Guest Post and Giveaway: Camwolf by JL Merrow

We’re so pleased to have author JL Merrow stopping by today on the tour for the re-release of her paranormal novel, Camwolf, now published with Dreamspinner Press. JL has some info to share about her wolf with us, and there’s also a great giveaway so be sure to check out those details below.

Welcome, JL!

A Very British Werewolf 

Hi, I’m JL Merrow, and I’m delighted to be here today as part of the blog tour to celebrate the release of Camwolf, my student/teacher werewolf romance set in my alma mater, Cambridge University.

Poor Nick in Camwolf. Being a werewolf doesn’t come easily to him. For one thing, he’s got no pack to help him know what to expect, and to provide support and companionship. And for another, he’s so terribly British.

Britain: land of the stiff upper lip, stoicism in the face of disaster (think of the band playing on as the Titanic sank beneath the waves) and a cup of tea as a cure-all. It’s not really what you’d associate with letting out one’s inner beast and howling to the moon.

It’s probably no accident that one of the best known British-set werewolf films is An American Werewolf in London (my emphasis.) Americans, with their pioneer spirit and relatively libertarian gun laws (UK gun laws are among the strictest in the world) are often seen by Brits as both closer to nature and more at home with deadly violence.

Nick, having been brought up to believe that showing one’s emotions in public is on a par with showing one’s underwear, struggles a great deal with allowing his wolf side to run free. He needs the help of someone who’s been brought up a werewolf—and, by the by, in another country—before he can start to let go.

It’s odd, however, when you consider the genetic heritage of the average English person. Historically, England endured more invasions than you could shake a pointy stick at, and the country was colonised by, among others, those bloodthirsty tourists, the Vikings. Not only were the Vikings who arrived in Britain self-selected for fierce warriors, they also in all likelihood included berserkers.

Opinions differ on whether these terrifying fighters worked themselves up to a frenzy via drugs, drink, rituals or simple blood-lust (or all of the above), but everyone agrees you didn’t want to be on the opposing side when they pitched into battle. Famously dressed in animal skins, some were even believed to turn into animals quite literally: in Egil’s Saga, the titular character’s grandad was said to become a wolf after dark, and given the nickname Kveldulfr, or “Evening Wolf”.

Recent studies have shown that, on average, Brits have around 10% Scandinavian (ie Viking) DNA. So although Nick might think he’s too British to be a werewolf, in actual fact it could well be in his blood.

Question: I think I’d make a terrible werewolf. Like Nick, I’m far too British. And I don’t like meat very much. But how about you? Would you relish the chance to release your inner beast?

Giveaway: I’m offering a prize of a $10 Dreamspinner Press gift certificate to one lucky commenter on the tour, who will be randomly chosen on Wednesday 25^th July. Good luck!

About the Book

A race to save his lover—by becoming his own worst nightmare.

Dr. Nick Sewell has it all. Good friends, a career as a Cambridge academic… and recently, a tendency to turn into a wolf every full moon.  When a new student arrives from Germany, Nick is horrified by his visceral attraction to the troubled youth—not to mention his violent jealousy when he sees Julian with another man. He’s floored to find out Julian is a werewolf too.

Unlike Nick, Julian has spent his life among other wolves, and in this subject, he’s the teacher and Nick the student. Nick struggles to adjust to this reversal of roles, especially since he’s an alpha and Julian a natural submissive. That dynamic just adds to the attraction smoldering between them, whether they’re in human form or wolf.

But Julian’s pack and the abuse he suffered isn’t far behind him, and it wants to reclaim him. For Nick to hold on to his lover, he’ll have to embrace the monster within.

Available in ebook and paperback from Dreamspinner Press

Camwolf was previously published by Samhain, but has been completely re-edited and given a lovely new cover for this second edition by Dreamspinner Press.

About the Author

JL Merrow is that rare beast, an English person who refuses to drink tea.  She read Natural Sciences at Cambridge, where she learned many things, chief amongst which was that she never wanted to see the inside of a lab ever again.

She writes (mostly) contemporary gay romance and mysteries, and is frequently accused of humour.  Two of her novels have won Rainbow Awards for Romantic Comedy (Slam!, 2013 and Spun!, 2017) and several of her books have been EPIC Awards finalists, including Muscling Through, Relief Valve (the Plumber’s Mate Mysteries) and To Love a Traitor.

JL Merrow is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Crime Writers Association, International Thriller Writers, Verulam Writers and the UK GLBTQ Fiction Meet organising team.

Website || Twitter: @jlmerrow || Facebook || Goodreads