Good morning everyone! If you recall in January, I made a stop at Carrie Ann Ryan's blog and I had a lovely time there. So when I saw she was touring one of her own books, I immediately jumped to have her on the blog here. Now I owe her an apology because I was so excited to have her here that I scheduled her on an off day, and with things going on this week, I almost let this get away from me.

But let's get to this and let's get her smokin' hot new book, A TASTE FOR A MATE introduced! And by the way, Carrie has a giveaway with this tour as well!

She'll be giving away an autographed bookmark to one commenter at every stop and a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate to one randomly drawn commenter.

A TASTE FOR A MATE

Jasper Jamenson’s only responsibility to being the Beta of the Redwood Pack, second son of the Alpha, is to protect the Pack from themselves and the human world. After a century of selfless service, his brother’s new found mating forced him into taking a good look into his life. He isn’t sure he wants a mate, but fate may have other ideas.

Sounds yummy doesn't it? Carrie Ann is going to steal the blog for a minute and tell you about the challenges in creating a world of werewolves.

It’s a Werewolf World
by Carrie Ann Ryan

Thanks for having me here today. My hosts asked me to talk about creating a new world and the challenges presented there. I love creating a new world and making up something just for me – but believe me, there are challenges!

For the Redwood Pack, I first started with the Jamenson family. Because at the heart of it all, they are my world. Once I knew a bit about who they were, I built their positions in the Pack. As I did that, like the fact that Jasper was the Beta, it allowed me to think of powers and different abilities. I then looked at their mates – who each have their own ideas and abilities. With that I was able to broach out into the big world. Like are there demons and witches! Yep!

Also, would the humans know that werewolves lived among them? I decided no, because then there is always that lovely politics and hate groups that come up. I knew that I had enough drama with two Packs! LOL

But there were challenges. As a reader, I HATE when an author changes something that couldn’t be changed or if there are inconsistences. I don’t want to be that person, so I did my best and have a world chart and spreadsheet LOL. I have character ones too! I have tables or world and character characters like locations, descriptions, scents, scenery, placements and powers. The Redwood Pack series is seven books – I’m bound to forget something. That’s why I write it down on my spreadsheet and created my own little handbook.

I love creating new worlds and characters. What would you like to see in a world? Can you think of any other challenges in creating one?

I can so relate to Carrie Ann's remarks about inconsistancies -- and did you hear that, readers? She's a spreadsheet gal too! Series plotters -- a toast to you!

Let's look a little more closely at A TASTE FOR A MATE

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EXCERPT
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She stood back and closed her eyes, conjuring the memory of her mystery man’s face. The image that filled her mind made her forget the lack of human contact. The thought of his deep, husky voice tickled her spine whenever he spoke. Green eyes caught her in his web with only a glance. She had fallen for a stranger and didn’t even know his name. He would come into her store every morning and order a cinnamon roll and coffee with only a few words. Then he would pay cash before lifting up the corner of his mouth in a semblance of a smile and walked out of her store. Was it strange she worried he’d keep walking and never return?

A bell’s tinkle pulled Willow from her reverie and self-pity. As she turned to greet her customer, her heart leapt to her throat. Him. Her mysterious fantasy. As she tried to regain her senses, she took all of him in. He had to be one of the tallest men she’d ever seen, easily over six and a half feet. The tight black T-shirt he wore hugged his biceps and cut into his muscular physique, while his broad shoulders stretched and strained the seams. His body tapered down to a narrow waist and hips as they met his thighs. His long legs were encased in worn jeans leading to work boots. Hmm, construction perhaps? She glanced back up his body to his striking face. He wasn’t beautiful, but he did have a face women dreamed about. A strong jaw and cheekbones gave him an aura of strength and protection. Hair was midnight black and long enough to brush his shoulders. However, today, a band held it back, showcasing his face more. He studied her, his green eyes calm and calculating. Willow let out a surprised gasp at the sexual heat radiating from him. Could she possibly be imagining things?

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YOU HAVE JUST READ AN EXCERPT FROM A TASTE FOR A MATE
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Thank you, Carrie Ann for being here, and I hope you'll forgive this host's tardy start to the day. Readers, give her a warm welcome, please with your comments. And remember to follow her tour. The more you read and comment, the better your chances of winning. Tour dates may be found here.

Carrie Ann Ryan is a paranormal and contemporary romance author. After spending too much time behind a lab bench, she decided to dive into the romance world and find her werwolf mate. Her first book, An Alpha's Path, is the first book in her Redwood Pack series. She's also an avid reader and lover of romance and fiction novels. She love meeting new authors and new worlds. Any recommendations you have are appreciated. Carrie Ann lives in New England with her husband and two kittens. Carrie Ann loves hearing from readers. You can find her at: http://www.carrieannryan.com/ http://carrieannryan.blogspot.com/ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carrie-Ann-Ryans-Author-Page/243643205647654 http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002584098860 Twitter: @CarrieAnnRyan

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

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