Spotlight & Giveaway: True Wolf by Paige Tyler

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Paige Tyler to HJ!

Hi Paige and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, True Wolf!

 
Thank you for having me! I’ve done quite a few of these chats with you and always have a great time!
 

Tell us about the book with this fun little challenge using the title of the book:

T – Trust Issues. Both the hero in the book, Caleb Lynch, and the heroine, Brielle Fontaine, have some major trust issues. With authority, with each other, and with people in general. They’ve both been mislead and disappointed many times, so it’s going to be hard for them to have faith in each other. But they’re going to have to if they expect to live through this latest STAT mission.

R – Really Dark. Not sure why so many parts in my books happen underground. But it makes for really dark, spooky, and dangerous locales.

U – Ukraine. As in Odessa, Ukraine. It’s one of the many stops the STAT team makes in an attempt to find stolen nukes. You know what they say. Come for the intelligence briefing…stay for the pizza.

E – Emotions. Brielle is hunting for her missing brother. He’s a walking, talking screw-up, constantly getting himself into trouble with the law and other criminals. But Brielle has raised him since they were kids, and she loves him dearly. It’s why she’s involved in this STAT mission to start with. Though now that she’s here, she finds some other emotions developing when it comes to Caleb.

W – Werewolves. Caleb’s a werewolf. Big fangs. Big claws. Big muscles. Big trouble.

O – Omega. As in Caleb is an omega werewolf, which means he has issues socializing with…well everyone…and extensive anger management issues. Yes, it causes the occasional problem when he loses control at the wrong time, but that only makes him more adorable.

L – Love. Because this is a Paige Tyler story. So, there will be romance, love, and an HEA. But since this is a Paige Tyler story, there will also be two characters who can’t seem to get out of their own way.

F – Frozen. Not the movie (though I do love that movie) but the really cold-water kind. The STAT team spends some time in a really cold part of the world and nearly freezes a few parts off.

Please share the opening lines of this book:

The story opens up in at the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, where STAT has been sent to investigate the unusual theft of a large stockpile of US nuclear weapons. We immediately get to meet the hero as well as other members of the STAT team from the previous books in the series.

“Is it just my imagination or do these guys seem a little tense to you?” Caleb Lynch murmured as he and the other members of his Special Threat Assessment Team followed their heavily armed escort of American soldiers into the ammunition storage area along the backside of Incirlik Air Base.
Forrest Albright and his girlfriend, Misty Swanson, the two team members nearest to him, threw glances at the collection of American and Turkish soldiers lined up on either side of the nearest section of concertina-topped security fencing.
“I think tense might be an understatement,” Misty said, looking back at Caleb.

Please tell us a little about the characters in your book.

Caleb Lynch is our hero. He’s an omega werewolf, constantly in trouble, frequently out of control, unsure of his place on a team of good guys, and completely baffled why a woman as amazing as Brielle would ever look at someone like him twice.

Brielle Fontaine is our heroine. She’s had a rough life and has had to take care of her kid brother since she was a teenager. He’s always in trouble and she’s always the one to get him out of it. But there’s something unique about Brielle. She possesses a supernatural ability that makes her indispensable to both the good guys and the bad guys.

Xavier Harrington is the bad guy. Rich beyond belief, he’s head of a major corporation, involved in banking and finances, real estate, energy, construction, communications, and food production. He also wants to save the world—even if that means destroying it first.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

The tag line for the STAT series is Mission Impossible…with Werewolves! So, like the Mission Impossible movies, this series take a team of amazing characters around the world dealing with over-the-top threats to the world. In this book, you get a glimpse of Turkey, Croatia, Ukraine, Siberia, Moscow, and New York City. And through our travels, there will be lots of action, danger, intrigue, and of course, steamy romance!

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Caleb and Brielle met in a previous STAT book. He didn’t really understand this supernatural ability she seemed to possess, but he knew she was badass…and he thinks that’s really hot. Then there was the immediate and intense connection he felt with her any time she was around. That was kind of cool, too. And scary.

