Title: Lycan Lore
Author: Shannon Leigh
Published by Amber Quill Press
Genre: Paranormal Erotica / Dark Fantasy / Werewolf Series
ISBN: 978-1-60272-137-1 - Lycan Lore
ISBN: 978-1-60272-360-3 - Lycan Lore 2: Offspring
Other Books by Shannon: Chasing Booty, Erotikos, Chinatown Buffet, Greenwood Manor, Stairway to Heaven, Nana's Little Black Book
Welcome to the world of the Werewolf, and welcome to one of the erotic worlds of Author Shannon Leigh. She is known for her forays into the worlds of the future, paranormal, and in to other erotic areas where authors might fear to tread. She always brings an insight, a great amount of love, and a depth to her storytelling, and in the Lycan Lore Series, she has brought her readers even more of the same. Below are some glimpses into that world from her point of view as embodied in the tales of her Lycan Lore Series from Amber Quill Press. Here is a glimpse of the books so far in the series.
Lycan Lore:
It was not that Cassandra didn't like camping, or didn't know anything about it, but she had only been a child before when camping with her parents. They had taken care of setting up the tent, getting the wood, and her only job had been to have fun, chase butterflies, tumble in the leaves and brush, and just be a kid. Putting up a tent by herself was something she thought she should be able to do, but in this case, it was a struggle. The very instructions almost defeated her, and there was not a single male soul on site to help. Well, at least not any that were attractive, single, and willing to lend a hand with her struggles to complete her shelter. Even her best friend Heather and her boyfriend Graham had their tent up and were off somewhere. It really didn't matter to her what they did, but it would have been nice to check with her, or at least let her know they were going to leave for a while. So Cassie struggled with the obstinate tent till she was about ready to cry.
She was not prepared for the rich male voice asking her if she needed help, nor was she ready for the six feet of gorgeous male in worn jeans and a stained T who made the offer, and the tent set-up a breeze. He was luscious, all male, and a sight for sore eyes, and as Cassie accepted his help, instinct triumphed over doubt. There was attraction there, and an innate sense of trust, a whole lot of desire, and a sense of safety in his presence. When Heather and Graham returned, it was with a sense of disquiet stirring within sparking in her a wariness she had not previously felt around Graham. There was an animosity spilling between him and Cray, and Cassie didn't want Graham's actions to be the ruin if what could at least be a fun weekend friendship. She always looked at him as Heather's perfect mate, they got along, but now Cassie wasn't so certain. Comparing Graham to Cray, she found there was a huge difference, in actions, in temperament, and in carriage. When she totaled all things together, Cray was ahead, definitely a man she wished to know for more than just a camping weekend.
Cray was enchanted. The woman had him totally in her thrall, and he wasn't even fighting. She was petite, her dark red hair worn in a long braid down her back, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. She was smart to be wary of him, yet at the same time, he felt the pull of her soul, the light shined through proving her goodness. At first glance, she was all he desired in a mate, yet she was not for him, this he knew. His kind mated for life, had destined mates, but deep down inside Cray thought that only legend, a story told so his ancestors wouldn't go mad at the loneliness like he was feeling at this moment. Cassie her friend had called her, Cassandra more than likely, and at least as far as he knew, and it suited her. Cray couldn't let her exhaust herself. He helped her, because she was alone and struggled with the tent. He told himself that was all, and yet as her fingers brushed his, he hoped she felt the spark jump between them like he did, for Cray sensed something the two females didn't, they are in great danger.
When Heather returned with another male, her boyfriend Graham, in tow, Cray bristled. There was something definitely wrong here, and if anyone knew wrong, it was him. He sensed the female was good, human, and not a threat to Cassie, but the male, Graham, was another story. It had been a long time, but Cray remembered the feelings, and the male roused Cray's strong protective streak and his instincts. He wondered what the male's agenda was, he would also try to keep an eye on Cassie. Nothing could or would happen to her, and he found himself again thinking of her as his mate, as the mother of his children, and wondering if destiny had truly found him. He was a hunter, a loner, and for one of his kind to actually find a mate, mere legend as far as he knew. His kind were born, not made, and they were few and far between. The chased the "made" ones, the evil ones who tainted everything they touched, craved the power, and whom the changes often brought to madness. This was why Cray remained alone, apart, but could he keep his distance from Cassie and still keep her safe?
Lycan Lore is a terrific tale of shifters, mates, and the ability of true love to overcome a huge set of obstacles. For Cassie it is the hard job of facing the facts and truths stranger than fiction. For Cray, it is finding that one person who will make his life complete, but only if she can accept him for who and what he is - and his beast within. Shannon Leigh has dazzled the reader with a tale with rich roots in the realms of legend, set in the contemporary world of today, and has within it created a legend of her own. Bringing together the best of both worlds, Shannon's imagination flies, carrying the reader on a suspenseful tale of lust, love, and destiny. The reader soars with the hopes of the pair of lovers, only to be brought crashing down by the reality of the situation, and the vagaries of life. Will they find the courage and love to stay together? The answers are there within the pages, and I refuse to give the hows, whys, ifs and whens away. Lycan Lore is the first of two books about the shifters, and it gets the reader by the interest and refuses to relinquish its hold. It is currently available from Amber Quill Press, and is a must read for any Paranormal Romance Lover's shelf!
Lycan Lore 2: Offspring:
Devastated by the death of her boyfriend at the hands of Cassie's new acquaintance, Heather runs. It has been nine months since she was attacked by the thing Graham had become, since Cassie’s death, since Graham had nearly killed her, and though she misses him terribly, she now has an even bigger secret to protect, and something to live for, or rather someone. Heather is pregnant, and her time was coming soon. She was not only running for her life, but that of her unborn child, and she knew that if Cray caught her, she would be dead for certain. She had already named the child, pictured him in her mind, and the last thing she thought of when she ran to Miami and the beaches at spring break was finding love. Nevertheless, when she met Mike at the bar, and he and his friend Dale took her back to her room, there was an odd feeling. Little did she know of anything other than she became the worst killer on the three nights of the full moon. She knew nothing of the lycan lore about mates, nothing about "born vs. made" lycans, and ultimately nothing about the possibility of her salvation.
