Carol Van Natta's Blog, page 19
July 13, 2018
Preorder Heart of a Dire Wolf
Ice Age Shifters
Book 3Heart of a Dire Wolf is the next book in my new Ice Age Shifters paranormal romance series. It has exciting things in store for you, and I can't wait for you to read it.
This is the lovely cover design, once again the work of the talented Amanda Kelsey of Razzle Dazzle Design.
This book focuses on a thread that shows up in the first two books, an illegal auction of magical creatures. You'll see a few returning characters from Shifter Mate Magic and Shift of Destiny, including a certain polar fairy who has become a reader favorite. She might get her own Christmas story…
Here's the blurb for Heart of a Dire Wolf:
To stay together, they'll have to escape prison, outsmart wizards, and solve the mystery of a magical sanctuary town.
Skyla Chekal is in trouble. She’s a prisoner in an illegal underground auction house that sells magical creatures. If they learn she's a dire wolf with free magic, they'll hold a special high-roller sale just for her. She needs to keep her head down and escape, but she can’t because she smells someone who stirs her in the way only a true mate can. She can't leave without him.
Siberian tiger shifter Nic Paletin can’t believe he’s found himself in a cage in an auction house run by wizards. As long as he continues to play dumb, he should be able to get out soon. But the intriguing smell of a woman who calls to his tiger has him tied up more than the shackles on his ankles.
As turned on as Skyla is by Nic’s intoxicating presence, she knows they first have to survive long enough to get free. Unfortunately, threats continue to escalate. In their escape, Skyla is sent somewhere else, and Nic has no idea where or what trouble she might be in. He must find her before the wizards do, plus figure out how to work together if they’re going to crack the secrets of a mysterious new-old town.
And they better hurry, because the greedy wizards not only know where they are, they're after the fabled treasures of this vulnerable sanctuary town.
Continue the enthralling paranormal romance with Heart of a Dire Wolf, the third book in USA TODAY bestselling author Carol Van Natta's fun, action-filled, steamy-hot Ice Age Shifters series.
Reserve your copy now, so you don't miss release day.
Amazon U.S.
Amazon Canada Amazon Amazon UK
~ ~ FREE TO READ in Kindle Unlimited~
The post Preorder Heart of a Dire Wolf appeared first on Carol Van Natta - Author.
June 28, 2018
New Release and a Giveaway
To celebrate the release of Shift of Destiny, Ice Age Shifters Book 2, I'm holding a giveaway!
Click the pretty prize photo or the button below to go to the giveaway page.
Shift of Destiny is the second book in my Ice Age Shifters series. In addition to magic and sexy shifters, you'll find more about the magical sanctuary town of Kotoyeesinay, and meet more of its residents. (Did you miss book 1, Shifter Mate Magic? Click here.)
And what can you win? Glad you asked. The winner (and I hope it's you) gets copies of Shifter Mate Magic, Shift of Destiny, and a nifty lion necklace engraved with “Shift Your Destiny.”
_____________
P.S. You can get more chances to win if you share the giveaway with your friends.
Good luck!
The post New Release and a Giveaway appeared first on Carol Van Natta - Author.
June 27, 2018
Shift of Destiny is Here!
Happy release day to me! I am seriously having a ball with my new Ice Age Shifters paranormal romance series, and now the second book, Shift of Destiny, is here. It debuts today on Amazon, and is free to read in Kindle Unlimited. Read the first chapter for free.
The series is about extraordinary shifters for extraordinary challenges, and two more books will be coming out this summer. In case you missed it, see Shifter Mate Magic (Ice Age Shifters #1).
There's no such thing as magic, or sexy shifters. Or… is there?
Moira Graham’s car breaks down in the tourist town of Kotoyeesinay, Wyoming. She’s on the run. Again. A crazy billionaire wants to possess her ability to predict the future, but it’s not a “gift.” It’s simple guesswork. Magic doesn’t exist. And this quirky town—which uses elves, fortune tellers, and fairy-tale gimmicks to draw tourists in—isn’t helping.
Roving carpenter Chance McKennie is a prehistoric shifter on the lookout for a mate. Unfortunately, people fear his lion, and don’t stick around long enough to get to know the man. He thought his luck would change in Kotoyeesinay, but his skills aren’t needed in this magical sanctuary town with creatures of myth and legend on every block.
