Fresh Fiction Blog | Terry Spear | Having Fun with a Title

Having a SEAL in a wolf title probably doesn't sound like that big a deal, right? Hot and sexy SEALs are the rage right now. I almost feel sorry for the Rangers and Special Forces men, or others that go through so much rigorous training, but aren't getting all the rave publicity. My son is in going through some now for the AF even.

When you combine SEALs with wolves, sounds like the perfect combination, right? But there's a problem.

Mentioning the title means the listener can't see the capitalized SEAL, as in Navy SEAL, and that's a whole ‘nother story.

Ohmigod, she's flipped out.

That's the look I get.

She's now writing about seal shifters? With wolves? Really?

No one is ready for that. And I have to smile before I go on and explain. SEALs as in US Navy SEALs.

Oh.

I can see the relief on their faces. I'm going to be all right. I haven't gone off the deep end. Yet.

Titles are so important in marketing a book. It can catch your attention and make you read the blurb, then want to go further and read the book. So I can just envision the images evoked when saying the title out loud:

Barking seals and howling wolves.

And not a muscled, fit Navy SEAL who protects a body in the gravest of missions. Now don't get me wrong. I love seals. They're adorable! But SEALs are much more....wolfish...

Of course when I mention the title, I could start out with, it's about a US Navy SEAL, but what's the fun in that???

I'd rather get the startled look, the small smile...see the cogs in motion as the listener is imagining a cute little seal and a hungry wolf and that I've flipped out. And then seeing the light dawn when I say, SEAL as in hunky Navy SEAL. Call me a tease. I get it from my dad. He was the world's biggest tease.

He'd appreciate the humor. Although he was AF and might have preferred some other special ops type of guy. I was Army, so I should be basing one on a hunky Ranger or Green Beret!

But when I wrote about Hunter a couple of years ago, and the fact his pack is living on the Oregon Coast, I thought—SEAL. And that's what the story is about. A team of alpha SEAL guys. Hurrah!

Of course it doesn't hurt to have a gorgeous hunk of a SEAL on the cover of the book either!!!

I have to also mention that just up the coast from the cabins Hunter and Meara rent out, there is a seal cave. The cute barking kind. I believe I mentioned them in TO TEMPT THE WOLF, Book 3, and the first book that mentions Hunter and his pack.

Oh yeah, here is the excerpt from TO TEMPT THE WOLF:

"The way the light plays off the storm-driven waves. The deer eating undisturbed in the sun-mottled forest. Even the seals basking on the rocks near the caves below the cliffs. As if you were an unobtrusive observer preserving nature at its best with one click of the camera," John said, motioning to them.

So if you love that kind of seal, they're in TO TEMPT THE WOLF also!

And here's a little from A SEAL IN WOLF'S CLOTHING, showing just how a she-wolf and a SEAL from Meara's brother's team interact:

She thought again about what he'd told Hunter, that he saw her in a brotherly way. Right. Yet she didn't move away from him, seeking a safe distance, either.

The chill in the night air made her shiver, and she instinctively inched closer to Finn, seeking both the heat from his body and his protection from the breeze. She'd thought she might be walking along the beach with Joe tonight, if he hadn't said he'd known Hunter and turned out to be an imposter. But she'd never expected to be snuggling up to one of Hunter's SEAL mates and devouring melted chocolate-marshmallow creations beside him.

She glanced up at him and saw that his lips had remnants of chocolate and a couple of specks of marshmallow. She wanted to lick the chocolate and marshmallow off his lips, but she resisted. He watched her, and she suspected he knew just what she'd thought of doing.

Before she did anything stupid, she motioned for him to get back to cooking her marshmallows. "Some more."

He laughed in a deeply seductive way and then skewered another couple of marshmallows. "Hunter didn't tell me you had a real sweet tooth."

"Hmm, I'm sure Hunter didn't tell you a whole lot about me."

A smile lingered on Finn's lips as he turned away to watch the marshmallows melting, browning over the fire, and almost ready to eat.

"Well, he didn't, did he? I mean, maybe that I'm strong-willed."

