Moon Born by D. River: Interview & Giveaway

Moon Born

Feral Hearts Tales, Book 2

D. River

Genre: Shifter/paranormal romance/gay romance

Publisher: Lightbane Publications

Date of Publication: 9/14/2015

ISBN: 978-1-4675-7745-8

Word Count: 90,000

Pages: 332

Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde

Book Description:

Tucker and Ryder figured that the worst was over. They'd gotten used to being lycans, they'd managed to not get killed by werewolf hunters and they'd stopped a crazy magician from trying to unleash Armageddon.

However, as they try to get back to their lives, they find a whole host of new problems awaiting them. The government has established a task force to deal with paranormal threats and lycans are at the top of that list. There is a monster prowling the dark places of New York City. And the Moon Spirit has an agenda for them to fulfill.

Moon Born continues the story of Love Bites, with new characters, new dangers and new complications for Ryder and Tucker's relationship.

Excerpt

Ryder awoke very slowly, and only because there was an obnoxious ray of sunlight trying to burn a hole through his eyelid, undoubtedly seeking to find a way into his brain. He grumbled and swatted uselessly at the sunbeam and then rolled over to get away from it.

After three nights of glorious hunts, he and his pack were all thoroughly done in. Ryder wasn't even sure where they were, other than the Wild Wood somewhere. He didn't really feel inclined to care, either. The Wild Wood had been strangely hospitable to them, which made him resent it a little less even while he suspected the trees were just biding their time.

Having escaped the sunbeam, Ryder now had a twig under his ribs. He sighed and surrendered, sitting up and looking around. Tucker was already awake, standing nearby and examining a tree. Ryder didn't ignore the fact that Tucker was gloriously naked, but after the last three days, sex was not his primary interest.

"You were twitching a lot in your sleep," Tucker said. "It was kind of adorable."

"I was having a good dream." Ryder looked over at Trey, who was sleeping on his stomach and snoring peacefully. "We really need to find him a mate, you know."

"Do they have a dating app for that sort of thing?"

"No, I don't think anyone's created 'Wolfr" yet." Ryder smiled and yawned. "It's just.... I mean, we had so much fun these past few days and he had only his hand."

"Which he used liberally."

Ryder stifled a giggle. "It was hard to miss that. But anyway.... We need to look into it."

Tucker nodded. "I think we'll need some advice on that, though."

Ryder cocked his head to one side. "Oh?"

"Yeah, we should head to the lycan cave, get the Moonstone and talk to the Moon Twink about his crazy idea for making more lycans."

"You'd be willing to consider doing that?"

Tucker shook his head. "It sounds like a terrible idea. But I'm willing to hear what our friend has to say."

Trey started to twitch violently in his sleep. Low, unhappy moans spilled from his lips. Ryder was just about to poke him awake when the younger lycan started awake. He looked around with wild eyes for a moment that were full of terror. His auburn hair was a fright, sticking up at all angles and full of leaves and twigs.

"Trey?"

For a long, unsettling moment, the young man just stared blankly ahead. Then he shook himself and rubbed at his eyes. "I'm fine."

Tucker eyed him. "That seemed like one bitch of a nightmare. And I've had my share."

Trey pulled his knees to his chest. "It.... It's fine."

Ryder sighed and looked skyward. "Why am I doomed to be surrounded by guys who can't talk about what's going on with them?"

Tucker smirked at him and then went over to sit beside Trey. Even as the younger lycan stiffened in a defensive posture, Tucker slipped an arm around his shoulders and gave him a firm sideways hug. Trey looked down at his knees, his eyes clouded with misery.

"Hey, dude, look, I get it. More than you know." His expression grew somber. "When I was growing up, my asshole old man beat the shit out of me too. So I get nightmares of my own."

Trey relaxed a tiny bit against his Alpha. "It's not that. I'm used to those."

Ryder wished he could live in a world where no one ever had to get used to that sort of thing. "Then what was it?"

"It's hard to explain.... When I wake up, the dream sort of dissipates like smoke. But in the dream, I'm somewhere dark and someone's hurting me...." He swallowed hard. "I think it's Matchitehew."

Ryder frowned. "Maybe it's just because of that horrible place we raided?"

Trey nodded. "I think so. I mean, that's what makes the most sense. It just.... It feels so real."

Tucker eyed him sidelong. "Well, we'll add it to the questions for the Moon Twink."

"I wish you wouldn't call him that. He might turn us into wereturtles or something," Ryder said.

Trey giggled. "Wereturtles...."

Tucker gave Trey a pointed look. "No more keeping secrets from your pack, puppy. If something's bothering you, you tell us."

"Yes, sir," Trey mumbled.

"Hey, you get all grumpy with me when I call you 'puppy,'" Ryder complained.

"You're not the Alpha," Trey said.

Tucker laughed. "He's got you there."

"I suppose. So, homeward?" Ryder asked.

Trey nodded and stretched mightily. "Absolutely." He smacked his lips. "I could use some coffee first. And maybe some eggs."

"You're not full from last night?" Ryder asked. "I'm still stuffed."

"Well, you two hogged most of that deer, so yeah." Trey frowned. "Not sure when I stopped thinking of raw meat as icky, but whatever."

"Well, Clif bars will have to do." Ryder looked around. "Now, where did we put that pack we brought?"

Author Bio

D. River has been writing for many decades, and most of it is filthy, dirty stuff that you absolutely shouldn't read. Highly-trained experts have successfully quarantined most of that work to keep save innocent bystanders from debilitating cases of blushing.