When Moira bumps into him, she’s almost willing to believe in the magic of this place. But it’s going to take more than a red-hot handyman and some glowy lights to save her from ruthless hunters.
Chance is determined to protect his mate and help her find the magic in her blood. But even a top predator can’t guess the lengths to which a desperate billionaire will go to get what he wants.
Continue the magic with Shift of Destiny, the second book in USA TODAY bestselling author Carol Van Natta's fun, action-filled, steamy-hot Ice Age Shifters series.
Amazon U.S. ~ 99¢
Amazon Canada ~ 99¢ Amazon Australia ~ 99¢ Amazon UK ~ £0.99
~ ~ FREE TO READ in Kindle Unlimited ~ ~
The post Shift of Destiny is Here! appeared first on Carol Van Natta - Author.
June 21, 2018
Shift of Destiny Excerpt #2
Shift of Destiny is the second book in my new Ice Age Shifters paranormal romance series. As you might have guessed from the title, it's all about shifters, but it also has magic, elves, fairies, and ogres. Below is a short Shift of Destiny excerpt. (See another one here.)
Moira Graham is tired of running from the crazy, magic-on-the-brain billionaire who wants to possess her for her supposed gifts. She's stayed off the grid and hoping to find a place to settle down, but the fates have one more curve to throw at her.
In the backyard, Moira stopped to admire Del’s lovingly tended garden. It reminded her of her foster mother’s garden, which had been filled with practical vegetables, but still had room for a few flowers. She missed her foster parents a great deal, but couldn’t risk dragging them into the mess that was her life. All she could do was send occasional postcards and breezily tell them she was still enjoying her road trip of three years and counting. Maybe in another year, if things stayed quiet, she could finally go home again for a while.
Moira straightened her slumped shoulders, then turned and opened the screen door to the converted outbuilding.
Nothing fell.
The pink petunia petal she’d carefully placed between the door and the frame when she’d left at dawn was lying in the dirt. She picked it up and gently brushed the dust off with her thumb. The petal felt like someone had stomped on it, and incongruously smelled a bit like wet dog.
She tried the door’s handle, and was relieved to find it locked as she’d left it. She let herself in with the key and pulled the door closed behind her. Sunlight streamed in from high west windows as she took in the room.
The chair at the square, battered pub table was perfectly centered under it, and the table was perfectly aligned with the strip of a kitchen. The microwave and toaster oven on the counter both squared up perfectly with the edge. The rectangular, mosaic-mirrored vase was perfectly aligned with the edge of the low bookshelf. She’d bet her sandwich that the contents of her medicine cabinet would be too neat and that the few things hanging in the repurposed school locker that served as her wardrobe were now evenly spaced.
Lawrence Witzer had not only found her, he’d been in her house and pawed through her things.
Moira allowed herself three swear words that wouldn’t count toward her swear fund.
Hell. That was her life since meeting the man, turning him down, and evading him ever after. She was sorry she had ever taken that summer job three years ago as a costumed fortune teller for a Renaissance fair in southern Colorado, doing entertainment tarot readings for the visitors.
Wealthy but crazy Witzer had visited her tent once and become convinced she was a genuine psychic, not just someone with common sense and a vivid imagination that had gotten her into trouble since childhood. She’d spun him a vague but colorful tale of business setbacks, intrigue, and ultimate victory over an enemy, because richly dressed customers like him tipped better when they starred as the hero of the story. She’d had no idea who he was at the time, only that he had expensive taste in jewelry and a compulsive need for order. He’d come back several more times over the run of the fair for additional readings. Then on the last day, he’d astonishingly invited her to interview for a job as a business analyst for international financial deals. He was undeterred when she admitted she only had an associate’s degree in hospitality, and she’d only gotten that to please her family.
She’d been flattered by the attention and the breathtaking salary Witzer had offered, but his behavior during the meeting in Denver, in the hotel’s presidential suite, was deeply weird. He obsessively straightened everything, even her sweater on the back of her chair, without seeming to be aware he was doing it. He asked her nonsensical questions about her “magical gifts,” mumbled in a foreign language, and watched her like he expected her to sprout antennae or spontaneously combust. His expression made her imagine he’d soon ask to look at her ankles and teeth, like she was a prize thoroughbred he wanted to buy.
