Eagle Spirit Soars...

Here it is, shapeshifter lovers, the last day of August. In another three weeks, or so, Autumn begins. Already, the days are noticeably shorter and change is in the air. I feel it in the wafting breezes. My oh my, how time flies, to use an old cliche. Yesterday, about mid-morning, Eagle Spirit soared... here’s what I wrote on my Kougar Kisses blog ~

The Eagle Did Not Land
Late evening yowls, my bold and beautiful Big Cats... yep, as the Kougaress readied herself to face a long day of necessary shopping, she saw one of the resident eagles on the tame prairie shoot past, flying low and fast... an amazing sight. A precious sight. No, the eagle did not land.

As I reflect on that gorgeously winging eagle, I wonder if there was a message from Eagle Spirit?

Be a like the eagle in your life? Or... fly, low and fast, toward your goals? Do not land? Do not pass GO... okay, silliness is taking over. ~yep, a long tiring day~

Well, I’m not landing. Not exactly. I have several projects on the writerly burner. One is percolating deliciously. One is a short story I’d like to complete – I thought I would have gotten it finished by now, but you know about life and author interruptus. And, then there is my almost-completed WIP ~ Kandy Apple for Halloween ~

Suddenly, I’m feeling an eagerness to return to Kandy’s world where her magick is the norm, even though she’s living in our contemporary times. Plus, Zin and Zol, her heroes, delight me no end. They’re always making me chuckle. Think dry sophisticate remarks when they’re in human form... and unchained brute ferociousness when they morph to hellhounds.

But, we’ll see. Making plans is one thing. Getting life to cooperate is quite another matter. With the edits for The Tiger’s Masquerade coming up... and promo opportunities for Branded... ya know, I dunno. It’s a ‘fluid’ situation, as they say.

Eagle Spirit Soars... perhaps, the Eagle, symbol of the United States of America, is, once again, flying magnificently across our beloved land. From my perspective, that spirit has been lost of late.
~~~~~~

But now, it’s time for DA BEARS. Here’s a news story I’d love to use in one of my shapeshifter stories. For now, Rebecca, or anyone else, please twist to your own imaginative fancy.

From Unknown Country ~

Bears Guard Pot Farm
27-Aug-2010

As more and more states and countries legalize marijuana, pot farms are springing up out there. In Canada (where it is still illegal), police discovered that a marijuana farm is being guarded by trained black bears, when they tried to raid it.
But the bears were benign: Instead of attacking they simply acted as guards and were actually quite tame, so the police were eventually able to arrest 2 pot farmers. BBC News quotes police sergeant Fred Mansveld as saying, "They were tame, they just sat around watching. At one point one of the bears climbed onto the hood of a police car, sat there for a bit and then jumped off." The bears were fed dog food, so the farmers broke the law in 2 ways, since in Canada it's also illegal to feed bears.
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The Kougar’s news ~

I will be blogging at THE ROMANCE STUDIO on Wednesday, the 1st. Sedona and Volcano’s Summer Recipe scene will be featured, my heroine and hero in WHEN A GOOD ANGEL FALLS.

Good news... for me, anyway. I’m near the end of their two year anniversary scene. It is x-rated, takes place on December 21, 2014, and you’ll never look at Mars in the same way. That is, if I find a good place to post it.
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~ HAPPY END OF SUMMER SHAPESHIFTING ~

Savanna Kougar

~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~

Author of ~

All Shades of Blue Paradise
Red Lioness Tamed
When a Good Angel Falls ~ In Print
Tangerine Carnal Dreams
Murder by Hair Spray in Gardenia, New Atlantis ~ In Print
Black Cat Beauty
Her Insatiable Dark Heroes ~ In Print
Stallion of Ash and Flame ~ In Print
Branded by the Texans ~ A Siren-BookStrand bestseller
The Tiger’s Masquerade ~ Halloween Anthology story coming from MojoCastle Press
~~~

Shifters Go Hollywood

By Pat Cunningham

‘Fess up: we all want to see our novels made into movies, right? Who wouldn’t love to see their stories up on the big screen? This gets tricky when you’re telling shapeshifter tales. Which actors best embody your character’s animal side?

Coyote – Brad Pitt’s got all the qualities that make a coyote dangerous: looks, brains, and charm. He even looks good as a blond. An ‘80s-era Bruce Willis would have made a perfect coyote. For us older gals, I go with Clint Eastwood. When I was writing COYOTE MOON, I pictured Clint as the patriarch of the Gray clan, the wily old coyote with a dash of wolf. Check out his Man With No Name flicks if you don’t believe me.

Wolf – Just about any alpha male actor could pull off a convincing wolf. I’m going to go for Christian Bale here. Batman, my ass – he’s a wolf man. Daniel Craig’s the ruthless lone wolf out for enemy blood. As stated above, Clint Eastwood’s a wolf/coyote hybrid. Harrison Ford’s another aspect of wolfhood, the rugged protector/family man type. Farther down the pack hierarchy we’ve got Tom Hanks, who looks like he should have a tail wagging behind him. The alpha’s beta buddy, perhaps.

Bear – John Goodman and Jack Black, no contest. Ford might also pass as a bear. James Earl Jones would make a helluva bear. But then, James Earl Jones would make a helluvan anything.

Cat – Everything we need is on display in The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. Oded Fehr is the sinuous leopard, Arnold Vosloo the ruthless, majestic lion, and Brendan Fraser the canny American cougar who kicks their Old World tails. I don’t know about the Rock. His wrestling nickname was the Brahma Bull. Jaguar, maybe? Tiger?

Hyena – Jack Nicholson. He’s in a class by himself.

Your turn to play casting director. Who would you pick to play your shapeshifter and why? TV actors are okay. Just not Michael J. Fox; that’s practically a giveaway. And – action!

End of the week and month?!

As my boss talked about end of the month production numbers and start of the new month, I couldn't get this picture off my mind. I also realized we're coming into the last quarter of the year. Have I been that busy or enjoying life that much? Only each of us can decide for our selves.

This week we had a decorate your box contest at work. My boss has something in mind for the boxes ultimately. Each was our own creation. One person did an ATM as I work in financial services industry. Another did a Japanese TV station mascot. We ended up with a flower basket, a suitcase complete with handle and straps along with travel stickers, and my own collage of Halloween stickers and rub on lettering. I love Halloween and paranormal. It won't win any prizes. I had some fun with it.

