We’re so pleased to welcome author Mary Rundle to The Novel Approach today on the tour for the fifth book in the Blackwood Pack series, Shadow Voice. She’s joining us to chat about her ideas and inspirations, and there’s also a giveaway so be sure to check out those details at the end.
Hello, I’m Mary Rundle and thanks for hosting me today for my blog tour of Shadow Voice, Book 5 of the Blackwood Pack series. Many of my readers ask me questions but the one I hear most is where my ideas come from. So today, I’m explaining how one idea came to me and how I used it in my stories. I hope you enjoy it!
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A reader once asked me how I come up with ideas for my stories and while some of them are on the spur of the moment others are not. For instance, Jackson, one of the main characters in Dire Warning, finds out the Fates gave him a gift which makes him a unique Alpha. My idea for his gift came from an unusual source.
One day I found an online test that would tell you the percentage of male vs female brain you had. It sounded interesting so I answered all the questions was quite surprised at the results. It seems my brain is 80% male and 20% female. Who knew? Then I had my hubby take it and his results were 50 -50. He was preening since the test described his brain as being perfectly balanced. LOL!
The more I thought about this concept the more intrigued I became. I mean, after all, I grew up thinking that as a female my brain would have predominately female. However, after taking the test and thinking about how it might apply to me, I realized there’s definitely a part of me—and obviously a large part—that ‘thinks like a man’ while a smaller part of my brain cogitates in a feminine way. Running with the idea everyone’s brain is a combination of male and female, I use that premise in various ways for my stories.
So who are the characters in the Blackwood Pack series and how do they evolve? In the first book, Dire Warning, the reader meets seven brothers—all Alpha males belonging to the pack but it’s soon discovered that at least one is not 100% Alpha. Jackson, the pack’s Alpha finds out he’s an Alpha/Omega hybrid—using the idea of a person possessing both a male and female brain.He struggles with what possible threats it poses to his leadership of the pack but all is resolved by the end of the book and he gets his HEA.
In each subsequent book of the series, Jackson’s Alpha/Omega behavior continues to appear and he evolves into a multi-faceted character as his compassion, authority, fairness, intelligence and humor along with other traits are revealed in far more detail than what we see in first book.
Each book in the Blackwood Pack series is unique in that it not only chronicles the story of a brother finding his Fated Mate, but also gives the reader more and more insight into the character of each of the brothers when they reappear.
It allows the reader to see a slow peeling back of the many layers of each brother’s personality, creating a rich, three-dimensional view of each brother which adds to the reader’s enjoyment. This can have unforeseen consequences because sometimes what is discovered about a brother, either positively or negatively, may change a reader’s mind about them. But my readers tell me this is what makes my stories seem so real.
About the Book
Buy Link: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited
Series: Blackwood Pack: Book Five
Author: Mary Rundle
Publisher: Dragonheart LLC
Release Date: Friday, September 7, 2018
Word Count: 119k approx.
Genres: MM Paranomal Erotic Romance
Pairings: MM couple some references to previous MM couples included
Tropes: M/M, Wolf Shifters, Fated Mates, MPREG, HEA
Keywords/Categories: gay, paranormal true mates, shifters, wolf shifters, wolf, alpha male, alphas and omegas, chef, business man,masturbation, dirty talk,sex, scottish, pride, survivor guilt, grief, guilt, love
Necessary to Read Previous Books: Yes
Blurb: The Blackwood Pack saga continues…
This is part of an on-going series and reading the previous titles is advised. Readers of the past books will enjoy meeting old friends once more as the pack does what it does best ̶ caring for each other.
Slate, one of the last Dire Wolves, has carved out a life which suits him fine—plenty of traveling to exotic locations and an abundance of one night stands to handle his needs. While he’s happy for his brother, who has found his Fated Mate, Slate isn’t interested in finding his—at least not for a long time. That is, until his body betrays him. Seeking his mother’s help—who is an Oracle—Slate pays a visit to the Blackwood Pack where he finds the Fates have once again, messed with his life.
Dakota, the chef for the Blackwood Pack, fell in love with cooking as a young child and ultimately the kitchen became a place of refuge for him. Suffering with a ‘curse’ through much of his childhood, he relied heavily on his mother’s help to deal with it. After the massacre of his mother and siblings by their greedy uncle, Dakota barely survives, but finally forges a life for himself, content to stay home and take care of the people he loves.
Tour Excerpt
Slate ran down the hall, scenting his mate’s cum, determined to find him. Fuck! I don’t even know his name. Down the stairs he went, into the great room, then to the front door. Nearly tearing it off its hinges, Slate stepped out on the porch and saw the torn clothes scattered about. Just as he was about to shift and follow his mate, his father took hold of his arm and using his Alpha voice, forced Slate to stop.
“Dad, let go…my mate ran off and I have to find him!”
“Son, your mother wants to speak to you first.”