She’d told him she needed to think about it and escaped quickly, then sent him a polite email a week later declining his offer, after she’d lined up a tour guide job in Vermont because she wanted to see the fall foliage. Instead of dropping it, he’d seemed to take her refusal as a challenge, which he’d since carried to extremes. He’d overshot “eccentric” some time ago and was now well into obsessive-delusional.
Shit. She knew from experience that after Witzer, his goons with strong arms and black vans would soon be at her door. They’d come after dark this time, because they’d learned from their encounter last year that she could scream really loud, a skill she’d developed when she’d played a banshee in a haunted house. Something told her that if she didn’t leave in the next thirty minutes, she could kiss her freedom goodbye. She was certain that Witzer, based on his unflagging pursuit, had no intention of letting her get away again.
…
About Shift of Destiny
There's no such thing as magic, or sexy shifters… Or is there?
Moira Graham’s car breaks down in the tourist town of Kotoyeesinay, Wyoming. She’s on the run. Again. A crazy billionaire wants to possess her ability to predict the future, but it’s not a “gift.” It’s simple guesswork. Magic doesn’t exist. And this quirky town—which uses elves, fortune tellers, and fairy-tale gimmicks to draw tourists in—isn’t helping.
Roving carpenter Chance McKennie is a prehistoric shifter on the lookout for a mate. Unfortunately, people fear his lion, and don’t stick around long enough to get to know the man. He thought his luck would change in Kotoyeesinay, but his skills aren’t needed in this magical sanctuary town with creatures of myth and legend on every block.
When Moira bumps into him, she’s almost willing to believe in the magic of this place. But it’s going to take more than a red-hot handyman and some glowy lights to save her from ruthless hunters.
Chance is determined to protect his mate and help her find the magic in her blood. But even a top predator can’t guess the lengths to which a desperate billionaire will go to get what he wants.
Continue the magic and true mates in Shift of Destiny, the second book in USA TODAY bestselling author Carol Van Natta's fun, action-filled, steamy-hot Ice Age Shifters series.
Amazon U.S. ~ 99¢
Amazon Canada ~ 99¢ Amazon Australia ~ 99¢ Amazon UK ~ £0.99
~ ~ FREE TO READ in Kindle Unlimited ~ ~
The post Shift of Destiny Excerpt #2 appeared first on Carol Van Natta - Author.
June 14, 2018
Shift of Destiny Excerpt #1
Shift of Destiny is the second book in my new Ice Age Shifters paranormal romance series. As you might have guessed from the title, it's all about shifters, but it also has magic, elves, fairies, and ogres. Below is a short Shift of Destiny excerpt. (See another one here.)
Chance McKennie is a carpenter and handyman, but it's hard to find work in Kotoyeesinay, a magical town where it's just as easy to hire an elf or a wizard to build or fix things. He's also a shifter, whose inner beast is pushing him to move on and find his true mate, wherever she is. Before he leaves, his friend asks him one last favor, to escort a stranded woman to a place to sleep for the night.
“Ms. Graham, I found you a free room at a bed and breakfast called Tinsel’s.” Aurelio waved toward him. “This is Chance McKennie, my handyman buddy. He’ll show you where it is.”
The woman turned and pushed back her hood. “Please, call me Moira.”
Even with a streak of grease across her forehead and exhaustion etching dark circles under her eyes, she was striking, with coppery brown eyes so wide and warm that he wanted to drown in them. Her thick, dark hair, strong nose, and flawless light brown skin spoke of an ethnic heritage as mixed as his.
The beast inside him perked up immediately and pushed him to get closer, to find out what she smelled like under the grease and road dust. Lately, his beast wanted to smell every new female he met, regardless of species. Behave, he ordered, or I’ll eat nothing but salads and tofu for the next week. His beast retreated sulkily.
Aurelio handed Moira a piece of paper. “That’s Tinsel’s address, and the address of the business on Wizard Street I told you about that might have a job. Shepherd will move your car to his shop overnight, so don’t worry about that.”
Moira was already beautiful, but when she smiled, she was stunning. “You’ve been truly kind, and I appreciate it.” She turned to Chance. “I’m not inconveniencing you, am I?” Her voice was as warm and expressive as her eyes.
He shook his head. “No, it’s only a few blocks from here.” He opened the diner’s door for her, then followed her outside. The sun had only set half an hour ago, so the sidewalks still radiated warmth. “I’ll just put my toolbox in my truck, and we can go.” He hesitated. “Unless you’d rather ride?”