The one that I loved the most was the dog. One of my coworkers has two dogs. She took their chewed up ripped up toys and dog bed, pulled 'em apart and came up with a dog similar to a stuffed animal. She even got a bark sound button for it. It came with tags, a leash and the cutest spot for suggestions slot--the dog's behind! Talk about creativity.

Our department head is like crap I haven't even done mine yet nor has our boss. Monday is reveal day. I'll let you know next week what we're suppose to do with these blasted things and if there is a prize on the horizon for best box. I know which one I'm voting for and it isn't mine! LOL!

Enjoy the next snippet of Love's Frenzy.
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(Love's Frenzy Continued)

“Ooh, my head.” Maxwell tried to grab his head. The slightest sound echoed in his ears and jolted his psyche as if someone beat a drum loudly next to him. Pain raced through his neck and shoulders each time he moved.

Where was he? Cracking open one eye, he quickly shut it. The room swam around him the few seconds he attempted to focus. His stomach and throat warred to empty their contents as fast as he swallowed trying to gulp air simultaneously through his nose. The vile brew pumping in his gut refused to stay put. Turning his head, he vomited splattering himself with each retch.

“Awake finally, I see.” Roberto’s voice reached Maxwell in between groans. “Ill, eh? Serves you well.”

Maxwell attempted to prop himself up on his elbows. His hands and arms remained prone at his sides. Tossing his head, wincing at the continued pain, he turned his face toward where he thought the sound came from.

Roberto clenched the bars separating him from Maxwell. Glad for the point of contact, Roberto loosened his grip. Brothers battling against each other served one purpose. The curse won again, etching another notch in destroying their family. When would Maxwell understand ruling didn’t mean power over others? Rulers led and developed their people into loyal citizens, while keeping their individuality strong. A good leader knew his following and how they worked, down to the minutest level. Everyone depended on each other if success was to be theirs. Maxwell sought his own good and the rest be damned.

How About A Dino Flash?

So I joined in the fun from Pat's blog on Monday and did a quick flash from one of her lead in's. 

Upon reflection, Dr. Carter decided, injecting himself with dinosaur DNA hadn’t been his brightest idea.

Were-dinosaurs...A definite possibility!

***

~di..di..dit di..di..dit This just in, large greenish colored beast destroys the Foshay towers, a Minneapolis landmark, and turns its attention on the IDS~


Upon reflection, Dr. Carter decided, injecting himself with dinosaur DNA hadn’t been his brightest idea. Last night as he’d pored over his papers and equations he’d been so sure the mixture was perfect, ready for a trial run. His boss had forbidden him from injecting the rats with the substance until further test could be run, but he’d convinced himself everything would be okay and he was in charge of himself. No one would balk when he’d proven the serum would work to create a human/dino mix, a were-dino.

Pain had him roaring to the sky. Dizziness kept him off kilter and slamming into buildings and cars, stepping on people and destroying all that was around him. He was so sure he’d pulled the Velociraptor DNA out of the cooler, only as he swayed down the street it was clear the bottle was incorrectly marked.

He was Tyrannosaurus rex.

Interview with Guest Author ~ Keta Diablo

Hi Savanna, thanks so much for agreeing to host me on Shapeshifter Seductions. This is truly a great blog, and what a wonderful idea to specialize in Shapeshifters.

Savanna: Hi Keta, we do love our shapeshifters and weres here! Tell me, where do you get the inspirations for your books?

Keta: This is such a great question and once I’m asked often. Many of my ideas come from dreams, vivid dreams. And the others come from surfing the Net or research I’ve done in the past.

I’m here today to talk about Where The Rain Is Made, a time-travel/shapeshifter themed around the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers. When my youngest son was 12, he took a sudden and intense interested in Native American history. I have no idea why. One tribe he seemed particularly drawn to was the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers. We spent endless hours at the library searching for books about this fierce tribe of the plains and together we read many articles about them.

The Dog Soldiers had a very colorful past and a very tragic ending, as did most of the Native American tribes in US history. Dylan’s obsession with the Dog Soldiers lasted several years and I became as fascinated as him. Several years later, I wrote Where The Rain Is Made and dedicated the novel to Dylan. I hope like me, you love reading about history. Myth and lore abound in WTRIM, but most of what you’ll read is true about this great tribe.

Savanna: What is your favorite book from the books you have written so far? Who are your favorite hero and heroine, and why?

Keta: Where The Rain Is Made, of course, because of the special connection to my youngest son. Another novel I loved writing is Decadent Deceptions, an erotic historical that finaled in the 2008 RWA Molly Contest. DD is not a shapeshifter, but has an element of a serial killer, mystery, suspense and of course, an abundance of eroticism. (More about Decadent Deceptions here: http://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=20)

Savanna: If you could travel through time to visit a special time period or famous person, what or who would it be and why?

Keta: Oh, boy, that’s a tough one for me because I love history, all eras. I suppose I’d choose the Civil War. I find this time in history intriguing for many reasons: the war itself and what really triggered it, the lush, thrilling era of antebellum life (pre-war), the elaborate attire for both men and women (how feminine women must have felt wearing six yards of silk), and the “rules of etiquette” that surrounded both men and women (think chivalry and wild flirtations).

For all the above reasons I wrote Land of Falling Stars several years ago, an erotic novel involving a love triangle, one woman and two men who adored her. (More about Land of Falling Stars here: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-landoffallingstars-13994-144.html
Caveat: The second place I’d choose if I could travel through time is to early Scotland. Love, love everything about this country, including the Celtic mysticism.

Savanna: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Keta: Oh, that’s easy. I’d be a rock star . . . if only the Good Lord had gifted me with the voice I needed to become one. Alas, I had to settle for being a writer (LOL).

Savanna: Tell us a bit about your new release.

Keta: Thanks so much for asking. I think I did above (another laugh). Give me a chance to talk about Where The Rain Is Made and I could go on for hours.

Here’s the blurb and a few snippets from the latest reviews:

A decadent-looking savage has captured Francesca DuVall and her brother, Marsh. Now she must spend every waking moment planning an escape. However, she never counted on the powerful draw of desire interfering with her scheme in the camp of the brutal Cheyenne dog soldiers.