The First Kiss…

“I’m an omega. By definition, I’m a loner. Like you, I’ve dated, but it never seemed to work out. I’ve never had a connection with anyone.”
Brielle gazed up at him. Why did it bother her so much that this amazing man hadn’t found someone to share his life with? For some reason, it seemed like such a waste.
“Maybe you simply haven’t found the right woman yet,” she murmured, fighting the urge to reach up and caress his chiseled jaw. She wanted to do it so badly, she could almost feel his scruff under her fingers.
“Or maybe I have,” Caleb said, bending his head to touch his lips to hers.
He kissed her slowly, tentatively, like he wanted to give her a chance to pull away if she wanted to. She didn’t pull away—or want to. Instead, she reached up and buried her fingers in his shaggy hair, pulling him down and opening her mouth to invite him in, desperate to let him know how much she wanted this.
Her tongue tangled with his, and she moaned at how good he tasted. One of his strong arms wrapped around her, tugging her against him, lifting her up on her toes a little until her breasts were pressing firmly against his powerful chest as he slipped his free hand into her hair.
It felt amazing.

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would you use for the audition of the main characters and why?

Caleb and Brielle are in a restaurant conducting surveillance on a bad guy who’s at a nearby table. But while this is supposed to be all work, our hero and heroine end up turning it into a date. The actors in this scene need to be able to demonstrate their attraction to each other, while still playing it cool.

“Have you ever been to Zagreb?” Caleb asked as he moved around the table and took his own seat, then picked up the menu their server had set in front of him.
Brielle saw him glance casually at the large table in the back corner of the restaurant, where their suspect, arms dealer Surinda Lestari, was supposed to be having dinner with his potential buyers tonight. But the table was completely empty at the moment, leaving Brielle to wonder if the information STAT had come up with might be wrong. She hoped not because that would mean they weren’t any closer to finding Julian. She only prayed her brother was still okay.
“No, I’ve never been anywhere in Croatia.” Brielle picked up her own menu but didn’t open it right away. Instead, she took a moment to look around the beautiful restaurant with its high tray ceiling illuminated with soft pink lighting, delicate crystal chandeliers, and antique wood floor inset with large marble tiles. Semi-private booths hidden in alcoves were all around the perimeter of the main dining room, and there was even a small dance floor at the far end. Two older couples swayed to the soft music coming from the speakers in each corner. “Though if I’d known it was this beautiful here, I would have made it a point to visit,” she added, turning her attention back to Caleb. “You?”
Caleb snorted. “Does it make me sound stupid if I admit I didn’t even know Zagreb was in Croatia? Hell, if we’re being honest, I would have a hard time even finding Croatia on a map, much less Zagreb.”
Brielle didn’t bother to hide her smile. In her experience, there weren’t many men whose egos could handle admitting they didn’t know something, especially in front of a woman. The fact that Caleb could do so without giving it a second thought was a trait she found very attractive.
“No, it definitely doesn’t make you sound stupid,” she told him. “Lyon, the place where I grew up in France, is probably only a thousand kilometers away from here, and I don’t know much more about this place than you do.”
Caleb regarded her thoughtfully, like he was trying to decide if she was lying about that or not, but before he could say anything, they were interrupted by their server. Caleb ordered a Jack and Coke while Brielle went with a glass of white wine.
The woman just left to get their drinks when Jake’s voice came through the tiny earpieces Brielle and Caleb were wearing.
“Surinda Lestari and his entourage just arrived in the parking lot,” he said.
“The bug I put under the table earlier is transmitting loud and clear,” Misty added. “We should have no problem hearing everything they say.”
Less than a minute later, the hostess led six men into the dining room and directly to the table in the back. Two of them moved to take up positions in the furthest corners of the room, probably so they could keep an eye on the main entrance, the kitchen, and the other diners, along with the table in the back, which meant they must be Surinda Lestari’s bodyguards.
“Copy that,” Caleb said into the microphone hidden in the lapel of his suit jacket. “We have eyes on him.” Turning off his mic, he regarded the men for a moment, then looked at Brielle. “I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I thought a man ballsy enough to steal twenty nuclear weapons from the United States would look a little more…I don’t know…badass?”
Brielle swept her eyes across the room, making it seem like she was taking in the beautiful decor as she got a closer look at the man STAT intelligence believed had stolen the nukes. While Lestari might not look as intimidating as Caleb, with his jet-­black hair and dark eyes, the man didn’t exactly seem like a pushover, either.
“Really?” she said, running a finger over the delicate flower pendant on the necklace she wore, turning off her own tiny microphone and turning her gaze on Caleb again. “He looks scary enough to me.”
Caleb still didn’t seem impressed, but he didn’t say anything as he went back to reading the menu.
Brielle was trying to decide what to order when the server set their drinks on the table.
“Shall I tell you about our menu?” the petite woman asked.
Brielle nodded. “Please.”
As she described each dish in detail, Brielle got the feeling that a fancy restaurant like this wasn’t Caleb’s kind of place. But he hid it well, smiling and nodding, saying all the right things at the appropriate moments. When the server was done, he looked at Brielle, asking what she’d like. Truthfully, this place was a bit fancy for her tastes as well, but when Caleb suggested the marinated pears in port wine with warm brioche and orange butter for the appetizer, followed by risotto with carrot juice and lamb fillet in a creamy rosemary sauce, then a tangerine mousse for dessert, she eagerly agreed. It might not be the kind of food she ate every day, but it did sound delicious.
“You do know you picked the most expensive things on the menu, right?” she asked as the server walked away.
“I figure if we have to eat in a fancy restaurant, we might as well see how the other half lives,” Caleb said with a grin. “Though I’ll probably have to go out to McDonald’s after this for something a little more filling. You’re welcome to join me if you want.”
“Already asking me out on a second date before the first one is even over, are you?” she teased with a soft laugh. “I never say no to fries, so you’re on.”

