WOW! What a great time we are having for our “Blogiversary”. So many awesome authors, and yummy giveaways every day. With only a few days to go, we are so fortunate to have Desiree Holt swing by and visit with us today. She has agreed to chat about her fantastic series, and the excitement of the sixth installment released just the end of August, Ms. Holt is going to talk about her love for wolves and shapeshifters. To top all this off Ms. Holt is sponsoring a giveaway of a copy of "The Sentinals". All you have to do is be a follower of this blog and leave a question or comment for Ms. Holt.

Note: Anyone who comments today, if you leave me your email I’ll contact you and send you a set of my Romance Trading Cards. Also I’ll draw one name for a copy of The Sentinels. 

The Sentinels

And why I love shapeshifters

I’ve always had a fascination with wolves. Maybe because I grew up in Maine and when I travelled in the northern part of the state on very rare occasions I’d catch a glimpse of one. I started reading about them and everything I read fascinated me. They are among the most intelligent of mammals and while they are predators they attack only for protection and food. And I consider them noble animals.

The first shapeshifter books I ever read are by Karen Whiddon, One Eye Open and One Eye Closed, the stories of a brother and sister who are both shifters. The stories are so well written and told so well I fell in love not just with the characters but with the entire idea of wolf shapeshifters. You cannot begin to imagine all the stuff that’s out there about them. Legends, opinions, so-called research. It’s fascinating!

I studied the pack dynamics of wolves, also, and found so many stories where they’d been translated into shifter traits. Read any of Kate Douglas’s Wolf Tales for some tremendous insight into this. And I thought to myself, Self? If you’re going to do a series on shifters what should it be about and what kind of humans should they shift into?

The answer came very easily. The wolf is a warrior, a defender, and so The Sentinels were born. Eight men and women  dedicated to guarding, protecting and helping those in need of their services. Whether it’s protection or investigation they stand ready to serve.

As the series progresses, in each book the hero or heroine finds his or her mate. In some cases they mate with a human, in at least two situations with another shifter. Here’s what the series blurb says:

They are eight orphan shapeshifters, brought together to create their own pack-The Sentinels, guardians and protectors. As humans they are second to none. As the wolves they shift into they are beyond comparison. If danger stalks you, you can do no better than The Sentinels. But beware of the sexual attraction that will grab you and never let go.

              The latest release is Book 6: Silent Hunters

When Lauren Rhodes is kidnapped and taken to an isolated cabin in the Maine woods, it’s only by sheer determination and the help of three wolves that she manages to escape. She is stunned when they then lead her to safety at the cabin of Sentinel Luke Spencer and his wife. And even more stunned to meet Damien Moreno and discover the explosive sexual chemistry between them. She needs him and The Sentinels to find out who’s after her, but what happens when she discovers his true nature? Can she ever turn her back on the powerful attraction between them and the off-the-charts sex?

Excerpt:

“She’s coming now,” Luke Spencer, the silver wolf, messaged his companion.

“I wasn’t sure she’d follow us,” Mack Renfield, the magnificent white wolf, answered him. “Especially after we tore into that guy.”

“Well, it was that or let him shoot her,” Damien Moreno commented.

“What do suppose that was all about?” Luke asked.

“I have no idea,” Luke answered. “But when I see a woman whose wrists are bound and a man after her with a hood over his face and a gun in his hand, I know whose side I’m on.”

“We need to lead her to your place, Luke. I think what she needs right now is The Sentinels. That’s one woman in a huge pile of trouble.”

“If we can get her close to the house,” Damien told them, “we can take off and let her go the rest of the way herself. The house will be lit up and easy for her to find.”

“Good idea,” Mack agreed. “We need to slip in ahead of her and give Sierra and Kelsey a heads up.”

Luke made a sound in his throat that would have been a laugh if he’d been in human form.

“They’re probably still guzzling that wine and talking. About us. Even at this hour. We left them so we could take a short run. Remember? Who the fuck knew we’d run into this?”

“Short run.” Mack snorted. “That certainly worked out well.”

“Okay.” This from Damien. “Let’s just get her out of these woods and go check in with the ladies. Give them, a heads up. Then find out what the hell this is all about.”

Lauren was exhausted. The wolves had raced in front of her, stopping and starting, and she had the weirdest feeling that each time they stopped they were waiting for her. Saying, “Come on. We’ll get you out of here.” For a brief moment she remembered stories she’d heard about a certain kind of wolf. A hybrid. A wolf that was…

No, no, no. That’s just a legend.

Still, the first time she’d heard it she’d done all the research she could, intrigued by the stories. She’d chalked it all up to someone’s fanciful imagination. Still, in college she’d taken a class called Legends and Lore and that was part of what they’d studied.

You’re losing it, girl. These are just wolves that for some reason don’t intend to harm you. That have led you to safety. You hope.

Then, just as she was about to collapse, she broke out of the trees into a clearing and saw a house. At first she thought it was a mirage but she blinked and it was still there.  She looked for the wolves but in that instant they disappeared, flashes of silver and white and black that were just…gone.

You can find all The Sentinels at Total-e-bound, Amazon, Fictionwise and Barnes & Noble.

And you can find me at

http://www.desireeholt.com/

www.desireeholttellsall.com

www.facebook.com/desireeholt

www.twitter.com/desireeholt

THANK YOU Desiree for stopping by and helping us celebrate our Two Year "Blogiversay"