Thank you for joining us for the Release Day Party for Cloaked in Secrecy, a Paranormal Shifter Romance by T.F. Walsh (14 March 2016, Crimson Romance, 242 pages). This is the second book in the Wulfkin Legacy series.
PREVIEW: Check out the book's synopsis, excerpt, teasers and guest posts below, as well as details about the other volumes in the series. Read the first two chapters with Amazon Look Inside.
Author T.F. Walsh will be awarding a $10 Amazon gift card, and two digital copies of Cloaked In Secrecy to randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during the tour.
Synopsis | Teasers | The Series | About the Author | Giveaway
Synopsis
What better way for a pack of wulfkin shifters to remain in seclusion than to hide in plain sight?Death has followed Alena Novac’s circus family for years, but when the police arrest her brother for murder, she must rescue him before he transforms behind prison walls. With less than a week to execute her plan, a member from the Varlac family who murdered her mother reappears. Now, Alena has to decide whether to make good on her promise to avenge her mother’s death or risk rescuing her brother.
Enre Ulf has one mission – prevent Alena’s father from claiming his territory and slaughtering his wulfkin pack in Transylvania. Enre may have turned his back on his Varlac heritage, but that doesn’t mean he won’t impersonate one to infiltrate the circus clan and take out their alpha. Knowing that his secrets will lead to his demise, Enre takes the risk in order to save his home. What he never planned on was his wolf claiming Alena as his mate.
Now with the police closing in, and the real Varlac threatening them, Alena and Enre must overcome their pasts to save their packs’ futures.
Cloaked in Secrecy is the book 2 in the Wulfkin Legacy series, but can be read a stand-alone-book.
Teasers
||Excerpt ||Guest Posts by TF Walsh: "Werewolves get Freaky at the Circus" || "The Healing Touch" ||"Wolf Soul Mates" || "The Dangerous Art of Aerial Silk" || "Basking Beneath the Hunter’s Moon" ||
Excerpt
from Chapter 1
ALENA
The tall, broad-shouldered man was branded with two gash marks down the side of his face and neck, and blood smeared his cheek. He wiped it away with his hand as his gaze deepened with darkness.
I studied his stubbled jawline, and inhaled the fresh blood. It belonged to him.
Wind fanned across my back. It had been a long time since I’d faced off with anyone. Father had brought me up to use my head, not my teeth.
“What pack do you belong to?” My voice sharpened, and a growl hung off my last word. Show no fear.
He studied the path I’d taken. “There’s a loose wulfkin in wolf form here, and I think she’s wild.” His gruff voice raised goose bumps up and down my legs, and I recoiled. “Is she yours?”
My next inhale wedged in my chest. Had Mila been caught or injured? “Where is she?”
“Why would you allow her out amongst humans? Are you trying to reveal us?”
Flames spread over my cheeks. “Who the hell are you? It’s not your business what happens on our territory.”
Since we ran a traveling circus, we claimed any location where we performed, though we rarely stopped in places already taken by other packs. Lucky for us, the majority of them steered clear of cities.
The wulfkin leaned forward, his voice rough and low. “I tried catching her before anyone saw her, but as you can see”—he pointed to his recent wounds—“she wasn’t overly friendly.” Running a hand through his short, black hair, he stared at me.
When the breeze bathed me in his scent again, his muskiness almost knocked me over, and my eyes dipped south although my brain screamed, “Don’t!” This wulfkin should never wear jeans in public unless he wanted every single female to ravage him. And the leather jacket did nothing to hide his muscles.
When I looked up, he wore a sly grin.
Heat scalded my body, and my wolf pressed against my insides, whimpering, demanding we claim him. She wanted this stranger? Working in the circus, I’d seen all kinds, but no one had ever affected my wolf this way.
“Don’t flatter yourself.” I refused to allow him to openly knock me off my feet with his gorgeousness. Scratch that. With his audacity.
“Why isn’t she transforming into human form?” he asked.
My hands curled into fists. “I don’t have to tell you anything.” Studying the passage ahead of me, I inhaled the crisp air for signs of Mila. “If you remain here, you’ll have dozens of wulfkin on your trail, ready to tear you to shreds—”
He narrowed the gap between us, his square shoulders stiff.
“Or, you can help me find M ... the wolf girl, and return with me to the pack to explain yourself.”
His ravenous gaze remained on me, searching for who knows what. Every hair stayed in place, despite his bleeding wounds, and a smile was on the verge of breaking the edges of his mouth. Maybe he was only a hungry wolf ready to pounce on his prey.
A train-car-sized load of words bubbled on my tongue, mostly threats, but when a single howl in the distance broke the morning silence, every thought vanished.
My head snapped up. Nicolai. Mila. Police sirens rang out above the drone of the highway. “We better get out of here,” the other wulfkin said. My heart bounced against my rib cage, and I ran past him.
