Werewolves Don't Hamstring, Do They?

I read werewolf romances as far back as early Susan Krinard, but I haven't written one until now. Writing requires being a temporary expert, so of course I started researching wolves. What I found surprised me.

I gotta say, there doesn't seem to be a lot of wolf in werewolf romantic fiction. Oh, wolves mate once and there's an alpha couple and they have packs and they bring down big game. But here are some tidbits that you may not have known.

Packs are small--usually a family unit of the alpha pair and pups. Most packs are less than 8 members (although the size can get up to 30 or so). Larger packs may have another adult pair that breeds.

Kills are rare--the reported hunting success rate varies depending on the site (and the year) but even the highest is about one in four...and that's after the initial testing for weaknesses is done.

Wolves don't hamstring--they prefer to latch onto the nose or rump.

Wolves don't have to hunt in packs to bring down big game--even a single wolf can bring down big game.

That's just some of what I found. You should see what I discovered about sexuality and scenting...makes my hair raise if it's true. I'm still cross-checking. Obviously when writing about wolf shifters, the werewolf legends have to be researched and woven in. And there's the age-old choice of magic shifters vs. physical shifters...but that's another blog.

**Be sure to check out my guest blog December 29 at Whipped Cream! Comment to enter.
**Just a few more days on the 1T Giveaway

Some sites I used for this information:
Wolfsong
eHow
International Wolf Center
USGS

Writing update

I have recently come to the conclusion that my writing takes time. I'm not one of those authors who can write and polish a book a month, every month. This is a hard thing for me to accept because, well, I'm a bit competitive, and a bit of a perfectionist (I can just hear Mrs. Missive saying "No, really?" :) (Mrs: NaNo writing buddy who kept me in line.)

It's not that I can't write fast. I regularly write 3000 words a day and did a bunch of 10,000 word stories in two days each. I wrote the bones of a 40,000 word story in eight days and once wrote a 90,000 word novel in three weeks.

But my writing takes time to steep. The really good stuff perks through just one thought at a time. I have to make a lot of little edit passes rather than a couple big ones. Although the big ones have their own purpose. Hmm, sounds like a blog topic :)

Anyway I'm trying something out. Instead of writing one story and sticking with it to the bitter end, I'm writing three. I'll take all three to the end of the first draft. Then I'll do all three revisions. Then a trio of polishing passes.

So here's what I'm working on. I have the next novel in the Biting Love universe a few scenes from a complete first draft. I'm not sure if it'll be in the series--right now the heroine is a bit too serious, so we'll see. I started a humorous shifter story in July and am finishing the first draft right now. And I have a dramatic shifter story perking away in my brain for next month.

In about four months I should know if this works or not. I'll either have three wonderful complete novels...or all my hair torn out. Wish me luck!

Finding New Books to Love

Libraries. Bookstores. I love to browse, touch, smell books. I love the thrill of a title or cover that jumps out and grabs me. Browsing is how I used to find all my new authors. But life doesn't always give us the time to travel, to sift. What to do then? Here are some online ideas.

Samhain Publishing has a sidebar to let you browse by theme. Added bonus--see the latest (most recent and upcoming releases) and greatest (top ten best sellers). Here's an example for Comedy.

Joining an online reading group on Shelfari or Goodreads (like the awesome Kindle Smut) will connect you with like-minded readers with tons of great recommendations! 

Amazon has several ways to find new books to love. On each book page is up to a hundred books customers also bought. And check out your favorite author's Author Page (hover over the author's name and click on the "Visit Amazon's author name Page"). On the right side is a list of "Customers Also Bought Items By". Check out other reader's recommendations with Listmania! Search for a favorite author and see what the list author recommends.

And last but definitely not least, FREE! What better way to find a new author than trying their book for free? All Romance Ebooks has Free Reads; Smashwords has a Free filter (this one is Paranormal with Adult Filter OFF); Amazon has their Top 100 Free to the right of the Paid; Stores such as Sony, Kobo, and Diesel have a Free category. Many public libraries also offer ebook lending, such as New York and Wisconsin.

So what about  you? What are your favorite ways to find new books?

And remember this month's giveaway, just for my readers! Comment at last week's post to enter.

For My Readers Only--1T Giveaway Preview

Next month I start some exciting new features here at my blog, the biggest of which is the First Tuesday giveaway. Each first Tuesday of the month I'll offer a contest where I'll choose one winner (who hasn't won in the past twelve months) by random number from all comments on that post. The winner will receive their pick of a Biting Love ebook *or* a $5 Amazon or Samhain Publishing gift certificate.

Special preview giveaway this month for my readers only! That's right, I'm only announcing this here, on my website, on my Facebook page, and at Goodreads. And as a further bonus to Biting Love readers, I'm offering not one, but TWO prizes! Two winners, double the fun!

If you're a 18+ and an adult, and if you consent to having your name listed on the rotating 12-month winner list, just comment on this post to enter. Please note, the Biting Love books contain explicit sex and violence. If you win please consider that when making your prize selection. Winners chosen at the end of the month and posted as part of next month's contest.