Wolf Games- Vivian Arend- Contest

Vivian Arend is celebrating the One Year Anniversary of her Granite Lake Wolves series.  The first book, Wolf Signs was released by Samhain on March 24, 2009.  I too am celebrating an anniversary along with Vivian as Wolf Signs was the first Ebook that I purchased.  Congrats Vivian!

From Vivian Arend:

When I started reading romance ebooks I went into werewolf overload. It was like an addiction took me by storm—one shot and I was hooked—literally, my first ebook was a werewolf romance. I had read paranormal and fantasy before, but I think there are times and places in our lives that things happen for a reason, and having the wolves call to me was one of my special moments.

Like any addict, I feed my habit regularly—starting at Ellora’s Cave and then moving over to Samhain where I purchased every book that remotely mentioned werewolves. Slowly a group of common denominators began to emerge. The secretiveness in most groups. The clan loyalties and pack hierarchy.


And most of all, the soul mate. While having the hero repeat MINE in all caps or italics at regular intervals reduced me to hysterical giggles, the concept intrigued me. I’m a firm believer that there is such a thing as falling in love forever, with the right person, but I think it takes more than pre-fated chemicals to make a happily ever happy. More about that in a minute…

When I started writing I took my favorite parts of all the werewolf legends and tried to make a world uniquely my own. Since I also loved the ‘mind speak’ ability of many wolf books I’d read, I knew I had to have that element. That’s where the spark of inspiration for Wolf Signs came from. What if someone who was deaf could suddenly hear again? In a very special way?

Book two was about a hero who had grown up in the human world and now tried to balance his wolf reality with his human morals.

And book three? In Wolf Games both the hero and heroine know they are wolves. They know shortly after the start of the story they are mates, and they still wait to complete their mating. To me, the real love is shown in how hard Erik and Maggie work at their relationship in spite of knowing they belong together forever. As a married woman, that’s the kind of love I need to live out everyday.

I hope you enjoy Erik and Maggie’s love story, and you enjoy visiting the Granite Lake wolves as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.

Excerpt:

Erik caught sight of the women as they strolled down the boardwalk, one of them swaying from side to side. He laughed quietly. He’d have a set of slightly tipsy females to keep an eye on while they soaked. The youth from his pack traveling with him played off to the left in the cold pool section of the natural hot springs. Splashing and hooting and the sounds of carrying-on filled the air.


Wolves—they were such children.

He waded through the water toward the deck. The woman on the right looked familiar. Petite, blonde, youthful features. If she’d been hugely pregnant he would have sworn it was Missy, the Omega for his pack, although she wasn’t the kind to get falling-down drunk. It appeared he was about to meet his reason for driving south sooner than expected. It had to be Maggie weaving toward him.

He watched with growing concern as the women’s forward motion slowed. It wasn’t just a tipsy ramble anymore, something seemed wrong. Erik grabbed the edge of the railing, wondering if he should offer assistance.

“Oh shit, help, someone. Damn it. Help.” The brunette waved her arms, the frantic motions drawing his attention to the other woman as she wavered on unsteady limbs. He leapt out of the water, droplets spraying from his body to soak the worn boards underfoot. Long strides carried him down the boardwalk just in time to be able to catch the blonde before she collapsed.

His world shifted three feet to the left.

Shocks—like small electrical connections—registered where their bodies touched. Trickles shot through his limbs and up his spine. Tingling. Snapping. Oh hello, it felt completely and wonderfully right.

“Thanks—she’s been getting dizzy and I didn’t want her to collapse and hurt herself.” The dark-haired woman kept rambling, but the entire focus of Erik’s attention centered on the beautiful female he held in his arms. He turned and walked back to the water, taking the steps while still cradling her close.

“What the hell are you doing? She’s passed out. She needs to recover and—” The friend followed him down into the pool, tugging at his elbow.

“—stay warm. Don’t worry, I’ve got her.” Erik had no intention of letting her go. Ever. But that probably wasn’t what this other woman wanted to hear. He settled on one of the submerged benches scattered through the natural pool and rearranged his mate in his arms, her head resting on his chest. The sensation of her cheek on his bare skin made his whole body react.

His mate.

To learn more about Vivian and her books, please visit her at Vivian Arend

Purchase Wolf Games


In honor of both Vivian's Anniversary and mine, I will be giving away 3 ebook copies of Wolf Games.  Please leave a comment below answering the question "What is it about the werewolf genre that drew you into reading?".  The contest is open internationally to all who comment.  You do not have to follow my blog, but if you decide to follow you will get an extra entry into the contest.   Please make sure to note that you have become a follower. 

Winners will be announced on Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at Noon CST.  The winners will have 72 hours to contact me via email (maria63303@gmail.com) to claim their prize with the headline "Wolf Games Contest".  It will be your responsibility to contact me.  If the prizes are not claimed by the deadline, new winners will be choosen.