Ethan Gray is a curator at a national museum . . . most of the time, but when he travels through time to help his beloved People he becomes Meko, leader of the most revered and feared tribe of the plains. Although their worlds are decades apart Meko can’t resist the dark beauty he kidnapped during a raid. He has many battles to fight but none he wants to win more than the one that will capture Cesca’s heart forever.

From the windswept plains of Colorado and the harsh life of a Dog Soldier to the placid life of a curator their love was fueled by passion and kindled by destiny.

Snippets of Latest Reviews:
Where the Rain Is Made is an edgy, compelling story. It tells a very solid tale - one rooted in history. – Pat’s Vampire Notes, FIVE Stars
Where the Rain is Made is a tale that is rich in history, emotions and love. Kudos to K. Diablo for penning such an impassioned story. 4.5 Stars, E-Cata Romance.

I cringed, flinched, sighed and shed a tear. Any story that can do that has my vote all the way. Ms. Diablo, I look forward to seeing more from you in the future :)” Nine out of Ten Stars, Seriously Reviewed.
This is a historical romance sure to magically sweep you back in time. A must read! Five Stars, Paranormal Romance, PNR
Do you use more than one element of the paranormal in your works?

At times, yes. In Where The Rain Is Made, we have time-travel and shapeshifting, a compelling combination.
~~~~~~

WHERE THE RAIN IS MADE ~ Excerpt:

Setup: Cesca is weary of all the violence in her life now that she lives in the camp of the Dog Soldiers. After a particularly gruesome incident involving her, she tells Meko it's over between them. Here, they're at a ceremonial dance and the argument escalates.

* * *
Cesca had never seen him so calm. Vapors rose from the water like a fine mist, sheathing his shoulders and head. Meko moved not an inch, and for a moment she wondered if he drew breath. He came toward her, the ripples circling, beckoning her. “It will never be over between us,” he whispered.

His words threw her mind into total disorder. She stiffened and thrust an arm out, hoping the action would be enough to hold him back. Yet still he advanced. He encircled her outstretched wrist with a gentle hand and pulled her to him. His warm breath fanned her wet skin. Drawing her head back, he bared her throat and delivered a series of lingering kisses to the throbbing pulse in her throat. His lips traveled along the damp flesh of her shoulder before he claimed her mouth.

A hot flame clawed through her belly when he slipped one hand beneath the water, pressed it against the small of her back and pulled her closer . . . closer until she felt the full length of his hard body against hers.

All desire to claw his face vanished. Any shred of resistance she intended to use disappeared as quickly as the space between them. His tongue probed the inside of her mouth. She clung to him with her legs wrapped around his hips. When he pulled back, her breaths came in short bursts. She heard a moan and prayed it wasn’t hers. Lucifer, she was such a fool for the man!

Meko cradled her in his arms and pushed through the water back to shore and laid her in the tall grass. A Cheyenne curse fell from his lips as he looked down at her. Events happened so fast, she couldn’t think. The soft beating of the drums, distant laughter, and the soothing sound of water trickling over rocks came to her through a fog.

And then she surrendered.
~~~

Decadent Publishing will release WHERE THE RAIN IS MADE on August 27th. Mark your calendars and stop in on Friday, August 27th here: http://tinyurl.com/37oepsy
~~~~~~

I also write gay fiction. In my best-selling series Crossroads, I delve into the paranormal element of “communing with the dead”. Frank McGuire is a Private Investigator who’s dedicated his life to locating missing children. In several of the novellas, Frank must communicate with ghosts in order to find the children.

I just love all elements of paranormal – don’t you??

More about the CROSSROADS series here: http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Crossroads. Four novellas have been written with two more coming in the near future. Stay tuned!

Thank you so much for having me, Savanna. Again, I love the blog and will be returning often to see what shapeshifters are stopping in next.

You can find Keta Diablo on the Net at the following links:

Keta’s Haunt, Author Home, http://www.ketadiablo.com
(sign up for my newsletter here to be eligible to win FREE books every month)

Keta’s Keep, Erotic Romance Blog, http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com

The Stuff of Myth and Men, Gay Fiction Blog, http://thestuffofmythandmen.blogspot.com

Keta on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ketadiablo

Weird Stuff Rebecca Thinks Up While Reading The News

Hi and welcome to your Wednesday fix of Shapeshifter Seductions! This is going to be this-and-that blog. I found my very first review for my very first book. I logged my first review for Love Romances and More. And last but not least, I have a nice selection of off-the-wall news stories of shape shifter run wild. (or normal animal stories that could be shifters if you're imaginative.)

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I found a review of The Hawk's Bride- the first one I've found so far. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad, either. The reviewer rated it at 2 stars but basically only objected to things I'd noticed myself and she was very fair over-all, so I'm satisfied. I did some major revisions to chapter 2 to fix a monolog problem the editor found and accidentally cut out a scene where Lucan finds out what Cait's been doing in the 10 years since they last saw each other and then compares it to his life during that time. I didn't catch that I'd cut it without adding it back somewhere else until I was doing my final pre-publishing review. I didn't think the author gets to do major revisions at that point so I left it be. She also mentioned that the plot got a little confusing for a bit. She didn't say where, but judging by her description, I'm fairly certain it was also in the heavily revised chapter 2. Live and learn. I now know to watch for that when doing revisions.

Here's the link to it if you want to read it yourself.


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I joined the review staff at Love Romances and More a few weeks back. My very first review got posted to their blog the other day which was kind of cool and kind of scary at the same time. I’ve now got 2 reviews posted there and 3 more working their way through the pipeline. Here’s the link to my review page over there:


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This past weekend, animal control in New York City was called in to catch a two foot long alligator running loose in Queens. One can’t help but wonder if this is one is related to the Murdering Masonic Reptilian Shape-Shifter Jeff who kept the fair Jeanette hostage for fourteen years. I guess we’ll never know without using a hammer on the little tyke…


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We also have reports of canids in Italy teaming up with humans to help keep vacationers safe while enjoying the miles of scenic beaches the country has to offer. In this modern world where regular dogs have been relegated to family pets and junkyard guardians (and what self-respecting canid want’s to guard a greasy pile of junk?) the inventive canids are now jumping out of helicopters to take life-saving devises to swimmers who got in trouble and pull the troubled human back to shore. The chief of police seems to be under the impression that they find it to be a fun game. I’m betting they do it to avoid becoming victims of doggie fashion faux pas, though.


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You’ll have to read this last one for yourself. Needless to say, it illuminates how hard life is becoming for innocent shifters in this day and age of technology on every street corner. If a moronic kitty-hater in Britain can get filmed dumping a cat into a dumpster then identified and vilified via Face Book, what chance does Yogi or Boo-Boo have at a normal life? (I am in no anyway supporting the dizzy broad, just using her to make a point.)

Woman dumps cat in garbage, becomes Internet villain

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And that wraps up this week’s edition of “weird stuff Rebecca thinks up while reading the news.” Join me next week for more titillating oddness. Until then, have a great week!

Rebecca
RebeccaLGillan.com

Howls Beneath the Full Pisces Moon

Pic from ~ snakeandsnake.com ~


Howls and Yowls, Shapeshifter lovers. Tonight is the Full Moon in the mystical water sign of Pisces. It’s time to let your precious dreams surface, and to harvest those dreams you can build on. It’s time to make them real. That goes for us authors, especially, because our stories live in the land of make-believe.

Yesterday, on August 23rd, we moved from the sun sign, Leo, and entered the sun sign of Virgo ~ the time of harvest, of preparing for the winter months ~ the time of year when we connect with the land, and our souls cherish the harvested gifts from Mother Earth. Or, think, fresh apple cider. I do!

Omy*howl*goodness, Diana, the moon, has been utterly stunning the past several nights, pale ale golden and bright silvery white, and perfect for the howling wolfess in me [you didn’t know I was actually a werewolf, did you... hehe... okay, half wolf and half big cat... but, that’s our little secret].

Landing back on Earth, on all four paws. Okay, on two feet, the Harvest Moon is perfect for the wolves who live in my writerly imagination as the heroines and heroes in my WIPs. Oh, I so wish I had that pocket of ‘no-time’ where I could go write their stories, and emerge with no time lost. ~ah, wishes~

So, what are your shapeshifters up to? If you’re a reader what do you want shapeshifters to be up to... well, you get the drift of my question. Or, how about? Readers, what would be your dream shapeshifter book?
~~~

