Hi guys, we have Amelia Faulkner visiting with us now with her newest release Blind Man’s Wolf, book 1 in the Tooth & Claw series. Amelia answers a question and she brings along a great giveaway. So enjoy the post and then click that Rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~
Blind Man’s Wolf
Amelia Faulkner
A night-blind vampire. A werewolf with lousy self-confidence. And a whole hell of a lot of danger…
Tooth & Claw, Book 1.
Ellis O’Neill is an art dealer with too many problems: his eyesight has deteriorated to the point of night-blindness; he’s estranged from his family, to whom he owes a considerable sum of money; and his guide dog went right off him the night Ellis died. Without his dog, Ellis is trapped in a life bouncing between home and work, dependent on his personal assistant.
Werewolf Randall Carter has problems of his own. He loves his pack, he really does, but as their Omega he’s always the one to bear the brunt of their rage. It’s a role he can’t avoid, and Randall isn’t sure he can take it for much longer, so he buries himself in his day job. Randall’s the best dog trainer in the city, and when he’s offered a client who needs him to work evenings he’d be a fool to turn it down.
Soon Randall is falling for someone he should despise. Everything about the undead is anathema to his kind, but Ellis is exactly the kind of guy Randall would want to ask out on a date – if he were still breathing. Worse, they may not have too long to figure their feelings out. Someone or something is gunning for Ellis and anyone else who gets in the way; they won’t rest until the vampire is destroyed.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q5I7AP4
Amelia Faulkner
Did you find anything during your research for Blind Man’s Wolf which surprised you?
I found several things which were extremely interesting – and useful – to me. I have the good fortune to have an old university friend whose parents have been puppy walkers for the past thirty or so years, and while they don’t train guide dogs themselves they know an awful lot about the process and were fantastic resources throughout the writing of this book.
Puppy walkers are volunteers who steer young dogs from around six weeks old all the way through to 12-15 months old. They socialise and exercise the puppy in their care, and carefully expose it to increasing levels of stimuli – other animals, strangers, bustling town centres, busy supermarkets – until the dog is calm and confident even in surprise situations. They work hand in hand with the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association who regularly assess the puppy’s progress and adjust every individual training schedule accordingly.
One of the most interesting facts I came across in conversation was the fact that adult Guide Dogs are trained to go to the loo on command. A visually impaired owner isn’t necessarily able to pick up any mess their dog makes while working, and so the dogs are taught not to go until their owner gives them the all-clear. Most commonly the owner will do this in the morning and at night.
It’s also worth noting that in the UK it’s against the law to leave your dog’s poop uncollected, but people who are registered as blind are exempt.
So there you have it. It is possible to train a dog to poop on command!
Excerpt:
Ellis gently lowered Tiberius’ harness and told the dog to stay, then he raised his hands to Randall’s chest and placed his fingertips lightly over his heart. The vibration of it could be felt through his ribs and the hard muscle that covered them. It transferred through the soft cotton of Randall’s t-shirt along with the warmth from his blood, and Ellis’ body leaned toward him, drawn in by a magnetism he didn’t want to understand.
He forced his hands upward. He wanted to cling to Randall’s body, to learn every line of it, but not here. Not in the middle of the park. And certainly not without asking first. His palms joined in the exploration mission as he found his way over the collar of Randall’s t-shirt and straight to the bumps of exposed collarbone and softness of his throat.
Randall’s breath came in hurried gasps. His muscles quivered with the effort of staying still.
Ellis drew his fingers up the sides of Randall’s neck. His touch was unhurried, a soft tease to feed Randall’s anticipation. Ellis knew he was being a bugger. He could’ve asked Randall to guide him straight to his face, but then where would the fun be?
It was an excuse to touch him, and he was damn well going to take the opportunity.
His hands passed over Randall’s jaw. He stroked over his ears and then followed the strong jawline down to the slight cleft in his chin. Randall’s skin was taught over the muscles and bones, and Ellis spread his fingers to feel for the slight hollows in his cheeks, the intensity of his cheekbones. His thumbs felt along those clearly-defined ridges and then across to his straight, strong nose before they found their goal.
Randall’s lips.
They parted a little at Ellis’ touch, pouring hot breath over his skin. His lips were soft and full, with a touch of moisture toward the centre and a delicate collection of ridges formed from their relaxation. Ellis slipped one thumb just a little further over Randall’s lower lip until he crossed the border between moist and wet. With slow and deliberate care he drew his dampened thumb back across Randall’s lower lip.
The faintest of sounds, imperceptible to anyone else, broke free from Randall’s throat. A tiny strangled whimper, heavy with desire.
Holy fuck, he was gorgeous.
About Amelia
Amelia Faulkner was born in the rolling green countryside of Oxfordshire, and moved to London once she was mostly grown up. She has a degree in Computer Science, and spent quite a long time working with computers until her childhood love of writing could no longer be ignored.
Since then she has written for corporate clients and personal pleasure, and finally stepped away from office-bound working in 2011 to freelance from home.
Amelia is also a keen photographer and film-goer, and resides in the city (not the City) with her husband. She is notoriously camera-shy, so please enjoy this picture of her cat!
I’m a bit traditional in my horror! So Dracula, or the Jack Nicholson Werewolf film I think it was just called Wolf