Claiming the She-Wolf by Louisa Bacio
When her older brother leaves the Black Hills to go to college, Tala Graystone stays behind, determined to restore their dilapidated home into a B&B for the pack. As more people return to the area, the need for temporary housing increases. Now, if only she can find someone to help with the heavy lifting.
Yas Collins fled Los Lobos as a child with his mother. As he struggles with his wolf and overpowering shifts, a desire for nature and the forest strikes hard. Black Hills, South Dakota, beckons him. With a background in construction, he easily finds work at Tala’s dilapidated B&B, but not everyone in town greets him with open arms.
As the remodel gets underway, Tala and Yas fight their growing attraction. Yas doesn’t trust his wolf urges around beautiful B&B owner. The she-wolf, however, has other plans.
Excerpt from Claiming the She-Wolf:
A growl from low in his throat threatened to escape. The rumble started in his chest, and he fought to keep it down.
She turned, looking down at him. “Did you say something?”
“Umm, no. Just clearing my throat.”
He needed to get his base instincts under control. Recent research showed that wolves in the wild killed in order to protect their domains and to get more space. He didn’t want to be ruled by his wolf. He’d grown up in the city, with humans, not out in the forest. His mom had tried to talk to him about shifting, but as a woman, she didn’t have the same experience.
He couldn’t go to a shifters anonymous group for help with his sexual urges. Maybe he needed to start his own support group. He snorted at the idea. At the top of the landing, Tala turned to the right, and he followed.
They entered what had to be the master bedroom suite. It was painted a vibrant lavender color, and the bed had a green floral comforter with an abundance of fluffy throw pillows. White dollies rested on the two nightstands, and a vase of wildflowers called for attention. The feminine room seemed in sharp contrast to his host. She didn’t look frilly.
“This will be your quarters.” Her lips pursed, and she blinked a few times.
The idea shocked him. “What? I’m sorry, but it looks like your room.”
“Well, it has been. But it’s the nicest room in the house, and as a guest, figure you should have it to be comfortable. I’ll move my things into another one.”
He waved his hands in front of him, as if shooing away something physically bad. “No way. No can do. Give me the second best, then. My first job can be fixing it up.”
She smiled. “Well, second best would be my brother’s room, and even though he’s on a trip right now, I don’t feel comfortable moving his stuff. So third best, and we work today to make it more, um, livable?”
Her choice of words made him pause. “Deal.”
Book Links:
About the Author:
A Southern California native, Louisa Bacio can’t imagine living far away from the ocean. The multi-published author of erotic romance enjoys writing within all realms – from short stories to full-length novels.
Bacio shares her household with a supportive husband, two daughters growing “too fast,” and a multitude pet craziness: Two dogs, five fish tanks, an aviary, hamsters, rabbits and hermit crabs. In her other life, she teaches college classes in English, journalism and popular culture.
Contact Details:
Website http://www.louisabacio.com
Email: louisabacio@yahoo.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/louisabacio
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/louisabacio
Character Interview:
Sit down with
Tala, the heroine from Claiming the
She-Wolf.
Where and how would you like to
spend a night of no responsibility, all expenses paid?
Do I ever feel
boring. I’m a small-town gal who likes to stick close to home. I’ve never had
an itch to get out of town, unlike my brother. So how about a nice romantic
picnic beneath the full moon, in the forest? No expense necessary. Just
complete privacy and nature.
If you could change anything about
your story in the book, what would you change?
I would give
those scumbags who are vandalizing my home a piece of my mind. Forget about
waiting for someone else to take care of it. Now that I know who they are, they
better be watching their backs.
Name one significant thing that happened
to you before the book.
It’s not like Los
Lobos has foster care or anything like that. After our parents died, my brother
and I were left on our own. He did the best that he could, but it was pretty
hard only being him and I, and he was always afraid to have me free for fear
something would happen to me. And then he left me to go to college.
What flavor do you favor? Vanilla,
chocolate, or caramel?
Vanilla with
rainbow sprinkles on top. I like a bit of color added to life.
Are you a sunrise or sunset person?
Honey, us
shifters prefer the night under the moon. Best time to run free.
If you could and were inclined to
get a tattoo, what would it be of?
Crescent moon on
my shoulder, but I’d make sure it had that outline of the full moon. You know
those nights when you can see all of it, but only so much is illuminated?
If you could have three wishes to
last for a day, what would they be?
For Gee to answer
any questions that are posed to him; for Yas to remain naked for the entire day
– indoors and out; and for all of Los Lobos be returned to its glory. We’ll get
there.
If you could ask your author any
question, what would it be?
Why did you make
us have sex in so many strange, outdoors places? What’s wrong with a regular
bed?
He-he, I like that last answer.
I've read a few of the Black Hills Wolves books and I think this one is one of my favourites. It's written in an easy-reading style with delightful characters. I don't think I've ever understood shifter romances properly until reading this book. Somehow, the writer made me see for the first time the struggles that shifter characters go through (although fictional) and made me identify especially with the hero in this regard. I enjoyed the premise of Yas helping Tala with her bed and breakfast. She's stubborn and independent but Yas breaks through her barriers. The attraction between them is electric but not over the top. Ha-ha, sometimes I find the immediate reaction too unrealistic in erotic romances. There was also a bit of nail-biting suspense in this novella.
I have to say though, I would have much preferred if this book was longer. For some reason, I wanted to spend more time with the characters.
