Hello everyone! Today I am so excited to welcome three fabulous authors!  Kendall McKenna, Jambrea Jo Jones, and Cherie Noel are visiting to talk about their new anthology, Big Bone Lick Pack.  They are chatting with some characters, sharing an excerpt, and have a great giveaway.  So please join me in giving these ladies a big welcome! 

bone lick stuffed animalsWe’re touring in support of the Big Bone Lick Pack, an anthology which came out January 24 from MLR Press. It features stories written by Kendall McKenna, Jambrea Jo Jones and Cherie Noel.

BIG BONE LICK PACK (ANTHOLOGY)

  • Bad Wolf & Devil Dog by Kendall McKenna
  • Big, Bad Bear by Jambrea Jo Jones
  • Shifty Fox Shenanigans by Cherie Noel

Blurb

big bone lick packWelcome to the Big Bone Lick Pack: A more friendly and hospitable group of werewolves you’ll never meet! Visit with; ‘Devil Dog & Bad Wolf’, a ‘Big Bad Bear’ and enjoy some ‘Shifty Fox Shenanigans’. Watch yourself, ’round the state park, ’cause we had a grizzly on the loose, just a bit ago. Our brave men and woman of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department have everything under control. (Except maybe their own love lives!) But if you find yourself needing a doctor, head on down to Rabbit Hash clinic, or St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is just up the road a piece. We hope you enjoy your stay.


Kendall has been sick so we are going to include an excerpt from her story. Then Cherie and I are going to do something a bit different and share something new with everyone. I hope you enjoy.

Excerpt

At the sound of the barking dog, Seth sat straight up in his grave. He reached for his sidearm before he remembered where he was. He laughed at his own overreaction. Yeah, it could be a wolf, but it was probably just someone’s pet dog.

The dog barked again, raising the hair on the back of Seth’s neck. He scrambled out of his grave, unsheathing both his weapons. There was something about the barking that had Seth on alert. He quickly flicked the lantern on, but its dim circle of light was little help. He turned in a slow three-sixty, peering into the darkness, trying to assess possible threats among the shapes and shadows.

A growl carried from the far side of the river, loud enough the rushing water didn’t drown it out. The dog was getting closer and it sounded like a damn big one. Seth flicked the safety off and tightened his grip on his sidearm. He’d need it if the dog turned out to be a wolf. Wolves avoided humans, though, so there wasn’t much chance of that.

Seth snorted derisively. “There’s no such thing as werewolves,” he said under his breath. “You asshole, Chad. You can’t be right about this.”

The growl came from across the river again. It was deep and ferocious, full of menace and hostility. That was a damn big wolf.

“Just ’cause it’s big, doesn’t mean it spends half its time human.” Hearing the words out loud reminded Seth how ridiculous the idea of werewolves was. Christ. Why had he let Chad talk him into this?

This time, the growl was almost a roar. Something large and heavy-bodied crashed through the trees, headed right for Seth. Okay not a wolf. He raised the Smith and Wesson in the direction of the rampaging animal, adjusting his grip on the Ka-Bar.

A shadow moved quickly through the trees. It ran on four legs but was too tall at the shoulders, too wide in the chest to be a wolf. When it wove its way between two trees, Seth caught sight of its profile. His knees went weak and his heart slammed in his chest.

“Jesus Christ, a bear,” he muttered through clenched teeth.

The bear reached the riverbank. It didn’t even pause before plunging into the rushing water, splashing its way across. The bear didn’t swim, it kept running. Seth realized the river was shallow in that spot. This thing was going to be on him in seconds.

The bear charged up the near riverbank and panic gripped Seth. He scrambled backward, his hand trembling as he tried to hold his sidearm steady. Despite the darkness, the bear was close enough now that Seth could see the giant, round head, and the thick ridge between its shoulders.

He’d rather face down a werewolf than a grizzly bear.

The bear ran straight toward Seth, its mouth open wide, frighteningly long teeth clearly visible. Seth fired several rounds at the grizzly, knowing it would have no effect on an animal that large. He was right; it didn’t slow the rampaging bear at all.

