Monday, February 17, 2014

Once Upon a Tiger (ADULT title) Excerpt, Review, GFT







    



 


Once Upon a Tiger (Tiger Shifters) is an ADULT title)


Blurb:

She’ll never run. Among the tiger shifters, Alexis Tarasova is regarded as fierce and dangerous, with a reputation that would make even the most daring tiger think twice about challenging her. Female tiger shifters may be rare and the mating run a critical part of their species’s survival, but Alexis is the only female Tracker and will not back down, even at the threat of tiger law. She will not be forced to mate. So when a handful of males band together to force her to participate in the run, Alexis chooses to stand her ground and fight instead.

He's forbidden to run.

Outcast from the tiger shifters after a vicious childhood attack left him mute, Victor Romanov has never taken part in the mate run. He’s never particularly cared, though, since the woman he loves refuses to take a mate. However, when he learns Alexis may be in danger, all bets are off. Nothing will keep him from her side.

Together, they're unmovable.

The chemistry between them burns wickedly hot and forges them into an unbeatable pair. Alexis knows that being with Victor means she will have to break another one of her people’s laws—a move that might push the tigers too far. But, for Victor, she will risk everything, including her life, and do what she thought she’d never do—run.


Excerpt:

Alexis felt his heat, smelled his desire. The combination was driving her nuts. Every fiber of her being strained toward him, wanting to strip off those borrowed clothes and do all sorts of naughty things to his delicious body. When she realized just how close she’d gotten to him, she jumped up and stumbled back toward the kitchen.

“No,” she said once she was at a safe distance. “No, you hanging around is not a good idea.”

He dropped eye contact long enough to write a note, then rose slowly, his every movement holding her attention. So graceful and strong. What would those big hands feel like on her body? Her skin quivered at the thought. She closed her eyes for a moment to rein in her wayward thoughts. When she opened them, he was standing in front of her, holding the notebook up so she could read.

I won’t stay here. I’ll keep to the woods. But I’ll be near enough to help if you need me.

She didn’t want him to go. She wanted him to stay, to drag her off to bed. She could barely think around the thick need racing across her heated skin, the only relief for it in Victor’s arms.

He dropped his hands to his side and took a small step closer. Alexis was so overwhelmed by him she stopped thinking. To hell with the elders and their damned rules. She eased near enough that their clothes brushed. She felt the contact across her entire body.

Their mouths were a breath away, the suspense and desire almost more than she could take.

Then she blinked and he was gone.




Buy links:

Amazon

Smashwords

AllRomance Ebooks




AUTHOR Bio and Links:


Kat Simons earned her Ph.D in animal behavior, working with animals as diverse as dolphins and deer. She brought her experience and knowledge of biology to her paranormal romance fiction, where she delights in taking nature and turning it on its ear. After traveling the world, she now lives in New York City with her family. Kat is a stay-at-home mom and a full time writer.



Website

Facebook
Goodreads
Amazon author page



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GIVEAWAY:

Kat will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.  Please leave a valid e-mail address with a comment on your favorite type of shifter and why you like that type.


For additional entries, please visit other stops on the tour which can be found at this link.


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My review:

3.75 out of 5 stars

“Once Upon a Tiger” is a short novella that centers around female tiger shapeshifter Alexis Tarasova who is in the unique position of being the only female Tracker.  Unfortunately, that is not enough to spare her the pressure to participate in the ritual of the Mate Run and the male of her choice is considered unworthy due to his handicap.  Victor Romanov may be mute but he is still quite able to communicate.  Now, he only has to convince Alexis to tell him what is in her heart.

This sensual paranormal story has a nice twist on the shapeshifter theme and I enjoyed getting a glimpse of this society but I thought it was not quite resolved enough and I felt the objections to Victor were a little illogical in light of his history.  The brevity of the story whets the appetite for at least a longer novella, if not a novel, that will allow us to get a better understanding of this society.

A copy of this title was provided in exchange for an honest review.

30 comments:

  1. I've been reading a lot of shifter books lately and really liking what's on the market right now. I think it might be a toss up between Dragon and Wolf shifters right now for me. I like how the colors and the flight of the dragons are described and I have always loved wolf shifters.

    miztik_rose@yahoo.com

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    1. I have to admit that I am fond of cat shifters since I have always loved the big cats anyway but I am fascinated by the concept no matter what creature is involved.

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  2. Thanks so much for hosting me here today! And thanks for the thoughtful review.

    Mary, I love dragons too! They're my second favorite shifter after tigers ;-) If I got to be a shifter and could choose a mythical being, I'd want to be a dragon. Thanks for stopping in and commenting!

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    1. Thank you for visiting, I liked the strength of Alexis' character and look forward to reading more about her!

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  3. At the moment I would go with being a dragon. Just because they are not in the usual animal shifter stories. They are strong, large and can fly. What's not to love about them. wcraig5432@yahoo.com

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    1. I like some dragons...but some of them seem a wee bit too greedy to me, and then there's the problem of trying to keep their hunger satisfied, lol. Thanks for visiting!

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  4. I like the panther.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Those are definitely beautiful creatures. Thanks for visiting!

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  5. Thanks so much for the review! I'd love to see a bird shifter...

    vitajex(at)Aol(Dot)com

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    1. You are very welcome, I do enjoy birds but have to wonder about the whole mass transformation...especially if you are talking the smaller-sized birds. Thanks for visiting.

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  6. This sounds like a really exciting shifter story. I really enjoyed the excerpt.

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  7. Wanda, we do seem to be a dragon group LOL
    Rita, I love panthers too!
    Vita, a bird shifter would be super cool. Actually I think Thea Harrison did an owl shifter book recently. I've got it on my ToBeRead list. There's one to check out!

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    1. Thea Harrison also has a great novella with a chameleon shifter. I LOVE Dragos as well as many of the other shifters in that Elder Races series.

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  8. Jane, so glad the book sounds good to you! Thanks for coming by and commenting.

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  9. I like pretty much any kind of shifter as long as the author has a good set up :) Loved that excerpt! Congrats to kat on the new release and thanks for sharing!
    efender1(at)gmail

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  10. Thanks, Erin! Glad you liked the excerpt. Even if I didn't write them, I'd be a shifter person too. (Is that like being a cat person or a dog person? You're either shifters or vamps? *g*)

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  11. Good to know it's a novella

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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  12. I do love the big cats, but wolves and dragons are favorites too.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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    1. I think I identify with the cats more, given my personality, but I can definitely see the advantages of the other types as well. Thanks for visiting, Mary.

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  13. Sounds like a great read!!
    Wolves are my favorite!
    Thanks for the chance to win!
    natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

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    1. Sorry it has taken me so long to come back here, Natasha! There are definitely some impressive wolf-shifter stories out there. Good luck on the giveaway and thank you for taking the time to visit!

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  14. Lora Leigh hooked me on feline shiftersyears ago so I've a real soft spot for the big cats. I haven't read a shifter book in quite a while, this sounds a perfect quickie ;)

    ilookfamous@yahoo.com

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    1. That is definitely an intriguing series, Elise-Maria, I have enjoyed quite a few of Lora Leigh's stories. I hope you have gotten a chance to read some delicious shifter books by now, lol. Thank you for visiting.

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  15. My favorite are the wolves because they are so strong and majestic as well as feircely loyal to their pack and mate.
    flanagan@Mebtel.net

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    1. Hi wanda! I definitely enjoy the loyalty and strength displayed by wolf-shifters, that security in knowing that someone has your back no matter what always appeals to me. Thanks for visiting!

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