Finn took a deep breath. "He told us you saved a human girl once who had fallen into a swollen river. Nearly drowned yourself in the process. And another time, you took on a pack of hunters who were killing deer out of season. That you chased a purse snatcher, faced down the knife he was armed with, and still got the woman's purse back intact without getting sliced to ribbons."

"It was instinctive." Meara didn't care for the way Finn was looking at her, just like Hunter would when he thought she'd done something foolhardy. She was a werewolf, and that meant she reacted instinctively. Well, because she was an alpha werewolf. A beta probably wouldn't have.

At least Hunter hadn't known about most of the situations she'd gotten involved in because he was away on missions, either serving in the Navy or working on contracts after that. She just wasn't the type of woman who could stand by and hope someone else would step in and save the day.

"I don't want you doing that here. While I'm protecting you, no heroics."

"Unless you're the one who's being heroic," she said.

"That's my job. I'm trained for it. So yeah, let me take care of the bad guys, if the time comes."

She smiled. "Suit yourself." But if Finn needed her help, she was not going to sit back and watch as if she was observing a gladiator fight and was strictly a spectator.

He looked like he didn't believe her. "I mean it, Meara."

If that didn't sound just like Hunter! "I heard you the first time."

"Yeah, but you have that intense look that says you're not going to mind."

She didn't respond, watching the shape of his mouth as it closed over the last bite of his s'more.

This time when he finished it, she boldly reached up and licked the chocolate off his lips. She could be just as brash as he was.

***

And that's the difference between a SEAL and a seal...and a she-wolf who's just as alpha!

What do you envision when you hear the title? Cute and fluffy, or hot and sexy?

Terry Spear

A SEAL IN WOLF'S CLOTHING BY TERRY SPEAR – IN STORES MARCH 2012

Her instincts tell her he's dangerous...

While her overprotective brother's away, Meara Greymere's planning to play—and it wouldn't hurt to find herself a mate in the process. The last thing she needs is one of his SEAL buddies spoiling her fun, even if the guy is the hottest one she's ever seen...

His powers of persuasion are impossible to resist...

Finn Emerson is a battle-hardened Navy SEAL and alpha wolf. He's a little overqualified for baby-sitting, but feisty Meara is attracting trouble like a magnet...

As the only responsible alpha male in the vicinity, Finn is going to have to protect this intriguing woman from a horde of questionable men, and definitely from himself...

Experience the sensual, action-packed, critically acclaimed world of Terry Spear, author of a Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Terry Spear has written a dozen paranormal romance novels and two medieval Highland historical romances. An award-winning author, Terry's Heart of the Wolf was named a Publishers Weekly's Best Book of the Year in 2008. A retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry Spear is a librarian by day and spends every spare moment writing paranormal romance as well as historical and true life stories for both teen and adult audiences. Spear lives in Crawford, Texas, where she is working on new paranormal romances! For more information, please visit http://www.terryspear.com/.

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Comments

When I first read the title, I did think about the cute and fluffy but only for a moment. I quickly envisioned the hot and sexy SEAL. This sounds like a great book.
(Kathleen Yohanna 4:20am March 16, 2012)

Thanks so much, Kathleen! A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing just made the USA Today bestseller's list!!!

Yes, absolutely, Mary!

LOL, Cate, I agree!
(Terry Spear 6:41am March 16, 2012)

A SEAL and a Wolf! It can only be hot and sexy.
Blessings,
Marjorie
(Marjorie Carmony 7:04am March 16, 2012)

I imagined an intriguing Paranormal Romance with a sexy Werewolf. I think your book sounds really fun and I am looking forward to reading it.
(Chelsea Knestrick 7:13am March 16, 2012)

Margorie, yes, yummy!

Chelsea, thanks so much! Hope you love it!

