Julio's Wolf by A.C. Katt Blog Tour, Character Bio, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!

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Hi guys, we have A.C. Katt popping in with her newest release Julio’s Wolf, the sixth book in the Werewolves of Manhatten series, we have a great excerpt, a brilliant giveaway and Lisa’s review, so check out the post and click that giveaway link! <3 ~Pixie~

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Julio’s Wolf

(Werewolves of Manhatten 06)
by

A.C. Katt

Julio Reyes has had a hard life. Orphaned at fourteen, he ran away from a group home to avoid rape but wound up being an independent prostitute in NYC. He has a life plan—go to school, become a stylist and open his own salon.

Etienne Daurensbourg is one-hundred and thirty-nine years old and fears he’ll never find his Mate until his friend Alexei introduces him to Julio. Julio is Etienne’s Mate but before he has a chance to court Julio, who is a human high beta and therefore stubborn and independent, Julio gets knifed and is forced to let Etienne provide him with a home and help to recover.

Pack problems arise that may force Etienne into the pit. Will Julio be able to love Etienne despite the fact he is a loup garou?

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Excerpt

The City of Oswego, NY

The Reyes Household

Nine Years Ago, Late April

 “Julio, don’t you want to go out on the boat to fish with Dad and me?” His mom slapped mayo on a tuna salad sandwich and packed it in the cooler.

Julio stood in the kitchen with his hands on his hips. “I don’t like fishing, it’s yucky. I want to go to Richard’s house and play his new video game.”

“It’s the last day of Dad’s vacation. He wants to spend some time with you before he has to go back to work tomorrow.”

He rolled his eyes. Julio knew his mother was trying to use guilt so he would go fishing with them. “I’ve spent time with you and Dad for the whole week of spring break. Why do I have to go today? I’ll see Dad tonight when he comes home and every night after that.

Richard’s only going to be here two more weeks.”

“Julio, you’re fourteen years old, don’t you think it’s time youstopped whining? All right, you can go to Richard’s house and play the new game. Come kiss me good-bye. Dad’s in the garage. Say good-bye to him, and we’ll pick you up at Richard’s house at four.”

His mother continued to make sandwiches.

“Thanks, Mom, you’re the best.”

She wiped her hands on a kitchen towel. “Does Richard’s mother know you’re coming?” she asked over her shoulder as she put a container of her homemade potato salad into the cooler with the sandwiches.

“Yes, she’s making lunch.” He ran over to the counter.

“Okay, dear.” Julio gave his mother a kiss and a hug and ran out to the garage.

Julio stood in front of his dad with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “I’m going to Richard’s. Mom said it was okay.”

His father smiled. “I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but I know I can’t compete against Tomb Raider.” His father was straightening the tackle and packing the fi shing rods in the rear of the Highlander.

Julio kissed his dad and jogged around the corner to Richard’s.

Richard Kerrigan was Julio’s best friend and the only other gay kid in their school. Naturally, they had gravitated toward one another.

Julio and Richard were best buddies. Once, they tried to kiss but they decided that they weren’t that kind of friends. Richard was moving from Oswego to Chicago in two weeks. Julio would lose his best friend. It was the most traumatic event in his young life and made his stomach hurt. After Richard left, Richard promised to call and e-mail. They might connect for a while, but their own lives would get in the way, and their long-distance friendship would disappear. Julio shrugged—What is, is was his motto. But he’d miss Richard. It was going to be lonely being the only gay kid at school. A lot of bullying might come his way.

Julio walked up the path to the yellow house with green shutters and knocked on the door. Mrs. Kerrigan answered, her hair hung partially out of her ponytail, her face appeared flushed, and a sheen

of perspiration dripped from her forehead. She wiped her forearm across her brow. “I hope you’re not expecting more than PB&J for lunch today. I’m packing.”

“No, Mrs. Kerrigan, PB&J is fi ne. I want to see Richard. We don’t have much time left.” She swept her hand over her forehead again, to brush her red bangs out of her eyes.

“We’ll have you out to Chicago, and Richard can come back tovisit.” She kept glancing at the boxes in the kitchen. She didn’t have time to talk to him.

“Where’s Richard?”

“In the den. I’ll make sandwiches at noon. Julio walked down the stairs to the lower floor of the split- level. Richard remained focused on the TV screen, playing Tomb Raider.

“Hey, Julio, check this out.”

Mrs. Kerrigan served their PB&J and a glass of cold milk in the kitchen. Richard waited for his mom to go back to her packing and whispered to Julio, “If we were at your house, we could play Tomb

Raider while we ate.”