This past week between all the author-biz stuff, I’ve been writing Sedona and Volcano’s two year anniversary scene as I mentioned in my previous bloggie. I figured if it got finished, I would post it on the blog today. Well, it’s close to being complete... however...

Yep, Pat issued a little Flash challenge yesterday. Here’s one of her openings:

Leah dove through the cave mouth seconds ahead of the downpour. She scooted to the back of the cave and watched the rain slice down. She slid out of her backpack with a muttered curse against the Weather Channel. Might as well get comfortable. From the looks of things she was going to be stuck here a while.

The lump in the corner she’d taken for a rock suddenly stirred and sat up. A huge, dark-furred bear blinked muzzily at her. Leah crammed her fist into her mouth to keep from screaming. She kicked her backpack towards the towering animal. Maybe it would go for the granola bars in the pocket and leave her alone.

The bear blinked again. Suddenly it vanished, replaced by a gigantic man covered in a thick mat of body hair. “Is it spring already?” he mumbled.

Here’s my follow-up Flash:

Did she dare give him an answer? Would that soothe the awakening beast?

With her adrenaline kicking her butt hard and saying get outta here, stupid, Leah decided she’d give diplomacy a try while making her escape. “Uh, no. Sorry to have disturbed your...your sleep. “ Slowly, she inched backwards, heedless of the sharp stones stabbing into her palms. “It is close to Fall...”

“Fall,” he thundered.

Effing crap, was the cave itself shaking?

“I said ‘sorry’. I mean it is raining like cats and...” Her tongue froze, and her body followed, as his eyes gleamed in that movie-monster sort of way. When he trained his gaze on her, then stared like Godzilla, she did the only thing she could in that moment. Leah screamed. Just too bad she wasn’t auditioning for a B movie.

“Damn, woman, you’re worse than any alarm clock I’ve ever heard.” His booming, but cultured voice cut through her hysteria. “Be quiet and I promise not to devour you.”

Had his tone been amused? God, maybe there was some hope...
~~~~~~

Next up?
~~~~~~~

The Kougar’s news and mews ~

DON’T FORGET! This Thursday, the 26th, bestselling author, Keta Diablo, will be joining us to talk about her latest shapeshifter release, WHERE THE RAIN IS MADE. This is a wonderful and riveting interview.
~~~
Oh, excitement! I received a newsletter questionnaire from paranormal romance author, Sapphire Phelan ~ SapphirePhelan.com ~ She is one of the short story authors for the Halloween Anthology that will include my story, THE TIGER’S MASQUERADE.
Sapphire is an amazing authoress, as well as a promo go-getter extraordinnaire! She is planning a major promo campaign for the anthology. So, that will be another whirlwind ride!!! A welcome one. The *possible* release date from MojoCastle Press is: October 27, 2010.
~~~~~~