Angie, lol, that's just the way folks look at me when I mention the title!
(Terry Spear 8:56am March 16, 2012)

Well, I did think hot and sexy not cute and cuddly, but I always wanted to say the Title is Wolf in Seal's clothing. Because that made more sense to me.
(Donna Fournier 9:45am March 16, 2012)

Love the imagination used for werewolfery. =) Your book sounds great!
(Kathleen Conner 9:56am March 16, 2012)

Love the imagination used for werewolfery. =) Your book sounds great! (Sorry, hit the wrong button, in case this double-posts).
I definitely think hot and sexy.
(Kathleen Conner 9:58am March 16, 2012)

Certainly not the flipper kind......but the, hot, sexy, prime kind! :)
(Phyllis Marshall 10:07am March 16, 2012)

I immediately thought (hoped) hot, hard and intense kinda SEAL. I just finished a SEAL series and didn't want it to end so I'm definitely happy that I was right. Yay! Sounds like a great read.
Good luck and happy writing!
(Tracie Travis 10:15am March 16, 2012)

Your book sounds great - and I'd love to win a copy. Best of luck with it. NR
(Nancy Reynolds 10:40am March 16, 2012)

Well, when the title is spoken and your name is in conjunction with it, I expect hot and sexy. :)
(G. Bisbjerg 10:50am March 16, 2012)

Great post, I'd certainly love to win a copy of this book.
(Wilma Frana 11:17am March 16, 2012)

How original! I envision hot and sexy of course.
(Carla Carlson 12:07pm March 16, 2012)

Thanks for a great post! I think that when I 1st saw the title
(and the gorgeous cover model) I thought tongue in check
*hawtness* :)
(Erin Fender 12:16pm March 16, 2012)

I thought hot & sexy - because the SEALS have been in the news a lot. And the cover is fabulous. Thanks for the contest.
(r w 12:17pm March 16, 2012)

Hey Terry, dropping by to say I love your books. A Seal in Wolf's Clothing is a great addition to your Wolf series. I also downloaded Relected Desire. WOW! Great twist on an old tale. Thanks for all the great reading!
(Jessica James 12:22pm March 16, 2012)

Hot & Sexy, because SEAL;s are that in spades :D
(Ilona Fenton 2:26pm March 16, 2012)

Who says that hot and sexy can't also be cute and cuddly? (Fluffy might be pushing it a bit, however!)

Later,

Lynn, snickering away!
(Lynn Rettig 3:38pm March 16, 2012)

I thought hot and sexy. I immediately thought Navy SEAL and wolf shifter two hot and sexy characters in romance.
(Anne Muller 3:46pm March 16, 2012)

Hot & Sexy... especially knowing what your wolves are like!
(Colleen Conklin 3:54pm March 16, 2012)

First thing I thought when I read the title was hot and sexy!
(Cheryl McEwen 4:17pm March 16, 2012)

Love the cover - makes sense that a wolf shifter would be a SEAL!
(Mary C 4:19pm March 16, 2012)

Cute and fluffy, or hot and sexy===I envision a book I cannot put down!
(Timothy Younger 4:36pm March 16, 2012)

With the play on words of course my first thought was "Huh"
seal? Then I looked more closely at the title, cover and
author and noticed SEAL. After reading Sandra Hill's Viking
SEALS it all tumbled quite quickly. This series has intrigued
me and I'd love to read more.
(Lenna Hendershott 4:37pm March 16, 2012)

I'm already a fan...Always wishing you all the best...
(Savannah Chase 7:46pm March 16, 2012)

LOL, thanks, ladies! And gentlemen! Yeah, when you get a look of the cover, the notion of a fluffy seal kind of goes out the window. :) But when you're just talking about it, definitely raised eyebrows. :)
(Terry Spear 8:51pm March 16, 2012)

I would have to answer you this way. When I think of seals, it would all depend on the first letter - whether or not it is capitalized or not. I would have to say the Capital-lettered Seal would first deserve respect and thanks. They are highly-intelligent, daring, and I'm sure, can be sexy, warm, and cuddly. The other seals are cute and cuddly, and I'm sure that they are smart to some deagree, but are not sexy by any stretch of the imagination!! I would love to be a fan along with your other readers, and your book sounds so good!! I'm very anxious to read it. I've been out of the reading loop for a few years, and am just getting back in. I have some catching up to do with your books!!
(Peggy Roberson 9:07pm March 16, 2012)