“It’s nicer eating at a table. And this way you don’t spill milk on the game controller.” Julio teased Richard about last year’s mishap.

By the end of the afternoon Richard won seven times and he had come close only once. “Score,” Richard said as Julio went down for the last time.

“Richard, you’re such a geek.” Julio pouted.

Richard looked up at Julio and said, “Yep.”

At four o’clock, Richard’s mother came downstairs and asked Julio, “Could you wait for your mom out on the step? I have to pick up Richard’s dad from work and then we’re going out to dinner.

Your mom and dad should be here in a few minutes.”

“No problem, Mrs. Kerrigan, my parents will be here any minute.

They’re never late. I have no problem waiting on the step.”

“Well, good-bye, dear, I’m sure we’ll see you tomorrow. Richard will want to play his new game again.”

Julio walked halfway up the stairs and turned shouting down to the den, “See you tomorrow, Richard.” There was no answer.

Richard was immersed in the game.

  • § §

“Of all the things we have to do as a cop, this is the worst,”

Officer Joe Pennetta told his partner, Mike Dolan.

Dolan straightened his holster.

“Yeah. I spoke to the neighbors when we stopped at their house after we tried to make the notifi cation.

The neighbors said there was no other family. He’s at the Kerrigan’s house around the corner. The one in the house on the right told me in confidence that the poor kid is gay. There are no foster homes that want to take gay kids around here so he’s headed for the group home over in Fulton. He won’t even be able to stay in the same town, never mind the same school.” Dolan sighed. “Maybe his friend’s parents will take him in.”

Pennetta turned on to Clover Street. “Maybe…” He doubted that they would get anyone to take the kid except for the County group home. A social worker waited at the stationhouse for Julio. Their job

was to notify the survivor and bring the kid in, that was it. But he hated the looks on the people’s faces when he had to break the news.

Pennetta and Dolan pulled up to Number Twenty-two Clover Street. A kid sat on the step, crying. The offi cers got out of their vehicle and walked toward the concrete steps that led to the house.

Pennetta, as the senior partner took the lead. “I’m looking for Julio Reyes.”

The kid sniffled. “That’s me.”

Had someone else told him about his folks?

“Why are you crying?” Dolan wasn’t the most sensitive of men.

“My parents said they’d come for me at four. The Kerrigans had to leave. I think my parents are mad at me because I didn’t want to go fishing today.” Julio wiped his nose with a tissue.

“Kid, your parents aren’t coming.”

Pennetta kicked Dolan.

“Why? All I did was ask them not to take me fishing. They couldn’t leave me because of that. I kissed them both good-bye.

They didn’t look angry.” Tears poured down Julio’s cheeks.

“Your parents weren’t angry at you.” Pennetta sat down next to him on the step. “There was an accident…”

“Are they okay? When can I see them?”

The kid panicked and now he was about to deliver the killing blow.

“They drowned in Lake Ontario in the wake of a fishing trawler.

We sent pers down, but we couldn’t recover the bodies. Do you have anyone you can stay with?” Dolan asked.

Pennetta kicked Dolan again and hissed, “Give the kid a chance to process what we told him.”

“I should have gone with them. They should have made me go,” Julio shouted in rage, almost hysterical. “Then I’d be with them.”

“Calm down, kid. There’s nothing you could have done. They’re gone. You have to deal.” Dolan turned toward the squad car.

Pennetta scowled at Dolan then turned to the boy. “Your name is Julio, right? We have to take you down to the station house. A social worker will be waiting there, and they’ll help you decide what

to do next. It won’t be too bad.” They walked to the squad car, Julio trailing behind them.

Dolan muttered, “At least I didn’t lie to him. Fulton is going to be awful for a kid like that.” Julio sobbed behind them.

Pennetta elbowed Dolan. “Give the kid a break. At least let him grieve before he knows what’s in store for him.” He shook his head.

“Can I at least pack a bag?” Julio asked amidst his sobs.

“Yeah, we’ll take you over to your house to get some of your things. Social services will help you deal with the rest of it.”

  • § §

Julio got into the patrol car and never saw the Kerrigans again.

By the time they held a service for his mom and dad, Richard was in Chicago with his parents, and he was in a home where the boys referred to him as fresh meat. Had the Kerrigans known where they took him? If so, Richard would have at least called. With both his parents and Richard gone, he had no one.

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About A.C.

AC Katt was born in New York City’s Greenwich Village. She remembers sitting at the fountain in Washington Square Park listening to folk music while they passed the hat.  At nine, her parents dragged her to New Jersey where she grew up, married and raised four children and became a voracious reader of romantic fiction. At one time she owned over two thousand novels, until she and her husband took themselves and the cat to New Mexico for their health and its great beauty.

