Carlos's eyes are drawn to Beth time and again
across the crowded table. Each glance catches her staring back
with the same naked attraction which holds him glued to his seat.
All reason tells him to get up and disappear into the cloud forest
from which he came, but she calls to him. Her scent fills his
head and his dreams. He can't walk away.
To all present, they are two strangers captured
by instant attraction.
But Beth doesn't know they've met before.
And Carlos must keep the secret of when and how
or Beth could pay with her life. His forest is a harsh mistress
and protecting his identity has been a top priority since the
beginning of time.
"From the beginning, I found this story
a page-turner. The lovers are combustible! Even with the odds
stacked against them, Ms. Katz finds a way to bring them together
that satisfies and gives the happily-ever-after promise, even
when the reader may doubt it's possible because of the unique
plot line. It's much more than a shapeshifter story.
This is my first story by Ali Katz, but it
definitely won't be my last."
"Gato
Negro is a wonderful delight of a story. The attraction builds
compellingly, the sex is steamy enough to keep you warm on long,
cold winter nights, and the romance is sweet and touching. I loved
Carlos as a conflicted hero, who can’t resist his lady even when
he thinks he should, and Beth was smart, strong and tough enough
to help him when needed. I highly recommend this book to anyone
who loves paranormal romance."
Gato
Negro is a story of love
at first sight, two stories, actually: Beth's and Carlos'soverpowering
instant attraction and my own brief affair with the cloud forests
of CostaRica.
I only spent a week in Monteverde, visiting someone
who was studying in a tropical ecology research center much like
the one in the story. The memory will last a lifetime. And I will
return.
I won't subject you to the trailer I made for
Gato Negro. It is only my second attempt, and about as primitive
as the facilities where we stayed. But, if you want a good laugh,
you'll find it here.
It's worth it just for the soothing jungle soundtrack.
You're not out of the woods, though--I have pictures.
Excerpt:
The woman crouched between him and the water
his body craved. Fortunately for her, he was not hungry. The
peccary he’d taken this morning would keep him for a few days.
Yet the sight of her naked haunch, straining to hold her crouched
over her work, held him captive.
Instinct
told him the meat was forbidden. But he watched for the tightening
of muscle that would herald an attempt to flee as though she
were prey. She was not prey.
And his full stomach demanded water, not meat.
Whatever prompted her to block access to the
stream, arrogance or inexperience, getting rid of her was a
simple matter of letting loose the growl forming in his chest.
Or he could move on to the next watering hole.
But he waited and salivated, watching her with
something akin to hunger as she prepared a…syringe…with a barb…a
needle…as long as her finger, hovering over the bright blooms
like a hummingbird. He almost understood, but his cat brain
couldn’t quite make the connection.
From
flower to flower she moved, more purposeful than a hummingbird,
filling the syringe but not feeding. Instead, she emptied each
flower’s gathering into a small vial, making notes on its label
before moving on to the next.
She’s collecting nectar. The lucid
thought warned him of the pending change a fraction of a second
before the cramp struck his thigh. Without time to prepare,
his body reacted with a jerk and low grunt.
The woman spun on her heels. Her eyes locked
to his, immediately aware.
A look of wondrous awe shined in those eyes.
Then he smelled the fear a moment before it registered in her
face.
"Gato
Negro is a wonderful delight of a story. The attraction builds
compellingly, the sex is steamy enough to keep you warm on long,
cold winter nights, and the romance is sweet and touching. I loved
Carlos as a conflicted hero, who can’t resist his lady even when
he thinks he should, and Beth was smart, strong and tough enough
to help him when needed. I highly recommend this book to anyone
who loves paranormal romance." 
Instinct
told him the meat was forbidden. But he watched for the tightening
of muscle that would herald an attempt to flee as though she
were prey. She was not prey.
From
flower to flower she moved, more purposeful than a hummingbird,
filling the syringe but not feeding. Instead, she emptied each
flower’s gathering into a small vial, making notes on its label
before moving on to the next.