“No, I like walking,” she said. “I want to read more of the names of the businesses. It’s kind of like the aliens theme in Roswell, New Mexico, except it’s fantasy elves and fairies. Oh, and psychics. ‘I Knew You Were Coming Prognostication Services.’” She gave him another smile and a thumb’s up sign. “Best tourist gimmick ever!” She pointed to the top of one of the aspens that lined the downtown streets. “Besides, I love looking at the color waves of twinkling fairy lights in all the trees.” She shook her head. “It must have taken days and weeks to put these all up, but at least the weather is nice. I once had a job hanging outdoor Christmas lights in Chicago. Nearly froze my butt off.”
Chance shrugged one shoulder. “I think they pay a company to do it.” Actually, the town had traded a small plot of land to a troop of forest pixies in exchange for lighting up the trees for the summer tourists every year. The lights were conventionally solar-powered, but the color waves were pure pixie magic. Which she wouldn’t have been able to see, if she were an ordinary human.
He led her to his truck, where he put his toolbox in the locker box in back. “Do you need any luggage from your car? Where is it, by the way?”
She pointed to a mostly cream-colored, dusty four-door wagon across and down the street, under a street lamp. “I call it the Frankencar.”
He could see why. It looked like it had been assembled with spare parts from a salvage yard. The main chassis was from a Subaru, but the two doors he could see didn’t match the Subaru’s color or each other, and the front bumper looked like it came from an old Jeep. The hood had a jagged hole that looked like something had exploded from underneath.
She glanced down. “I have everything I need for tonight in my backpack. Besides, I gave my keys to the nice man from Knight’s Garage.” She deftly slipped its padded straps onto her shoulders and pulled her frayed braid out from under it. “How do you pronounce the name of the town, by the way? I don’t want to insult anyone.”
“It’s a mangled Native American place name, but it’s easier than it looks. The accent’s on the third syllable. Koto-yee-si-nay.”
He pointed toward the intersection as she repeated the town’s name. He purposefully shortened his steps to match her pace, because underneath her alert interest in the storefronts they passed, she was clearly running out of steam. Silence with her felt comfortable, but he found himself wanting to hear her voice again. “You’re looking for a job?”
“Yeah. I’m pretty sure that hole in the hood means old Frankie threw a rod, or maybe a carburetor, if that’s possible, which means a new engine. Which costs more money than I have. Hence, the job.” She sighed. “I have the worst luck sometimes.”
“I know what you mean.” He shook his head ruefully. “I think my name is a curse.”
She gave him a teasing smile. “As in, after all the good fairies blessed you with chivalry and a smoking-hot body that would make a fitness model jealous, the bad fairy twisted the meaning of your name so bad things happen to you?”
She thought he was hot? He chuckled, glad for the darkness that hid his blush. “Well, unusual things, at any rate.”
“Really? Like what?”
He ducked his head, not wanting to talk about himself any more. He was dismayed to find himself telling her things he hadn’t told anyone in Kotoyeesinay in the nine months he’d been there.
“No fair,” she complained with exaggerated outrage. “You can’t just say ‘unusual things’ and not explain.”
…
About Shift of Destiny
There's no such thing as magic, or sexy shifters… Or is there?
Moira Graham’s car breaks down in the tourist town of Kotoyeesinay, Wyoming. She’s on the run. Again. A crazy billionaire wants to possess her ability to predict the future, but it’s not a “gift.” It’s simple guesswork. Magic doesn’t exist. And this quirky town—which uses elves, fortune tellers, and fairy-tale gimmicks to draw tourists in—isn’t helping.
Roving carpenter Chance McKennie is a prehistoric shifter on the lookout for a mate. Unfortunately, people fear his lion, and don’t stick around long enough to get to know the man. He thought his luck would change in Kotoyeesinay, but his skills aren’t needed in this magical sanctuary town with creatures of myth and legend on every block.
When Moira bumps into him, she’s almost willing to believe in the magic of this place. But it’s going to take more than a red-hot handyman and some glowy lights to save her from ruthless hunters.
Chance is determined to protect his mate and help her find the magic in her blood. But even a top predator can’t guess the lengths to which a desperate billionaire will go to get what he wants.
Continue the magic and true mates in Shift of Destiny, the second book in USA TODAY bestselling author Carol Van Natta's fun, action-filled, steamy-hot Ice Age Shifters series.
