Interview with Tamara Hoffa, author of Bear Hearts and a review, too!

Tamara Hoffa lives in central Tennessee, with her husband of 30 years, her father, 2 dogs and 2 cats. She started reading at four years old and has rarely been seen without a book since. At home you will usually find her in “nana’s chair” with her kindle, her laptop or one of her precious, precocious grandson’s in her lap. Tamara is an author, an editor, and reviews/submissions coordinator for Secret Cravings Publishing. Tamara is proof positive that it’s never too late to reach for your dreams.

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I was privileged to ask her some questions. Here is what she said:  

What part of writing do you find the most challenging? Most enjoyable? That’s a really hard question, I think the challenges differ from book to book. Sometimes it’s getting the characters to cooperate with me. Sometimes a logistic in a plot line or research. Deadlines can be frustrating too. Lol. The most enjoyable thing? That’s easy, creating a world and a story to share! 

What are you working on next and when can we expect it to be out? I’m working on Book 3 in the Animal in Me series, Grin and Bear It. That will release in the fall (November tentatively.) And a Military Romance called Changing Tides, No release date on that one yet. 

In what scenario do you do your best work? I don’t have an office, per se, I write in a corner of the living room, with a rolling desk and my lap top. Usually with the TV playing in the background. I prefer if the music channel is playing, but most of the time my dad is watching NCIS or Bluebloods reruns.

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner which meal is your favorite? Ugg, I hate to answer this question, but I normally only eat dinner. (I know terrible! Right.) I had gastric by-pass surgery in 2001 and I am rarely hungry. I never was a breakfast eater, and I work at my computer from about 7 or 8 am until usually 5 pm. I live on coffee! lol

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Coffee, of course!

Where are we most likely to find you this summer when you are not working: swimming, sunbathing while reading a book, playing sports, or indoors with the AC on full blast? Well, I’m not a sunbather for sure. In spring, I am at the fields watching my grandsons play baseball and soccer, but I don’t play sports myself. I have arthritis and some days it’s all I can do to walk. I’m an AC kinda girl. I love fall and winter though.

What types or genres of books do you like to read? I’ll read just about anything. I don’t read YA or historical (regency type), but contemporary, paranormal, romantic suspense, mystery…love them all.

What type of music do you listen to? I’m a country girl, but I like a mix of all kinds of music, from big band to 50’s, Jazz, disco, Motown, Pop, even a little rap. No heavy metal or hard rock.

Night or Day? Definitely a night person. I’ve had insomnia for years!

Inside or outside? More inside. I love beautiful views, but hate bugs and heat. I like my comforts.

Are you a homebody or social butterfly? Homebody

What is your biggest weakness? Do I really want to share that? Faith I guess, I always believe the best of people.

Favorite beverage? Coffee

What is your least favorite thing to do? Clean the toilets ;-) I hear you.

What is your favorite animal? Lions

What was your favorite subject to learn about in school? French

Thank you, Tamara, for taking the time to answer my questions!

Bear Hearts 

Animal In Me series, book2


by Tamara Hoffa

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Secret Cravings Publishing

All Romance E-Books

Bookstrand

BLURB:

Fate brought them together. Lies keep them apart. Love could set them free. All they need is to trust in Bear Hearts.

Fate has dealt bear shifter Martin Kruger and rotten hand. His destined mate, Dr. Elizabeth Montrose, is the enemy and suffers from a fatal illness. He‘s waited over two hundred years for a mate he might never have the chance to claim.

Elizabeth has long ago given up dreams of love, marriage and children. Her life is her research and now that is gone in a puff of smoke, thanks to the bears of Honey Corners. A tiny spark of hope blooms in her heart when the handsome bear tells her they are mates, but will that instinctual bond be enough to overcome all that stands between them?

 

Excerpt:

His bear was primal, feral, animal. It knew only one thing. They had met their mate. The bear had no qualms or reservations. It didn’t care if she was good or evil. It wanted only to mate, protect and love. Too bad the man couldn’t feel the same way.

How could he feel desire for such a woman? He should want to strangle her with his bare hands not throw her down and mate her until she screamed his name. He was verrückt, crazy with mating frenzy, that’s all it could be.

He downed the rest of the beer and set the bottle on the table. Anger burned in his gut like hot coals. Lust poured gasoline on the coals and lit the fire. Then grief drizzled down over it all, turning the fire to smoke and ashes.

This was getting him nowhere. He could analyze it until he was blue in the face, but it wouldn’t change the facts. Why did he keep rehashing it? He needed to take a shower and at least try to get a little sleep. He had to face his Sippe in the morning.

Maybe Bern could help him find an answer. His friend and mentor had always helped him in the past, always stood by his side. Maybe there was a way? Who was he kidding? Himself, obviously.

Martin’s shoulders sagged, so weary now he wondered if he could drag himself up the stairs to his bedroom. What was the point in going on? He had nothing left to live for. His dream of a mate and cubs was lost.

Two hundred years of waiting and searching for that perfect soul mate and she turns out to be the enemy. Unsuitable. Unfit. Evil.

A single tear slid from his eye and he viciously wiped it away. Many bears never found their mates and lived out their lives simply enjoying the companionship of willing females. He had a duty to the Sippe. He could do the same.

My Thoughts:

Bear Hearts was the second book in the Animal In Me series but worked well as a stand alone. I haven't read the first book, Hers To Bear, but I had no problem digging into this book.

This book had a unique plot with the Army being involved as an enemy of the shifters in a way.

The heroine, Elizabeth, is a doctor who has a health problem. despite this she is caring, honorable, hardworking and stubborn.

When the higher ups resort to questionable acts, Elizabeth begins to plan a way to help the shifters. She is thwarted because they show up before she gets a chance to act.

Martin is one of the rescuers and finds more than he bargained for.

These two supposed mates have their work cut out for them.

I really liked these characters. They both had their flaws but they worked to make the characters more relatable.

I was in my glory with the bears, the Army, and the would be mates. This had everything that I look for in a shifter story: action, romance (though it could have had a tad more), some surprises, and of course, bears!

If you like shifters, you'll want to read this. I've added the first book to my TBR list. I hope to read it before the next book in this series comes out.

I received an ecopy in exchange for my honest opinion. I thought it was beary good! :D

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