RW: What’s your story/back story? Why would someone come up with a
story about you?
LG: I’m the whisper in the night that bad alpha’s fear. The shadow
that gives them nightmares. No, really, I go in undercover to shifter packs
that mistreat their women and help them break out. I’m part of a network that
hides them and gives them a chance at a new life. We’re called the Free Wolves.
But we help out any shifter, not just wolves, and not just women.
RW: What problems do you have to face and overcome in your life?
LG: I constantly have to reinvent myself. Change my appearance, my
name, my job. Eventually, I’m going to have to start duplicating identities I’ve
used before, and that’s an issue. If I get caught while on a mission, I risk my
life. Another problem is that sometimes I have to pretend I’m human and hide my
wolf for far too long.
RW: Where
do you live?
LG: Currently
I’m in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming. The nearest “town” has about 150 people
on a good day. Heck, the closest hospital is over an hour away. At least it’s
not like Buford, WY with a population of one.
RW: Bubble baths or steamy
showers? Ocean or mountains? Puppies or kittens? Chocolate or caramel?
LG: Steamy showers. I don’t
have time for bubble baths. Mountains. Preferably deep in the mountains where I
can let my wolf run free. Puppies or kittens? Puppies. They recognize my inner
wolf and see me as part of their pack. I scare kittens. And I’ll take a piece
of rich dark chocolate any day.
RW: If money were not an
object, where would you most like to live?
LG: The tree-covered hills
of Pennsylvania, where my wolf could run without worrying about being seen,
where we could splash in the little streams that run through every valley, and
roll in the grass of the patchy meadows that dot the hillsides. Where’s there’s
still plenty of wild game to hunt and fish to catch. And there’re still plenty
of things for my human side to do, too.
RW: What is your secret
guilty pleasure?
LG: I don’t know how big of
a secret is, but I love to read. But I normally don’t have time to read
anything beyond drugstore romances and sci-fi. It’s hard to get a library card
when you are using a fake ID. I have to wait until I’m in a “downtime” to ready
anything lengthy.
RW: If you were stranded on
a tropical island, who would it be with? You can choose any living, deceased or
mythical figure.
LG: The spy, Mary Bowser.
If the island was big enough, my wolf could feed both of us, so that’s not a
problem. But I bet I could learn a thing or two from her about hiding in plain
sight. Then, when we were rescued, I’d be even better at what I do now.
RW: Cherries or Bananas?
Leather or lace? Black or red? Mud Bath or Oily Massage?
LG: Bananas. They come in
their own wrapper and you don’t have to worry about making sure the lid on the
jar is closed. Leather. Lace wouldn’t hold up to the activities I do- running,
crawling, sneaking around. In fact, I’ve been known to destroy a leather jacket
or two,
RW: If you came with a
warning label, what would it say?
LG: Caution. May disappear
in the blink of an eye.
RW: Hunky heroes or average
Joe?
LG: Most male wolf shifters
are hunky, so it doesn’t make a lot of difference. It’s not like I have time for
romance anyway. But I’ve gone toe-to-toe with the best and the worst of them,
so the average Joe works for me.
P.J MacLayne
Born
and raised among the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania, P.J. MacLayne still
finds inspiration for her books in that landscape. She is a computer geek by
day and a writer by night who currently lives in the shadow of the Rocky
Mountains. When she’s not in front of a computer screen, she might be found
exploring the back roads of the nearby national forests and parks. In addition
to the Free Wolves’ stories, she is also the author of the Oak Grove series.
Wolves’ Gambit
The Plot
Wolf-shifter
Lori Grenville was rescued from near-slavery and a brutal pack leader by the
Free Wolves. To pay back the favor, she’s dedicated her life to helping others
in the same situation, leading shifters to safety and a new start, risking her
life in the process. She’s faced down alphas and has no qualms in undermining
pack structure.
Now
she’s challenged with the task of restoring an alpha to his rightful place. If
she gets it right, she can stop a war from ripping apart two packs and
spreading across an entire state. If she fails, she’ll be among the first to
die.
There’s
still the option of walking away and letting the Jaeger and Destin packs
destroy each other. That means she’ll fail in her original mission of rescuing
the daughter of the Jaeger alpha before the girl is forced into marriage for
political gain.
Lori
hasn’t failed in a mission yet. This one may be the exception.
Although
Wolves’ Gambit is the third book in the Free Wolves series, each book can be
read as a standalone.
An Excerpt:
She didn’t have time to
shift. Instead, Lori threw herself to the ground and rolled. The wolf missed,
but swiveled on its back paws, bunched its muscles, and prepared for a second
attack. Without a weapon, she could only hold it off for a few seconds.
So, she did what any
human would do. She screamed. Only she dropped the pretense and screamed with
her mental voice. The sound of a rabbit’s dying scream. The shrill,
high-pitched cry for help didn’t need to be aimed at only one person. It would
wake everyone within range. There’d be a lot of headaches in a very short time.
The wolf stopped in its
tracks and shook its head. That was all the time Lori needed. A metal snow
shovel had been left leaning against the building after the last snow months
ago, and she grabbed it. She gripped it in both hands and swung.
Her aim was true. The shovel thudded against the side of
the wolf’s head and it staggered. But Lori knew of a more vulnerable spot. She
adjusted the direction of the next swing. The awkward angle resulted in a less
forceful blow, but still, she hit the tender nose.
The wolf snarled, its
teeth glistening, and leaped.
She whirled out of the
way and swung the shovel at the same time. The blade met the wolf’s front
haunches. A cracking sound sent a chill down Lori’s spine. The wooden handle
was breaking. She’d only get one more hit. It had to be a good one.
The wolf heard it too.
Out of reach of her makeshift weapon, it paced, tongue hanging from its mouth.
Left to right, right to left. Only Lori’s eyes followed it. She watched for the
telltale signs. The tightening of muscles, the focusing of the eyes, a lowering
of the head. The wolf was toying with her. Her heartbeat kept pace with the
wolf’s steps. Too fast.
But where was the
guard? He’d had time to come to her rescue. Was this one of Carlson’s men? She’d
been a fool to trust him. He was just another pack leader. Take advantage of
those less powerful and discard them when they are no longer useful.
She wondered how sharp
the edge of the blade was. Sharp enough to rip through flesh? There was no time
to check. She needed to stay alert for every twitch.
The
charge happened in the blink of an eye. One second he was on the ground, the
next flying towards her. She didn’t wait. With a loud cry, she held the shovel
straight in front of her like a lance and ran to meet the attack.
Contact P.J. MacLayne
At:
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