If your hero had a sexy-times play list, what song(s) would have to be on it?

• Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran
• Howling for You by The Black Keys
• One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer by George Thorogood & The Destroyers.
• Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress) by The Hollies.
• Lowrider by War.
• Eye of the Tiger by Survivor.

If you could have given your characters one piece of advice before the opening pages of the book, what – would it be and why?

Recognize and accept that you’re in an action romance. Feel free to make bad decisions. It’s good for the story.

What are you currently working on? What are your up-coming releases?*

We’re currently writing the next book in our romantic suspense SEALs of Coronado Series, then it’s on to the next book in our paranormal romantic suspense SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team Series, following by the first book in a new romantic comedy series!
As for upcoming releases, look for the aforementioned next SEALs of Coronado book in Summer 2022, followed by the next SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team book, THE WOLF IS MINE, December 2022!
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: Print copy of True Wolf by Paige Tyler

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: What kind of superpower would you like to have? But here’s the kicker—you only get it for one hour.

 
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Excerpt from True Wolf:

Trying to track down the bad guys and the lost nukes, the STAT team finds themselves in a really bad situation…as the underground storage facility they thought they were walking into is actually a nuclear test site.

“What the hell are we looking at here, Misty?” Jake called out, glancing at her. “Please don’t tell me they’ve rigged that thing to blow.”
Misty didn’t say anything for a several long moments as she continued to tap away at the keyboard. When she finally looked up, Caleb knew from the expression on her face that it was bad before she said a word.
“Okay, I won’t tell you,” she said.
Reaching out, she spun one of the computer screens around to face them. There were a series of numbers displayed there, and it didn’t take a computer geek to figure out what they were for or what they meant. Caleb’s stomach dropped. It was a countdown timer. And they had less than twenty minutes left before it reached all zeroes. He had a pretty good idea what happened then.
“I don’t know why they’re doing it,” Misty said. “Maybe they want to see how powerful the nukes are. But that thing is going to blow—soon.”
“Any chance of us finding it and stopping it from going off?” Hudson asked without a shred of hope in his voice.
And Caleb thought that he was cynical.
Misty looked over at Genevieve for a second before shaking her head. “I wouldn’t even know which way to go to find it. We have no idea how big this tunnel complex might be. The nuke could be around the next corner or half a mile away. Hell, it could be right underneath us for all I know.”
“Can you do your thing and get into the computer to stop the countdown?” Jes asked, her eyes widening as she saw the number click down under eighteen.
“We’re going to find out,” Misty said, reaching out to touch the computer in front of her.
“Wait!” Jake shouted, stepping forward with a hand out. “You can go in there, but you have two minutes to try and do your thing. That’s it. Then you need to get out so we can escape before that thing blows. Understood?”
Misty nodded. A split second later, her eyes turned cloudy white and her face took on that signature nobody’s home expression.
“What the hell just happened?” Hudson said, staring at Misty like she had two heads—­and flippers.
Jake glanced at the countdown timer before looking at Hudson. “She’s a technopath. She can merge her consciousness with any electronic system, slipping inside and communicating with it, for lack of a better word.”