No! Please, no. The rain, now sudden and fast, drenched every part of me, filling my boots and threatening to bowl me over.
Guest Post: "Werewolves get Freaky at the Circus with TF Walsh"
What is it about the circus that immediately invokes certain images in our minds?
For me, it’s clowns, the massive tent, and those old fashioned freak-shows. It may be the portrayal in fiction, movies, and journalists that distorts our view, but I’ve always loved the mystery surrounding these attractions.
Before I started writing Cloaked in Secrecy, I was stumped on the setting for the story. But then the circus arrived in my town, and I received my answer.
A pack of werewolves running a circus and performing for humans. Perfect!
But where did the Circus begin, you ask?
So began my research into everything circus, including the simple question of how did the first circus start.
It is claimed the goddess Circe in honor of her father, Helios the Sun God, staged the first circus. (In Greek mythology, Circe was a goddess of magic). This also lends itself to the name circus (derived from Latin name circus) that was believed to be the Romanization of the Greek word kirkos, meaning circle or ring. With all that said, the first circus was born.
Now, when it comes to the origin of the modern circus we’re more familiar with, the name Philip Astley is well known. He constructed the first circus building in London called The New British School or Amphitheater Riding Ring. In 1770, the first performance appeared. The raging success of this show was the start of the modern circus.
What do you love about the circus? Have you ever wanted to run away to join a circus?
References: Wikipedia, The Hanneford Family Circus
Guest Post: "The Healing Touch with TF Walsh"
Imagine being able to channel healing energy into someone by means of a simple touch.
Well, for starters I’d be healing everyone I could get my hands on, and I wouldn’t charge a dime because no one deserves to be sick. But what if healing people left you drained and could kill you? This is the burden Alena faces. She was born with the gift of healing, and the only way she can protect herself from passing out or worse is to wear gloves at all times.
“… use your healing ability to get him fixed up so he can leave. See if you can find out what he’s up to. And remember who he is.” A sickness stirred in my belly, and I dropped my gaze to my gloved hands. Father knew I avoided healing anyone. Last time, I had passed out and woke up two days later.Together with her father and brother, Alena runs the Novac Circus along with thirty-seven other wulfkin. What better way for a pack of shifters to hide from the world than to do so right in front of their eyes. Cloaked in Secrecy follows Selena’s story and what she risks to save her pack family from extermination at the hands of the same wulfkin she swears is her fated mate. When death has always taunted her, can she finally learn to outrun it?
Cloaked in Secrecy excerpt by TF Walsh
So, does such healing exist in real life?
Probably not in the form shown above, but some consider Reiki a form of healing through touch. Reiki a Japanese technique of laying hands on a patient and a positive life force flows through the healer and into the person receiving the energy. Dr. Mikao Usui from Kyoto, Japan, was the originator of what we today call Reiki. Did you know that Rei means universal life, while Ki means energy.
What would you do if you had the power of healing?
References: Simply Circus
Guest Post: "Wolf Soul Mates with TF Walsh"
In Cloaked in Secrecy, Enre’s inner wolf knows who his soul mate is from the first time he met Selena. Their bond is unbreakable, no matter how much Enre might deny it. Sometimes, the wolf has a way of claiming what belongs to him.
When I wrote this book, I based a lot of my wolf hierarchy and behavior on real wolf packs.
In nature, some wolves will mate with another for life. During their courting stage, the pair can often be seen walking so close they look like their snuggling. During this time, the male and female tend to keep away from the rest of the pack to avoid troubles. The couple sleep close, always touching each other, making quiet whining sounds, their bodies bumping. Even after mating, the couple will continue being affectionate.
When I wrote this book, I based a lot of my wolf hierarchy and behavior on real wolf packs.
In nature, some wolves will mate with another for life. During their courting stage, the pair can often be seen walking so close they look like their snuggling. During this time, the male and female tend to keep away from the rest of the pack to avoid troubles. The couple sleep close, always touching each other, making quiet whining sounds, their bodies bumping. Even after mating, the couple will continue being affectionate.
I’d heard of wolves sharing a connection when they found their soul mate, but not wulfkin. Mainly, I believed the myth was a romantic story created by females. Except, a tornado was whisking through my veins. Before I knew it, I was brushing away the few strands of hair caught at the edge of her luscious mouth. Shivers developed at the base of my gut and spread through me. Every thought vanished from my mind, replaced by one: getting closer to Alena.
Cloaked in Secrecy excerpt by TF Walsh.
Guest Post: "The Dangerous Art of Aerial Silk with TF Walsh"
Being suspected fifty-feet in the air, on a silky piece of fabric, may not be most people’s ideal job, but it is for Alena, from my novel Cloaked in Secrecy. Performing this dangerous act is an adrenaline rush she wouldn’t swap with anything in the world.
