Wolf or Werewolf?

I’m Barbara Edwards. My stories are dark and edgy. My heroes have something broken, either their spirit or an important aspect of their lives. Meeting the heroine sets them on the path to healing. All of my heroines are independent, stubborn women. Life has handed them problems that they face with resolution, intelligent, and love.

When Cole Benedict the hero of Ancient Blood revealed himself as a werewolf, I realized I didn’t know enough about wolves in general or werewolves in particular.

I find the wolf to be a fascinating creature. A wolf will mate for life. If there isn’t enough food, the pair will not have a litter of pups that year. Both parents hunt food for their young. They share the training of the young to hunt. A female has been known to adopt an orphaned pup.

Wolves have been hunted to the point of extinction in the past. The repopulation efforts have been met with resistance by ranchers and farmers who lose animals to these hunters. It is sad but true: wolves do hunt. They do kill to eat. And the number of wolves in the wild is increasing.

The other side of the story is that wolves cull the old and sick from the herds, thus making the herd stronger and more able to survive. They can take the young and helpless. So what is the choice or should we leave the wolf to fight a lonely battle to survive?

I’m not a hunter, but hunting is a part of the larger picture of life.

So what does Cole hunt? He’s seeking the cure for lycanthropy. He has vowed not to risk another mate to the werewolf side of his nature. Not all of his pack agrees this is a good thing.

So how did I use the natural laws of a wolf pack to construct the Rhodes End Pack Law? I am creating my own world here, so it was flexible. There are a few basics. My werewolves mate for life. They share the responsibility for their young. They live within the Law.

I used this as the set-up for villain’s behavior. He is a rogue breaking the Law.

ANCIENT BLOOD
by Barbara Edwards

Print ISBN: 1-60154-916-4

Print ISBN 13: 9781601549167

Available at The Wild Rose Press

Lily Alban escapes a murderous stalker, but his vicious attack leaves her with the ability to see auras. She finds safety in the tiny hamlet of Rhodes End where a stranger stands out like a red light. Try as she might to deny her growing desire for Cole, she seeks his help but soon discovers the man she loves is not a man at all. 

Werewolf Cole Benedict resists his attraction to Lily. A botanist researching the healing herbs to find a cure for Lycanthropy, he’s determined to protect Lily from her stalker as well as himself even in human form, but instinct takes over when he changes to his inner beast.

Together they must use their extraordinary gifts to catch Lily’s stalker before he attacks again, but revealing their secrets to one another could destroy their growing love or save them both.


EXCERPT:

“What makes you so important? Or is this another secret?”

Cole’s eyes darkened. “Lily. I’m pushing the line with you. Give me some slack.”

“I want answers, Cole.” She grabbed his arm as he turned and pulled him to a halt.

He gently, carefully drew her fierce grip into his grasp. His golden eyes heated as he lifted her hand to his lips. “I already told you, Lily. You’d have to mate with me to learn all my secrets.”

Urgent need raced from his lips to her center. His scorching gaze melted her from the inside out. All her being longed to step into his arms, to become one in a way she’d never known. She trembled as she recognized the danger.


You can learn more about Ancient Awakening, Ancient Blood or my other books at: http://www.barbaraedwards.net 

Readers: Barbara is giving away an e-book copy of Ancient Blood on June 30 to celebrate. Just go to one of her June blog appearances and leave a comment for her. She's also accepting comments left at her blog. Each comment left equals one entry so the more places you visit and leave a comment, the more entries! The winner will be randomly drawn on June 30, 2011 at midnight.

June 2 at Raine Delight: http://authorrainedelight.wordpress.com/
June 9 Sarah Grimm:  http://www.authorsarahgrimm.blogspot.com/
June 9 Liz Arnold:  http://www.lizarnoldbooks.wordpress.com
June 10 Emma Lai:   http://www.emmalaiwrites.com/
June 10 Stephani Burkhart:   http://sgcardin.blogspot.com
June 13 Lynda Hillburn:   http://paranormalityuniverse.blogspot.com
June 14 Rachel Brimble:  http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.com/
June 15 at AJ’s Tattered Pages:  http://ajbooks.blogspot.com/
June 21 April Dawn:   http://letstalkromance.wordpress.com/
June 21 AJ Nuest is my guest:  http://barbaraedwardscomments.wordpress.com/
June 25 at The Black Rose blog:   http://twrpblackrose.blogspot.com/

I regularly post on:
http://barbedblog.barbaraedwards.net or http://barbaraedwardscomments.wordpress.com/