Spotlight & Giveaway: Wild On My Mind by Laurel Kerr

Posted October 11th, 2018 by in Blog, Spotlight / 68 comments

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Laurel Kerr to HJ!
Spotlight&Giveaway

Hi Laurel and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Wild On My Mind!

 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

W is for Wild. In Wild on My Mind, the Sagebrush Zoo is full of wild animals from Ferdinand, the cute chinchilla to Frida, the elderly grizzly.
 
I is for Interdependent. While the animals have bonded with the owner of the zoo, Bowie, and his eleven-year-old daughter, they’ve also formed interdependent relationships with each other. Although the rascally honey badger Fluffy would never admit it, he loves escaping his enclosure to play chase with the old grizzly, Frida. And then there’s Syliva, the big-hearted capybara who mothers the zoo’s orphans.
 
L is for Lulubelle the Lovelorn. Poor Lulubelle is the sole camel at the zoo, though among a herd of llamas. The arrival of a baby cria changes the group’s dynamics, and Lulubelle finds herself the outcast. If she tries to approach the little llama, she faces bruising kicks and humiliating spit. Lulubelle has a soft heart, and she just wants companionship and a baby of her own. Pats from her humans are great, but they’re not the same as having her own family.
 
D is for Drama. Bowie understands Lulubelle’s frustration. He’s also having drama of his own in the love department. There’s a sexy PR-whiz helping with the zoo’s marketing who has reasons to distrust him, but Katie just might be the answer to Lulubelle’s difficulties. After all, she’s the one who dreams up a campaign to raise funds to find Lulubelle a mate.
 
O is for Orphaned. A cuddly trio of orphaned cougar cubs are the reason Katie is involved with the zoo. When she heard their desperate squeaking cries one evening, she called the local zoo for help. She didn’t expect the very man who’d broken her heart and chased her away from her hometown over ten years ago to show up.
 
N is for Never Again. If it weren’t for the baby mountain lions, Katie might have just left the former bad boy stranded on the cliff until morning. After all, he’d done worse back in high school. But he’s clearly concerned about the little kits. And darn if he still doesn’t look sexy, snuggling the tiny cougars against his muscular chest. But while Katie’s hormones are doing an annoying happy dance, her brain is steeled against his outward charms. She’s never again going to make the mistake of falling for him.
 
M is for Mistake. Bowie is, after all, the man who pretended to date a nerdy, entirely smitten Katie back in high school, only to trick her into kissing a pig. Then, he and his real girlfriend slipped a clip of the smooch into the school’s student-run morning announcements. He’s regretted his mistake ever since, but especially now that Katie’s back in his life.
 
Y is for Yearning. Now he finds himself yearning for the girl he chased away.
 
M is for Make Up. Bowie’s willing to do anything to make up for his past sins and to convince Katie to use her marketing expertise to help the zoo.
 
I for Ideas. Katie is full of ideas on just how Bowie can prove himself. Now it’s his turn to star in light-hearted videos of her creation, starting with him landing a big kiss on the snoot of the zoo’s resident red river hog. It doesn’t hurt that Katie also gets to spend time with the cougar cubs. Her heart melts every time she feeds one of the hungry balls of fluff, and when their blue eyes open for the first time, she’s a goner.
 
N is for Never Ever. But although she’s growing attached to the baby animals and the other zoo residents, Katie’s never ever going to let Bowie sweet-talk her again.

D is for Determined. As an ex-foster kid, nothing has been handed to Bowie. He has had to work for everything in his life. After being kicked out by his latest guardian when he turned eighteen, he’s managed to make a good life for himself and his eleven-year-old daughter. And now he’s determined to earn Katie’s respect, trust, and hopefully love. It doesn’t take long for Katie to see that he’s a great dad and a wonderful caretaker to the zoo’s menagerie, but she’s not ready to expose her heart to the man who once crushed it. Bowie needs to show that he’s worthy. Luckily, he has three adorable cougars, their capybara nursemaid, one mischievous honey badger, and a big-hearted camel on his side.
 

 

 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

 

Giveaway: Print copy of Wild On My Mind (Where the Wild Hearts Are Book 1) by Laurel Kerr

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Although the Sagebrush Zoo is only a local animal park, it is still filled with a colorful cast of critters. What’s your favorite type of animal and why?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Book Info:

Love runs wild at the Sagebrush Flats Zoo,
where a motley crew of big-hearted animals
helps the most unlikely couples find love.

When Katie Underwood discovers a litter of newborn cougar cubs, the last person she expects to come to the rescue is her former crush—and high school nemesis—Bowie Wilson. The worst part? He doesn’t seem to remember the trouble he caused her.

As a single father and owner of a cash-strapped zoo, Bowie struggles to balance budgets while raising his pre-teen daughter and a host of rascally animals. He considers himself lucky when Katie agrees to lend her talents to a publicity campaign in support of the zoo’s animal rehabilitation programs—until he learns just what she’s planning…

This time, Katie is determined to resist Bowie’s charm. But a lovelorn camel, a matchmaking honey badger, and a nursemaid capybara have different plans. Can they and the rest of the zoo’s menagerie help Bowie break through the barriers surrounding Katie’s heart?

Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Two-time Golden Heart finalist Laurel Kerr spent a few weeks each summer of her childhood on family road trips. That time packed in the back seat of her grandparents’ Grand Marquis opened her imagination and exposed her to the wonders of the United States. The lessons she learned then still impact her writing today. She lives near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband, daughter, and loyal cavalier spaniel.

