Jaguar Fever by Terry Spear (Interview/Giveaway)

Lexi: Steamy, fun, a little romance. No, I am not describing your summer (though if I did, good for you!). I am describing Jaguar Fever, the newest release for our guest today. Welcome Terry Spear!

Terry: LOL, I love it. Did I ever tell you about how I was at a book signing once and my daughter was pushing me to get creative and talk to people? Introvert here. So she was gone and I took a deep breath and tried it. Worked out great! Every time I saw a woman who looked my way, I asked, "Are you interested in romance?" I had lots of smiles and shakes of head. But hey, I tried! So then an older gentleman smiled broadly at me and before I could think of something else to say, I said my standard, "Are you interested in romance?"

Boy, was he!!!! He LOVED me. Came back three times and told me how he hadn't been asked that in years, and probably never. And well, he had to tell me each time how much he appreciated me for asking. Okay, so that wasn't what I was going for. But: No. 1, it made my most memorable signing ever. No. 2, I really, really made his day. No. 3, I learned to change my spiel. 

Lexi: ☺Well Terry, you did it again. Brought us another hot shifter novel full of fast action and fiery love. Not only has Jaguar Fever, the second book in your Heart of the Jaguar series released this month. But just a couple months ago you released A Highland Werewolf Wedding. I am going to hold them both up and you have to pick a favorite. 

Terry: Are you crazy??? LOL Listen, I have to deal with these guys on a regular basis. If I picked wolves over jags, you know what would happen? And vice versa? I even have a devil of a time with making sure I give credit to all my wolf packs—you know there are the SEAL wolves, Highland wolves, Colorado Silver Bros. wolves, the Portland red wolves—Seduced—Leidolf, yes! And the Arctic wolves—I need more about what they're up to of late. Did I leave anyone out? I will surely get in trouble for it if I did. ☺ A favorite? All of them.Truly.

Lexi: I have always been partial to men in kilts...or maybe what is under them. Though I will admit, a sexy jaguar shifter may pull me away from the Highlands. At least for a little bit. Do you find it refreshing, or stressful, to jump around between all your various series/projects?

Terry: I LOVE shifting. It's what helps me to keep my stories unique. I don't get tired of them, and write the same old thing. I reestablish myself with a pack or a jaguar family, and love them all over again. Do you know that in the real world, wolf biologists who have been studying a pack of wolves can return later, and that wolf pack will recognize them and accept them all over again? Sorry… love, love, love to do research and I'm thinking, next jaguar story (the last I turned in is David Patterson and Tammy Anderson's and they're in Belize in Jaguar Hunt), but the next one I'm thinking might be in Costa Rica. New exotic local, another location where jaguars live freely, could work. Though I had some awesome comments on a guest blog post where readers were giving me all kinds of other neat locations where THEY would like to meet up with a jaguar shifter—all having woods and water. You know jaguars LOVE the water. Waterfalls, showers, hot tubs. Hmmm… Anyway, I had about three different fans mention a location that I've been to and I believe I'll just have to set one there. I haven't pitched it yet to my editor, but I'm mulling over a scenario.  :-)

But back to your comment, now who wouldn't LOVE those hot Highlanders in a kilt??? And a bit of a breeze.Strong breeze.Wind.;-) I have to say that everyone who reads about the Highland wolves wants to see them in kilts. So I have to give them a good reason for wearing one, of course. Men in Scotland don't run around wearing kilts on a regular basis. And my stories have to be believable. I know, I know, they're werewolves…  but….

So I was having lots of fun with the new book A Hero of a Highland Wolf—and OMG, the cover is sooooo hot, you will just melt. I swear it and I can't wait to share it!!! Okay, so, he is wearing a kilt. Lots. It just happens that way. And it's just too funny. And then I'm currently working on A Highland Wolf Christmas, Guthrie's story…and yep, you guessed it. More kilts. And a surprise.So more wolves in kilts, definitely.

Lexi: Nothing like keeping it fresh! And with book two of this series you have kept your trademark romance with a little mystery that keeps you turning the pages. What did you do for research for Jaguar Fever? Anything new?