Amazon U.S. ~ 99¢
Amazon Canada ~ 99¢ Amazon Australia ~ 99¢ Amazon UK ~ £0.99
~ ~ FREE TO READ in Kindle Unlimited ~ ~
The post Shift of Destiny Excerpt #1 appeared first on Carol Van Natta - Author.
May 31, 2018
Preorder Shift of Destiny
Ice Age Shifters
Book 2I'm thrilled to tell you about Shift of Destiny, the second book in my new Ice Age Shifters paranormal romance series.
This is the lovely cover design by the talented Amanda Kelsey of Razzle Dazzle Design.
Here's a little secret: I actually wrote this book first. The idea came about when I considered the power of belief—or non-belief—and how it can shape our choices in life. The main characters in the first book, Shifter Mate Magic, are the parents of one of the supporting characters in Shift of Destiny. If you've read the first book, you'll recognize the story when you come across it in this book.
Here's the blurb for Shift of Destiny:
There's no such thing as magic, or sexy shifters. Or… is there?
Moira Graham’s car breaks down in the tourist town of Kotoyeesinay, Wyoming. She’s on the run. Again. A crazy billionaire wants to possess her ability to predict the future, but it’s not a “gift.” It’s simple guesswork. Magic doesn’t exist. And this quirky town—which uses elves, fortune tellers, and fairy-tale gimmicks to draw tourists in—isn’t helping.
Roving carpenter Chance McKennie is a prehistoric shifter on the lookout for a mate. Unfortunately, people fear his lion, and don’t stick around long enough to get to know the man. He thought his luck would change in Kotoyeesinay, but his skills aren’t needed in this magical sanctuary town with creatures of myth and legend on every block.
When Moira bumps into him, she’s almost willing to believe in the magic of this place. But it’s going to take more than a red-hot handyman and some glowy lights to save her from ruthless hunters.
Chance is determined to protect his mate and help her find the magic in her blood. But even a top predator can’t guess the lengths to which a desperate billionaire will go to get what he wants.
Continue the magic with Shift of Destiny, the second book in USA TODAY bestselling author Carol Van Natta's fun, action-filled, steamy-hot Ice Age Shifters series.
Reserve your copy now, so you don't miss release day.
Amazon U.S.
Amazon Canada Amazon Amazon UK
~ ~ FREE TO READ in Kindle Unlimited ~ ~
The post Preorder Shift of Destiny appeared first on Carol Van Natta - Author.
May 20, 2018
Shifter Mate Magic, Writing To Market, and More (Podcast)
Carol Van Natta's Video Podcast #8
This is my author podcast number 8, wherein I talk about Shifter Mate Magic, and writing what you love and writing for money. It was thunder and lightning, very very frightening, during the podcast, and the cats were under the bed. Ignore the video glitch in the middle; the audio is fine.
Astute readers will note the number above and deduce there are previous videos:
Podcast #1 ~ Podcast #2 ~ Podcast #3 ~ Podcast #4 ~ Podcast #5 ~ Podcast #6 ~ Podcast #7
This podcast is a recorded Facebook Live session from Friday, 18 May 2018. See https://youtu.be/qgX7VhTt4j0
For those who won't watch a 13-minute of video of anything but an interesting segment about maned wolves from South America (not that I blame you), here's the TL;DW (too long; didn't watch) synopsis.
Release Day(ish) for Shifter Mate Magic
It's thunder-raining here today, and the cats are all under the bed. This includes the podcast producer cat, who blames humans for the weather.
It's release day! Shifter Mate Magic is here! OK, it was actually Tuesday 15 May, but close enough. It's the first in my new Ice Age Shifters paranormal romance series. he book already has some nice reviews, for which I'm profoundly grateful. I'm glad readers are willing to take the chance on following me to a new series.
The paranormal romance shifter genre isn't for everyone, just like space opera isn't for everyone, either. I am a firm believer that everyone should be able to read what they want, and authors should write where their muse takes them.
Writing to Market (Love vs. Money)
You may have heard the phrase “write to market,” which means writing something readers will buy. It's sometimes a difficult balance for authors, because the lovely book of your heart might only resonate with a few readers, whereas another story that feels easier or shallower might appeal to a lot of readers. Let's face it, authors like to eat regularly and sleep indoors as much as the next person, and that takes money.