Alena wrapped her wrists in the silk and paraded around the ring with her arms stretched outward. She broke into a sprint, gaining momentum with each step. My eyes locked on her form, her tapered waist, and toned arms. This wasn’t great for my self-control, but I couldn’t tear myself away. The crowd was silent, and even the music had died. Only the tapping of her feet on the sawdust-covered ground resonated as she picked up speed in her circular race around the ring. The red ribbons twisted overhead and drew her hands upward with each rotation On her next step, she lunged forward and lifted several feet off the ground. Her body, straight as a pin, orbited the circular performance ring, and the momentum of the ribbon starting to unwind sent her into a frantic spin.Together with her father and brother, Alena runs the Novac Circus along with thirty-seven other wulfkin. What better way for a pack of shifters to hide from the world than to do so right in front of their eyes. Cloaked in Secrecy follows Alena’s story and what she risks to save her pack family from extermination at the hands of the same wulfkin she swears is her fated mate. When death has always taunted her, can she finally learn to outrun it?
Cloaked in Secrecy excerpt by TF Walsh.
So, where did Aerial Siks start anyway?
Aerial silks first appeared in a French circus school in 1959 when a student found a bolt of fabric in the local bizarre and performed her act completely on these fabrics. Funny thing is that the school seems to have no recollection of such a student, but the local newspaper did. So while we may never know who truly invented it, over the years, this style acrobatic style has become a popular act at most circuses.
Would you ever try aerial silks?
References: Simply Circus
Guest Post: "Basking Beneath the Hunter’s Moon with TF Walsh"
There are numerous myths about the hunter’s moon and what it stands for, but the truth of its origin is more practical than you’d expect. In my novel, Cloaked in Secrecy, I created a similar event called the Lunar Eutine, or red moon, which represents the transformation into adulthood and a time when werewolves are no longer being controlled by the moon.
“Two weeks ago, we’d been blessed with a red moon—the Lunar Eutine—a time when moonwulf were transformed into wulfkin and the moon no longer controlled our wolf side. I’d changed, as did Mila, but because of her young age, something went terribly wrong and she ended up stuck in her wolf shape, unable to shift back into human form.”So, what is the Hunter’s Moon anyway?
Cloaked in Secrecy excerpt by TF Walsh.
Full moons appear around sunset, and unlike the other moon phases, it’s only during the full moon that there’s absolutely no darkness between sunset and the moonrise. Now, before electricity, hunters used moonlight to get work done during the night, mostly hunting. Because the Hunter’s Moon generally occurs during the month of October, it precedes the Harvest Moon, which is the full moon nearest to the autumnal equinox. Hence, with the onset of winter, these farmers needed to make the most of their hunts and used this time with immediate moonlight after sunset to stalk their prey more efficiently.
Do you have a favorite moon phase? If so, what is it?
References: Blog Dictionary
Cloaked in Secrecy
Available NOW!
The Series: Wulfkin Legacy
If you love paranormal romances, don't miss this steamy, action-packed read with sexy shifters, deadly werewolves, and edge-of-your-seat adventure set in the mystical, international setting of Transylvania.|| [0.5] || [1] ||
Click on the book cover to Look Inside the book on Amazon and read an excerpt.
Cloaked [0.5]
Forbidden love; undeniable passion.
The wulfkin have rules. Although Daciana knows what they are, she can't help but be attracted to Inspector Connell Lonescu, a forbidden human.
When given the opportunity to take part in a one-year independence ritual, Daciana leaps at the chance to venture into the human world. That joy is short-lived when the bear cubs she's assigned to protect go missing. In desperation, she reaches out to the police, but what she never expected was to be instantly attracted to the brooding, yet wonderfully seductive Connell.
Inspector Lonescu trusts no one, including the sinfully sexy Daciana. When she comes to him with wild claims and a suspicious story, he has no reason to believe her, but yet, he can't help but be intoxicated by her. Something about her is pulling him to her, but allowing that to continue will mean he'll have to let go of his mistrust and open himself up for something more.
Is Daciana ready to risk it all to be with a man she'd been warned to stay away from? Can Connell find the cubs and ensure that Daciana will not have to return home in disgrace?
Sensuality Level: Sensual
[Published 4 January 2016, 91 pages]
Cloaked in Fur [1]
Fighting for love has never been deadlier!Strong-minded and beautifully complicated, Daciana struggles to leave her wolf pack after she falls in love with a human. But when her friends start turning up dead, she sets on hunting down the monster, convinced her human lover is next in line.
When she discovers the danger is coming from within her pack, she must must choose between saving the man she loves and saving her pack family from certain death.
[First published 5 August 2013, this edition 21 July 2015; 256 pages]
About the Author
T.F. Walsh emigrated from Romania to Australia at the age of eight and now lives in a regional city south of Sydney with her husband. Growing up hearing dark fairytales, she's always had a passion for reading and writing horror, paranormal romance, urban fantasy and young adult stories.
She balances all the dark with light fluffy stuff like baking and traveling.
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Giveaway
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Thank you so much for having me on your blog:)
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