Hudson’s mouth was hanging open a little as he glanced around the room, like he was once again waiting for someone to say, “Got you!” But obviously, that didn’t happen.
Two minutes rolled off the countdown timer faster than Caleb could have ever dreamed possible. And then the counter was streaking toward fourteen minutes.
“Um…guys,” Hudson said slowly. “Two minutes is up, and Misty isn’t out of the computer yet. Should we…I don’t know…give her a nudge or something?”
“It doesn’t work that way,” Forrest answered, moving closer to the woman he was in love with. It might not be a werewolf soulmate thing, but Caleb knew they had it bad for each other. “Once Misty is in a computer, she doesn’t have any connection with her body. She won’t feel any-thing if we try and get her attention that way.”
“Well, we have to do something,” Hudson said, glancing at the diminishing counter with a worried look. “The elevator ride alone will take us two or three minutes. Can’t we just pull her away from the computer and snap her out of it?”
“Maybe you weren’t listening to me before.” Forrest’s hand moved to rest on the weapon holstered at his side, like he’d shoot the CIA agent if the guy so much as took a step toward Misty. “That would trap her mind in the computer, and we’d never get her out.”
No one said anything, not even Hudson. Instead, they all stood there staring at the counter, watching the time run out.
“Everyone out,” Jake said suddenly. “Head for the elevator now. I’ll stay here and grab Misty the second she comes out. I’ll be right behind you.”
Caleb appreciated the heroic offer, but it went over about as well as he expected, earning several amused snorts and even more firm “No ways!” and “Like hells!” Jes especially looked like she wanted to smack her mate. And it was obvious Forrest wasn’t going anywhere with-out Misty.
Jake scowled. “If we all stay and that nuke goes off, it’s over.”
Before anyone could argue, Brielle sat in the chair beside Misty, slamming one hand on the side of the computer and the other on Misty’s. Then Brielle’s eyes went cloudy white, and her body went totally still, her face as expressionless as Misty’s. To say Caleb was as stunned as everyone else in the room was an understatement.
“What did she just do?” Hudson asked, his eyes wide.
“She went into the computer to get Misty,” Caleb said.
Grabbing a chair of his own, he flopped down in it. If he was going to go out in a brilliant flash of light, he might as well be comfortable.

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

KEEP YOUR TEAM CLOSE
AND YOUR ENEMIES CLOSER…

Werewolf agent Caleb Lynch takes the lead on STAT’s newest case: to track down the thieves who stole nuclear weapons from the air force. His best lead points him to a brother-sister duo with a shady record, but Caleb sees something in the mysterious woman that could change his whole world.

Brielle Fontaine’s supernatural abilities are a force to be reckoned with, making her one of STAT’s biggest threats and a most useful ally. But Brielle is suspicious of anyone who might use her for their own gain, so she keeps most people at a distance—that is, until she meets werewolf Caleb Lynch.

When Brielle, Caleb, and the other STAT agents come under fire from supernatural terrorists seeking to start a war, the attraction between them could lead to something much more explosive…
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Meet the Author:

Paige Tyler is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, romantic suspense and paranormal romance. She and her very own military hero (also known as her husband) live on the beautiful Florida coast with their adorable fur baby (also known as their dog). Paige graduated with a degree in education, but decided to pursue her passion and write books about hunky alpha males and the kick-butt heroines who fall in love with them.
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