Throwing the gun aside to free his hand, Seth fought the urge to turn and run. That would excite the predator even more. If the bear attacked him, Seth’s only hope was to bury his Ka-Bar in one of its eyes, or its nose. If he lived through this, he was going to be totally fucked up.

When the enormous bear hit Seth, it felt like he’d been slammed into a brick wall. Seth hit the ground hard, all his breath knocked out of him, sharp pains shooting up his back. His head struck something hard and Seth saw stars.

The grizzly’s hot breath blasted Seth’s face. He stabbed the Ka-Bar into thick fur. He tried to reach the bear’s eyes. He had no effect on the rampaging animal. Seth screamed when claws raked his arm. His side was on fire as claws sank into his stomach.

The last thing he saw was wickedly long teeth descending over his face.


“Why are we here again?” Kane looked around the area that he and Dov were escorted to. The people were nice, but he was suspicious. The last time he was talked into this he spilled way too much information.

It almost looked like an interrogation room.  They had a big table in the middle of the room with two chairs. It was a sturdy table too, but it didn’t have the cuff restraints so it couldn’t be too bad and the chairs did look comfy. There was a couch along one wall, but he didn’t want to get too comfortable. Dov ambled over.

“They wanted to hear more about us.” Dov ran a hand down Kane’s arm.

The comfort was there, but Kane still didn’t like the idea of sitting down and being grilled—again.

“Didn’t we already do that when we talked to that Jones lady? Man she talked about our sex lives like it was nothing and people are going to read that shit.” Kane huffed and sat down in one of the chairs. Dov was right behind him soothing him with his touch.

“We did, but now they need extra stuff so people will buy our story. You didn’t see Asa getting all bent out of shape.”

Kane snorted. “Of course not. He wouldn’t show that to us, but I bet Seth heard all about it.”

The door opened and Kane watched as Jambrea walked into the room. No way. He was not talking about sex again. He squirmed in his chair.

“You again!” Kane tossed up his hands and glared at Dov when he laughed.

“Yes. What’s wrong with that?” Jambrea stood with her hands on her hips.

He simmered down some because he didn’t want her airing any more of their story. Things had finally settled down.

“Nothing, ma’am. Kane is just a bit grumpy.” Dov patted his shoulder and sat down next to him.

He missed the warmth of Dov’s hands and his mate must have sensed it because he reached over for Kane’s hand. He breathed a bit easier knowing Dov would be there to support him.

“I did bring cookies.” She gestured to the end of the table.

Kane had missed them. Man, he was a sucker for cookies and they looked homemade.

“I like cookies,” he said grudgingly.

“I know you do. Now this won’t take too long. I really just have one question for the two of you.”

“No sex!” Kane blurted out. He felt his face heat up.

Jambrea laughed. “No. It won’t be about sex. I promise.”

Kane let out a sigh of relief.

“We’ll answer whatever you want us to.” Dov assured her.

Kane nodded until he realized what Dov had said. Anything? Really? Who was he kidding, he’d do what Dov asked. Always and forever.

“This will wrap up our time together. Well—until next time. I would like—”

Kane stood up and pushed the chair back. “Next time!”

Dov pulled him into a hug and didn’t let go.

“Well, Kendall, Cherie and I might want to revisit the Big Bone Lick Pack. Never say never. It could happen.”

“But not us, right? Dov and I are good.” Kane clasped Dov’s hands, he wanted to be touching every part of his mate.

“No honey. You’ve got your story. I wouldn’t mess with that.” Jambrea assured him.

“Okay. Ask your question. I want out of here.” He let Dov settle him back into the chair.

“Alright. What was your favorite part of the whole process?” Jambrea folded her hands in her lap.

“The end.” Kane gave a sharp nod.

Dov laughed and kissed his hand.

“The part where we almost had bear sex in the woods.”

“Dov!” Kane whipped around to face his mate.

“What? It’s true. You got me to shift.” Dov winked at him.

“Well—there was that. But there was never going to be any bear sex!” Kane was a bit outraged.

Dov leaned over and brushed their lips together.

“You two are so sweet together.” Jambrea clapped her hands together.

“We’re done here, right?” Kane stood.

“Yes.”

“Good. I need to take Dov home.”

“And have wild bear sex?” Jambrea winked.

Kane closed his eyes and ran a hand down his face. Dov was laughing again.

