Lori Devoti, author of the new Silhouette Nocturne Bite LURED, has a tough choice for paranormal romance fans: would you rather meet a hellhound or a werewolf? Read Lori’s guest-post on the differences between these two kinds of sexy shifters and make your pick in the comments by Sunday, Jan. 25 for a chance to win a free book!
by Lori Devoti, author of Lured (Silhouette Nocturne Bites, Jan. 2010) and The Hellhound King (Silhouette Nocturne, Feb. 2010)
This year I have three releases coming out with Nocturne. Two feature werewolves (Lured, Nocturne Bite January/ Zombie Moon, Nocturne novel, July) and one a hellhound (The Hellhound King, Nocturne novel, February). I have to admit I love them both, but if I HAD to choose I’d pick…no I’m not going to say. (grin) I want you to tell me!
But to be fair, before we can really discuss which you would rather meet in a dark alley, or maybe in a candle-lit bathtub, I should probably outline a few differences for you.
Both werewolves and hellhounds are shape-shifters, and both are canine when in their other form. But hellhounds’ shifts aren’t tied to anything except their own whims. They also have some other cool powers like blending (making the eye go right past them when they stand still) and shimmering (moving from place to place in the blink of an eye).
You can put a bunch of hellhounds together, but one alpha will quickly fight his way to the top. And all in all they would prefer to be out on their own.
So far as becoming a hellhound, you can’t. You have to be born that way.
They also have a bit of a tortured past. Over millennia, they have been owned by others and forced to hunt and fight. Now they are free, but still bear the scars of that past.
It makes them rather sweet—uh, no it doesn’t.
Now for my weres….you are probably pretty up on werewolf talents, but I’ll do a quick rundown.
In my world, you can be made into one. In fact in Zombie Moon, my hero chose to become a were for a very specific purpose. (Hint it’s given away in the title.) In Lured, my heroine is also made into a were and not by her own choosing.
Weres can’t shimmer, but they are stronger than an average man, can heal faster, and move faster. And, unlike hellhounds, they form packs. In fact living on your own means you are a rogue, which in werewolf politics means you are a loose cannon and a big walking target for the local pack alpha.
They don’t have the tortured past of the hellhounds, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have issues. They are rare and bagging a were would be quite a prize—not to mention dealing with all the other weres and their issues.
Most importantly though, both hellhounds and werewolves are super sexy and if they are playing a hero in my book, alphas.
So, what do you think? Would you go for the male who was once used to run in the wild hunt, capturing lost souls? Or the wolf who roams free and is tied at least to some degree to the changes in the moon?
Who would you date and who would you want to be?
For me without question it would be…nope, not going to say. You just can’t make me choose.
But if you want to choose, you can get a shot at winning one of my books (2009 release or earlier). Just post your choice (hellhound or werewolf) and why here. I’ll pick a winner and post it in these comments Sunday. (ship to U.S. and Canada only)
Lori
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Thanks for blogging with us Lori! I think I’d have to choose a Hellhound to date because they can choose when to shift… I wouldn’t want to have to be date-free once a month whenever the moon is full! Plus a werewolf pack might turn out to be the in-laws from hell!
Zombie Moons sounds interesting…is it the first Nocturne with zombies?
)
~Amy (from Harlequin, so please exclude me from the contest
I’d choose Hellhound, both to date and to be. I like the freedom of choosing when to shift and who isn’t drawn to a hero with a tortured past?
I’m going with werewolf. I like the routine of regular shifting. You can schedule your family vacations accordingly.
Besides, I’ve never smelled wet wolf, but I have smelled wet dog. Add a layer of sulfur to that? No thanks.
Hi Lori! Its a toughy but I think I would have to go with Hellbound. There’s just something so alluring about a bad boy loner. Especially when he’s hot and can bring you to your knees.
Thanks again Lori and I look forward to reading this series.
i think I would be a Hellhound only because I would not be tied to the moon and I would not have to be in a pack
I would go for a hellhound. Even with that tortured past, they seem to have more freedom. They are not tied to the cycles of the moon, or to a pack. That particular freedom appeals to me.
Hi Lori
Thank you for the fun comparison post on hellhounds & werewolves.
I would pick a Patricia Briggs’-type werewolf.
Hi Lori!
What a tough decision between two delicious ways to transform. While I love the pack and strength mentality of the Werewolves, there’s still something about those Hellhounds.
How they raised themselves up from the bonds of their past and venture out on their own. Plus the extra bits of magic are intriguing and can help out in the most interesting of place.
So, I’ll go with the Hellhounds.
Me? I would have to say Were… I have never read anything about hellhounds though it is intreging me . I guess I know what book I have to buy next! But for me Were as just so… Sexy not only does a were wolf change in to my fave animal ever but to have the freedom every full moon. I tell you if I could to be a were I would do it in a heart beat.
