Secret Chemistry by Chris T. Kat


Michael, thank you very much for having me back on your blog. Congrats on the release of your novel Until Thanksgiving—which made DSP’s bestseller list—again!

My new novel Secret Chemistry released today. Buy it here. It’s an m/m shape-shifter romance, which lead me to think about the topic of shape-shifter.

SecretChemistry

Shape-shifting means one (or more) humans have the ability to shift into an animal. The most popular animal is the werewolf but there are other animals that have been used; like dragons for example. The Harry Potter series has animagi—people who have the ability to transform into an ability—as well as the fantastic Belgariad series by David Eddings.

For Secret Chemistry I chose the well-used trope of werewolves. I’m aware there are a lot of stories dealing with werewolves out there, so why did I chose to write another one? My only answer is that this specific animal form appeals to me greatly. Werewolves stories have a long tradition and most people are at least somehow familiar with the concept of werewolves.

Most readers already associate (and expect) certain characteristics like inhuman strength, speed and slower aging process. They will most likely also expect a werewolf community—whether this community is known publicly or a secret is up to the author.

Wolves live in packs, which is why werewolves are usually portrayed as having a secret society with an alpha pair as pack leaders. The m/m novels I’ve read often deal with how the werewolf society deals with the fact that their alpha wolf shows up with a male mate. I love these stories but didn’t want to focus on this aspect in Secret Chemistry. So, what’s the twist in my story?

The werewolves aren’t the only shifters, other shifters exist too. These shifters are hybrids between wolves and other animals. Not everyone in Tim Evans pack likes the idea of hybrids and they feel threatened by the hybrids sheer existence. They claim only pure-blooded werewolves should be allowed to live. Sounds like nonsense? If you look back at history you’ll see that people have killed for more absurd reasons. I never got their reasoning, and neither does Tim in this novel.

Tim is shocked when he finds out his mate, Jay, is not only male but also a hybrid between wolf and fox. He has to come to terms with this unexpected version of his mate and protect him from his own pack. Will he be successful?

If you like you are most welcome to participate in the GoodReads giveaway for the paperback version of Secret Chemistry here: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/40767-secret-chemistry

Would you rather like to enter the giveaway for an e-copy? Please head over to M.A. Church’s blog: https://machurch00.blogspot.com

Here’s an excerpt from Chapter Three of Secret Chemistry:

He lost all sense of time as he hunted the other wolf… the other guy. His world narrowed to the scent in front of him.

Sometimes dizziness caused him to stumble a few steps. Whether the dizziness came from exertion or from the scent, Tim didn’t know. He didn’t much care, either. Not even about the battle he had left behind like a coward, not about his parents or siblings. Dimly, he was aware that they’d ventured deep into Bass River State Forest, a place his father sometimes took him and Daniel for canoeing.

Guilt made a quick appearance and would probably be his companion for some time to come, but Tim just couldn’t force himself to care about anything other than the scent, and more specifically about the source of the scent, fleeing from him. The originator of the scent belonged to him and only him. Tim would protect the guy, no matter what it would cost him.

Having acknowledged the owner of the scent was male and that he still intended to do whatever was necessary to keep him safe, Tim pulled up his last reserves and sped up.

Tim quickly closed in on the scent’s carrier. Rounding a tall tree, he almost ran straight into another wolf. Trying to catch his breath, he blinked at the dark-furred wolf who gasped as hard for air as Tim did. He didn’t recognize the wolf, which could only mean she wasn’t a member of his pack.

Tim was confused. The wolf in front of him was grown-up and female. Still, she carried the scent on her. Tim frowned. She carried it on her, but she wasn’t the source. Boldly, he stepped toward her, searching for some hint of the scent’s source. The wolf growled deep in her throat and bared her teeth.

Tim stopped in his forward movement, gauging his chances against the larger wolf. He was strong, but he’d only ever brawled with wolves his age. Taking on an adult wolf could backfire, badly.

While he pondered his chances, a small movement behind the wolf’s forelegs caught his gaze. Tilting his head slightly to one side, he barked. A small head peeked out from behind one foreleg. A small, gray-and-red-furred head with a black snout, black ear tips, black socks, and the brightest blue eyes Tim had ever seen appeared.

Tim reared back in shock. He was face to face with a hybrid pup.

Putting some space between them, Tim just stared silently at that… thing in front of him. The pup nudged its mother’s legs. Hesitantly, she allowed him to sit between her forepaws. The pup directed a soft, questioning yip at the wolf.

The wolf answered the yip, and Tim tried his best to at least get a hint of what they were talking about. Of course, all wolves could converse telepathically, but only if they chose to include you in their conversation. While they were in their wolf form, it was also their only way to communicate.

The older wolf didn’t seem inclined to allow Tim to eavesdrop.

She bored her dark-amber gaze into Tim’s, and he hastily distanced himself a few inches. Tim stuttered, What… what is he? It’s a boy, right?

The mother straightened up, her voice full of pride. Yes, he is. He’s also a hybrid between wolf and fox. He unites the strength of both our breeds. Not that you or your kind would understand that.

My kind?

Yes, your kind. The one that hates the unknown.

I don’t—

Yes, you do. You’re scared of a sweet, innocent child. Now, please let us go so I can at least rescue one of my children.

The pup started to whine. He got up on his hind paws to angle for his mother’s snout with his forepaws. She obliged and bent down her head. The pup licked her snout fiercely, his tail swishing back and forth. All the while, he emitted soft yips.

Tim was surprised by the effect the affectionate and tender gesture had on him. Tears welled up in his eyes. The desire to help protect the pup—or should it be kit?—skyrocketed so fast and high that Tim shook his head to clear it.

A loud howl echoed through the wood. Immediately all audible signs of wildlife vanished. A shocked silence settled over the wood.

The pup scurried behind his mother’s legs, peeking out from behind them. He trembled visibly, his small chest heaving way too fast and his eyes shining even more brightly. It took Tim a second to recognize tears of absolute terror pooling in those beautiful eyes.

The wolf got up with a terrified look on her face. Tim watched her ears, showing her alertness and that she was ready to dash off any second. His gaze darted from her to the small pup who looked at him in a way Robin sometimes did. It was his you’re going to make this okay, right? face.

Do you need help?

The older wolf turned startled eyes at him. She narrowed them while also nudging the pup’s head behind her legs.

So you can kill him?

The pup gasped, then whimpered. Tim’s heart broke a little bit upon hearing those sounds. He was unsure about a lot of things, but he knew for sure he’d do everything in his power to keep that little buddy safe.

Here’s the blurb:

Not all werewolf societies are created equal. The one Tim Evans grew up in detests those not of “pure blood”—so when Tim discovers his mate is Jay, a male fox-wolf hybrid ten years his junior, it shocks him, to say the least. Too young to claim his mate and too weak to protect him from the rest of the pack, Tim fears for Jay’s life. When a human gets hold of Jay, Tim believes he has lost him forever.

The next eighteen years are hell. Tim devotes his life to his family and running their stable, but anger and depression threaten to consume him. Then fate brings Jay back into his life. Tim knows Jay feels the same attraction he does—mates always do. So why won’t Jay act on it?

Bio:

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there’s any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks, or crafts.

Blog: https://christikat.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/christi_kat

GoodReads:https://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisTKat


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