Fabulous Kate Hill talks Shifters in MYSTERY STALLION

Shifters in Control 

Wouldn't it be cool to have the power to change your shape whenever you need or want to?

As a kid I remember loving characters like the Incredible Hulk, Jekyll and Hyde, and the Wolfman. They were both fascinating and tragic. While they had the power to change shape, they had little or no control over that power. Hyde and the Wolfman were especially dangerous.

What I like best about reading shapeshifter romances is that the main characters usually have control over their power. Sometimes they're able to change at will and retain their civility while in their non-human form. If they don't have that kind of control, then they rarely do anything in their beast form that's truly evil. Their heroic heart and soul usually comes through for them, even in their feral state.

In romance the shifters are not only the good guys, but they come in a variety of interesting creatures. Cat shifters, bird shifters, dragon shifters, some who change into any shape at all. Of course there's always the traditional werewolf and for those who loves shifters, who can resist the leader of the pack?

My latest release, Mystery Stallion, is about a shapeshifting winged Centaur. In the Horsemen series, normal humans share their world with shapeshifting allies. In this book, Grigori is an outcast among Horsemen because he has a rare striped coat. The heroine, Violeta, admires his uniqueness and his will to survive against the odds.

What kind of shapeshifters do you enjoy reading about? Let me know in the comments and you could be eligible for the chance to win a download of Mystery Stallion.

Thank you for reading my post and thanks, Cerise, for the chance to be a guest here today!

Kate 

Contest: 

To enter the following contest you must be 18 or over.

To enter for the chance to win a download of one of the Horsemen books (winner's choice of title), post a comment telling me your favorite type or types of shifter (up to three). Tonight at 10 pm a winner will be chosen at random from the entries.

Thank you and good luck!

Horsemen 7: Mystery Stallion

by Kate Hill

Format(s): Ebook

Heat Level: Erotic

Pairing(s): M/F

Genre/Themes: Shapeshifter

Length: Novel

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

Cover Art: Mina Carter

ISBN: 9781419939068

Purchase Links:

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-10011-mystery-stallion.aspx

Related Books or Books Set in the Same Universe: Dream Stallion, Captive Stallion, Highland Stallion, Winter Stallion, Victory Stallion, Mountain Stallion

Related Free Stories: Holiday in Hornview

http://www.kate-hill.com/horsemen/holidayinhornview.html

Blurb: Copyright 2012, Kate Hill. All rights reserved.

Long ago a striped Horseman lost his heart to the only Horsewoman ever born. Feared and rejected, he allowed his bitterness to destroy them both. Since then, no striped Horseman has ever known love. . .until now.

Sold into slavery by his father, Grigori de Forest arrives home twenty years later to reclaim his birthright. Now lord of a land where superstitious villagers despise and fear him because he bears "the marks", he intends to live alone in his family's ancestral castle.

Since childhood, Violeta has been fascinated by the mysterious Grigori, whose striped coat sets him apart from other Horsemen. Desperate for work and knowing he has run off all his servants, she requests he hire her to cook and clean. She doesn't realize that he remembers her for an act of kindness toward him years ago.

Lust spurred on by shared dreams hurls them into a storm of passion, but their love and lives are endangered by the villagers and a plague that threatens to destroy the mighty race of Horsemen.

The following excerpt from MYSTERY STALLION is for readers 18 and over.

Grigori reached for her hand and she tried to tug away but he held her fast.

"I have dirt on them," she said.

Still holding her gaze, he stroked her inner wrist with his thumb. "I apologize if I was abrupt this morning."

"It doesn't matter. Maybe I made too many demands of you too soon. However either we agree to act on the dreams or we don't. It's not in me to be a clinging female, but I won't be your plaything either."

He narrowed his eyes and a look of irritation, or perhaps guilt, flashed across his face. She thought he'd let go of her hand, but instead he continued stroking her, distracting her, making her wish he'd sweep her into his arms and carry her to bed, despite what she'd just told him.

"I don't consider you a plaything and I didn't mean to make you feel like one." He closed his eyes briefly and shook his head. When he met her gaze again, his expression revealed an inner struggle that struck at her heart, yet she had to remain strong, to let him know that he needed to trust her before she surrendered to him. "Violeta, I've been alone most of my life. Until I went into slavery and met Jian, I belonged nowhere."

"Who's Jian?"

"My mentor. The healer and warrior I told you about."

"The man you visited today?"

"Yes. After we were freed, Jian and I along with several other slaves, both Horseman and human, settled in Salvation Valley. A few years ago it was an uninhabited section of land. Now it's a thriving village. Many of the gladiators have families--wives and children. I lived on the outskirts in a nearby forest."

"Of course." She sighed. "You would. Grigori, I know the villagers are ignorant and cruel and I can't imagine what you went through in slavery, but you have to give some people a chance."

"That's easy for you to say. You have no idea what it's like to be..." He shook his head again. "Violeta, I don't want to argue."

"All I'm trying to tell you is I'm not like them. You don't have to stay on the outskirts with me. Even if you don't want to be my lover, you may still be my friend."

His expression took her aback. She swore that for a few seconds his eyes misted over. The hand holding hers tightened a bit and he tugged her so close that her breasts pressed against his chest.

Cupping her face he said in a husky voice, "That means more to me than you can ever know, but I couldn't be simply your friend. Not when I want you this badly."

Violeta's heartbeat quickened and she resisted the urge to kiss him. The first move had to be his and she tried to tell him this with her eyes.

His head dipped toward hers and he covered her mouth in a possessive kiss.

About Kate: 

Kate Hill is a vegetarian New Englander who loves writing romantic fantasies. When she's not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, and researching vampires and Viking history.  You can visit her online at http://www.kate-hill.com