Sunday, May 9, 2010

Who's Your Mama?

By Pat Cunningham

Since I’m posting this on Mother’s Day it’s only appropriate to talk about those who gave birth to (or in some cases whelped or foaled) our shifter characters. In a romance the emphasis naturally falls on the gal and the guy with other characters, especially the parents, getting short shrift. Still, shifters have to have mothers, right? One day a year we ought to get to see them.
I’ve only written about two shifter moms so far. She-wolf Bernadette Chase has her picture next to “uberbitch” in the dictionary. Her sister Letty Meadows is much nicer and epitomizes a mom, as her five well-adjusted pups (including one Philadelphia cop) can attest. I’ll have to come up with a story that includes a coyote mom. They’d definitely need to stay on their toes to keep ahead of their kids, and vice versa.
How about you folks? Any jaguar matriarchs out there, whose strength and devotion to her clan were passed on to your heroes and heroines? Where are the mares who taught future stallions how to outwit the enemies they couldn’t outrun? Canines are notoriously family-oriented. Do mothers get to stay with the pack when their alpha offspring take over? What is the shifter retirement plan, anyway?
Let’s all thank our moms for their patience and understanding. They had to live with a writer. If you’re a mom, I salute you. This is your day. Enjoy!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

A wonderful post for Mothers Day, Pat! My own mother passed in 1995 but I honor the day every year, for her, still. Kewl question on the Shifters Moms! Hmmm...I'd have to give a "Mom's Day Salute" to the matriarch of my Jaguar Pride in "UNDER A SHIFTER'S MOON". I wrote her as "all grace...and deadly menace". She has a iron will and yet a gentle paw's touch for her loved ones.
Anyhoo, thanks for the great post!
hugs, Kari Thomas www.authorkari.com

Savanna Kougar said...

Pat, definitely a big thanks to all moms who raised writers. Being a mom is the toughest job going imo, and they have my undying respect and gratitude.

When my Sun Rocket was lost in space, her mother finally got through to her with the family telepathy. And they remain in contact. Better and cheaper than phoning home.

Savanna Kougar said...

Hi Kari, welcome!

If you'd ever like to guest blog here about your shifter stories, I'm sure we could find a good day for you.

Judy Ridgley said...

Great Post Paris, and to you for Mother's day too. Enjoy
But nope, no canine or stallion shifters in my books but I think that could be fun to try one day. Keep me posted on your shapeshifters.
J

Francesca Hawley said...

Fun post, Pat. And mothers are super important in how our characters are shaped. In Protect and Defend, my hero Diarmid had some issues to work out with his mother. In the short story I wrote, Serena also had issues with her mother. Even in my non-shifter book, Seeking Truth, the mother figure Judith has an incredibly important role to play. It just seems like all of my stories have family drama as a subplot in the story.

Pat C. said...

Oops! Missed one, maybe because she isn't a shifter: the vampire Magdalena from my current WIP, who raised human orphan Jeremy as a member of her flock. She definitely had a positive impact on a number of lives and unlives.