Weekend Spotlight: Silver Mine by Vivian Arend + Giveaway

Blurb

If a tree falls in the forest, duck…

Life in isolation is the safest place for Chase Johnson, a crossbreed who doesn’t know which form he’ll assume next—cougar or wolf. Once a year, his unelected position as spokesman for the Yukon outcasts forces him to visit civilization. This time he runs across someone unexpected. She’s not his mate, but she pushes all the right buttons.

It’s taken years for Shelley Bradley to gather the courage to return to her home pack. In spite of being the lowest of the low—a shifter who can’t shift—she’s determined to make a place for herself as the Whitehorse locals’ new vet-slash-doctor.

There’s definite electricity between her and Chase, but sex with fellow shifters and the inherent mind games got old a long time ago. Ignoring him seems best. When he shows up at her office with a wound that won’t heal, she’s stuck—yet drawn to solve this medical mystery.

As they journey deep into outcast territory in search of answers, their powerful sexual attraction crumbles her resistance. But time is of the essence. If a cure can’t be found before his human and cougar succumb to his injury, he—and others like him—will die.

Warning: Contains a silver-tongued, hairy-chested, lean-muscled Alpha who’s got what it takes to lead in the wilderness and in the bedroom. Yeah, I know…not really much of a deterrent, is it? Throw in continuing territorial wars and a domestic cat. Stir and enjoy the chaos.

Exclusive Excerpt

He accepted the handshake, surprised by the firmness of her grasp. “Chase Johnson. Just visiting for a few days, and in time to enjoy the event.”

He turned with anticipation, squatting to offering his hand to the other woman.

She swallowed again, slower to reach out and place her fingers in his. “Shelley. Welcome to Whitehorse.”

The touch of her palm to his was electrifying. All his anticipation totally underestimated the impact as her scent wrapped around him.

Wolf. Definitely wolf, but…not pack. There was a change that occurred when someone hung out with dozens of other shifters for long periods of time, and she didn’t have it. There was another scent clinging to her that made him nearly fall over backward.

Cat?

Impossible. The odds against there being another crossbreed exactly like himself were astronomical. He held her hand and her gaze, and allowed the confusion to wash away in the glow of exactly how good it felt to touch her.

“Ahem.”

Shelley stared at him, her mouth a small O of shock. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, and the answering flash of excitement in her eyes made his body thrill. Oh yes, this would be a goodgood night if he had any choice in the matter.

“Yoo-hoo, earth to Shelley.”

His fascinating woman didn’t move her gaze away while she answered her sister. “What?”

Caroline’s volume dropped to a mere whisper. “I want to know if this is one of those shifter things. Because if it is, which is what it looks like, and you two stripping and going for it is on the agenda, I suggest you remember where you are.”

The interesting fact that the human knew about shifters was kind of crowded over by the images she’d conjured up by the words “stripping and going for it”. Chase took another deep breath and allowed the sweet scent of Shelley’s arousal to soak into his system. “We can control it.”

“You’re not mates, are you?”

Shelley’s eyes snapped wide, and she jerked her fingers from his.

Chase paused. Checked inside. He was very attracted to the woman, that was true, and his wolf seemed to be the more attentive of the two sides of his nature, but even that beast wasn’t demanding any more than usual when presented with someone he was attracted to. Wolves liked sex. Period. “It’s not a mating thing.”

“Oh God, no, not mates.” Shelley spat out the words at the same time as he did, as if desperate to make the declaration.

The panic on her part seemed out of place, especially in light of their undeniable physical lust. Chase fought his desire to sweep the woman up like a caveman and remove her to a private place where they could ravish each other until they were both rather exhausted.

He was curious why her words seemed in total opposition to what her body so loudly stated.

A series of loud bangs sounded from their right. Caroline and the crowd of humans around them all jerked their heads to see what caused the disturbance, but the man in front of Shelley didn’t so much as twitch. As his visual contact remained unbroken, the pounding in her chest kicked up a notch.

She had no wolf, or at least not one that would come to the surface for more than brief moments, and never enough to allow her to shift. And with no real wolf, she could have no mate—that much the Omegas and pack leadership had been able to dreg up from historical records. Outcast, unwanted. Neither human enough to be tolerated nor mutant enough to be despised, it had taken years before she’d found a place of peace in her heart for who she was.

Not-wolf. Not-human. Just…Shelley.

But staring into this man’s eyes? For one split second when Caroline had asked if they were mates, Shelley had experienced that torturous twist in her belly of longing for something that could never be.

Let’s Talk

Q: What would you like readers to know about the book before they read it?

A: Silver Mine is an escape to a part of the world that many readers have dreamed about experiencing. You get to visit the Yukon and northern wilderness while in the comfort of your own home.

Q: What do you hope readers will take with them after they’ve read the book?

A: As with all my books, I hope they’ll have had a great getaway from reality for a bit–a chance to laugh a little on the way to seeing people finding a HEA.

Q: Who is your favorite character in this book?

A: I love them all, but would have to go with Enigma the kitten who steals the show in a few scenes. They said to never work with children or animals…

Q: Is there a character who gives you fits and makes you want to go ninja?

A: It the interaction between certain characters that can send me over. Shaun and Evan (Beta and pack Alpha), Evan and his human lover Caroline. Even in the bush the old-timer Delton and the young wolf shifter who decides he’s more of a lapdog than a human… it’s when they interact that the magic happens.

Q: You may have noticed we like to include our favorite quote in our reviews of the books we read. What is your favorite quote from this book?

 So much for being the biggest, baddest dude in the room. Chase knew his place in this hierarchy, and it appeared the fur ball outranked all of them.

Q: What’s up next for you?

A: November 40 readers will be able to get their hands on the next of the Coleman Cowboys. Rocky Mountain Angel returns to the Coleman ranch, only this time to the Angel section. Drop by my website for more information and an excerpt.

Silver Mine by Vivian Arend
09/11/2012 by Samhain Publishing
Amazon || Barnes & Noble || Samhain
Vivian Arend’s website
Fiction Vixen Review

Giveaway

Enter to win:
Three winners will receive an ebook copy of book one in the series, BLACK GOLD.

Giveaway is open to all. You have until end of day September 14 to enter, winner will be announced soon after.

Giveaway sponsored by: Vivian Arend

No purchase necessary to win. You must be 18 or over to enter, void where prohibited. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. FVBR is not being compensated for this giveaway. If the winner declines to accept or fails to claim their prize within 72 hours of the announcement they forfeit their prize. Prize distribution is the sole responsibility of the giveaway sponsor. Fiction Vixen Book Reviews will not be held responsible for lost or misdirected prizes or for circumstances beyond our control. More information here.