Today I’m sharing an inside look at (and two excerpts from)
Killer in Wolf's Clothing. This super-hot gay paranormal/shifter romance is a
fun look at the werewolf legend and blends mystery, danger, humor, and sizzling
love scenes.
Killer in Wolf’s Clothing
A super aggressive Alpha male, a serial killer, and a visit
to a kinky sex club… What has Larry gotten himself into?
When Larry learns that his boyfriend Greg changes into
another man during the full moon, he has a hard time accepting it—until he
meets Deke, Greg’s alternate Alpha personality.
Deke doesn’t play nice and has no time for games. He only
wants two things—to get laid and to get revenge against the arsonist who
murdered his friends. Finally free from Greg’s restraints, Deke is ready for
action, and Larry is more than willing to submit to Deke’s needs.
Together, Larry and Deke set out to find the killer. Their
hunt takes them to an all-night Alpha sex club where things heat up for the two
of them. But when Larry unwittingly falls into the clutches of the murderer,
it’s up to Deke—and Greg—to save him before it’s too late.
As readers may know, I write in nearly every romance genre
(historical, fantasy, gay, paranormal, and contemporary) and my books vary in
heat level from mild to super-sizzling hot. Killer in Wolf’s Clothing is a
blend of several genres (gay, contemporary, and paranormal) and readers might
be wondering how this unusual story came about.
Although I write horror and romance, I’m a traditionalist
when it comes to my “monsters” and I didn’t think I ever would (or could) write
a “werewolf in love” story. In my book, werewolves are ferocious, snarling
animals who closely resemble the creatures from the movie Dog Soldiers.
In some werewolf lore, the cursed human doesn’t physically
grow a tail and pointed ears, but rather takes on wolf-like characteristics and
becomes more aggressive and violent. I decided to use this as the basis for my
“werewolf” and instead of having Deke turn into an actual wolf, he becomes an
Alpha male. As Larry says in the book, “It’s more Incredible Hulk than American
Werewolf in London.”
But the uniqueness of this romance doesn’t end there. Not
only is Deke and Alpha male, he’s out for revenge against a fellow Alpha who
murdered several of his friends.
Although the book is a paranormal romance involving a serial
killer, right from the start, I knew I had to balance the dark subject matter
with a light tone; otherwise the story would get too heavy. (After all, this is
a romance!) So I decided to have a little fun with the story and the
characters.
What would be your first reaction if someone you loved told
you they changed into a werewolf? Disbelief? Shock? Send that person to the
psych ward? It’s a little hard to take such things seriously, so I gave Larry a
smart-ass sense of humor when it came to dealing with Greg’s affliction. The
jokes and his sarcastic wit added a comedic element and eased the tension when
things got very… hairy. (Sorry!)
Killer in Wolf's Clothing is not your typical shifter or
werewolf/shifter romance. Some people might have a problem or take issue with
the subject matter, the use of humor, and/or my treatment of shifters (what
they expect a shifter to be could be quite different from my interpretation) in
this book. Yes, it's very different. Yes, it's graphic. And yes, you either
"get" it or you don't.
When the book was originally published by Amber Quill Press,
I left the ending open, so readers could decide for themselves how things would
turn out for our threesome. Would Greg be cured of his “werewolf” disease and
not turn during the next full moon? If so, what would happen to Deke? Would
Larry turn into an Alpha or remain human?
Personally, I wasn’t sure how I wanted it to end. Over the
course of the story, Deke and Larry develop a bond and get along great. (Larry
even tells Deke that he and Greg can share him.) Deke opens up a bit as he
comes to terms with his past and realizes what truly matters in life. Greg
relaxes his hold on Deke, and appreciates the fact that sometimes it’s good to
have a brute like Deke around.
A few readers told me that they wished the book had a
clear-cut ending. This time around, it does. I thought about the different ways
I could take the story and came up with a satisfying conclusion that leaves
everyone in a good place.
Here are two mild excerpts from Killer in Wolf’s Clothing:
“I don’t know how it happens, but during the phase of the
full moon there’s a physical transformation. I get aggressive and bigger—”
“Bigger how exactly?” Larry teased.
He smiled. “Get your mind out of the gutter. I change,
physically change.”
“Into what? A wolf with a tail and pointy ears?”
“No, it’s not like in the movies. I don’t turn into a
monster. I become someone else.”
Larry dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “That’s
impossible. Maybe you have an undiagnosed personality disorder. Have you seen a
psychiatrist?”
“Three of them. They all told me I suffered from delusions.”
Greg drank down more of his beer. “One woman said my Alpha persona was a
manifestation of my true male sexuality fighting against the gay side of me.”
He laughed. “I didn’t tell her that my Alpha self is gay, too.”
Larry sat up. “He is?”
“Oh yeah, definitely.”
“Wow, that’s good. I mean… Wait... you’re acting way too
serious about this.”
“I am?” He arched an eyebrow and stared into Larry’s blue
eyes. “Would you like to see the video?”
***
Larry lay down on his side, facing Deke. Up close, the
musky, manly scent was stronger, and his heart beat faster. What did Deke have
in mind? “Now what?”
“This.” Deke leaned forward and kissed him hard on the
mouth. Deke’s rough, stubbled chin grazed his cheek, and he tensed for a
second. Deke kissed him again, hot, needy and insistent. Larry felt himself
giving in. He wanted this; he wanted Deke to take charge. He smelled so good
he’d let Deke do whatever he wanted.
Deke’s tongue plunged into his mouth and Larry kissed him back,
desperately craving more. They kissed for a few minutes, teasing each other
with their tongues. Just when things were heating up, Deke pulled away.
“I knew you’d like it. You act like you don’t want to be my
love slave, but you do, I can tell.”
Larry pursed his lips. How did Deke know? When he and Greg
played their games, he wanted Greg to take charge, but he never did. Deke
wouldn’t hesitate about taking over—and he was more than willing to let him.
Order Killer in Wolf’s Clothing here:
All other platforms: https://www.books2read.com/u/mYRB6x
If you’re a fan of gay paranormal romances, I hope you’ll
check it out and let me know what you think.
If gay love stories aren’t your
thing, visit my Amazon author page to catch up on all of my m/f romances.
Happy Reading!
Kelli