Congrats on making the USA Today bestseller's list!!!
(Molly Wilsbacher 10:01pm March 16, 2012)

Oh, Peggy, I was like you! I hadn't read anything for a very long time. I was busy working on degrees, having kids, then teaching my children to read and so that was all I was reading! LOL. But then I found the world of books again and wouldn't give them up again for the world. :)

Donna, I often write Wolf in SEAL's clothing by accident. I think because my working title was The Wolf and the SEAL and so I was so used to typing wolf first, I've had a hard time breaking myself of the habit. Can't teach an old wolf new tricks, kind of thing. LOL !
Jessica, thanks so much! Not sure about the title. Relative Danger?

Jennifer, absolutely!

Thanks, Savannah!

Colleen, lol, yeahs, if you've read any of my books, you'd know he wasn't soft and fluffy. LOL

Ohmigosh, Lynn, you're so right!!! Snuggling up to a wolfish body like that could be considered...well, maybe not exactly cute and cuddly. LOL I did have the heroine in A Highland Wolf Wedding say something to that effect to Cearnach. You'll have to see what he says in response...she doesn't mention the cuddly part, just that his kilt is...cute.
(Terry Spear 10:03pm March 16, 2012)

When I saw SEAL I just knew it was the armed services type especially when you
mentioned Wolf along with it. I love wolves and am very sorry what is being
done to them but Werewolf and Seal make for quite a muscular match. All I can
say is "WOW" and "WOW" again.
(Sandra Spilecki 10:51am March 17, 2012)

When I first saw the covers for your books, I thought WOW! Those beautiful wolves on them. I just couldn't wait to get your books, since I love werewolf stories. I've got both Dreaming of the Wolf and Heart of the Highland Wolf.
In answer to the question...I envision "hot and sexy" because of the sexy males pictured on your book covers along with gorgeous-looking wolves. I can't wait to read all 9 of your wolf books, and I've got my list I carry with me. I must congratulate you on being such an avid writer to have written this many wolf books since 2008 and to be on the USA Todays Best-Seller List for this latest book, 'A Seal in Wolf's Clothing'. I hope you'll continue to keep writing these. I would love to win and own this new book!
(Linda Luinstra 4:50pm March 17, 2012)

Sorry for the typo error in the title of your book...should be, ' A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing'.
(Linda Luinstra 4:58pm March 17, 2012)

Nice to know I wasn't the only that first thought about seal
shifters.
(Tanja Haack 6:06pm March 17, 2012)

Sandra, absolutely, a muscular match. I like that!!! :)

Thanks so much, Linda!!! I love writing about the wolves. I've had a whole lot of requests for Bjornolf, so if my editor and publisher agree, maybe he can have his story too! The covers are definitely sexy! I love the wolves and now with the new jaguar shifter story coming out in Oct, I love the jaguar and couple on the cover too!!!

Thanks again!
(Terry Spear 6:09pm March 17, 2012)

Being the wife of a retired naval officer, I can't wait until I get my hands on a copy of the book
(Rejeana Thompson 2:58pm March 18, 2012)

Oh, now a werewolf that is seal...oh, so sexy and interesting. Love to read it
(Diane Castiglione 12:48pm March 19, 2012)

I thought HOT and SEXY! because all of your books are HOT and SEXY! Love them all! :)
(Anna McKenrick 4:18pm March 19, 2012)

You turn up the heat with your covers and titles.
(Alyson Widen 7:48pm March 23, 2012)

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Terry Spear | Having Fun with a Title

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A SEAL IN WOLF'S CLOTHING BY TERRY SPEAR – IN STORES MARCH 2012

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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April's Affections and Intrigues: Love and Mystery Bloom

Authors To Watch

Fresh Fiction BlogGet to Know Your Favorite Authors

Terry Spear | Having Fun with a Title

AVAILABLE

A SEAL IN WOLF'S CLOTHING BY TERRY SPEAR – IN STORES MARCH 2012

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Comments

Services

SPECIALS

FOR AUTHORS

We Love

Fresh Fiction Blog
Get to Know Your Favorite Authors