Now, most of AC’s books are electronic (although she still keeps six bookcases of hardcovers), so she never has to give away another book. AC is a late bloomer, however, she claims to have found her niche writing LGBT romance.

She hangs out at ACKatt.com and ackattsjournal.com; where she keeps her blog.  To get snippets of new releases and Works in Progress subscribe to AC Katt’s Kattery by sending an e-mail to mlhansel@gmail.com.

Where to find the author:

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Website | Blog

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Giveaway!

Win an E-Copy – The Werewolves of Manhattan Series in pdf! 

(Just click the link below)

A.C. Katt Rafflecopter giveaway!

(Ends 22nd October 2016)

Review

a-c-katt-julios-wolf-cover-l-1Title: Julio’s Wolf

Series: Werewolves of Manhattan 06

Author: A.C. Katt

Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Length: Novel (203pgs)

Publisher: MLR Press (September 30, 2016)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: Julio Reyes has had a hard life. Orphaned at fourteen, he ran away from a group home to avoid rape but wound up being an independent prostitute in NYC. He has a life plan—go to school, become a stylist and open his own salon.

Etienne Daurensbourg is one-hundred and thirty-nine years old and fears he’ll never find his Mate until his friend Alexei introduces him to Julio. Julio is Etienne’s Mate but before he has a chance to court Julio, who is a human high beta and therefore stubborn and independent, Julio gets knifed and is forced to let Etienne provide him with a home and help to recover.

Pack problems arise that may force Etienne into the pit. Will Julio be able to love Etienne despite the fact he is a loup garou? 

ISBN: 978-1-944770-33-4

Product Link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=AK_JWOLF

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: Each book in the Werewolves of Manhattan collection features a different romantic couple. To enjoy the overall story arc and crossover characters, I would recommend reading the series in sequential order. 

I started reading romance stories at the age of twelve and was always intrigued by the worlds that authors can come up with. Then a few years ago I read my first gay romance and I decided that there was just something about them that I liked more. For me a good paranormal love story with passion, fire, danger and trouble are a good hit. A.C. Katt gives me that type of story. They are fresh and very unique. The plots and story line are top rate and always keeps my attention from start to finish. 

There is just something about the worlds that she creates that keeps me captivated throughout the whole entire book. So much so that when a new book comes out, I must always start reading the very first book that leads up to this one. I love how there is a serious tone to it, but that it is equally matched with humor. I can’t stand a book that has no humor in it; I would rather be laughing then just sitting there. I also love how the mates are well loved and protected by their stronger mates. 

Julio was just fourteen when his life changed. His parents were killed and he was sent off to a group home for boys. The home was filled with angry teens who just loved to mess with the ones that came in. Julio was a prime target because not only was he gay but he was very fem. He took off to avoid being raped, only to end up with a man that was sadistic and cruel. Once he managed to escape, he had figured the only way he would survive was to be his own independent prostitute. Saving another led him to friends who got him out and led him onto the path that would give him the greatest rewards.

Etienne is an alpha who has found his mate. However someone from Julio’s past arises and almost cost him his life. Etienne needs to protect his mate, but it might also cause a war that could cost them everything.

To me there is nothing better than a good romance, but when it is a paranormal then it hits higher marks to me. I love them especially when there are some gorgeous men in some kinky situations. I can honestly tell you that this is going to be one of those types of series that you can’t put down and have to read more than once. It is the perfect story for me and gave me all that I needed. I love the way all the feelings they felt was involved in this story.

I had a blast reading it and I can’t wait to read the next story. 

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Check out the other blogs on the book blast

★ Divine Promotions 17th October
★ MM Good Book Reviews 17th October
★ Bayou Book Junkie 17th October
★ VampyreLady’s 17th October
Book-Lover Book Blog 17th October
WickedGoodreads 17th October
★ BFD Book Blog 17th October
★ Triple A 18th October
★ Jacklynn Love’s Reading 18th October
★ Book lover 18th October
★ Book Boyfriend Heaven 18th October
★ Louise Lyons Author 18th October
★ Bonkers About Books 19th October
★ velvetpanic 19th October
★ yah gotta read this 19th October
Make it Happen 19th October
★ Joandisalovebooks 20th October
★ Yah Gotta Read This 20th October
★ MJ’s Book Blog and Reviews 21st October
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3 thoughts on “Julio's Wolf by A.C. Katt Blog Tour, Character Bio, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!

  1. Thanks so much for the tour and Giveaway! I’m a native New Yorker and I attended SUNY Oswego so the setting alone makes me want to read your story!

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