Guest Blogger Chris T. Kat

Please welcome back my friend and fellow author Chris T. Kat, author of A Purrfect Match. Today she's going to talk about her newest release with Dreamspinner Press, Secret Chemistry. If you're not familiar with Chris, she particularly likes to write about unusual shifters, and she writes some of the cutest little critters I've ever seen! Her characters are simply adorable! So, Chris, why don't you tell them a little something about your boys while I find us something to snack on?  Ooh, look what I found. chocolate sushi!

Julie, thank you very much for having me back on your blog. It's good to be here. :)

My new novel, Secret Chemistry, released on January 11th. It’s a m/m shape-shifter romance (published by Dreamspinner Press), and the two main characters are Tim Evans, a werewolf, and Jay Cox, a hybrid between wolf and fox.

Tim and Jay meet for the first time when they're very young. Tim is thirteen and Jay is three years old. Tim is shocked when he finds out how young Jay really is while Jay simply takes everything at face-value. He trusts Tim implicitly, reacting mostly on a subconscious level.

When I first told some people that Secret Chemistry would start with the two main characters this young they voiced their concern. They believed it would make them—and other people—uncomfortable. I figured this was probably due to the fact that most shape-shifter stories are heavy on the mating aspect. They feared I'd describe sexual acts between them. I had a little “What the hell?” moment...

Yes, the first part of the book is about Tim and Jay as kids. Yes, they are mates. But they do not mate at this age. That would be deeply disturbing. The fact they are kids is the reason why they can't stay together after their first meeting. Tim can't claim Jay as his mate because they're both too young. He can't protect him from his pack or anyone else either because he's too weak.

I chose this beginning particularly because I wanted to show mates can find their soul-mate very early in life. In most of the shape-shifter books I've read the shifters found their mates in their early twenties or at least after they're old enough to be sexually active. There's only one book that mentions a connection between a teenager and an older man and they don't act on a sexual level either. I wanted Tim and Jay to find their special someone very early. They can't hold onto each other though and have some obstacles to overcome before they reach their Happy For Now (HFN).

If you like you are most welcome to participate in the GoodReads giveaway for the paperback version of Secret Chemistry here: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/40767-secret-chemistry

 Blurb:

Not all werewolf societies are created equal. The one Tim Evans grew up in detests those not of “pure blood”—so when Tim discovers his mate is Jay, a male fox-wolf hybrid ten years his junior, it shocks him, to say the least. Too young to claim his mate and too weak to protect him from the rest of the pack, Tim fears for Jay’s life. When a human gets hold of Jay, Tim believes he has lost him forever.

The next eighteen years are hell. Tim devotes his life to his family and running their stable, but anger and depression threaten to consume him. Then fate brings Jay back into his life. Tim knows Jay feels the same attraction he does—mates always do. So why won’t Jay act on it?

Buy link:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3520

I included an excerpt from Chapter Four of Secret Chemistry:

Enveloped in that enticing scent, everything around them faded to the background. Tim’s heart soared and his soul reached out. He had never felt so calm, so happy, so utterly content, so complete before. The world suddenly made sense, was a good place, where his life had meaning.

Tim hunkered down on the ground with Jay following suit. Jay curled himself between Tim’s paws, nudging his head repeatedly against Tim’s. He wagged his tail, the tip tickling Tim’s nose with every upward stroke. Mesmerized, Tim watched the white tip until he couldn’t contain himself anymore.

With a playful growl, he lunged at it. Jay squeaked in surprise. Tim snatched at the tip, holding it carefully for a short time before releasing it.

Assessing Tim’s mood quickly, Jay stood up. Deliberately, slowly, he waved the tip of his tail in front of Tim’s eyes, then brushed it over Tim’s sensitive nose. Tim yelped in surprise and delight, which elicited a cackle from Jay.

Squealing happily, Jay dashed away, with Tim right on his heels. He allowed the pup to believe he could outrun Tim for some time. When Jay chose a fallen tree trunk to climb up and strut on, his chest all puffed up arrogantly, Tim shook his head.

A second later, he held the still-cackling pup in his mouth. After carrying him over to a secluded space under a bush he had spotted on their arrival, Tim carefully released Jay’s neck. Jay seized the opportunity to crawl up on him, his tiny paws barely making an impression on Tim.

Geez, Jay was really a lightweight! Even Robin’s paws made more of an effect on Tim when he climbed up on him.

A sting at his right ear evoked a surprised yelp of pain from Tim. Hey! You’re one cheeky little rascal!

I no rascal. I foxy wolf.

Tim’s light mood evaporated. Jay had just brought the harsh reality back with a sledgehammer. Tim stared at the small body sprawled on top of his back, already making himself ready for another attack on Tim’s ear.

Whoa! No more biting, rascal.

I no—

I know what you are, and you are a rascal.

Jay stopped his movements, choosing to silently glance at Tim. He lowered himself fully onto Tim’s back. Turning sad eyes on Tim, he asked hesitantly, You mad?

No! God, no, I’m not mad. Come down.

Why? I like here. You soft.

Tim’s heart lurched abruptly in his chest. How could so few words have such an effect on him? Why did his heart feel like it might burst out of sheer love at any moment?

Tim inhaled sharply when it struck him what he had just thought. Love. He loved that little guy. Oh Christ! The scales fell from his eyes as realization finally hit him full force.

He had found his mate.

His mate who was a hybrid, and to top that, he was three years old: a child, a really young child. Shocked, Tim craned his head to stare at the small pup nestling comfortably on top of him. How was this supposed to work out?

That sounds really wonderful, Chris. I've already entered the Goodreads contest to win a copy of the book!

Thanks so much for stopping by, you know you're welcome any time! Come back soon!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie