Book Tour for Chasing Sam by Krystal Shannan (Review & GIVEAWAY)

We have a wonderful start to the week courtesy of Krystal Shannan and her paranormal series starter Chasing Sam.  Learn more about this book through the excerpt below along with my review.  Make sure to leave a comment for your chance at some great prizes too!

How do you keep a book series fresh?

This is a great question. Just like movie sequels, book sequels can fizzle and become repetitive and boring if authors aren’t careful. Problem A leads to Solution B with Hiccup C before we arrive at our happily ever after. If authors aren’t careful they can end up repeating the same storyline again and again. It’s important to make sure that the main problems one set of characters face are NOT the same problems that anyone else in the series will face –at least the big key plot points. Those should never repeat. Or as a reader, I will look at the book and think ‘been there done that.’

I think for romance series, the characters are key especially. We don’t really want the sequels to be about the same couple again and again either, but if they were really ‘alive’ characters in our mind, I personally as a reader want to know what’s going on with the couple from the first book while I’m getting to know new characters in the second book. Series that center around a group of siblings or friends, etc. do really well, because we as readers become invested in that family or group of friends.

The plot lines are different, the characters are individuals, and there’s a link through the series that ties everyone together. That’s what helps keep a series fresh.

Samantha Demakis doesn’t want a mate right now. Her birth-rite and family obligations to her status as the first daughter of a noble family beg to differ. In fact, even her wolf seems to be against her. When a chance encounter reveals the man who might just be a perfect fit, will she run? Or will she fight?

Chase Michaels has been alone for seventy-five years. He’s fought in Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and Afghanistan in the US Army. Somewhat resigned to never finding his true mate, he is shocked when his wolf reacts so strongly to a woman he runs into in the airport. Unprepared for the politics and snobbery of the noble families, Chase finds himself fighting in a different type of war —a war for the heart of a woman he knows should be his.

A lot of things are chasing Sam, but who or what will catch her in the end?

EXCERPT:

“Sam? Sam, have you heard anything I’ve said?”

Sam finally tore her gaze away from Chase. When she’d seen him walk into the lounge, every part of her being began to ache. Her wolf was going nuts, urging her to go over and talk to him immediately.

“He is here to see us!”

Sam glanced up at Nicole and then again at Chase. God, he was smiling. A huge lolling sexy grin. Her heart melted into a puddle and all she wanted to do was oblige her wolf, climb into his lap, and snuggle against his broad chest.

Nicole laughed and Sam turned back with a glare. “Out of the entire Vegas strip, soldier-boy hottie ends up one table across from you in your favorite haunt.”

“Shhh… Nicole, don’t talk so loud. He can hear you.” Her cheeks warmed and she took another quick sip of her Jack and coke.

“Ooooh, this is the hottie from the airport?” Hallie giggled.

Sam put her empty glass down and looked up. All three of her sisters were smiling and waving at Chase and his friend. If only she could disappear into the leather of the seat cushion.

“Nicole, wave them over here to our booth. I want to meet the guy that finally made Sam turn her head twice.” Tess snickered. “It’s not every day you get to see Samantha Demakis blush like a high school freshman.”

“Shut up, Tess,” Sam hissed and scowled at her little sister. She wanted nothing more than to talk to Chase again, but not surrounded by her sisters or in front of whoever his friend was.  

Before she could object, Nicole had hopped up from their booth and walked over to the pair. Sam stole another glance and shivered with excitement when both men stood and followed Nicole back to the table.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON   |   SMASHWORDS

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Chasing Sam is an entertaining series starter that introduces us to a headstrong family of sisters from a noble family and their journey to find their mates.  Making their journey to finding mates even more difficult is their being wolf shifters.  Not only does their heart choose who to love but so too does their wolf side, who actively carries on conversations with their human side throughout the story.  Being from a noble family carries certain expectations of who they'll mate with which results in a story reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet.

