VBT:Review, Giveaway and Interview with Krystal Shannan author of Chasing Sam (Vegas Mates book 1) Gfish

Krystal Shannan was kind enough to let me interview her. :D

What are you working on and when can we expect it to be out?

I am currently finishing a piece for Decadent’s 1 Night Stand series called JUST RIGHT and I’m in the middle of writing Vegas Mates Book 2 (No title yet) and a project called EMERALD EYES that includes all kinds of Fae. Vegas Mates should be out in June and the other should be out in August. Awesome. June isn't that far away!

Do you have to concentrate and visualize the story or do ideas just randomly come to you when you're out and about?

It’s totally random. I was leaving work last week and something popped into my head for a story. I never know when ideas will hit. I just have to be ready to write them down.

What part of writing do you find the most challenging? most enjoyable?

Finding the time is the challenging part for me. I work a full-time job and have a family. It’s hard to balance how much time actually gets spent on writing. The most enjoyable…All the fabulous people I get to meet and talk to about the craft. Oh…and the actual writing. I love to write. I'm glad you love to write. :-)

In what scenario do you do your best work?

Quiet. At my desk. Coca-cola and dark chocolate chips.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Chocolate chip cookie-dough!!!

If you could pick any destination, where would you go?

Greece, Italy, Scotland. In that order.

What food can't you live without?

Chocolate… (I think I see a theme developing, LOL)

Quiet or loud?

Quiet to write. Loud for life! :D Loud is usually more fun but I sure do enjoy my quiet time!

Who is your favorite author?

Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kallypso Masters, Cherise Sinclair, PC Cast, and Johanna Lindsey.

I haven't tried Johanna Lindsey.


Homemade or store bought?

Depends. Clothes are store bought, but I love crafty things for the house.

What is your least favorite thing to do?

Clean. I fantasize of having a live-in maid. Oooh me too! :D

Thanks Krystal! :D

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Krystal Shannan is a born, raised, and current TEXAN. She is married to a wonderful man who supports her dream of writing and allows her to spend many evening and weekend hours glued to her laptop. During the day she moonlights as an elementary music teacher. In addition to a doting husband, a young daughter is also part of the picture and keeps her hopping! An ornery little Welsh Corgi completes the household.

Krystal has been writing stories since she could hold a pencil. She has always dreamed of writing romance and sharing the "movies in her head" with the world. If she's not writing, she's reading -historical, paranormal, action, adventure -anything she can get her hands on that ends with a Happily Ever After!

If you are interested in receiving emails when new new books are released, please sign up for her distribution list by visiting www.krystalshannan.com and clicking the "contact" tab.


Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads



Buy Links:

Chasing Sam: Vegas Mate book 1

Amazon / Smashwords



Krystal's other books:

Open House: Pool of Souls Book 1


Amazon / Smash words / ARe / Kobo / B&N


Finding Hope: Pool of Souls Book 2 - Coming Soon!



A Very Russian Christmas

Amazon  / ARe / Decadent / Smashwords / BookStrand

BLURB:

Samantha Demakis doesn’t want a mate right now. Her birth-rite and family obligations to her status as the first daughter of a noble family beg to differ. In fact, even her wolf seems to be against her. When a chance encounter reveals the man who might just be a perfect fit, will she run? Or will she fight?

Chase Michaels has been alone for seventy-five years. He’s fought in Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and Afghanistan in the US Army. Somewhat resigned to never finding his true mate, he is shocked when his wolf reacts so strongly to a woman he runs into in the airport. Unprepared for the politics and snobbery of the noble families, Chase finds himself fighting in a different type of war —a war for the heart of a woman he knows should be his.

A lot of things are chasing Sam, but who or what will catch her in the end?



Excerpt:

Samantha Demakis wrinkled her nose at the barrage of scents coming from the Christmas hordes invading McCarran International Airport. She swallowed a growl of frustration and tightened the leash on her inner wolf. Everybody and their brother traveled for Christmas, and she didn’t like being one of them. She should have stayed at Duke. Her gut told her it was a mistake to come home.

Duke Medical School was her haven away from all this crazy.

People jostled her from all angles. Her rolling suitcase flipped over and she leaned back to right it. In the process, someone snatched her blue leather jacket from the carpeted floor and dashed away.

Shit. Really?

She straightened and scanned the crowd in the direction the thief had run.

Nothing.

“Miss.”

Sam turned and looked to her left. Holy mother of hotness! Six and a half feet of beautiful man, dressed in a muscle-hugging beige thermal shirt and army camo pants, stood holding her royal-blue leather jacket. She curled her lips into a smile. His scent was magnetic, and she hurried toward him.

“Thank you so much.” She reached for the jacket, brushing her fingers along his hand on purpose. “I thought it was gone for good.” His blue eyes widened just for a moment. A charge had passed between them. She’d never felt anything like it before. Her wolf howled and slammed against her consciousness. It took every scrap of will power not to launch herself at him. The canine soul within her wanted him right now and so did she. The mate connection between them was strong. No, no, no. I don’t want a mate right now.


Krystal will be awarding to 5 random commenters autographed swag (US ONLY) during the tour as well as awarding one random commenter with a digital copy of Open House by Krystal Shannan. A grand prize of a $25 Gift Card to Starbucks will be awarded to one random commenter during the tour.


Sign up for her newsletter and tell her in your comment that you did. She'll put your name in the Grand Prize drawing twice! Newsletter sign up link.


You can find the entire tour schedule here. The more you comment, the better your odds of winning are!






My Thoughts:

This book was pretty quick with only 60 pages. The story was interesting. It was mostly like the typical werewolf story (which as you know, I love). However, the way their mates were decided was different.

The quality of story was pretty darn good for only being sixty pages long.

Sam meets Chase when he prevents someone from stealing her jacket at the airport. The interest is instant. There is a definite connection but she's not looking for a mate and she rushes off.

Sam comes home for the holidays thinking she would escape her mom and dad's meddling only to find out she was very badly mistaken. Her parents had invited three unmated males to visit with her.

Her and her sisters leave the house to have some drinks instead of having dinner at home with the wolves her dad invited. While at the club, she runs into Chase again and things progress from there.

I liked it but I would have liked it more if the ending was a little more fleshed out. Unless, will the next book begin where Chasing Sam ended? Before you ask, no it was NOT a cliff hanger. I just want to know what her parents reaction is. I also really need to know why her mom was going psycho.

I recommend this book to everyone who likes quick werewolf books. I have a feeling this series is just going to get better. :-)

I received an ecopy of Chasing Sam from Goddess Fish in exchange for my honest opinion. I liked it a lot. I just wish it had been a little longer! :-)  


Would you honor your parents wishes and mate with a stranger or would you hold out for love despite their wishes?





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