Wild Side by Laurel Richards

What if becoming a werewolf was as simple as joining a club? Lori has no idea what she has gotten herself into when she and her friend Tina try to join the Lycanthropic Society. She thinks she is applying for membership in an outdoor group, although she really just wants to get close to Dominick. He’s the sexy guy whose family runs the Society, and he seems to know things about her instinctively. Lori is even willing to go up against Angelique, her competition for Dominick’s affection. But can she handle a man whose love bite draws blood? And what does he mean his nipping her was her initiation? (Previously published by Liquid Silver Books)

Give us the one to two sentence tagline for your book.

What if becoming a werewolf was as simple as joining a club?

How do you use magic in your book?

Being able to transform from human to wolf and back again is certainly magical. In Wild Side, I went with the traditional approach to werewolves. People become werewolves after being bitten.

Would your hero enjoy pumpkin spice lattes, candy corn, or apple bobbing?

My hero is a werewolf. He’s liable to skip the sweet stuff and go straight for a big, juicy steak.

What costume would your heroine wear to a halloween party?

I could picture my heroine going to a Halloween party in a Little Red Riding Hood costume.

What scene did you adore writing in this book?

As a fan of the movie An American Werewolf in London, I think I enjoyed writing the transformation scene the best.

Is this book a spooky/scary PNR, or a cozy/snuggling with a monster PNR?

Although by no means a comedy, Wild Side slants a little more toward the cozy than the creepy. There is a scary scene with an attacking werewolf, but that’s more action than horror. The story is really about the heroine finding her mate and then adjusting to being a werewolf.

What is your favorite monster to write?

They’re all great, but the traditional vampire and werewolf are probably my top choices.

If you had to pick, would you rather have fangs, claws, or wings?

I would love to be able to transform into a wolf or other animal, complete with fangs and claws. If I could only pick one feature, though, then I think either the claws or the wings would be handy.

Halloween’s coming. Do you do anything special to celebrate?

I love Halloween. I’m always there to answer the door for the trick-or-treating kids, and I enjoy seeing their costumes. I also claim any leftover candy at the end of the night.

Since Dominick had gotten me too hot and bothered to sleep, I threw on my jacket and shoes and stepped onto the porch. The full moon had finally emerged from the clouds, bathing everything in cool light. It was bright enough for a walk, so I strode down the steps.

I hadn’t gone far when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. A long howl echoed in the distance, and I suddenly got the impression I was being watched. It was probably just some of the others messing around, but I still shivered. When I looked around, I only saw the usual leaves, branches, and stones. Then a dark patch caught my eye. Lying quietly in the foliage ten feet away was a large animal, its glowing eyes focused on me. My pulse kicked, and I froze.

It wasn’t the right shape for a deer or a bear. I knew what it looked like, but I told myself Dominick had planted the idea in my head. I didn’t even think North Carolina had wolves, so this was probably just someone’s dog. Pet or not, though, it looked big and scary in the dark.

I took a cautious step back. The animal showed no reaction to the movement except for the shifting of its eyes. I dared another step and then another, reversing my path back to the cabin. After what seemed like an eternity, I stepped onto the porch. The wood boards creaked beneath me, startling me into bolting for the door. I threw it open, flew in, and slammed it shut behind me.

It took me a moment to calm down enough to glance out the window again. By the time I did, there was nothing there. Had I imagined it?

I put my hand to my chest and had to reassure myself the door was locked before I walked back to my room. I got in bed and pulled the covers up to my chin. Until the moment I dropped off to sleep, I kept shooting wary glances at the window. I definitely needed to get out of here.

Once upon a time, a stork with jaunty feathers and a smirk dropped Laurel Richards at her parents’ doorstep. When she started talking, they were amazed by the outlandish stories she told and decided to keep her. Laurel has gathered inspiration from lots of different sources throughout her life and is here today to share her imagination through storytelling. Laurel writes sci-fi/fantasy, paranormal, and funny mysteries, all with various degrees of romance mixed in.

Laurel was first published in 2003. Over the years—writing under more than one pen name—she has published works with eight different presses, most recently Liquid Silver Books and Samhain Publishing.

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