Guestpost + Giveaway: Wolfie World Tour Day 3 – CONNECT THE WOLFIES

My first day to host the Wolfie World Tour is here! Welcome Vivian, visitors and of course Shaun. I love that Vivian shows in this post how both series are connected. I must honestly admit I noticed the mentions of Shaun in WOLF SIGNS and WOLF FLIGHT but reading those books I was so focused on TJ (uhm I might have a bit of a crush on TJ…) that I didn’t really notice Shaun until I was reading TJ’s book. And boy did I notice him then! I think I immediately asked Vivian if there was going to be a book about him and she confirmed that, once again making me a happy reader.

Viv, the floor is yours!

The Takhini Wolves series is a part of the Granite Lake world, and there’s a lot of overlap, not the least being the familiar character of Shaun Stevens as the hero of BLACK GOLD. I thought it would be fun to show you a few glimpses today of Shaun in the previous four GLW books.

First time he’s mentioned? Bottom of the first page of WOLF SIGNS. Yup, Shaun’s been around for a looooooong time.

Robyn paced a few steps away before turning back to face him, her hands flowing smoothly as she spoke to her brother in American Sign Language. “I understand, Tad. You need to take the job. I’m still going to Granite.”

“No way. You can’t go by yourself.”

“You have.”

“But that’s different, Robyn.”

“Don’t be a jerk. I don’t have a penis so I can’t go backcountry alone?”

Tad raised his eyebrows. “It’s not the lack of plumbing, sis, and you know it. I very seldom go bush alone and if I do meet anyone, it’s not a big deal. I’m male, I’m strong and I’m not deaf. How do you plan on talking to strangers?”

Robyn threw a pillow his way before lifting her hands to sign at him. “I’ll take some notepads. What are the chances of meeting anyone at Granite this time of year? We always go in February because no one else does. I’m packed, the food is packed, and I’ve got time off work from the bakery. You even booked a helicopter ride in for me with your buddy Shaun. I’ve never gotten to fly in before.

In WOLF FLIGHT, we discover that Shaun is more than just a buddy, he’s actually the business partner of hero Tad, whose sister Robyn got the helicopter flight in that previous quote. Shaun likes the ladies, even considers hitting on Robyn (if Tad wasn’t very insistent that idea was a hell no). Shaun’s all about friends, not so much about pack. He’s the kind of guy you’d like by your side in a tough spot. Blunt, even-keeled, laid-back.

Bloody wolf hormones.

“Doesn’t it bother you?” Tad asked. “Being out of control of your own destiny?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The wolf. The way being a wolf changes your whole life.” Tad stared into space, his fingers fidgeting with the arms of his chair.

Shaun scrunched up his face. “Uh, no… I mean, so I can change into a wolf. It’s no big deal. It’s not like I have uncontrollable urges to howl or shift involuntarily when the moon is full. My wolf is just a part of who I am. An amazing, completely honest part of me.”

Tad snorted. “You’ve never been so poetic in your life. Damn it, I’m talking about the stupid wolf hormones. Don’t try to tell me they don’t dictate your life. They sure as hell do mine. We can’t even decide who to marry without our wolves approving.”

His partner laughed as he leaned back on the table. “Mates? You’re worried about finding a mate again. Tad? Holy crap, you need to get laid.”

Finally, in WOLF TRACKS, Shaun is instrumental in getting hero TJ and his sweetie some needed one-on-one time so they can figure out their interesting relationship. This is a bigger deal than you’d think at first—considering that wolves operate on a strict hierarchy, Shaun basically had to stay hidden for the duration in order to keep TJ and Pam’s location a secret. Otherwise he could have been ordered to spill the beans early. It takes a true friend to be willing to defy all the Alpha wolves in the entire north.

The loudening flap flap of the propeller blades reached them, and Pam’s eyes widened. “What’s he doing?”

She scrambled to the side, and her jaw fell open as the chopper lifted. The air pressure flattened them to the ground as Shaun got away. TJ waved at his friend as the aircraft rose, hovering over the field for a moment before rotating and taking off into the distance.

“What is going on? Stop it…come back.” Pam ran after the helicopter, waving her arms frantically before returning, her beautiful brown eyes wide. “He left us. What is he doing?”

TJ stood and pulled her back into his arms. “Don’t worry, it’s okay. He’ll be back.”

She relaxed. “Well, that’s good. How long do we have before he returns?”

“A week.”

In terms of how else the series mesh, Shaun and Tad were both a part of one of the Takhini packs (I mentioned that at the first stop of the tour—two packs in Whitehorse) based out of Whitehorse, but they usually lived/slept close to where their planes were stored—the community of Haines Junction. This small Yukon town is the junction point for continuing up the Alaskan highway to Anchorage, or turning southward to the ocean and Haines—where the Granite Lake pack now resides.

Other than Shaun, the similarities in the stories…hmmm, sarcasm? Light-hearted discussions? The setting of the Yukon and Alaska wilderness, and gold rush towns such as Dawson City. A happily ever after—and this time because the story is longer, there’s more time for all of it. More adventures, more confusion. More wolfies.

Come back tomorrow for an excerpt with Shaun and TJ from BLACK GOLD. Be sure to leave a comment here to be included in the draw for the Grand prize of a $50 gift certificate. Also, check out my blog for the daily Friends of the Wolfies contest!

To enter the Wolfie World Tour giveaway leave a comment with your answer to the following question:
Do you like it when secondary characters you’ve loved in a book get their own book? Why or why not?