Shifters? Weres? What’s in a Name (#pnr #amreading #gayromance)

Cover by Bree Archer

Shifting Gears releases today from Dreamspinner Press. I tried to make this story different from your average wolf-shifter book and I hope I’ve succeeded. Today I’m exploring some aspects of shifters and werewolves and how I don’t see them as quite the same thing.

Gray Fowler, my alpha wolf-shifter is very particular. He is not a werewolf. “There’s too much mythology going on there,” he tells Kenton.

Order Shifting Gears at Dreamspinner

Order Shifting Gears at Amazon

I agree! To me, the word “werewolf” conjures up all sorts of dark (and hairy) images, most of which aren’t at all sexy. I think of the Wolf Man, who’s more Saturday matinee than movie star dream. Over the years, pop culture has given werewolves a pretty bad rap. They do some bad shit. Even the ones we love, like Oz in Buffy.

It’s been only more recently that wolf shifter characters have gotten a little sex appeal going. Though I’m not a fan of the Twilight franchise, I can still enjoy Taylor Lautner, even though his wolf is CGI. Teen Wolf is another departure from the more clichéd examples. When the wolves in human form can get our hearts and sympathy, we can forgive some of the things they do. Actually, I can forgive Alcide in True Blood just about anything. He only kills people who deserve it, but he still kills.

I’m not a fan of gore in my books or films, which is another reason I’ve shied away from many of the classic wolves. The transformation scenes get my skin crawling, though I think they are incredibly important to understand the experience from the shifter’s point of view, and sometimes that’s just yucky (think of the scene in Supernatural when the shapeshifter takes on Dean’s appearance. That scene still makes me need to wash my eyes out!)

What about other weres and shifters? Somehow the idea of a wereduck or wereotter sounds cute and cuddly, and they are. I definitely put them in a different category. These characters live in a different world than that of the wolf who is pursued in animal form, whether or not he’s actually done something reprehensible.

I haven’t even had a chance to touch on how to explain yourself to a non-shifter significant other? Or his parents? “Mom, this is my werewolf boyfriend. We promise not to visit during the full moon. Go on, give him a hug!”

So, there are a lot of fun aspects to explore with a shifter, wolf or not. I couldn’t possibly address even a fraction of them here or in Shifting Gears, but doing a little reading and research opens up so many possibilities.

What aspects of a shifter’s life interest you most? Who is your favorite wolf and why?

Shifting Gears (2nd edition) Releases Friday 11/21 (#pnr #amreading @dreamspinners)

I’m just thrilled to bits that Dreamspinner Press is releasing my novella tomorrow. It’s also available for pre-order over at Amazon.com

Here’s more about the story and check out the gorgeous cover by Bree Archer.

One rainy night, bike-shop owner Kenton Palmer finds an injured dog on the road and takes him to the nearest vet clinic, only to discover he’s actually a wolf. Undeterred, he wants to nurse the injured animal following a necessary surgery. The handsome Dr. Will Barclay’s interest and his own brand of animal attraction overwhelm Kenton, who’s been doubting himself after a failed romance.

Gray Fowler is a wolf-shifter and pack alpha. After Kenton rescues him and takes him home to heal, he’s forced to remain in wolf form. But that doesn’t prevent him from falling hard for Kenton. It begins as jealousy, but Gray soon discovers Will, Kenton’s new admirer, is caught up in something sinister. However, he’s forced to wait until he’s healthy before he can shift and enter Kenton’s life as a man. Then Gray must discover how Will’s shady activities are linked to the men who ran him down and expose the scheme before Kenton gets too involved with Will.

Pre-order at Dreamspinner

Pre-order at Amazon

Don’t forget, if you leave a comment on any of my posts this week, you’ll be entered to win a Dreamspinner gift certificate. The amount will depend on how many people comment. More comments = more $$$$.

First release. First rating on GR…

Cover by Reese Dante

I’m officially a published author!

Shifting Gears released today from Silver Publishing and it’s already on the best sellers list. I’m very excited.

That’s the good news.

On the flip side of the coin, I also got my first rating on Goodreads,–posted before I even saw the book was available—a 2-star rating . I guess that makes me an official author. I didn’t expect that so quickly, but I know it’s part of the process. Hopefully, that’s just a minority opinion.

Here’s the blurb:
Kenton Palmer finds an injured dog on the road on a rainy night and takes him to the nearest vet clinic only to discover he’s actually a wolf. Despite that, he decides to nurse the injured animal following the necessary surgery. Even better, the handsome vet who treated the wolf offers his own brand of animal attraction and makes it clear he wants to be a big part of Kenton’s world.

