May 2008 marks the debut of Nocturne Bites, ebook short stories which give readers a taste of paranormal romance. The first Nocturne Bite is Racing the Moon by Michele Hauf. Michele has written several books for the Nocturne line: Familiar Stranger (fun book!), From the Dark, and Kiss Me Deadly. After the cut, Michele gives us some insight into the inspiration for the story. And an excerpt. And a contest!
Summary:RACING THE MOON
When the full moon rises, his urgent sexual desire becomes overpowering…and satisfying his demanding lust is the one way he can stop his transformation.But now he’s stranded in the middle of nowhere, with a storm raging outside, and moonrise imminent. And only the beautiful stranger who rescued him can keep the wolf at bay. Only, she’s resisting his ardent seduction with all her might.
It’s not that she doesn’t ache for him every bit as hungrily as he does for her. Their mutual attraction is fierce and explosive. But they are very different species…and surrendering to her desire will call forth something much more terrifying than the wolf.
I’ve been writing about vampires and witches for a while now, and have always cringed whenever I think about werewolves. Sure, there’s a few werewolves who show up in Kiss Me Deadly, but that was to show they actually exist in the world I’d created. But write about them? I don’t think so.
Why? Up until a few months ago I’d never read a werewolf story. I always thought of them as the hairy, drooling guys with nasty jawlines and claws. And what really happens to their clothes when they shift from man to beast? Was there a pack of dazed naked men walking about after the full moon? (Okay, so the naked pack of men part isn’t unappealing. I’m just sayin’). Anyway, werewolves, as romantic heroes, didn’t appeal to me at all.
Then one day the idea of a werewolf being stranded with the one person who was his complete opposite–a cat-shifting familiar–struck. What if? Soon after, my editor called, wanting me to write the first story for the new Nocturne Bites short story line, Racing the Moon. I jumped at the chance. And the werewolf jumped with me.
Now, a few months later, with one werewolf story written, and another in the works, I admit it: I love the furry guys. They’re sexy and alpha. They don’t have that brooding aristocratic vibe I like in my vampires, and that’s a good thing. They’re actually a lot of fun to write about, and (don’t tell the vamps) I think I may like them more than vampires now. Wolves rock!
Interested in reading the first chapter of Racing the Moon? Check it out at my website.
Thanks, Michele! Now that you’ve had a taste, here’s your chance to take a BITE! To celebrate the line’s launch, we have been given five coupon codes for a free download of Racing the Moon. Of course, since I like to make y’all work for the free goodies, to enter you must tell me:
What do you love (or hate) about werewolves? Any favorite werewolf heroes or heroines?
Everyone’s got an opinion on this one. Contest ends on May 6 at noon according to the blog’s timestamp (US Central). [Contest Ended]
And for more things Nocturne, check out our February Spotlight.
What a pretty cover!
Don’t enter me in the contest, but I’ll play anyhow. What I love about werewolves is the edgy, feral aspects. You never know what they’re going to do, really.
My fav werewolf heroine is Riley Jensen from Keri Arthur’s terrific urban fantasies.
My fav werewolf hero has to be any of the men in Patricia Briggs’s Mercedes Thompson series.
Count me in on this one.
What do I love about Werewolves? The Alpha gene in them. They tend to be so ‘Me Tarzan, You Jane’. but then they meet their mate and they are all puppy dog eyes… no pun intended. LOL!
Among my favorite Weres are Kenyon’s Were Hunters and also Angela Knight’s Jim London from Master of the Wolves.
My favorite weres are in Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series.
Man, I love that excerpt. If I don’t get a code I’m definitely paying the 89 cents to download it.
Er, forgot what I love or hate about them:
I hate that authors often carry the alpha too far. There’s a difference between dominating and abusive.
I do like the dominating done right. I’ve also seen some interesting beta (or lower) wolves, but they don’t usually get their own stories. Someone should write one.
I love teh werewolves because they’re shifters [the original, no?] and they’re wolves and the moon affects them and they’re just fun. and shaggy. And loyal and primal and cuties.
I like Lachlain MacRieve in A Hunger Like No Other – and not just b/c I finished the book yesterday.
LOL Michele, I always wondered about the clothes issue too!
Can I confess- I haven’t read any werewolf stories yet- but this excerpt is definitely convincing me to start….
What I love about the idea of the werewolf is his untamed, elemental nature, his raw sexuality, his strength, his protectiveness of his chosen mate and their cubs, the mystical mixing in him of both the best and the worst of man and wolf. While some aspects of the werewolf nature are beyond his control, as drawn by the moon as the tides, he has his own code of honour which he will not willingly break.
I love Alpha males and there are no better one than werewolves, plus they mate for life.
Sometimes I feel like the werewolves are so one note–chest pounding, Where’s My Mate!
But when an author really works it, hawt! I second Cole’s Lachlan, and I like Christine Warren’s werewolves also.
I haven’t read any werewolf stories. This sound like an interesting read by Nocturne Bites.
I find myself loving weres more and more. I think it is their animal instinct that I just love. The don’t hold back for long.
One of my fav weres is Clay from Kelley Armstrong’s series, and Adam from Patricia Brigg’s series.