~ HAPPY END OF SUMMER SHAPESHIFTING ~

Savanna Kougar

~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~

Author of ~

All Shades of Blue Paradise
Red Lioness Tamed
When a Good Angel Falls ~ In Print
Tangerine Carnal Dreams
Murder by Hair Spray in Gardenia, New Atlantis ~ In Print
Black Cat Beauty
Her Insatiable Dark Heroes ~ In Print
Stallion of Ash and Flame ~ In Print
Branded by the Texans ~ A Siren-BookStrand bestseller
The Tiger’s Masquerade ~ Halloween Anthology story coming from MojoCastle Press
~~~

Passing the Buck

By Pat Cunningham

I’m too lazy to write a flash and the inspiration well’s running low, so I’m going to turn it over to you guys. Here are some starters and story prompts to get the juices flowing. Like we need any more ideas. Savanna, consider this revenge for “Shiftless in Seattle.”

1.”It’s a fake,” Todd pronounced with his usual pompous authority. “Something that big and heavy would leave a deeper track. Somebody’s pulling our collective leg, gentlemen. Let me reiterate: there’s no such thing as Bigfoot.”

And the horse you rode in on, asshole, I thought. I knelt beside the track and took a long sniff. After the run-in our pack had with that Sasquatch clan three summers back, I’ve never been fully able to get the stench out of my nostrils. This track was the real deal. We had a Bigfoot on our doorstep and, to judge by the scent of him, he was plenty pissed.

2. Is a vampire considered a vegetarian if he only preys on vegans?

3. Leah dove through the cave mouth seconds ahead of the downpour. She scooted to the back of the cave and watched the rain slice down. She slid out of her backpack with a muttered curse against the Weather Channel. Might as well get comfortable. From the looks of things she was going to be stuck here a while.

The lump in the corner she’d taken for a rock suddenly stirred and sat up. A huge, dark-furred bear blinked muzzily at her. Leah crammed her fist into her mouth to keep from screaming. She kicked her backpack towards the towering animal. Maybe it would go for the granola bars in the pocket and leave her alone.

The bear blinked again. Suddenly it vanished, replaced by a gigantic man covered in a thick mat of body hair. “Is it spring already?” he mumbled.

4. Can shifters of different species interbreed? Wolf/coyote and any combo of cats can work, but what about wolf/jaguar or lion/horse? (Or dolphin/hawk. There’s a problem in logistics for you.) If they wanted children, how would they go about adoption? Would a carnivore couple adopt a bird or an antelope? That kid would be totally messed up. Somebody write their story.

5. Upon reflection, Dr. Carter decided, injecting himself with dinosaur DNA hadn’t been his brightest idea.

And on that note, I wish you happy writing.

Where did August go?

I remember the first of the month and setting deadlines. Some of the deadlines needed to be reset due to home and work constraints. I've got more of Love's Frenzy to share with you. The story is getting exciting. Mischief is moving along as well. Shape Shifter Blues is well into chapter two and going strong. I'm entering the first 20 pages in a contest. Keep your finger's crossed for me in between reading and writing.

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Love's Frenzy

A loud yowl and hiss filled the air. Roberto jumped back, grabbing Maxwell’s arm taking him with him. Long claws swiped at both of them, catching Maxwell’s thigh on Lilly’s second swipe. Blood welled and began running in small streams down Maxwell’s leg.

Maxwell growled, lunging forward his teeth bared, with his claws ready to strike back. Black tuffs of fur appeared up and down his limbs. His incisors lengthened with each hissing yowl.

Lilly jumped back, moving with leaps and bounds across the room toward the doorway leading to the palace’s main corridor. Black and gold molting morphed across her back and lower torso taking on a spotted pattern of various sizes.

Maxwell dove across the bed, rolling as he hit the floor. As he rose, several patches of skin hung from his body showing more fur. His voice grew hoarse with each vocalization. A large black streak appeared down his back. His tail’s appearance indicated full transformation was not far off.

Roberto stepped back unsure how to intercede on either’s behalf. Lilly’s apparent ocelot half was no match for Maxwell’s black jaguar self. Yet as the heir, Roberto needed to remain safe and without harm. Taking on Lilly in ocelot form made more sense than attempt to shift to tackle Maxwell.

“Lilly under the bed now,” Roberto called out, holding up the spread covering the foot of the bed. “Maxwell is too large to follow you.”

A loud yowling hiss split the air, vibrating the walls near them. Roberto could hear voices outside the door and the running steps closing in on their doorway. Turning around, he faced the animal near his back. Maxwell’s black jaguar crouched on the bed, ready to pounce.

Here's How You Know You're a Writer

By Pat Cunningham

This one couldn't wait for Monday, and since Thursdays are usually open ...

On Monday a massive thunderstorm -- wind, rain, lightning, the works -- hit our area. The TV news reported a possible tornado had been spotted and was headed straight for Ephrata. People living in mobile homes were advised to abandon them and find sturdier shelter. Since I live in a mobile home, and the last big wind storm knocked over a tree that missed crushing my bedroom by roughly 5 inches, I decided to take the weatherman's advice.

So I fled into the rain. What did I take along for safekeeping? The printout copy of my latest manuscript. I worked too long and too hard on the damn thing to leave it to the wind. Where did I go for safety? The library. Where else does a booklover go?

I'd say this proves I'm a writer. Though not a very good one: I left the laptop behind. Hey, I wasn't about to risk it getting wet in all that rain, even with a carrier bag.

(For the record, the house was fine when I got back. I lost a 20-year-old clock/radio to a power surge, and lightning fried my phone's answering machine, but that was it. I've got a new answering machine and I'm back in business. Now, if I could just get the elves to edit my stories for me ... )

Anthologies on the brain!

Hi and welcome to you Wednesday fix of Shapeshifter Seduction! Sorry I’m posting so late- I rewrote this in honor of a possible Shapeshifter flash fiction anthology that’s been running in the comments for the last few weeks. This week I’ll be reviewing “Vegas Bites,” a werewolf anthology by L.A. Banks, J.M. Jeffries, Seressia Glass and Natalie Dunbar!

This is a series of four short stories written by four different authors with one central theme- all four stories are set in the same casino in Las Vegas, run congruent to each other, actually tie into each other, and still manage to have the flavor each individual author has in her writing. Copy write date is 2006, so you should still be able to find it pretty easily.

Heat by L.A. Banks

There’s a high-roller Texas Hold’em tournament running at the casino that weekend and Butch, a lone wolf working as a detective, has a tip about someone planning to poison the old-money vamps that are going to be there. The last time Butch ran a job in the casino, though, he stired up the kind of trouble that starts wars and left the mess for Laurel, head of security and an old flame he’d abandoned years ago, to clean up. Will she help him stop the rogue faction from ambushing the vamps and destabilize the pack or will they find a way to work around their red hot lust and burning distrust?