 
 
 

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68 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: Wild On My Mind by Laurel Kerr”

  1. Mary Preston

    I love elephants. It’s beautiful how maternal the females are. Just stunning animals.

    • laurelkerr

      Elephants ability to form bonds is amazing! I remember learning at a museum exhibit on pachyderms, that the entire herd morns the loss of one of its members. I also read an article about a group of elephants at a rescue center/reserve in Africa. They always seem to know when a new orphan is about to arrive, and they arrive at the center en masse to greet the little calf.

    • laurelkerr

      The first exhibit in the Pittsburgh Zoo is the Canadian Lynx, who recently gave birth to babies. The cubs are getting older now, and they’re such a joy to watch! They are very playful as they practice their pouncing!

  4. JenM

    I also love cats, any and every kind. It’s something about the way they look at you. Plus, I love that you really have to earn their affection. Unfortunately, I’m wildly allergic so I can only admire them from afar these days.

    • laurelkerr

      Cats do have a great dignity! Even when you can’t snuggle them, they’re great fun to watch as they play and get into adorable kitty mischief.

  5. laurieg72

    Panda bears. They look so soft and cuddly and they appear to be family oriented and docile.

    • laurelkerr

      They’re one of my favorites too! I was so excited when I got to see my first koala at the San Diego Zoo. They have an incredible exhibit there.

  8. Laurajj

    I have to say bears! I think they are such beautiful creatures…I could sit and watch them all day!

    • laurelkerr

      They are majestic! I was so excited when I first saw a bear in the wild. As a kid, I went on family vacations to national parks, but I never spotted a bear until my late twenties. It was a juvenile grizzly at Yellowstone National Park. A couple years later I caught a glimpse of my first black bear at the Smoky Mountains.

  10. Daniel M

    always like cats, housecats because they’re fun and playful and bigger ones for their fierceness (lion tiger cougar lynx cheetah)

    • laurelkerr

      It’s always fascinating when you see a big cat exhibit some of the same playful behavior as a domestic cat. There are currently juvenile lynxes at the Pittsburgh Zoo, and it is so neat to watch them interact with each other and their mom.

    • laurelkerr

      Aren’t they? I’ve think I’ve had a soft spot for hedgehogs ever since my mother read me Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Miss Tiggy-Winkle when I was little.

    • laurelkerr

      It is amazing how similar they really are. Cats move in such a distinctive way that is both graceful and powerful all at the same time.

    • laurelkerr

      Wolves are fascinating. My third novel in the series, which I am in the process of writing now, features wolves, and I love doing the research. There is nothing better than watching videos of cute baby wolves exploring their environment and learning how to howl.

  18. Nicole (Nicky) Ortiz

    I love wolves. Because they come in packs and their loyalty.
    Thanks for the chance!

    • laurelkerr

      Wolves are majestic animals! There is a documentary starring the actor who plays the titular character on BBC’s Doc Martin called Martin Clunes: A Man and His Dogs. When he sees wolves for the first time in the wild at Yellowstone, he is overjoyed, and he captures the excitement I think I would feel if I ever had that opportunity.

  19. BookLady

    I enjoy watching the sea otters at the zoo. They are so cute and usually very active.

    • laurelkerr

      I have to admit to a soft spot for dogs too! As I write this, my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is softly snoring next to me on the couch.

  23. Glenda

    I love all cats – from big exotic to small domestic house cats (yes, including the tiny wild sand cats). I love their beauty, grace, athleticism, and even their attitude.

    • laurelkerr

      It’s amazing how long tortoises can live. They definitely have cute faces, especially when they’re chowing down on a lettuce leaf or fruit.

  25. Shannon Capelle

    I love the panthers, jaguars. They are just so beautiful and powerful looking! I find them so intriguing!!

    • laurelkerr

      They always look so noble at the Pittsburgh Zoo. There is a rock that juts out (it predates Pride Rock) that the lions just love to snooze on.

    • laurelkerr

      They are loyal! I have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and there’s nothing she likes better than snuggling next to her human.

  29. kermitsgirl

    I love pretty much all animals, but nothing beats a cat. Their affection can’t be compared and they are very aware of when you’re feeling blue.

  30. Banana cake

    Definitely dogs, I have 3 right now. I love that they are always happy to see me. They will hang out with me when I don’t feel good.

    • laurelkerr

      My dog is a true lap dog. Although she’ll make do with a pillow or a soft blanket, she prefers being snuggled against a human.

  33. Patricia B.

    I do like the cats. They are sleek, graceful, gorgeous creatures. Small local zoos usually don’t have many if any except local varieties. We lived in Colorado Springs for several years. The zoo there was a family favorite. Our girls’ favorite thing was feeding the giraffes. They had cloud leopards and they were my favorite. It is criminal that these rare and beautiful animals were being killed for their pelts to make coats.

    • laurelkerr

      Clouded leopards are my favorite of the Big Cats. There is something both endearing and mysterious about them. It is tragic that they are being hunted for their coats.

  34. Terrill R.

    Bears (any Kind) have been my favorite for ages, but having had a personal encounter with a giraffe has endeared me to them.

    • laurelkerr

      Bears are wonderful animals, and there is a surprising variety. I’ve always had a soft spot for the sun bear. They’re the smallest species of bear, and the sunburst around their neck is adorable. Giraffes are fun animals to watch. Despite their long necks, they move so gracefully.