D. River started putting out books for sale with Wild Horses. Since no one told him to stop, he went on to publish other novels, including the popular Love Bites. The men in white coats caught up with him, though, and he vanished off the face the of Earth. Having made his escape and having set up shop in an abandoned adult toy factory, he is now ready to unleash more paranormal romances/adventure stories on an unsuspecting world. 

Goodreads     Website

Interview 

Please welcome Moon Born author D. River to Diane’s Book Blog. 

If you could be best friends with one of your characters, who would it be? 

I guess I'd pick Ryder. I mean, I'd want to give Tucker all sorts of hugs but he'd just glare at me if I tried it. Ryder has a good sense of humor about things and a positive outlook. He'd be fun to hang out with.

What inspired you to write your first book? 

The arrogance of being fifteen. No, really. I kept reading books and being annoyed by various things and so I decided to try doing it myself. I was really, really bad at it. But from the get-go, I was hooked.

What is your favorite book that you wrote? 

That would have to be the YA I wrote under my real name of Chris O'Guinn—Fearless. There was a flow and poetry to that book that I don't know if I can ever duplicate. Usually, the writing process for me is akin to bathing a cat—a lot of screaming, crying and bleeding. Fearless was incredibly easy to write.

What books have most influenced your life? 

The book that really changed my whole world view was "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton. It really opened my eyes and made me see people in a different way. It made me more observant, too, and empathetic, which is part of what made me into a writer.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

It's hard to answer this one because different authors do different things well. For romance, my favorite right now is Sean Kennedy. He's got such a hilarious wit and his characters always seem to surprise me. In paranormal, I like to point to J.L. O'Faolain's Section 13 series. The way he fluidly integrates magic and the modern world really impresses me.

Can you share a little of your current work with us? 

Sure. Here's a little bit from the beginning:

"You sound like a fainting Southern belle," Tucker said as he sorted through the mail.

Ryder splayed out a little wider in an effort to get more of the fan-generated breeze on his overcooked skin. "It's hot."

"I noticed."

"No, but really, it's hot."

Tucker's stubbled, tired face brightened in a smile. "Yeah, see, I was outside. You know, as in not lying mostly naked on the bed with the AC and four—no, five fans on me."

"And whose fault is that?"

"Well, it's Obama's fault, of course. Everything is his fault somehow."

"Oh yeah. I forgot." Ryder arched his eyebrows at his boyfriend. "You could join me…"

Tucker licked his lips. "Doesn't look like there's room."

"Oh, you know, we always seem to find a way to make things fit."

Tucker's eyes smoldered. "I seem to recall that we have had some luck with that."

"Just so we're clear, sweat is not going to be a substitute for lube."

"Wuss."

"I just like my ass unbroken, thank you very much," Ryder said.

"I like your ass too."

"I see no evidence of that." Ryder waved his hand at him. "You're seriously un-naked. Fix that."

"You are such a bossy little beta."

"I never said I wasn't. By my count, it's been at least seventeen hours since I've been pounded into a whimpering puddle of goo—"

"Nice image."

"It paints a picture, I think. Anyway—and you're still not naked, by the way—I thought we'd agreed that no more than—"

A terrifying clicking sound rang out, the meaning of which had Ryder whimpering in horror. The fans coasted to a stop. The pathetic AC unit went dead. In seconds, the suffocating heat that Ryder had been hiding from crept into the room like a silent killer, stalking over to them with a bloody knife of excruciating heat in its hand. It felt like a steam pipe had broken open and flooded the room. Ryder's noises got even more pathetic, which he was just sure Tucker would make fun of him for later. It certainly wasn't the sort of noise one would expect from a guy who could turn himself into a ferocious, bipedal predator.

"Great, you tripped a breaker," Tucker said.

"Please tell me that's all it is…"

Tucker went over to the window and peeked through the blinds. "Nope, the signs on the laundromat and the Thai place are both out."

"Oh crap. Now I really will die."

"It will probably come back on in a minute."

Ryder wasn't so sure. He rolled onto his side and flailed ungracefully until his hand landed on his phone. But while he was able to touch it with his fingers, grabbing it was something else entirely, and instead he just toppled it onto the floor.

"Shut up," he said as Tucker laughed at him.

He wormed his way over the edge and felt around amidst discarded socks, empty water bottles, a magazine that was probably the Sports Illustrated he had been looking for, and the leash he had bought Tucker as a gag gift. His phone, however, was nowhere in reach, which prompted him to stretch more and half fall out of the bed.

That made Tucker laugh even harder.

"You could help me, you know," Ryder said.

"I could, but it's funnier to watch."

"I swear that fucking phone grows legs sometimes."

"Are you saying it's some sort of werephone?"

"Possibly," Ryder muttered. "Wouldn't be the weirdest thing we've seen."

"Sad but true."

What do you prefer paperback, hardcover, or ebooks? 

E-books all the way. I am a total convert. I never again have to worry about running out of reading material on a long plane flight.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? 

Well, firstly thanks to everyone for taking part of the Blog Tour. As an indie author, it means a lot to me when people will take some time to find out about one of my books.

In a more general sense, though, I would just like to encourage all readers to take a few minutes to give books they read a review in a place of their choosing. Small press and indie authors live and die by reviews. Even if it's a bad review, it's appreciated—as long as it's constructive of course and not just something mean about the author.

Giveaway

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