This was actually my least favorite of the four, but not because it wasn’t good- it was. But out of four fantastic stories, one of them had to be my least favorite, right? L.A. Banks creates an awesome gumshoe story with the fem wolf, Laurel, showing Butch who’s boss, saving the day, and getting her man to sit up and beg. She did go more than a tad over-board with the slang, though. I get that this is an African-American themed book. She didn’t need to beat me over the head with that fact.

The Hunger Within by J.M. Jeffries

In the world of Big Bad and Dangerous, there’s not much room for run-of-the-mill human criminals. One nasty human comes up with an idea he thinks will put him back on top: knock over a were casino right in the middle of a major “other” tournament. It’s FBI special agent Jarred Mailand’s job to try and stop him. He recruit’s the help of the pack’s alpha pair and their personal assistant, sexy she-wolf Solange. Can this human find a way to stop the crook without damaging the pack that Solange holds so dear?

This one is, hands down, my favorite of the anthology. Solange is an incredibly complex and compelling character and you just can’t help but root for her. This story picks up the day after “Heat.”

Double Down by Seressia Glass

The pack’s founders and alpha pair, Esther and Julius Temple are retiring to Alaska and turning over the reins of both the pack and the casino to their children. Simone, their only daughter, is determined to prove she is her brother’s equal and deserving of pack leadership by ensuring the casino stays a force to be reckoned with in the Vegas ‘Other” scene. But after an assassination attempt two nights ago and an attempted vault robbery just last night, all her cards are resting in the hands of the house magician, Kadim. When Kadim flat-out refuses to do a Mystery Cannel special, Simone won’t take no for an answer.

This story is fun, intense, and filled with more twists and turns than one would expect from only sixty-seven pages. Simone is quirky and easy to identify with and Kadim is probably the sexiest leading male in the anthology. Since Ms Glass doesn’t usually do gumshoe mystery type stories, this one has a different feel to it than the first two. This is more of a classic romance. Boy loves girl from afar until one day she confronts him and they figure out what to do about their burning but forbidden love.

Out of the Dark by Natalie Dunbar

Kellie goes home to her grandmother’s house to burry her. But first the body, found ravaged by feral werewolves, disappears from the morgue, then Kelly herself gets attacked. Nearly killed by the EMTs who responded when they tried to administer the werewolf inoculation mandated by law, Kellie finds herself with yet more questions and no answers in site. Why did the feral weres come after her? Why did an inoculation that was safe for every other human almost kill her? And why was the sexy werewolf assigned to baby-sit her becoming almost irresistible?

This story is very different from the first three but still closely related. Where as the first three were pure werewolf paranormal, this one is werewolf fantasy. It starts off really good but starts to have some flow problems by the end, as if the author was struggling to convince her characters that they were only getting a short story where they clearly wanted to be a feature story.


This anthology, as a whole, is a must read for werewolf lovers. It’s zany and keeps you on the edge of your seat page after page. I found it particularly interesting in that none of these authors write the same way. It gives you four different takes on the exact same group of characters. Each story was good in it’s own right; all of them together made it fantastic.

Until next week!

Rebecca
RebeccaLGillan.com

Mad Brain Whirl Syndrome... and Flash Villain...

Greetings, Shapeshifter lovers! Yeeee-ooowww... what a super-busy past week and Monday was the same. Just like in the world at large, the paranormal romance world is a hyper-speed merry-go-round right now. Remember that olden movie, STOP THE WORLD – I WANT TO GET OFF?

No, I don’t want to ‘get off’ the madly whirling carousel, but geez, I have this constant spinning sensation in my head. Or, now known as MAD BRAIN WHIRL SYNDROME.

The e-publishing landscape is *shifting*, changing at such a ‘quickening’ pace there’s no way to keep up with it. It’s hang on, baby, and grab the brass ring where you can these days. And, only more earthquakes and volcanoes of activity are on the horizon. At least, from what I observe.

One place of sanity, for me, remains my writing. Now, if only I can calm down the ‘spin’ long enough to focus on my WIP. As I take a look at this internet digital culture ~ most of which I know nothing about ~ it’s easy to see how some get addicted. In my generation a drug know as Speed [one I never felt the need to try] was a source of addiction.

Speed, itself, is addicting. I love fast! Fast cars. Jets. Race horses. Okay, think fast men and fast women, though, that could be construed as sexually loose... or, easy. Sorry, getting loopy here.

Anyway, I contend the speed of the internet is also addicting... unless, you have dial-up like me. Still, I feel the affects, at times. I will further go out on a big ole limb and say, this addicting aspect, is intentional. The world wide web is designed, and setup, I’m personally convinced, like the original Coke. The first recipe for Coca Cola contained coke as in cocaine. Or, think of cigarettes. All those years and years of lies about nicotine not being addictive.

Am I advocating going internet-cold turkey? Of course not. Actually, Coca Cola wasn’t all that addicting until the coke in it was standardized to a level that promoted addiction [now they use different addictive substances]. It’s the same with cigarettes. Those nasty companies intentionally upped and standardized the nicotine levels so that many were/are addicted. Is that same technique being used by the Big Cyber Realm players? ABSOLUTELY!!! IMO.

Okay, how I went there, I’m not certain. And, I’m going to blame it on Mad Whirl Brain Syndrome. Maybe, I should blame it on the delayed affects of Friday, the 13th. Mostly, I’ve never had a bad Friday, the 13th. A bad bunch o’ other days. Lots! But not watch-out-for-that-falling-ladder day. Or that black cat is crossing your path... which would be a good thing in my case. My heroine, Sable, in BLACK CAT BEAUTY likes to tease her author and play naughty-feline tricks on everyone else.

However, on this past Friday, the 13th, Branded was still #1 on Siren-BookStrand’s bestseller list. It was also the two year anniversary of WHEN A GOOD ANGEL FALLS, my 2012 angelic futuristic fantasy. Or, as I like to think of it, Sedona and Volcano’s love story. I’ve been working on a celebratory scene for them, one that takes place on December 21, 2014 ~ titled ~ Mars, Here We Come.

Okay, then... I’ve jawed enough here. In keeping with the SHAPESHIFTER SEDUCTION Flash Tradition, here’s 100 words. Tell me, what do you think of this villain? Potential, or not?
~~~

