The #BlackHillsWolves #BlogHunt is on...Ten Reasons to Love Wolf Shifters

Welcome to the Black Hills Wolves Blog Hunt. I can’t tell you how excited I am that you have joining us for the next two weeks as we take a little odyssey through the Black Hills with a group of fiercely creative authors and sexy dominant wolves and the women who love them. Every day of the hunt, we’ll feature one author here and another author will be sharing their fun over on their blog as well. We’ll always post a link for where you need to go next. Be sure enter our blog hunt giveaway. At her discretion, each author may host an individual giveaway, too.

I freely admit, I love writing shifters, and I love reading them, too. I read them for years before I wrote my own. Whether I’m working on a Wolves of Willow Bend or a Black Hills Wolves or one of my ROARs, shifters fill me with no small amount of awe, love, and yes—I’ll admit it—lust. I’ve learned a lot about love from writing wolves. I learned a lot about it from reading them, too.

So what are my top ten reasons for loving wolf shifters?
by Heather Long

• Ever heard the term Mama Bear? Mama Wolves are pretty damn tough, too. More, pack animals like wolves are not only incredibly protective of their young, they work together to raise them and shelter them. Writing (and reading for that matter) about Wolf Shifters, opens a door to a world where the whole community comes together to nurture their young, protect them and raise them. It can also make it all that much more poignant when they have rogue wolves or problems. 
• Wolves are hawt. Let’s be blunt wolves are majestic animals, they move with a grace that’s hard to match and whether the wolf is snow white or black as night or somewhere in between, it’s hard not to admire them in their animal forms. Conversely, their human forms are just as sexy and appealing because they’re perfect exactly as they are. 
• Wolf shifters, like their animal cousins, are incredible survivors—whether assaulted by natural or man-made disasters, they recover, their numbers surge and they come back better and stronger than before. In the Black Hills, the Tao Pack suffered under a reign of terror perpetuated by Magnum, since his death, the pack has begun to recover stronger than ever. 
• Wolves themselves are primal. They are a huge part of our folklore here in the United States and all over Western Europe.

Wolf's Return

• Pack animals work amazingly well together because of a sense of trust and necessity. Saying there is no I in team with wolves and wolf shifters is very true. Alphas may hold power, but they are also the most dedicated to their packs. In the Black Hills, it was a concerted effort between two shifters—one Wolf and one Bear—which brought Drew home to overthrow his mad father. 
• In many cultures, wolves represent both freedom and loyalty—remember, wolves mate for life. We love our HEAs, but can you imagine knowing without a shadow of a doubt that your mate/partner is one hundred percent devoted to you and will always be there? Now that’s romantic. 
• They are fast. In the wild a wolf can clock in thirty to forty miles an hour. Hello Flash. 
• They have sharp hearing, and a keen sense of smell. It’s difficult to sneak up on a wolf, and a wolf shifter can use this to their advantage both to protect those they love and to charm them. 
• As a total aside, wild wolves have a domesticated cousin—the dog. I adore my dogs, and I see pack dynamics every day whether it’s the cute little dachshund, the grumpy old husky or the over enthusiastic labradane, canines possess a wealth of personality and affection. When a dog loves you? They love all of you. Translate that to wolf shifter, and wowza!

What a Wolf Wants

• Last, but by no means least—wolf shifters like their wild cousins are masters of body language, scent, and tonality. They don’t lie, because what would be the point? Sometimes they are brutality honest, but you always know where you stand. In a world where deception seems to be commonplace, it’s a comfort to imagine one where what a person says is what they mean.

Whether we’re talking about our partners in the wild or the characters we create, wolves connect us to our primal sense of self. They are an apex predator, and they return us to a simpler time and existence. I love wolves, I love wolf shifters and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of them.

Do you have a favorite aspect of a wolf shifter? Or your own reasons? I’d love to hear them. One lucky commentator will be drawn to win a copy of Wolf’s Return by Rebecca Royce and What a Wolf Wants by Heather Long—the two books that launched the Black Hills Wolves. Join us and see how it all began.

Be sure to check out Rebecca Royce over at Decadent Divas as the Blog Hunt continues. (Psst, be sure to wish her a happy birthday today too!)

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