Heather only knew she was hunted. She has been chased relentlessly from town to town, state to state by Cray, and she knew if she was caught, she and her child were as good as dead. Instinct had kept her running, but she is tired, wants and needs rest badly, but fears for the child she carries. What she didn't know she could count on was the friendship and love Cassandra has for her, the true desire to save her friend. But there is also something else at play here, and it is, according to lycan lore, a combination of factors; the discovery of a true mate, the act of mating with him, and Heather's pregnancy which may actually be her good fortune. This was a situation Cray had never faced before, and yet Heather had only the fear of death from him. It kept her from telling him the truth, from finding out that Cassie was still alive, and from learning valuable and much needed lessons about her new state of being. Now, with Cray hot on her heels, and her shock of seeing Cassie alive and well, Heather is faced with a whole new dilemma. She also had to realize that Mike is now in jeopardy as well, for unbeknownst to them both, he is now going to undergo the change, to become what Heather is, and Cray will be a danger to them both.
The girl he noticed at the bar was very attractive, and on a primitive level she calls to everything in Mike. When he noticed she was pregnant, and drinking, he worried about her reasons. He was concerned about her unborn child, and if she was aware of what she could be doing to it. What Mike was totally unprepared for was his almost overwhelming attraction to her, his sudden strange possessiveness toward her, and to finding out the child's name before her own. He was almost taken aback by the invitation to him, and to his friend Dale to go to her room, to engage in a threesome. The feeling of something special between them was new to Mike, he had no idea he could feel this way about a woman, let alone a pregnant stranger. On meeting her the next morning, and finding a rather shy and apologetic person in place of the bold siren he left the night before, he was intrigued all over again. She watched him off and on all day with an intensity that made Mike a bit nervous, but he had planned a special day for them both, and another glorious evening just for the two of them together. She was a hot number, an attractive girl, and Mike felt completely content when he was with her.
Mike is faced with a situation he was not ready for, could never really be prepared for, and one he was not expecting either, especially as he was not looking for true love. Finding Heather, then learning she is being hunted by a killer unsettles him to say the least. He doesn't know who hunts her, or why, or if he even wants to become involved, but he has, and unwittingly so because of his new and growing love for the woman. Seeing her panic, and realizing that the killer has caught up to her, only drives home the instinct to defend her at all costs. When he comes face to face with Cray, he threatens to kill him, and swears to protect Heather and her unborn child to the death if necessary. He uses the shock of Heather’s pregnancy to escape and rushes back to her side. He needs Heather with all his being, and when he returns to her room, finds her in desperate straits. Now he must come to terms with several facts. One: The woman he loves is not natural, but is a creature out of nightmares. Two: She is about to give birth to another of her kind, and he doesn't know what to do. And Three: Her only hope now lies with the very man who is threatening her life.
Lycan Lore 2: Offspring is the second book in Shannon Leigh’s series, and is the story of Cassie’s friend, Heather. Knowing only that Graham is dead, and she is now changed into a hunted killer, Heather flees. She is learning Cray can track her by the litter of bodies and decoys of mad and made creatures she leaves behind, and so far has used that to her advantage. Cray is hot on her trail, and no matter how fast and far she runs, she realizes there will be another to hunt her, and her safety lies in the enemy she knows on sight, not with the unknown. She wants to protect her child, the need is all important. If Cassie was still alive, she would have been tempted to go to her for help, but she is almost certain that Cassie met her fate at Graham’s hands, and that is why Clay is after her. What she doesn’t know can hurt her in this circumstance, but what she learns is Mike is her true love, and just maybe there is a chance for them. Only when Cray finds her will she be able to beg for her child’s life, and only then she may find out the truth that will set her, Mike, and her child free. Lycan Lore 2: Offspring is available now at Amber Quill Press, and as with its predecessor, it is well worth the read. I suggest you stop by and get a copy today!
In a world where one has to depend on instinct as well as dreams, wits, and common sense, characters come together, live, love and thrive. That is the hope for most authors. Shannon Leigh leaves that world, and has the guts and gumption to take us into the realms of the paranormal, where shapeshifters need those qualities and much more. Oh they have their dreams like everyone else, but often they are hated, misunderstood, and hunted as well, and that makes life for them precarious as best, dangerous always, and deadly at worst.
There is a world outside of the typical and everyday human existence, the world of myth, legend, fantasy, and the areas of mist where those overlap, where the bits of truth from old legends spring free, beautiful and terrifying in their actuality. But even so, and even there it is ultimately only what the individual makes of it, and here Shannon succeeds with stories that are tender, yet filled with the dangers and uncertainty of life as we know it.
Come along with Shannon as she peeks into the emotions, thoughts, and yes, even some of the dreams of her characters. Discover that they have only the desire to survive, and as with all of us, we only want to be allowed to live in peace and harmony, and not to be hassled by the unending greed and hatred. The paranormal creatures, too, have their rogues, bad boys, and even evil in their midst. It is a world of wonder and delight to discover Shannon's works, and I hope you will enjoy the talent and thought provoking adventures she provides for your reading enjoyment where ever she takes you. Will there be more in the Lycan Lore series? That is a question I cannot answer. I do know that I love her writing, and I highly recommend Shannon's work, and The Lycan Lore Series for those who love romance that is a shade out of the box!
Yours in good reading,
Rose!
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