The time-wave portal closed behind him as he crouched, his clawed hand planted on the short-clipped lawn. With the scent of prey overwhelming, his muscles tensed rippling his chameleon hide, now reflecting the dark gray of twilight. Disciplined to a high degree, he didn’t obey his savage hunger. Instead, he listened to a nearby teenager’s music scream bloody murder, as he gradually rose upward morphing into a handsomer version of Adam Sandler. The comedian-actor appealed to his sense of humor. Fishing out his key, he strode toward the house his servant had rented. It was time to kill the humans.
~~~~~~

The Kougar’s news and mews ~

It’s SCI FI Romance week at the HAPPILY EVER AFTER blog. Monday, Linda Banche blogged about her time-travel regency, LADY OF THE STARS. I will be posting on Wednesday, the 18th [TBD what it will be].

And! Next week on Thursday, the 26th, the bestselling author, Keta Diablo, will be joining us to talk about her latest shapeshifter release, WHERE THE RAIN IS MADE. This is a wonderful and riveting interview.
~~~~~~

~ HAPPY SUMMER SHAPESHIFTING ~

Savanna Kougar

~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~

Author of ~

All Shades of Blue Paradise
Red Lioness Tamed
When a Good Angel Falls ~ In Print
Tangerine Carnal Dreams
Murder by Hair Spray in Gardenia, New Atlantis ~ In Print
Black Cat Beauty
Her Insatiable Dark Heroes ~ In Print
Stallion of Ash and Flame ~ In Print
Branded by the Texans ~ A current Siren-BookStrand Bestseller
The Tiger’s Masquerade ~ Coming from MojoCastle Press

Finally!

By Pat Cunningham

It took a while, but I’ve finally finished typing up the second draft of my vampire story from the handwritten first draft. In the course of the typing I added scenes and rewrote some and discovered at least 3-4 chapters could do with a minor overhaul. Yeah, I said chapters; what I thought would be a novella at best bloated up into a medium-length book. After the rewrites are done I’ll need to do a polish, then type the whole thing over again for a third draft, this time into the laptop for emailing purposes, so I’ve still got a fair way to go.

I tell you what, I’m pretty sick of the thing.

It hasn’t all been one continuous stretch. There have been interruptions for a part-time job, story writing for the blog, and the personal hell that was the month of June. Still, I’ve been working on this thing since around January or so, when I first blogged about it. It’s taken me this long to get it into readable shape and I’m still not done. It didn’t die on me and so saved itself from the closet, and I’ve still got enough enthusiasm for the story that I’m not about to abandon it. But boy, could I use a break.

I wish I was one of those writers who can work on two or even three different projects at once, so I could switch off if one story started to bore me. However, I don’t appear to be wired that way. I have to do one at a time. I was working on a Western when the vampires seduced me away. Now they’ve grown familiar and somewhat annoying, but I still like them enough not to shoo them out of the house. I suppose I’m looking to have a brief fling with another plot, but nothing’s really piqued my interest yet, and probably won’t until I finally get this one into polished, publishable shape and send it off to market. Which, at the heel-dragging rate I write, could be another six months.

Thank God I didn’t plan a trilogy. However, that could hit tomorrow.

Soooo … how do you folks handle it? Are you lucky enough to be the type who can multitask on manuscripts so the variety keeps you engaged? Do you write fast enough that you can finish a book while enthusiasm’s still high? If you do need to take a break, how do you get yourself back into the story? Or have stories dried up on you while you were away?

I’m going to try long-handing a short in a different genre just for a change of pace, but I already know that’s not going to be 100% successful. Tired as I am of it, the other one keeps calling me back, begging me to shine it up. Or maybe I should just go ahead and start on the sequel idea that occurred to me while I was writing this one. Yeah, that’s exactly what I need, yet another year with these characters. What did I just say about a trilogy … ?

Happy Saturday!!

I've had a week where I'm glad it' s Saturday. Still a lot to do and much to try to find time to fit in. Love's Frenzy next section is not ready yet. Thought I'd share a short story I start on a whim last night. Enjoy Mischief.

_____________________________________________________________________

Mischief

Once upon a time never comes. At least in my world it doesn’t. Who am I? Just a crazy half-demon named Mandy. Well crazy is not correct. I act that way to keep most folks at a distance.

Midtown sits in between heaven and hell. I got the job of being gatekeeper for the folks not accepted in either place. Most days and nights things are quiet and eventful. You thought I was going to say uneventful. Come on, you’ve got to be kidding. With bad asses and demi-angels running around, even mixing it up from time to time, how can you expect nothing to happen?

Sid, my boss, keeps tallies on who causes shit the most and runs a side business betting on who will win the next round. He pokes fun at Marc my partner in peacekeeping. Marc keeps looking at me with lovie dovie eyes and the weirdest grin. I give ‘em a wide berth when we’re in the office together. I got enough problems to deal with. I don’t need a virginal angel with teenage sexual angst drooling over me when our shifts over lap.

I began keeping this journal about three months ago when Gregor showed up unannounced. That man can make my hottest fantasies boil over and steam. I never said I disliked sex. I don’t like virgins who can’t tell their prick from a stiff pole. Marc swears he does if I’d just give him a chance. Well, hell ain’t froze yet.

Back to Gregor. He is taller than the six-foot suspect tape we’ve got mounted on the wall. Honey, he could mount me anytime and whoosh---damn I digressed again. Excuse me while I add some ice to my drink and turn up the fan below my desk another notch.

Now where was I? Oh yes, Gregor is a tall lanky damn fine demonic angel. Seems his parents like mine took a running hit at a one night stand and the end results were us. No, I’m not angelic by any fashion. Though I’m told horns still out when I’m horny. Problem is I’m forbidden to fraternize—Sid loves using those collegiate words—with our associates or the people I’m keeping locked up. That’s how Sid describes my job. Me, I make sure none of them get out and keep those out that want to help break in or out. Not an easy job by any means.

Gregor showed up one night late in our spring. Lighting and thunder crossed the sky and rain soaked the few patches of open land we’ve got left. Extreme heat and cold leave us with a only three to four weeks of calm. Dressed in dark jeans that hugged his firm tight ass and a midnight blue t-shirt, he almost blended in with the twilight sky. As he ducked to enter, I noticed two silver white streaks down the back of his shirt. His deep voice and lavender eyes drew my gaze and sent my already dry panties into sopping wet.

I practically creamed myself as he laid his large well-manicured hands on the counter separating us. I got a thing for tall men. Ones that command your attention without saying anything get me the most.

His good evening had me biting my lip to keep from stuttering like a innocent school girl which I haven’t been for eons. Leave it to Marc to waltz his screwball self into me and push me across the counter as though I’m threw myself at Gregor. Not that I hadn’t thought about it.

“Excuse me.” I pushed myself off the counter, reached behind me and pinched Marc’s arm. Sliding my hand down his arm, I gripped his wrist and pulled. “I’ll be right with you.” I practically dragged Marc into the file room.

