn’t have answered, but all he
heard was curiousity.
“The Bonsaints are a very old brown bear clan.” He
pushed his food around on his plate some more as he said it, uncomfortable with
this line of questioning. He could talk about photography all night long, but
shifting…no.
“You’re kidding me.”
Edouard looked up to see Lincoln laughing.
“What?”
“Bear? It’s just…” Lincoln’s laugh died down and he
glanced around the room, as if to be certain no one listened. “…the beard, the
muscles…”
Ah. Yeah, that. He was pretty sure Lincoln was gay
now. Otherwise he wouldn’t be snickering at Edouard with that sly little smile
on his face. Okay, it was a little funny. Guilt-be-damned—he smiled back. Fine,
he could be just as unsubtle when it suited him.
“So what does a twink like you shift into?”
“How do you know I’m a shifter?” Lincoln leaned close
and Edouard breathed in his scent. Clean and cold, nothing he’d ever smelled
before, but also sex and magic, as familiar as it was strange. The combination
sent a shudder of lust through Edouard, and one look at Lincoln’s face, eyes
sparkling with challenge, and he knew he’d sensed it too. Maybe Lincoln wasn’t
a shifter, but he certainly hadn’t objected to being called a twink. Too
young for you, Edouard.
“So what are you? Changeling? Fae?”
“No, you were right the first time.” Lincoln sat back
in his seat. “Tell you what, I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”
Edouard, unfortunately, chose the exact wrong moment
to take a sip of his water, because at Lincoln’s innuendo-laden statement, it
sprayed out his nose and started a coughing fit.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Wake the bear, and I’ll show you what I
look like in my other form.”
“No. Of all the people on this island, you’re the last
person I’d want to see that part of myself.”
Lincoln’s face stiffened into a smiling mask, and
Edouard glanced away. It’s for your own good, kid.
