Guest Author, Kate Hill

Hey all you shapeshifter fans out there, please help me welcome our awesome guest author, Kate Hill.

She's here today to share a bit about herself and her writing, plus she'll be offering a free download (winners choice) from her Whisper series to one lucky poster!

So, lets get to it..

Hello Kate,
Welcome to Shapeshifter Seductions!  Tell me...



Where do you get the inspirations for your books?

Kate: Just about anything can inspire a book. Sometimes it's a person or a place. The Whisper series, for example, was inspired by several different New England towns. It has a seashore, a wooded area and a picturesque town square with historical buildings. It seems like a typical New England town, except most of the residents are supernatural.

Do you find it difficult at times to write love scenes?

Kate: I need to be in the mood to write love scenes, but when the characters have strong chemistry, it's easy to get into that mood! Black Cat starts out with a love scene and I really looked forward to writing it because throughout the series I've been hinting at the relationship between Edmond and Tobias. It was great to finally explore it.

If you could change places with one character from your books, who would it be and why?

Kate: I'd like to change places with Cal, the hero of Whisper 1: Dragon's Bar because I think it would be interesting to have shapeshifting abilities.

How long have you been writing and who are your publishers?
 
Kate: I’ve been telling stories for as long as I can remember, but when I was sixteen I started writing with the hope of being published. It took over ten years for me to actually get published. My first story was accepted in 1996, so it's been a while. I currently write for Changeling Press, Ellora's Cave and New Concepts Publishing.

Tell us a bit about your new release.

Kate: Black Cat is the last book in the Whisper series. Whisper is a fictional New England town founded for the supernatural by the supernatural. It's governed by a secret organization called the Original Town Council that is made up of a vampire, a cat shifter, a werewolf, an elf and a witch.

Edmond Chancellor is leader of the council. He's a vampire who severed ties with his family because he didn't agree with their violent ways. His dream was to create a sanctuary for supernatural beings who want to live in peace, so Whisper was his idea. Edmond is deeply in love with another member of the council, cat shifter Tobias Crawford.

Though Tobias loves Edmond, he has refused his proposal to make their union permanent. Tobias is still haunted by his past, but Edmond is willing to wait for him to come to terms with it.

Do any of your characters from previous books appear in your latest?
 
Kate: Yes, just about all the characters from the previous Whisper stories appear in Black Cat. Cal from Dragon's Bar, Sara and Nathaniel from Bronzed, and Hugh from Mating Call make appearances. Also Marka and Reese, secondary characters in the series, have parts in Black Cat.

One of the things I love about a series is having the same characters appear throughout the books. As both a reader and a writer I love to revisit old favorites.

I hope you enjoy the following excerpt from Whisper 4: Black Cat.

Whisper 4: Black Cat
by Kate Hill
(M/M Vampire/Shapeshifter)
From Changeling Press
http://www.changelingpress.com

Vampire Edmond Chancellor and cat shifter Tobias Crawford have had a not-so-secret affair for over three hundred years. Edmond wants to bond with Tobias permanently, but Tobias has reasons for keeping his distance.

On a chilly December night, both men turn to past memories for guidance, but it's a present danger that makes them realize that time is precious, even to men who are practically immortal.

The Following Excerpt from Black Cat is for readers 18 and over.
Tobias had hoped that by bringing his family to this new world, they would have a chance to build a life for themselves, away from the unsubstantiated hatred. The endless wilderness of this place would take generations to populate, even for creatures as ambitious as man.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy breathing and the familiar slash of a blade through air. Tobias growled and his fur bristled. On silent feet he stalked through the snowy woods and paused behind a boulder outside a clearing. A man wearing boots, breeches and a linen shirt, damp with sweat despite the weather, practiced with a sword with a silver pommel. He had shoulder-length brown hair bound at his nape. Several tendrils had come loose and clung to his damp cheek and neck. His wide-set blue eyes gleamed in the moonlight as he fought an imaginary opponent. Tobias' heart skipped a beat at the fierceness in those eyes.

Tobias knew this wasn't a mere human--the man's scent told him that. It was a deliciously powerful aroma, similar to that of an animal shifter. It was musky yet fresh but with an underlying potency-like the finest Egyptian incense. Tobias had met people with a similar scent and they were invariably dangerous.

Blood drinkers.

Killers.

Vampires.

Tobias tensed. He hadn't expected to find a vampire here in this untamed land. Vampires liked their creature comforts, not to mention they preferred to mark their territory in heavily populated areas where hunting was simple, plentiful, and where no one asked questions when slaves and peasants went missing.

Worst of all, Tobias knew that there was never only one vampire. Like wolves, they traveled in packs, yet unlike wolves they killed for pleasure, not simply to survive.

Tobias' protective instincts rose. Should he attack now and rid his new home of this fiend? Yet if he did, this vampire's kin would hunt him and his family. Although they despised most other races, vampires were fiercely loyal to their own families.

The vampire stopped his practice and stood, panting, his jewel-like eyes surveying the area.

"Who's there?" he called in a smooth voice, neither too deep nor too high. It was perfect and Tobias resisted the urge to purr at the sound of it.

Tobias remained still, blending in the shadows.

"I know you're there. I can smell you."

Damn. Vampires' senses were almost as keen as those of cat shifters.

"Show yourself, since I've ruined your plans for a surprise attack. Or perhaps you'll run. I wouldn't be surprised if you did. After all, only cowards hide in the shadows."

Tobias nearly snorted with laughter. It was a childish taunt, designed to draw out a stupid foe. Tobias hadn't lived thousands of years because he was stupid or merely lucky.

For several moments neither Tobias nor the vampire moved or spoke. It seemed they didn't so much as breathe.

Then the vampire approached. Tobias considered running or attacking, but like most cats, curiosity got the better of him. He stepped from behind the boulder, directly in the path of the vampire who stopped walking, his blue eyes wide.

Tobias' tail swished in a warning and he growled softly.

"Can't say I expected this," the vampire said.

Tobias circled him. The vampire turned slowly, following Tobias' movements. He held his sword firmly, but not in an attack position. Still Tobias was prepared to dodge a blow and defend himself. He knew better than to trust a vampire.


Previous books in the Whisper series:

Whisper 1: Dragon's Bar
Whisper 2: Bronzed
Whisper 3: Mating Call


About Kate

Always a fan of romance and the paranormal, Kate Hill started writing over twenty years ago for pleasure. Her first story, a short erotic vampire tale, was accepted for publication in 1996. Since then she has sold over one hundred short stories, novellas and novels.

When she's not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out and spending time with her family and pets.

She enjoys hearing from readers and she can be contacted at katehill@sprintmail.com .


Contest

To enter this contest you must be 18 or over.

To enter for the chance to win a download of one of the first three books in the Whisper series (winner's choice of title), please comment. The contest will run for three days from the day of this post. At the end of that time, a winner will be selected from the comments. Thank you!