Slate fought his wolf, finally gaining control and, as the tension left his body, he slumped against the house. He stared into the woods, hoping to see his mate and when that didn’t happen, he shifted his gaze to his father. “Why did he run off? I thought a mate would rather die than abandon the one the Fates had chosen. I don’t understand it. Why didn’t he like me?”
“Slate, your mate is safe. Talk to your mother. She can help you.” Maximus gently pushed his son into the house to see his mother.
Exhausted, Slate walked to his parents’ suite. He was numb, unable to comprehend what happened and how it went wrong. Never expecting to find his mate so soon after the onset of his first toirchigh, he was confused at his need—the overpowering drive to claim his mate. All Slate knew as he entered the sitting room was that somehow he had fucked up badly. Even his wolf knew it as he keened for his mate.
The man who walked in was in pain, that much Oracle could see. But it was going to get worse before it got better. How much worse depended on her son and what he decided to do. Taking his hand, Oracle led Slate over to a chair, pushed him down in it, then sat beside him. Holding his hand, she began. “Sweetie, tell me what happened.”
Sitting next to Oracle, Slate, remembered all the times during his childhood when his mother was there for him, comforting him when he fell, and chasing the demons in his nightmares away. Drawing in her sweet scent, he confided that he’d found his mate but had been rejected. Rubbing his heart, Slate hated even saying those words, because it made the pain there more intense, so much so, he was sure it was breaking in half. Finally, when he admitted he didn’t even know his mate’s name, the tears began to flow.
Oracle put her arms around her son, gently rubbing his back as he cried. She could feel the sadness enveloping Slate, but she had no quick fixes to make it better for him. Only he could do that and she wondered, for the thousandth time, why her youngest son always had to travel such a hard road in his life. Together they sat, one trying to find the strength to continue, the other giving love and support.
When the tears had finally stopped, Slate took stock of himself, trying to find the hidden well of strength he always seemed to have. Wiping the remnants of his tears away, he looked at his mother. “Mom, I fucked up big time but I don’t know what I did wrong or how to make it right.”
“Let’s see if we can sort it out, okay, sweetie?”
“I’d appreciate it.”
“What are your intentions? Do you want him?”
Slate thought it over and much to his surprise—considering his feelings just a few hours ago—said, “Yes, I do, but I don’t even know who he is.”
“His name is Dakota and he is Jackson’s brother.”
Dakota…Dakota…oh I know him. “He’s the chef, right? Colton told me about his cooking when we were in Mexico.”
“Yes, he is and he loves it. Right now, he is teaching Theo.”
“Maybe I can share some of my recipes with him. Colton said Dakota is always looking for new recipes.”
“That might be a good way for you to get to know him.”
“Good idea, Mom,” Slate exclaimed, but then his face fell. “But first I have to find him and see if he wants me. He ran away from me. What did I do wrong?”
“May I give you some advice?”
“Sure. As you can see, I need all the help I can get.”
“Before you claim Dakota, take some time to know him and let him learn about you, Slate. His story is the key to who he is and will help you understand why he ran.”
“Okay,” Slate said, “I promise I’ll talk to my mate before throwing him down and biting him.”
“That would be a good thing to do sweetie,” Oracle said, smiling gently. “One other thing. I must talk to Dakota before you claim him to explain the gift the Fates have for him.”
“I understand, but first I have to find my mate, Mom, and I’ll bring him back here so you can tell him what you need to.” Slate stood, extending his hand to his mother and helped her up. “I don’t think we’ll make it back for lunch, so will you make my excuses to Jackson?”
“You can do that after you tell him Dakota is your Fated Mate.”
About the Author
The first book I ever wrote was Dire Warning in 2017 and, much to my delight, it became an Amazon Best Seller. Readers loved it and I was on my way to chronicling the Blackwood Pack, seven brothers who are gay wolf shifters in search of their fated mates– stories about love at first sight with twists and turns, angst and humor, romance and adventure and, of course, happy endings.
Now, five books later, Shadow Voice, another Best Seller, has just been released to critical acclaim. I love the M/M paranormal genre because it gives my imagination a lot of territory in which to roam. My mind can really run wild and come up with some amazing stuff when it doesn’t have to stay inside the box.
My readers tell me they feel like they’re a member of the pack as the stories unfold. As if they’re right there in the middle of the action. Others tell me it’s like watching a fast-paced movie. My writing style pulls no punches– readers love it and are always clamoring for the next book.
Stories come to me as if they were being channeled by my characters, all of whom I love (except for a few villains). They are eager to recount their lives, loves and adventures and are not inhibited when it comes to revealing steamy details.
I currently live in the Northeast and love the beautiful change of seasons, my husband, and our quirky calico cat, though not necessarily in that order. I’m always happy to hear from my readers through my website or on Facebook!
You can also connect with Mary at FB Author Page || Twitter || Goodreads || QueeRomance Ink || Amazon
The Giveaway
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