Writing to market can also mean “chasing a fad,” which is generally not very successful, because the author isn't putting his or her own stamp on something, they're just writing knock-off stories with the aim of cashing in. Nothing wrong with money — I'd love it if my stories sold thousands of copies per week — but then the fad-chasing author becomes risk averse. Sort of like the big Hollywood studios, afraid of taking a chance in case it might not bring in as MUCH money, so they remake Mission: Impossible or Spider Man or Mutiny on the Bounty for the umpteenth time, or reboot Magnum PI, Charmed, or Roswell because there's a guaranteed audience for it.
I'm fairly new to the indie author business game, as these things go, and a mere duckling in a tiny pond compared to authors with backlists of 40 or 70 or 150 books. I'm still finding my way with the stories I want to tell, the stories that are holding protest marches in my head, demanding they be committed to digital ink and shared with readers.
All my books, regardless of the genre, have fantastical elements, action and adventure, and romance. Fantasy and adventure, because we readers don't want to read about the 49 times you went to the grocery store and nothing happened, we want to read about the 50th time where it became the battlefield between attacking aliens and the secret force of produce managers defending our planet. Romance because I like the justice and inherent hope. There's enough tragedy in the world, and others can write it well, but it's not what I want to spend my time writing or reading.
What I'm Working on Now
My muse, as I've mentioned before, thinks in series. I have three more books coming out in the Ice Age Shifters series, because, duh, I couldn't call it a series if there weren't more books. They have a small story arc that shows up mostly in the last two books. You'll see when you read them (hint, hint).
The next book is Shift of Destiny. Book 1, Shifter Mate Magic is set in 1993, but Shift of Destiny is present day. You'll get to see more of Kotoyeesinay, the magical sanctuary town from book 1. You'll also learn how to pronounce the town's name. Shift of Destiny goes on preorder 31 May 2018, and releases 26 June. I'll tell you more about that next time, and read an excerpt.
For my space opera series, that has the big damn story arc going on. The next book will be a novella called Cats of War, and will appear in the upcoming Embrace the Passion: Pets in Space 3 anthology. Cats of War is in the very capable hands of my professional editor. I love the story, and can't wait to tell you more about it. Also, too, I desperately want to read the stories from the other 10 authors in this year's anthology. It'll be out 9 October 2018.
After I finish book 4 in the Ice Age Shifters series, I'll be working on Spark Transform, book 5 in the Central Galactic Concordance series. I'm excited about returning to this universe, because the big damn story arc only halfway done. The “interesting times” curse is about to come to the galaxy, and this story, and the one after it, have been clamoring in my head for some time now.
I've had to break it to the cats that the outline for Spark Transform does not, at present, include any cats. They are very put out.
Amazon U.S. ~ 99¢
Amazon Canada ~ 99¢
Amazon Australia ~ 99¢
Amazon UK ~ £0.99
~ ~ FREE TO READ in Kindle Unlimited ~ ~
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In my next podcast, I'll talk more about the next books in the Ice Age Shifters series, and read an excerpt from Shift of Destiny.
If you're so inclined, you can watch me live on Facebook on an upcoming Friday.
.
The post Shifter Mate Magic, Writing To Market, and More (Podcast) appeared first on Carol Van Natta - Author.
May 15, 2018
Shifter Mate Magic is Here!
I am giddy about my new Ice Age Shifters paranormal romance series, and book 1, Shifter Mate Magic is here! It debuts today on Amazon for an introductory price of 99¢, and is free to read in Kindle Unlimited. The series is about extraordinary shifters for extraordinary challenges. Three more books will be out this summer. Read the first chapter for free.
A lonely bear shifter meets his mate. She’s running for her life and doesn’t have time for romance.
Pregnant Jackie Breton just escaped from a corrupt feline pack intent on selling her half-shifter baby to the highest bidder. She’s smart, independent, and has a desperate plan to keep her baby safe: Get away from the pride as fast and far as possible.
Trevor Hammond, prehistoric bear shifter, has been rejected by everyone in his life for… being born, basically. Well, except for the beloved aunt who raised him. He’s built a career as an independent trucker, but life would be much better with someone he can hold in his arms and claim as his own.
When Jackie meets Trevor at a truck stop, his bear demands he help her. His aunt even calls with a dire warning: Get Jackie to the magical sanctuary town in Wyoming before she’s killed.