“Maybe.” He said before taking Dov’s hand and racing from the room. He would have nightmares about the laughter chasing him out of the building.

“See, that wasn’t too bad.” Dov stopped and forced Kane to halt his movement.

“Why did you have to bring up sex?” Kane was pouting now. He hated it.

“Because I love you and there is nothing wrong with that. And sex is a part of it. A big part and now you’re in the mood. I know you are. We’re going to go home and you’re going to have your way with me and we’ll put all this behind us.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, but we are not going through this again. Our story is told. Now we go off into the sunset.” Kane tugged Dov closer and kissed him.

He might say all the big bad stuff, but at the end of the day he was a softie when it came to his mate.

“Take me home, Kane.” Dov whispered against his lips.

“Your wish is my command.”

***********************************

Simon stumbled to a halt. Josiah’s arm wove around his mate’s slim waist to steady him. Simon glanced over his shoulder, brows furrowing as his cheeks paled.

“Bollocks. Isn’t that the bear guy?”

Josiah rubbed his hand in slow circles on Simon’s belly, exchanging a wink with Kane as the big Beta wolf lifted his head from kissing the stuffing out of his mate.  A brown haired woman with a faintly smug expression on her apple cheeked face exited the door Kane and Dov had just stepped from and Kane’s brows drew together as his lips thinned. He spun around and tugged his mate behind him, rapidly disappearing down the long corridor. The woman glanced down the hall toward Simon and Josiah, brown eyes widening and mouth parting. A rapid patter of footsteps rang out behind Josiah… keeping his eyes carefully on the female Kane had hustled his mate away from, Josiah inhaled deeply.

Oh hell. Strong dark coffee, a whiff of expensive soap—Gucci maybe –yams and oatmeal. Crap. He’d know that smell anywhere.

“Oh, hello babies! So relieved you made it here before me. I don’t know what I’d have done if I got the day wrong again. You know, I came down here twice last week thinking it was the day for our interview.”

She paused briefly as she drew abreast of them.  “OMGawd! Simon, honey, you are even cuter in person than you were over the phone. And thanks so much for the migraine tips, they totes helped. So are you guys ready for your interview?”

Josiah bristled. Nosy woman. He opened his mouth to give a resounding no, but Simon melted back against him, gave one of his trademark happy wiggles and giggled. Dammit, he’d almost convinced himself Simon didn’t like her. Shit. A growl rumbled deep in his chest. Simon tipped his head back to rest firmly against Josiah’s shoulder, spring green eyes pleading. Josiah huffed.

“Sure. Lead the way Ms. Noel.”

She cast an assessing glance at him, and then—damn her—gave Simon a look an indulgent aunt might bestow on a favored nephew. She turned, pulling open the very door Dov and Kane had appeared in the hallway from. “Come on Simon. Jambie promised to leave some cookies for you.”

Simon vibrated in Josiah’s arms. “Oooh! Snickerdoodles? I tried to make some with her recipe—”

“But you—“

“—set fire to the stove.”

Josiah cringed as Cherie and Simon spoke over the top of each other, both giggling and chirruping happily. He tried to keep his pout internal. Talking to her felt way too much like a psych exam, but Simon adored her.  Simon bounced happily into the room on Cherie’s heels, promptly caught his toe in the one ripple in the whole of the carpeted floor and began to pitch forward. Josiah leapt forward, wrapped both arms around Simon and snugged his lithe body in tight.

“Easy now, babe. Don’t want to have your dad show up to you with a big ole egg on your head. I would like him to think well of me.”

Simon gasped. Cherie giggled, pulling out a chair for Simon. “Josiah, why don’t you help Simon get settled. I’ll get the cookies and see if they put the tea on for us as I asked.”

She patted the seat, giving Josiah a friendly wink while Simon’s attention was turned. Suddenly Josiah couldn’t dislike her quite so much. Anyone who wanted to take care of his Simon got a lot a leeway.

“Sure thing.”

Then she pulled out the big guns, taking a platter of sliced tomatoes from the small fridge next to the cow shaped electric tea pot on the counter. “I got your mom to send some tomatoes from her greenhouse, Josiah, because I wasn’t sure if you’d like the cookies as much as Simon and I do.”