Terry: In Savage Hunger, they were really roughing it—house on stilts, meals caught in the wild, washing in the waterfall, hmmm-hmm, and no adventure trips to go on—at least that were strictly for fun and scheduled. And it was set in the Amazon. In Jaguar Fever, I moved it to Belize, another place where jaguars roam freely, only this time Kat is pregnant, and Connor wants this to be strictly a trip to pamper her—they stay at a  tree-top resort, which is a real place, the same with the place that Wade and his brother stayed, real adventure trips, and real menus served at the resort. The jaguar that was spotted around the resort was based on trip reports written by various visitors to the resort. I LOVE doing research!

Lexi: I might have used the excuse to go sit at the zoo and watch these magnificent beasts for hours on end. Or plop myself on the couch and watch some Animal Planet! Something about watching predators in the wild captures your interest, much like reading one of your books. What do you do to ensure each scene keeps the story moving along?

Terry: CONFLICT!!! If everyone is just sitting around having a great day, no conflict, no strife, that's boring. If there's a mystery to solve, a goal to reach, and obstacles to overcome, readers get to experience it too. Let's say we're sitting at a campfire discussing which is better—catching your own prehistoric Jurassic Era catfish as a big cat, or tossing out a fishing line and trying to catch him that way.

Boring. But let's say, you're out there as a jaguar, hunting down the next meal and then someone begins to hunt you. Yes!! Now we're cooking. Doing is so much better than talking about it. Like Yoda says.

Lexi: You sure keep us moving from one series to the next. We can’t wait for your next release! A SEAL Wolf Christmas, correct? 

Terry: LOL, yes, don't want anyone to get bored! A SEAL Wolf Christmas comes out in October, so a nice early Christmas treat for readers, and even a super great way to celebrate Halloween early! What could be better??? This is my very first Christmas book, and it starts out in the Amazon—it's a SEAL thing. But it also gives Bjornolf, who is ghosting the mission, a chance to watch Anna in action. Their last contact was when they were sparring in a hotel room—both on mission—and he tied her up to the bed with her pantyhose—getting the best of her. She's all for getting even. A murder mystery at a Christmas tree farm follows, and Anna has her chance. Forget kissing under the mistletoe, she's ready to spar.

Lexi: Thanks for stopping by Terry! And thanks for all the wonderful shifter stories! Keep them coming!

Terry: Thanks so much for having me here! I loved the questions! Sooo much fun! Hope everyone loves the new book and the next one coming up because it'll be here before we know it!!!

So, just have to ask, if you had a chance to meet up with a jaguar where it has plenty of woods and water, where would you choose and tell me why!  It might just be a future location for another hot jaguar.:-)

JAGUAR FEVER BY TERRY SPEAR – IN STORES AUGUST 2013 
Amazon - Kindle - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository 

She's being pursued by everyone, in more ways than one.Even in an exotic world of humans, jaguars, and tantalizing creatures who shift between the two, Maya Anderson stands out from the crowd. Interest from human suitors is bad enough, but when male shifters give chase, the real trouble starts.
Who's the hunter and who's the prey?Investigating the black marketing trade of exotic animals keeps Wade Patterson more than busy. When he and Maya both get entangled in a steamy jungle mission, it becomes impossible to tell who is being hunted or who the hunters are. Wade is desperate to survive this deadly game of cat and mouse. But it's Maya's piercing eyes that keep him awake at night.

Praise for Savage Hunger:

"Dark, sultry, and primal romance...will leave readers breathless."

—Fresh Fiction

"Humor, tenderness, and pure hot loving...an awesome and exciting new world."

—Long and Short Reviews, 5 stars

"A sizzling page-turner, Terry Spear is wickedly talented." 

—Night Owl Reviews Reviewer Top Pick, 5 Stars

"Spear paints a colorful, vivid portrait of the lush jungle and deadly beauty...of jaguars."

—Publishers Weekly

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear has written over fifty paranormal romance novels and medieval Highland historical romances. In 2008 Heart of the Wolf was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry also creates award-winning teddy bears that have found homes all over the world. She lives in Crawford, Texas. For more information, please visit www.TerrySpear.com, follow her on Twitter, @TerrySpear, and like her on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/terry.spear and follow the pack at: http://terryspear.wordpress.com. 

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~*GIVEAWAY*~

Sourcebooks is giving away 1 copy of Savage Hunger (Book 1 in the Heart of the Jaguar series, directly preceding Jaguar Fever, where readers first meet Maya) to 1 winner, US and Canada only please. To enter, just leave a comment on this post answering Terry's question and then fill out the rafflecopter below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway