Little Wolf by Amélie S. Duncan
Publication date: December 9th 2014
Genres: Erotica, Romance
When
twenty-three year old Tala Velsik appears in a last minute performance art
piece, she has no idea that public nudity will be the least of her worries.
Wearing nothing but silver paint and a pair of antlers, her body is bared to
hundreds of eyes, but one penetrating stare simmers through the others, Adrian
Caro.
Adrian
Caro is one of the world’s most famous directors and photographers, but with
striking features and a body made for sin, most would guess he belonged in
front of the camera.
Of
course, the last thing Tala needs is romance, even with a walking Adonis.
Mounting bills, a dead end job and a set of childhood memories most therapists
would pale at; love is low on her list. Assuming, of course, her new admirer
allows her to have a say in the matter.
Shocked
yet thrilled by Adrian’s passionate domination, Tala can’t help but feel she’s
standing on quicksand. For all his wealth, fame and talent, Adrian is tormented
by his own demons; hiding secrets big enough to destroy them both.
“Time
to get up.” His voice pulled me from my dreams. I gazed through my lashes, then
blinked a few times at the windows and noticed the sun hadn’t risen yet. I
turned to Adrian, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, bouncing on his feet. True
to his word, he was up and ready for me to start his new routine.
I covered my head with the pillow. “I thought
you were on vacation,” I grumbled.
He pulled the pillow and sheets away and
handed me a sports bra, shorts, and a t-shirt.
“It
gets too hot later to run,” he said in explanation. “We’re off to Ouest Coriche for our daily run with Henry.”
I
grimaced as I put on the clothes he had laid out for me. Once I was finished,
he chuckled and tied my long, black hair in a loose ponytail.
“You’re
grumpy in the morning.” He looked sweltering hot, and alert. He’s a morning person too.
I
scowled at him before going to the bathroom and cleaning myself up as quickly
as I could. Then I followed him down the stairs and out to the car where Henry
was waiting for us. Watching the two of them prep like professionals made me
nervous.
I
did a few leg and arm stretches. “I’m a beginner, go easy on me,” I implored.
“Dites-le nous
en français, tell us in French,” Henry teased,
and they laughed in unison.
I
made a face. “I don’t know how to say it in French yet. Uh. Facile s'il vous plait? Easy, please?”
Adrian suddenly wrapped his hands
around my waist and kissed the side of my head.
“Votre français est mauvais, Your French is awful.” I hit his arm and ran for the car, door
already opened, and dove inside.
“You little brat,” Adrian said when
he reached me. He pulled down my shorts and swatted me on the ass.
I mewled and giggled at the same
time. “Ouch!” He leaned down and kissed both cheeks, then helped me pull my
shorts back up.
“Behave, or there will be more.” His
face was dark, and I felt a stir below my waist.
Henry climbed in the front and
called back to us. “We’ll do a few miles down the beach to start. You’ll love
it.”
I scrunched my face. “Hey, I’m a
beginner! Remember? On sand?” I whined. They both chuckled. I crossed my arms
and stared outside as we made our way up the coast.
He was right about one thing. I
loved the view. Even with the absent sun, the swaying palms and oceanfront was
breathtaking. He parked, we checked our sneakers and water bottles, and took
off.
As the sun rose, I heated up fast. I
took frequent breaks as Henry and Adrian looped me in the area, their set
circle, creating the pace for the run. I tuckered out after my third loop and
shook my head as the two of them competed in gladiatorial runs against each
other. Even with the breeze off the water, I was too hot.
I finally stopped. “I can’t move
anymore,” I called out. Adrian came over and gulped his water down before
handing the rest to me. I took a sip and wiped my forehead.
“Get on my back,” he ordered.
I frowned. “I’ll hurt you. We’re too
far from the car now.”
He snorted. “I didn’t say I would carry
you the whole way, little wolf.” His face was firm, and I now knew that meant
this would go his way.
I sighed and wrapped my arms and legs around
his neck and waist as he lifted me up with an ease that suggested I might be
weightless. I buried my face against his neck and inhaled. He smelled so good,
even when covered in sweat.
“What
are you doing?” Adrian asked in an amused tone. He knew exactly what I was
doing, so I only giggled. He hopped a little, and that made me laugh.
“Tala.”
He sighed my name and started walking us down the beach. I was unfamiliar with
our surroundings, right up to the car where we found Henry waiting for us. When
Adrian put me down on my feet, I spontaneously wrapped my arms around and
hugged him. He rubbed my back.
“What’s
this for?” he asked. I looked up and saw the surprise and delight in his face,
and a flutter went through me.
“Do
I need a reason?” I asked softly.
About the Author
Amélie S. Duncan writes
contemporary, erotic romances with a dark edge. Her inspiration comes from many
sources including her life experiences and travels. She lives on the West Coast
of the United States with her husband.
Media Links
When
did you begin writing?
All my life I have been a storyteller. My younger
years consisted of making up stories and skits to share with my family. When I
was a teenager, I wrote more poetry and short stories than anyone else I knew.
As I got older, my stories became darker and I drew from experiences
surrounding a tough patch in my life.
In college, writing was academic and I put aside my
personal stories. But a few years ago, I began writing again; only it didn’t
come as easily as I remembered. I spent a lot of time studying and developing
stories. I was always a lover of paranormal romances, but I progressed to
erotica, and erotic romances. I shared my writing with my husband and friends.
Friends were a bit more reserved about what I was creating, but my husband
loved how alive I was when I was writing and encouraged me to pursue this
dream. I am forever thankful for his support.
What
genre do you write and why?
I write contemporary erotic romance stories, but I
also include darker elements in my writing. I’m an avid reader of dark erotica,
erotica, erotic romances, paranormal romances and new adult stories. They all
inspire me creatively. So, I write what I truly love and enjoy reading and hope
those stories will resonate with like-minded readers.
Can
you tell us a little about your book?
Little Wolf is truly, at its heart, the love story
of my heroine, Tala Velsik. She has a had a tough life growing up with her
unmediated, paranoid schizophrenic mother and an absentee father. In her teen
years, she was adopted by the family of Jax Molsom, her best and only friend.
She faced her haunted pass and challenging life with
strength and resilience, managing to take care of herself and all those around
her. In her pursuit to do just that, and pressing forward in her chaotic and
difficult life, she helps her brother with his dreams and ends up crossing the
path of famed photographer and director Adrian Caro.
Adrian’s life is quite a contrast of Tala’s, but he
is also personally unfulfilled. So he makes a deal with the devil in his
pursuit of happiness. As their worlds collide, the secret he is hiding becomes
his biggest challenge of the story. Ultimately, this secret threatens
everything.
I am long-winded, but purposely being vague to avoid
spoiling the story. Ultimately, it is a story about finding love, care and
family. These things come at a price, and it isn’t always perfect or easy, but
even the most damaged among us can find it.
What
is the inspiration behind your book Little Wolf?
Little Wolf was first and foremost inspired by my
work in the mental health field. My experience is with children, teens and
women like my heroine, Tala Velsik. Their lives are often tragic and chaotic at
times, but many of them remain strong and resilient. They are also extremely
tough on the outside, but their hearts are so beautiful. Their loyalty a
wonder. So this book was inspired by all the Tala’s I fell in love with over
the years.
The location where the majority of the novel takes
place also has a special spot in my heart, as I studied there and always wanted
to write about the beauty and kindness of the people I met while abroad. Overall,
the family and community there are so unique that I felt this was the perfect setting
for Tala and Adrian’s story.
How
did you come up with the idea for the cover?
Actually, my cover designer found the photo, as I
was indecisive. I loved the picture, and the way it turned out is beautiful. I
am very happy with it.
Name
your all-time favorite book?
If
your book was made into a movie who would you cast and why?
If you’ve ever viewed my Pinterest account, you know
I have a healthy obsession with David Gandy, so Adrian Caro would be him. Although,
I always think of Adrian with a deep sultry voice, but I like his accent. A
wonderful blogger brought my attention to Emilia Clarke for Tala Velsik. Blythe
Danner for Sophie Caro. For the rest, I’m not as certain.
When did you first
realize you wanted to be a writer?
I don’t really believe I
ever thought I could be a writer. My friends and family always told me I was a
great storyteller, but it seemed like a dream so far out of reach. I did well
in story writing throughout my educational life, but it was only recent and through
the encouragement of my husband that I began to really develop stories. It
didn’t all come together at once, but I found wonderful people to help me and
I’m continuously working to be better. So I hope to one day truly consider
myself a writer.
How long does it take you to write a book?
Writing a book doesn’t
take nearly as long as developing, editing and publishing it. I find the first
draft is pretty quick, but I would never publish that because it’s always
awful! I would say for Little Wolf, it took a few months to write it, but much
more time to develop the story with my development editor and beta readers.
Do
you have a sequel or new books coming out in 2015?
Yes. I have a series entitled Tiger Lily which I plan
to release soon. As for a sequel to Little Wolf, I haven’t written one yet, but
I may consider doing so in the future.