Gray Fowler is a werewolf. He’s forced to remain in wolf form after Kenton rescues him and takes him home to heal, but that doesn’t prevent him from falling hard for Kenton. It starts out as jealousy but Gray soon discovers Kenton’s new love, Dr. Will Barclay, is caught up in something sinister. But he must wait until he’s healthy before he can shift and enter Kenton’s life as a man. How are Will’s shady activities linked to the men who ran Gray down, and can he expose the scheme before Kenton gets too involved with Will?
Order from Silver Publishing

The Next Big Thing for Petra Lynn

Welcome to the Next Big Thing blog hop.

My Next Big Thing is Shifting Gears.

Release date February 2 from Silver Publishing.

Cover by Reese Dante

What is the title of your book? Shifting Gears

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I’m a fan of shifter books and I wanted to have my shifter fall for a human, but be trapped in his animal form and unable to express his feelings. I also wanted the both characters to be in some danger, and force the shifter to help the human, even though revealing his true nature would probably destroy the chance of having a relationship.

What genre does your book fall under?

M/M paranormal/fantasy

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie?

 

For Kenton Palmer, I would love to see Matt Bomer. The dark hair and blue eyes get me every time. Even though Matt plays a more self-assured character on White Collar, he can play the less-confident roles well, too. For Gray Fowler, maybe Jeremy Renner. He’s got the right physical presence and determined quality. People won’t want to mess with him when he’s on a mission. Just like Gray. He’s in charge.

I could see a younger Russell Crowe as Will Barclay. He can show a charming exterior that covers a less-well-intentioned true nature.

What is a one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Gray Fowler is an injured wolf shifter, nursed back to health by Kenton Palmer, and discovers Kenton’s new boyfriend the veterinarian is up to something nefarious with other wolves in the area.

Will your book be self published or represented by an agency?

The book is coming out from Silver Publishing on February 2. I don’t have an agent.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I think about a month. It was over a year ago and I sat on the manuscript for a long time before I decided to submit it to a publisher.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre.

To be honest, there are so many shifter books, but I hope this one isn’t like the others!

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I just had the idea of the shifter finding out that man he’s attracted to is part of something dangerous, though the human doesn’t realize what’s happening around him. I also wanted the shifter to have to choose between the human and his own goals or needs.

What else about your book might interest the reader?

The title was such fun to choose. I love cycling and I admit I came up with the title first and then decided what kind of a shifter book I would write. I was worried someone else would use the name before I got a chance to finish the story, though I hesitated a long time before submitting to a publisher.

Sneak Peek Excerpt from “Shifting Gears” by Petra Lynn #gayromance #paranormal

Cover by Reese Dante

Here’s a little taste of my upcoming release, gay shifter erotic romance SHIFTING GEARS, coming out Feb 2 from Silver Publishing. I hope you enjoy it! You can even pre-order if you like it and then download immediately on release day.

When Kenton Palmer discovers an injured animal, he finds himself attracted to the handsome vet who treats it. But his new pet wolf is really a shifter who’s fallen for Kenton, and knows the vet is up to no good.

Excerpt:

KENTON WAITED NEARLY FIVE minutes before he heard someone on the other side of the door.

“Hayes? We didn’t have anything—” a disembodied voice began speaking with more than a hint of annoyance as the door slowly swung open.

“I’ve got an injured dog. Hit by a car. Can you help?” Kenton explained.

The door opened completely and a man of about thirty-five with blond hair and a neatly trimmed ginger beard looked Kenton up and down with piercing gray eyes. Kenton was now acutely aware of the cold rain that had dripped under his jacket and he shuddered involuntarily while small rivulets of water ran down his face. He knew he looked like a mess and his cheeks warmed with embarrassment as the man, dressed in well-tailored [LB1] and unwrinkled clothing, continued to stare with what came across as a confused, impatient glare. He’d obviously been expecting someone else.

“Your dog?” he asked curtly.

“No, I found him out on the county road about five miles away. Some asshole side-swiped me and ran me off the road. I noticed the dog while I was trying to calm down.” Kenton wondered why he was explaining in such minute detail, especially as the vet looked just as sour and inconvenienced as he had when he’d opened the door.

“Okay, bring him inside.” The man motioned off towards his left. “The clinic’s in there.”

“I can clean up all the rainwater—” Kenton started to say. He could tell from the man’s neat appearance that he wasn’t the kind to tolerate much mess in his life, which seemed odd for a veterinarian. I’d love to see that man with his arm in a cow up to the elbow, Kenton mused. Probably only treats Yorkies and Chihuahuas and other lap dogs.

