Review, Interview & Giveaway: Pride's Run Blog Tour

 

Author: Cat Kalen
Title: Pride's Run
Publisher: Cat Kalen  
Publication: November 1, 2011
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Rating: 4 out of 5 
Source: Author
Format: e-book
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis: Seventeen year old Pride is a tracker—a werewolf with a hunger for blood. Taught to trick and to lure, she is the perfect killing machine.

Kept leashed in the cellar by a master who is as ruthless as he is powerful, Pride dreams of freedom, of living a normal life, but escape from the compound is near impossible and disobedience comes with a price.

When she learns her master intends to breed her she knows she has to run.

But Pride soon learns that if she is to survive in the wild, she must trust in the boy who promises her freedom, the same boy she was sent to hunt.

With life and death hanging in the balance the two find themselves on the run from the Paranormal Task Force—officers who shoot first and ask questions later—as well as her master’s handlers.

Can Pride flee the man who has held her captive since birth and find sanctuary in the arms of a boy who has captured her heart? Or will her master find her first? 

Review: This was an enjoyable read, it was nice to see a female lead that was strong yet had a soft vulnerability about her. Pride is a fearsome character and thought she sees herself as the runt because of her small stature, she is a force to be reckoned with. In an effort to not let the sacrifice that the elders made for her to escape, she learns her weaknesses and who she truly is on her journey to a place where wolves run free. The characters were developed with enough detail to get a sense of what drives them. The interaction between Pride, Stone and Logan was interesting to watch unfold as Pride is not very trusting, and she learns that things are more than what she thought. With so much at stake, can Pride learn to trust in order to save the lives of those left behind?

                                  About the Author

Cat Kalen is a multi published author in the romance genre under two pen names, Cat is a wife, mom, sister, daughter, and friend. She loves dogs, sunny weather, anything chocolate (she never says no to a brownie) pizza and watermelon. She has two teenagers who keep her busy with their never ending activities, and a husband who is convinced he can turn her into a mixed martial arts fan. Cat can never find balance in her life, is always trying to find time to go to the gym, can never keep up with emails, Facebook or Twitter and tries to write page-turning books that her readers will love.

A maritime native and former financial officer, Cat has lived all over Canada but has finally settled down in her childhood hometown with her family.   
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Chat with Author Cat Kalen

LM:What was your inspiration for this book?  

CK:I wanted to write a dark, edgy werewolf story with a vulnerable but strong female protagonist.

I write in other genres but there is just something so real, raw and emotional in teens that make the writing and reading journey that much more satisfying to me.   I love the character growth and discovery, the way teens face obstacles and how these obstacles change and shape young adults and prepare them for adulthood.  I love watching them discover who they are, what they want, and what they believe in.  

I love the flaws, and they way teens struggle openly and honestly.  They can make mistakes that adults can’t, and we can forgive them for it because we realize they are trying to find out who they really are.   Also, writing YA is less restrictive and I can explore issues in YA that I can’t in adult books.

LM:Was it difficult deciding how to bring the characters to life? 

CK:I’ve never had a character speak to me quite the way Pride has, which made it so easy and exciting to bring her to life.  Pride is a tortured heroine who has been kept caged her whole life and her struggles touched me deeply.  Not only did I care for her, I ached for her and there were times when I was telling her story that my heart broke for her.  I put her in grave danger but I gave her the inner strength to fight her way out.  Pride is my heroine and she never once let me down!

LM:Are there any similarities between you and your characters?

CK:I think there is a part of me in all the characters I write.  I draw on my own life experiences, and use my imagination whenever I craft a character.   As for Pride, we’re similar in that we both fight for what we believe is right.

LM:What supernatural being would you be?Why? 

CK:Ahhh...good question.  I think I’d like to have magic and I’d like to fly.  I’d like to be able to make myself invisible, have super strength, super speed, walk through walls, always wake up looking fresh and relaxed, and I’d like to be able to snap my fingers and have my hair and makeup all done!  I think I’d have to create a new supernatural being to fit those criteria!

LM:Is there a specific message in your book that you hope readers will understand? 

CK:I hope Pride stays with readers for awhile, and I hope they walk away wanting to know more about Pride and her struggles.  I hope they question what is right and wrong, and I want them to be inspired by Pride’s strength and sacrifices.   

LM:When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? 

CK:I was always an avid reader but hadn’t thought about writing until later in life.  I went to university and completed a Business Degree.  I started working in the finance department for Environment Canada, but it was after my hubby was posted up North (population 800) and I ran out of books that I first tried my hand at writing. 

LM:Who designed the cover for Pride's Run? 

CK:I love, love, love my cover.  It was designed by crocodesigns.com. Her work is beautiful.  

LM:Who is your Favorite author? Favorite Book? 

CK:I have so many favorite authors that I can’t pick one.  Here are a few of my favs:  Andrea Cremer, Maggie Stiefvater, Suzanne Collins, Julie Kagawa to name a few.  I think my favourite YA book might be the Hunger Games.

  

LM:What are your 5 favorite books? Why?

CK:Oh, dear.  I have so many favorite books that I’m not sure I could list only five.  I’m currently reading Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles, and next in the pile is Fins are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs.

  

LM:What is a question that you wish interviewers would ask, and the answer to that question? 

CK:Hmmm....how about, of all the books you’ve written which is your favourite, which is your least.

Answer: Any book that is finished is my favourite.  Any book that I’m working on is my least!  LOL.

Or how about, if you weren’t a writer what would you be.

Answer: Miserable.  LOL

LM:Thanks so much for your time!

CK:Thank you so much for having me here!!

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