Samantha doesn't want the life her mother has as just arm candy, she wants to be a doctor and see the world.  She's been hiding from fate but as it's her 25th birthday she can hide no longer.  A ritual of the nobility, the mate hunt, has been planned by her parents where three men of their choosing will hunt her down and claim her as their own.  The thought of being forced by an unknown man is repulsive to her, even more so after a chance encounter at the airport with military man Chase left her tingly and her wolf proclaiming him their mate.  Sam will do everything she can to get the man of her choosing, even if it leads to both of their deaths.  Samantha is a strong-willed woman but has the tendency to run when she gets upset.  I felt at times that she was a girl trapped in a woman's body making rash decisions.  She wants to be her own woman, which leads to numerous battles with her mother, but doesn't want to do anything to embarrass her family.  I felt sympathetic for her that because of her sex her future isn't her own and I was rooting for Chase to rescue her every step of the way.

Chase Michaels comes from an average family, but the instant attraction he has towards her is anything but average.  His bloodline proclaims him unsuitable to be her mate but their wolves disagree and slowly but surely Fate brings them together.  Once Chase discovers that the only way he can claim her is by participating in the mate hunt, he enters a dangerous den where Sam's mother and the other candidates try to eliminate him before the hunt even starts.  As a seasoned military man of numerous wars throughout history and the world he's more than capable of protecting himself and Samantha and finally claim her as his, and his wolf's, own.  Chase is incredibly strong and loyal and he's proud of the fact that no man under his command has ever died.  He has medical training and traveled to numerous countries that draws Sam to him even more.  He knows that their families are complete opposites but no other woman has ever made him feel the way she has so he'll do nothing less than fight, and if need be, die for her.

This is a fast-paced story that early on shows the playful banter of their burgeoning relationship.  The sexual tension oozes from them and it's frustrating that their relationship was interrupted by the mate hunt.  The mate hunt is short-lived but heart-pounding and bloody with a surprising savior rescuing Samantha.  Though the sexual tension is unrelenting it's not until the very end that that tension is finally resolved in a quickly concluded sexual interlude.  Samantha's sisters are an entertaining bunch with very unique personalities.  They too appear to have affections for inappropriate men that are just hinted at and will hopefully be addressed in future stories.  We get a brief glimpse of Chase's brother Chris who is equally sexy and admits to an attraction to one of Samantha's sisters, so there's possibly more drama to come when it comes to love.  Although I enjoyed many of the secondary characters it was Samantha's mother who I found absolutely awful!  She was judgmental towards her daughters and got violent with Samantha on more than one occasion.  She flew off the handle easily and purposely tried to eliminate Chase from the mate hunt.  It's as if she was having mental issues and I believe she'll create more problems as the series progresses.

Ms. Shannan has created an intriguing paranormal read that has me excited to return to this world where HEAs are only reached through hard work.  With a likable cast of characters there's many stories left to tell and I plan on reading them as Ms. Shannan's writing style is immensely appealing with a unique twist to the usual wolf shifters.

My rating for this is a B+

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Krystal Shannan is a born, raised, and current TEXAN. She is married to a wonderful man who supports her dream of writing and allows her to spend many evening and weekend hours glued to her laptop. During the day she moonlights as an elementary music teacher. In addition to a doting husband, a young daughter is also part of the picture and keeps her hopping! An ornery little Welsh Corgi completes the household.
Krystal has been writing stories since she could hold a pencil. She has always dreamed of writing romance and sharing the "movies in her head" with the world. If she's not writing, she's reading -historical, paranormal, action, adventure -anything she can get her hands on that ends with a Happily Ever After!

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

Krystal will be awarding to 5 random commenters autographed swag (US ONLY) during the tour as well as awarding one random commenter with a digital copy of Open House by Krystal Shannan. A grand prize of a $25 Gift Card to Starbucks will be awarded to one random commenter during the tour.  Sign up for her newsletter and tell her in your comment that you did. She'll put your name in the Grand Prize drawing twice.

-To be entered, leave a comment telling me your favorite kind of shifter, ALONG WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDY.

-Winners will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 7/1.