Well, hell. Now he was honor bound to answer anything.

“Okay you two. I give up. Ask away. I’ll answer whatever you ask, Ms. Noel.”

Cherie and Simon exchanged a speaking glance before Cherie took the curly mass of her hair out of its ponytail, ran her hands through it, and then pushed it back into an identical style. Why had she taken it down?

“Erm. Okay. Josiah, I promise this won’t be difficult. I just want you to tell me what the most fun part of this whole thing has been for you.”

Josiah blinked at her. Wait. That was all. His shoulders and neck began to unknot.

“Oh. That’s easy. Taking Simon to the Arboretum.”

Simon snickered. “Yep. Cause that’s where he got to—”

Josiah clapped a hand over his mate’s mouth. The rapid heating of his cheeks told him he was probably turning a pretty shade of crimson right about now. He leaned forward to whisper in Simon’s ear as he settled into the chair next to his favorite person in the world.

“Babe. Do you really need to tell her again? That’s private.”

Simon, the fink, just waggled his perfectly arched ginger brows and licked Josiah’s hand. Heat pooled low in Josiah’s gut. They should get this interview done as quickly as possible. They had things to do, flat surfaces in Simon’s lovely home to christen. Breath rasping in his throat, voice suddenly half an octave lower, Josiah spoke again.

“Yeah. That’s where I got to—show Simon one of the most renowned arboretums in the whole of North America. I gave him a personal tour of all my favorite romantic spots.”

Josiah glanced up. Cherie Noel was fanning herself with a little notebook. He smirked at her, then removed his hand from Simon’s mouth while licking his own lips.

“Simon? Why don’t you tell Ms. Noel your favorite part?”

Simon looked over at Cherie, tilted one corner of his mouth up and ran a hand over Josiah’s thigh. “Guh. I liked the part where I get to keep getting to know Josiah for the rest of our lives. Right mate?”

Josiah’s heart thumped raggedly against his ribs. Sweet moon above, he loved the sexy fox fate had gifted him with. He growled.

“I love it when you call me mate.”

Simon grinned back, the tips of his little fox fangs starting to show. Oops, time to wrap this up before Simon lost control of his fox and Ms. Noel got a far more intimate interview than she was angling for.

“Okay. Ms. Noel, as I’m sure you know Simon’s still pretty new to the whole shifter thing and what with the new mating… I’m going to have to cut this short. Feel free to call us for a follow up. Great to see you. No, I actually mean that this time, but…”

Simon’s eyes started to shift. Josiah stood, pulling Simon out of his chair as well. With a firm grip on Simon’s wrist, he pulled his mate toward the door to the interview room while speaking over his shoulder.

“Call us in an hour.”

Simon gave a sexy snarl, stumbled and copped a feel of Josiah’s ass as he pushed himself back upright. “Ah, on second thought, you’d better call us in the morning. G’Bye.”

And then he was out the door, hauling ass back to his gorgeous Ford Fairlane. If he remembered right there was a nice wooded turnout about halfway home… Simon nipped at his shoulder.  Oh, what the hell. There was a half-way decent hotel right across the street, and Josiah had plenty of cash on him.

“Come on, Simon. If you can stay human enough to pass I can have you naked and screaming my name in less than ten minutes. If you get all shifty, you’ll have to wait til we get back home.”

A yip rang out in the corridor. Josiah whirled around. Simon winked a pale green eye at him, stuck a bloodied finger in his wholly human mouth and hummed.

“Lead on, luv. That’s a plan I can get behind.”

Then he patted Josiah on the rump and strode down the hall.

Heh. Seemed his mate was finding new ways to stay in control if he had the right incentive. Oh, yeah. Coldplay’s song, Yellow started to play in his head, and Josiah happily followed his foxy shifter from the building out into bright new day.


Giveaway

We are offering up a stuffed Josiah and Simon… um… in their shifted form. Lol 

Just leave a comment to enter. One lucky winner will get both stuffed guys (open Internationally).  The contest closes on Wednesday, February 5th at 11:59 pm EST. 

  • By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win.  The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
  • If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
  • Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
  • Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
  • By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
  • Readers may only enter once for each contest.  Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
  • Void where prohibited by law.