I would want to date a Hellhound because they are not tied to a pack. I hate taking orders! So I probably wouldn’t want to be a werewolf. But I am pretty sure I wouldn’t want to be tormented like a Hellhound… so I guess that means I get to be something else. Witch perhaps?
Hmm, decisions, decisions. Hellhounds sound dangerous, but dangerous can be good
Lori, this is a *hard* choice. Think I’d give each a chance on dating but don’t know that I’d want to be either one. I agree with Miranda above about hating to take orders. I like the Witch idea too.
I think that I would like to be a were simply because you would always have someone to have your back, no matter what. I like doing things on my own, but I believe having a support system would outweigh the negative. To date? hmmmmm, gee isn’t here a werecat out there who is lonely?
Hi Lori. I have to agree it’s kind of though picking between them. But if I have to choose I think I’ll go for a hellhound. They can shift whenever they want and they don’t have to follow the rules of the pack like the werewolves. Plus I think since they won’t give their trust that easily to others because of their past, it will make them that much more loving once they admit that they care about you.
Very interesting. I didnt know that much about hellhounds before. But I would pick werewolf. Sexy as a human, cute and furry as a wolf without the rough background. While shifting is tied to the moon at least you know when it will happen and can be prepared.
Heroes with a tortured past are super-sexy. What can a woman do but try and alleviate such a history with love and devotion… *sigh*. I have to admit I’ve been developing a fondness for a good hellhound.
Weres are pretty great too, something about the pack mentality and protectiveness that makes a woman feel safe and secure.
Ack! I can’t chose!
I think I’d have to go with hellhound, although both sound sexy.
I thought this would be an easy choice, but your descriptions made me think. I will go with werewolf. I like the idea of healing at a fast rate.
hellhound! love the werewolves too but i haven’t read any hellhound books yet.
Thanks for voting, everyone! I think we are fairly well split with a couple of rule-breakers tossed in for spice.
I’ll check back Sun a.m. for a winner and if any of you actually run into either a were or a hellhound, LET ME KNOW!!!
Hard choice as I like both, would have to say werewolf as I wouldn’t mind healing at a fast rate and knowing when I will shift:)
Tortured soul is wonderful to read about but would be hell (pun intended) to live with! I’d pick a werewolf both to be or date.
I wouldn’t want to be either. I’d rather be human. But as for choosing one… well, I think I’d ahve to go for the Hellhound.
4 reasons:
1) Something about a tortured past…
2) I like that they can choose when to change.
3) I like that you’re either born Hellhound or not. I already said I wouldn’t want to become either…I also wouldn’t want to worry about being pressured or whatever into becoming something else.
4) I’m a bit of a loner and would definitely prefer a loner to a member of a pack.
What a hard decision to make. I like the hellhound for the idea of shift whenever you want to. I also like the werewolves for being stronger and able to heal faster. I would have to go with the werewolf.
Well, that’s a tough one. I think I would have to choose hellhound for both. I’d hate to have to depend on a full moon.
I’m going to say werewolves because I’m scared of hellhounds. Don’t enter me in the drawing–I’ll be buying my own copy, but I thought I’d stop by and add my two cents…and also say that I love your new profile pic.
Oh no, I hate choosing.
Are you *sure* I can’t have both…?
I guess I’ll go with a hellhound; my family is big enough as it is, lol, and there’s something yummy about a lone bad boy on the loose.
I’d choose Hellhound. Their powers-blending, shimmering, shifting at will- the tortured past, the loner. These all appeal to me.
I would pick Hellhound – they jsut sound so much more than werewolves( even though I’ve always loved werewolves). I certainly like the changing at whim aspect a lot.
Hmmmm. Even though I have read to read about one, I would have to say a hellhound. Just something about a tortured soul….You know they are really the more protective and sweetest
As for which one I would rather be, I would have to choose the opposite.
Definitely all for hellhounds…the strong, been through hell and back type appeals to me. Besides would rather not date a guy who’s at the moon’s mercy once a month and gives new meaning to PMS, but one who has a little more control over himself.
What a great resource!
I’d rather be a hellhound (love the shimmer idea) but I don’t think I want to meet either one.
And the Winner is….J Leigh Bailey!!!
J Leigh, email me at lori (at)loridevoti.com to tell me which of my books you’d like to receive and where I can send it to. Go here http://www.loridevoti.com/ and look under Bookshelf to pick. (2009 and earlier releases only, includes Midnight Cravings anthology, but not Mammoth Book)
Thanks everybody!!
I would want to date a werewolf. Because I love all the canine breeds. But the wolf is special.