Jackie thinks he’s sexy as hell, but too good to be true. She doesn’t trust shifters. With the feline pride hot on her trail, however, Trevor and the quirky town of Kotoyeesinay might be her only chance for survival. Even Trevor’s indomitable bear may be no match for the dangerous enemy seeking retribution.
Discover the secret world of magic and true mates in Shifter Mate Magic, the first book in USA TODAY bestselling author Carol Van Natta's fun, action-filled, steamy-hot Ice Age Shifters series.
Buy SHIFTER MATE MAGIC for 99¢ on Amazon U.S.
Buy SHIFTER MATE MAGIC for 99¢ on Amazon Australia
Buy SHIFTER MATE MAGIC for £0.99 on Amazon UK
Free to read in Kindle Unlimited
The post Shifter Mate Magic is Here! appeared first on Carol Van Natta - Author.
May 7, 2018
Shifter Mate Magic Excerpt #2
Shifter Mate Magic is the first book in my new Ice Age Shifters paranormal romance series. As you might have guessed from the title, it's all about shifters, but it also has magic, elves, fairies, and dragons. Below is a short Shifter Mate Magic excerpt. (See another one here.) Jackie has a lot on her plate at the moment, what with being pregnant and running for her life. Hardly the time to meet the most chivalrous, sexiest man on the planet, even if her body wants her to stay:
They walked quietly together as the parking lot’s lights blinked on. His mother must have brought him up right, because he matched his stride to hers and kept a respectful distance. She allowed herself the secret, impossible fantasy that he was her man and she was his woman.
“Do you have someone you can call?” He glanced at her stomach, then away. “A mate, maybe?”
“No, thank God. I’ve had quite enough of shifters for a while.” Realizing what she’d said, she added hastily, “Present company excepted.”
He shrugged one shoulder, but his mouth twitched with humor. It gave her the wild impulse to do whatever it took to see him really smile, because she just knew he’d be stunning. And she shouldn’t be having those thoughts. She was a total basket case.
The sun dipped to touch the highest mountains to the west just as they arrived at her motorcycle. It looked lonely, standing by itself.
She shook off the fantasy, then looked up into his beautiful coppery eyes. “Thank you again.”
“I was thinking.” He tightened his hands into fists in his pockets, making his arm muscles bulge. “My semi only has half a load in the trailer. I could put your bike in there and take you someplace safe for the night.”
She shook her head. “That’s a gracious offer, but I need to keep moving.” She zipped up the jacket to prevent it from flapping in the wind and turned the kerchief at her neck around, so she could pull it up over her mouth to protect against road dust.
His eyes darkened. “If you’re in trouble, maybe I can help.”
He was making this so hard. “If I were in trouble, it would be horribly unfair of me to drag you into it, after you kicked coyote-shifter ass for me.” She fished the key out of her pocket and put it in the ignition.
“I wouldn’t mind.” His resolute expression hinted at stubborn determination. He glanced to her stomach again. “You shouldn’t be unprotected.”
She appreciated his tact. He’d obviously figured out she was pregnant. Shifters could scent that kind of thing immediately. The coyotes should have noticed, but they’d been too drunk on high-test booze and shifter-mate lust.
“I shouldn’t be a lot of things, but here I am.”
About Shifter Mate Magic
A lonely bear shifter meets his mate. She’s running for her life and doesn’t have time for romance.
Pregnant Jackie Breton just escaped from a corrupt feline pack intent on selling her half-shifter baby to the highest bidder. She’s smart, independent, and has a desperate plan to keep her baby safe: Get away from the pride as fast and far as possible.
Trevor Hammond, prehistoric bear shifter, has been rejected by everyone in his life for… being born, basically. Well, except for the beloved aunt who raised him. He’s built a career as an independent trucker, but life would be much better with someone he can hold in his arms and claim as his own.
When Jackie meets Trevor at a truck stop, his bear demands he help her. His aunt even calls with a dire warning: Get Jackie to the magical sanctuary town in Wyoming before she’s killed.
Jackie thinks he’s sexy as hell, but too good to be true. She doesn’t trust shifters. With the feline pride hot on her trail, however, Trevor and the quirky town of Kotoyeesinay might be her only chance for survival. Even Trevor’s indomitable bear may be no match for the dangerous enemy seeking retribution.