“No problem. The dog’s more important right now. Don’t worry about the mess.” That was the first trace of concern the vet had shown so far.

Kenton nodded and ran back outside to get the dog. By the time he had opened the back of the SUV and was scooping the animal up in his arms, the man had appeared behind him with a rolling table, a smaller version of a gurney, then helped bring the dog inside. Kenton trailed behind as the vet pushed the gurney into the clinic and the exam room.

It took a few moments for the overhead lights to turn on completely, and Kenton and the man stood on opposite sides of the exam table staring at each other and the dog in the flickering light.

“Hmmm. Two big problems I see right away.”

“What’s that?” Kenton’s voice expressed his concern and he wondered why he cared so much; it wasn’t even his dog. “Can you fix the leg? I’m willing to pay a deposit until we find the owner if that’s what the problem is.”

“Well, that’s part of it. He’s got no tag… no owner. And it’s not a dog. It’s a wolf.”

---

“Shifting Gears” is already a best seller!

Cover by Reese Dante

You have no idea how excited I am right now. My upcoming release, gay shifter erotic romance SHIFTING GEARS, doesn’t even come out till Feb 2,  but it’s already on the top sellers list on the publisher’s Coming Soon page! (It was #6 last time I looked, but I have to stop looking. I’ll be a wreck by release day.)

Here’s the blurb, and later I’ll be posting an excerpt. I hope you enjoy it!

About the Book:

Kenton Palmer finds an injured dog on the road and takes him to the nearest vet only to discover it’s actually a wolf. He decides to nurse the injured animal following the necessary surgery. The handsome vet who treated the wolf offers his own brand of animal attraction, making it clear he’s interested in Kenton.

Gray Fowler is a wolf shifter. Stuck in wolf form after Kenton rescues him, he still falls hard for Kenton. It starts out as jealousy but Gray soon discovers that Kenton’s new love interest, veterinarian Will Barclay, has sinister plans. How are Will’s shady activities linked to the men who injured Gray, and can he expose the scheme before Kenton gets too involved with Will?

* * *

You can even pre-order if you like it and then download immediately on release day.

Shifting Gears is Officially Coming Soon!

I’m so excited to share the news about my upcoming novella SHIFTING GEARS. It will be released February 2 by Silver Publishing.

I was so lucky to have the wonderful Reese Dante as my cover artist. Here’s the blurb and I’ll share an excerpt next time.

Kenton Palmer finds an injured dog on the road on a rainy night and takes him to the nearest vet clinic only to discover he’s actually a wolf. Despite that, he decides to  nurse the injured animal following the necessary surgery. Even better, the handsome vet who treated the wolf offers his own brand of animal attraction and makes it clear he wants to be a big part of Kenton’s world.

Gray Fowler is a werewolf. He’s forced to remain in wolf form after Kenton rescues him and takes him home to heal, but that doesn’t prevent him from falling hard for Kenton. It starts out as jealousy but Gray soon discovers Kenton’s new love, Dr. Will Barclay, is caught up in something sinister. But he must wait until he’s healthy before he can shift and enter Kenton’s life as a man. How are Will’s shady activities linked to the men who ran Gray down, and can he expose the scheme before Kenton gets too involved with Will?

It’s already available for pre-order on the Silver website. I hope you’ll consider buying it, or tell you friends who like shifter stories about it.

Thanks!

Shifting Gears by Petra Lynn is Coming Soon!

I’m so excited to share the news about my upcoming novella SHIFTING GEARS. It will be released February 2 by Silver Publishing.

I was so lucky to have the wonderful Reese Dante as my cover artist. Here’s the blurb and I’ll share an excerpt next time.

Kenton Palmer finds an injured dog on the road on a rainy night and takes him to the nearest vet clinic only to discover he’s actually a wolf. Despite that, he decides to  nurse the injured animal following the necessary surgery. Even better, the handsome vet who treated the wolf offers his own brand of animal attraction and makes it clear he wants to be a big part of Kenton’s world.

Gray Fowler is a werewolf. He’s forced to remain in wolf form after Kenton rescues him and takes him home to heal, but that doesn’t prevent him from falling hard for Kenton. It starts out as jealousy but Gray soon discovers Kenton’s new love, Dr. Will Barclay, is caught up in something sinister. But he must wait until he’s healthy before he can shift and enter Kenton’s life as a man. How are Will’s shady activities linked to the men who ran Gray down, and can he expose the scheme before Kenton gets too involved with Will?

It’s already available for pre-order on the Silver website. I hope you’ll consider buying it, or tell you friends who like shifter stories about it.

Thanks!