Book Tour for Not His Territory by Annabeth Leong (Guest Post & GIVEAWAY)

It's Friday and today we've got werewolves to party with.  Annabeth Leong is here talking about her newest release, Not His Territory, as well as giving all commenters the chance to win a copy.  So give a big welcome to Annabeth.....

A big thank you to the Scarf Princess for hosting me here today! I very much appreciate the chance to talk about my werewolf novella, Not His Territory.

I used to write for my sister. I'd work by hand in a spiral-bound notebook in the morning and leave the book on the coffee table when I left for the day. She'd get home later and read my new pages, and we'd repeat the process through an entire draft.

Not only was that time among my most productive as a writer, it formed some cherished rituals. For example, my sister liked to read while playing music to set the mood. Eventually, in addition to writing for her, I suggested soundtracks she could put on while she read. Often, searching for that music would help me define what my work was about.

For a werewolf story, I could go for the obvious: Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London," Duran Duran's "Hungry Like The Wolf," or Shakira's "She-Wolf." The problem is that then I'd be letting the theme of werewolves blind me to the themes that really caught me while I worked on Not His Territory.

To me, the werewolf represents truth and passion that can't be held back. These burst forth despite efforts at restraint or the rules of polite society.

Both the hero and heroine of my story are bubbling with plenty of suppressed emotion. The hero has made a life and career out of following a legalistic system that doesn't respect his instincts and passions. The heroine can't get her ex-husband to leave her alone, despite numerous appeals to the legal system. Their meeting makes them both desperate to escape the confines of life as they know it.

If I were playing music director for my sister again, I'd give her songs about the longing for escape, the hope for something better, and the blossoming of irrepressible passion. I'd give in to a couple of references to howling, but for the most part, I'd try to resist the obvious.

I'd tell her to listen to Anna Ternheim's "To Be Gone" to get the ache the characters feel at the beginning. The always-passionate strains of the blues would speak for their initial attraction — Bonnie Raitt's "Love Me Like a Man" for her and "Howlin' For You" by The Black Keys for him. In "The Killing Moon," Echo and the Bunnymen portray the confusion and menace of uncertain outcomes, and Cut Copy's "Nobody Lost, Nobody Found" describes the lost sensation that comes when love forces change, for better or worse. Eventually, things do come to a head, and I'd choose Florence and the Machine's "Howl" to express the madness and thrill of an inevitable erotic encounter. Finally, because this is a story with a happy ending, I would let Elbow take it home with "Mirrorball," a sweet song of the wonder of new love.

After a devastating encounter with an illegally shifted werewolf, a wounded Raul Silva slumps on Chandra Williams’s doorstep, begging for refuge. As an investigator for the legalistic Werewolf Council, Raul’s been sent to look into instability in the local pack. Chandra’s presence makes him want to succeed at his mission for personal — not professional — reasons.

The Werewolf Council disapproves. Chandra is strictly off-limits for Raul according to both the traditions and laws of the werewolves. But after a life devoted to upholding principles, Raul’s instincts and desires are boiling to the surface. Can Raul resist Chandra, or will he break with everything he stands for to pursue a woman who is not his territory?

EXCERPT:

"Can I take off his marking? I'm glad it kept you safe, but I'm not his territory. It's not his house. I pay for it."

Raul's eyes took on a strange weight. Chandra shivered, too aware of his body. 
"I wish it were that simple."
"Why isn't it? I can buy spray paint and cover up his mark."
"A territory dispute must be resolved on the full moon in the ancient way."
"The ancient way?"
"A challenge. A battle for control. It's done in fully shifted form."
"Well, I'm not a werewolf. What am I supposed to do?"
"We're set up to be self-policing. Your ex shouldn't be behaving the way he is. Marriages to humans are somewhat frowned upon and are supposed to be done with full knowledge and consent on the part of the human. This obviously wasn't how he did it with you, since you know nothing of our customs. A human has good reason to be wary of marrying one of us, though. Werewolf law often resorts to the ancient way for final arbitration. A human is at a disadvantage in any dispute with one of us. It's much easier when we keep to ourselves." Both of Raul's hands gripped the tablecloth now. Chandra wondered what part of this upset him so much.
"So you're saying he shouldn't have married me.""Not if he planned to treat you this way." Raul's voice came out as a snarl.
"I mean, because it breaks werewolf law."
"It's not that a werewolf can't be with a human," Raul said. His emphasis on the words "be with" sent a chill down her inner thighs. "It just needs to be done properly." Now Chandra grabbed her own handful of tablecloth. She needed to figure out how to get free of her ex, not become distracted wondering what Raul would consider the "proper" way to be with a human.
"Okay, well." Chandra's voice shook. She forced herself to look at a spot on the wall beyond Raul. If she looked directly at the man, she'd be off on another fantasy before she knew what hit her. "Since that's water under the bridge at this point, isn't there any way to dispute his claim on my house?"
Raul's hand brushed hers. Chandra jumped. "Another werewolf could dispute on your behalf. I could do that for you. If you wanted. I owe you my life as it is."
Chandra waited for him to move his hand away. He did not. She went on speaking anyway, despite the bolts of arousal shooting through her lower belly. "And what then? Am I—I mean, my house—is my house your territory if you win?" Her arms trembled. The idea of being his territory sounded medieval to her brain, but her body loved it. Enough that she involuntarily crossed her legs and squeezed them together, further igniting the heat between her thighs.
"In theory," Raul said slowly. "I suppose so. In practice, only if you want it to be." He smiled. "I'm a werewolf, not a caveman."

BUY AT:   BREATHLESS PRESS  |  AMAZON UK  |  AMAZON  |  ARe

AUTHOR BIO:

Annabeth Leong has written romance and erotica of many flavors -- dark, kinky, vanilla, straight, lesbian, bi, and menage. In addition to Not His Territory, Breathless Press published her werewolf story, “The Arcadian Cure,” in its Ravaged anthology. She particularly enjoys playing off myth, legend, fairy tales, and fantastic history. She believes passionately in freedom of speech, rights for people of all sexual orientations, and freedom of religion. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island, blogs at annabethleong.blogspot.com, and tweets @AnnabethLeong

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Thanks for reading! I'm giving away a PDF copy of Not His Territory to one reader of this post. Simply leave a comment in response to the following:  Name a song that makes you think of werewolves.

You have until 12/3 to respond. Please leave your email address in the BODY of the comment, so I can contact the winner. For more chances to win, check out the other stops on my tour.