Discover the secret world of magic and true mates in Shifter Mate Magic, the first book in USA TODAY bestselling author Carol Van Natta's fun, action-filled, steamy-hot Ice Age Shifters series.
Release date: 15 May 2018
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May 6, 2018
Ice Age Shifters, Pets in Space 3, and Author Reading (Podcast)
Carol Van Natta's Video Podcast #7
This is my author podcast number 7, wherein I talk about my new series, Ice Age Shifters, Pets in Space 3, and read to you. Oh, and I talk about Fort Collins Comic Con's benefit event, the Kessel Run.
Astute readers will note the number above and deduce there are previous videos:
Podcast #1 ~ Podcast #2 ~ Podcast #3 ~ Podcast #4 ~ Podcast #5 ~ Podcast #6
This podcast is a recorded Facebook Live session from Friday, 4 May 2018. See https://youtu.be/TA3b4xRLc48
For those who won't watch a 12-minute of video of anyone who isn't a woman dealing with baby pandas (not that I blame you), here's the TL;DW (too long; didn't watch) synopsis.
Fort Collins Comic Con – the Kessel Run (May the Fourth)
Fort Collins Comic Con, who are having their May the 4th Kessel Run this evening. It's at the downtown Fort Collins library and registration starts at 5:00p. People wear appropriate costumes and walk or run around the block at the library. They have outdoor and indoor activities, and it all benefits the Fort Collins Comic Con in August. Which, in turn benefits the Fort Collins Library, in a neat bit of synchronicity. I'll be at the Comic Con, but I can't go to the Kessel Run this year. Next year, I hope to entice the resident mad scientist out for the evening, because he has this really cool Dr. Doom mask. That's close to Darth Vader, right?
Ice Age Shifters
When I first came up with the concept for the Ice Age Shifters series, the first thing all my friends said was “Cool concept, but you hate being cold — why the Ice Age?”
The most famous place to see fossils of Ice Age megafauna in North America is the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. A hidden subterranean oil seep created treacherous ground that trapped prey animals, which in turn snared predators, which in turn snared carrion eaters. Prehistoric lions, tigers, and bears all met their unpleasant end. The gooey tar preserved their bones for us to find.
The excellent life-sized exhibits proved to me that I definitely would NOT want to be hunted by an American lion (Panthera atrox), dire wolves (Canis dirus), or a prehistoric bear (Arctotherium). They all towered over their modern counterparts, had big teeth and claws, and were built for cold (unlike me).
I’ve always wanted to write a paranormal romance shifters series with humor and heart, so when I came across an article about paleontologists excavating an extinct type of bear in South America, inspiration struck. What if, in the right circumstances, shifters are born as throwbacks to that earlier time, when the animals were really, really big and dangerous? From that spark, my series was born. Ice Age shifters don't fit in with modern shifter clans, packs, and prides, who don’t know what to do with the megafauna in their midst.
Fortunately, their true mates do.
Pets in Space 3
So, I've mentioned once or twice, or maybe a billion times, I'm writing a story for this year's Pets in Space 3 science fiction romance anthology.
The title of my story is CATS OF WAR. I know, you're shocked—shocked!—that my story involves cats. You may blame mine. They pile into my lap while I'm writing, walk on my keyboard, test gravity with stuff from my desk, and absolutely insist that all space opera is vastly improved by the presence of cats.
This year's anthology is called Embrace the Passion: Pets in Space 3. My story in it will be another standalone novella set in my Central Galactic Concordance space opera universe. I got carried away in Pet Trade (from Embrace the with seventeen(!) pets, so there are only two pets in CATS OF WAR.
Last year, I dressed my cat in a homemade dinosaur costume and took pictures. Fortunately, my cat is a good sport, so I might do something similar this year. (Not the podcast producer cat — the cosplaying cat is a different cat.) Besides, if they insist that all space opera is improved with the addition of cats, then they're going to have to help me promote the stories.
Author Reading from Shifter Mate Magic
In the podcast, I read an excerpt from Shifter Mate Magic, which is book 1 in the IAS series. You could skip to that part in the podcast, or if spoken words don't work for you, here's an excerpt you can a read quietly for yourself.
Release date: 15 May 2018
In my next podcast, I'll talk about the next books in the series.
If you're so inclined, you can watch me live on Facebook on an upcoming Friday.
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