“What the hell are you doing?” I gritted my teeth to keep from yelling.

Marc stood there dumbfounded, his lips moving but nothing coming out. I hate when he gets awe struck just because I speak to him. Submissives are such a pain. His glasses slid down his nose and fogged up the more he tried to speak. Great, I had to give him the one thing that snapped him out of this state. A friggin’ kiss on the lips!

Remember Lucy from Charlie Brown and when Snoopy kissed her, her tirade about dog germs? I felt like that when I kissed Marc. Hopefully a quick peck on the lips would do it. I didn’t have time to floss, rinse and brush before I got back to tall, dark, and got me steamed back out at the counter.

I leaned in and rapidly brushed my mouth over Marc's. He started stammering and pressing his lips against mine. Little shit tried to french me. I pulled back and slugged him in the gut. Smiling, I said sorry and left him doubled over.

“Thank you for waiting.” I hope I hadn’t purred or sound too perverted. The images running through my mind were kinky enough. Now if I could get Marc replaced by Gregor, I’d be in ecstasy. My cat half wanted to rub up and down his long legs and my lower half wanted to prostrate me in front of him saying go for it.

“I hope I didn’t interrupt something.” Gregor's sneer and wink sent ripples through me. If I kept up this pace, I’d be moaning and cumming from just talking to him. He hadn’t even told me his name.

He leaned on the counter bringing him closer to my level. I moved forward and smiled.

The counter cut into me as I tried to lean forward. Damn being five foot four isn’t great. At least I could look into his lovely eyes and dry out my panties with all the heat my lower half generated.

Have a Good Day ~wink wink~ and Gypsy Wolf

Edmund's Eyes ~whew~

Happy Friday the thirteenth!  Muahahahaha

As I'm not an overly superstitious person, Fri the 13th usually passes me by with a oooh, have a good day, ~wink wink~ reaction. 

I mean, I love black cats with their sleek fur and bright eyes, ladders-well I wouldn't walk underneath one on any other day either...that's just an accident waiting to happen and salt over the shoulder-that's just messy.

Now though, as we scramble to get everything packed for the vacation we leave for tomorrow and the day and evening calls for heavy storms, I have to wonder...  Bad timing or Oooh ah ah ah jinx!

How about you out there, any superstitions you care to share with the group?  Stories of mayhem are encouraged!  And to draw out our followers I make an offer.  For the first non-group member (sorry Savanna, Pat, Rebecca, Francesca and Solara) to leave a comment about today's blog will get their name in an upcoming flash of Gypsy Wolf!

Have a good day ~wink wink~ 

~~~~
Gypsy Wolf

“Can I tell you your future, sir?” Branwen barely suppressed the illicit suggestion forming on her lips of what she hoped that future would entail.

Naughty, yet beautiful pictures of what they could, and would do together, flashed up at her from the crystal soothsayer’s orb she palmed between both hands. Death, though he may be, she’d bet the release, he could offer her body, would put to shame all of the other bărbaţi, men, she’d ever made love with.

“Watch out, Eddy.”

A stunning young woman moved into the tent, running a hand down his arm and bouncing a hip against his. Accompanying her was a group of gigglers all about the same age. They were flashy in that daddy’s money to the rescue kind of way.

“Gillia,” the warning in Deaths voice shot through Branwen like lightening, warming all of her nooks and crannies.

“Don’t be a bore, Eddy-kins.” Sidling into the chair at the table this, Gillia, leaned forward and tapped her long nail against the, now quiet, orb. “I want my reading.”

But why shape shifting elves…

Hi and welcome to your Wednesday fix of Shapeshifter Seductions! I am going to deviate from my planned blog because Savanna had a great idea. Where on Earth did I come up with the idea for shape shifting elves? The short answer? Ancient lit.

If you can get past all the conjunctions and run-on sentences, The Mabinogion is a very interesting glimpse into to beliefs of people 1,500+ years ago. The main series of stories, called books of the Mabinogi, tells a story about two groups of people who inhabited the British Isles some time in the very distant past. This was my first brush with shape shifters and heroic tales with less than noble heroes. It's what inspired my “Wild Lords” series.

But why shape shifting elves…

Two summers ago, I picked up my trusty copy of The Mabinogion and reread it. This wasn’t random- a scholar from Ireland found what turned out to be the fifth book of the Mabinogi on a dusty shelf in a library in England. Egg-head that I am, I wanted to brush up on the four books that had previously been known before reading that one. My muse must have been reading over my shoulder, because she asked what would happen if those stories had been true. What if those people, or there descendants, were still alive? If they were still around why didn't we know about them anymore?

Over past couple of years, the plot has been bubbling. Where Math had turned his obnoxious nephews into animals as punishment, my goddess turned heroes into animals to protect obnoxious elf lords from their own follies. Where Arawn had found a companion of unbelievable loyalty and integrity in Pwll, my elf lords found the same in the animal/companions created for them. An so the idea grew until I had a whole world, a whole existence, based not only on the Mabinogion but on tales of all sorts of creatures from ancient Celtic lore.

Lucan Hawk, the hero in “The Hawk’s Bride,” is an elf because the shifter lords are elves. He’s a bird shifter because Lleu Llaw Gaffys from the Mabinogion turned into an eagle after being betrayed by his wife and her lover. He’s a hawk because I thought “Lucan Hawk” made a cool sounding character name. And he’s a mountain elf because it seemed only natural for a hawk shifter to be born in the mountains where he can fly. All of my hawk shifters are mountain elves. Lucan, though, is the only one born to a royal family.

The elfin shifters:
Black elf shifters are usually cats or dragons.
Forest elf shifters are either stags or bores.
Water elf shifters are either dolphins, seals or carp.
Mountain elf shifters are flyers: hawks, eagles, or owls.
* The ability to shift usually runs in families. The ability can happen spontaneously in one individual or disappear from a lineage with no warning.

Shifters from Annwn:
Companions: capable of taking two animal forms, elfin form, and the form of one other sentient species, usually the one they were before they ‘died’ and were reincarnated by the Goddess Badh. They all have a spectral hound form. They usually also have a wolf form, though there are some with other totem animals. Companions are classified as black elves because black elves are the warrior class and companions are all warriors.

Druids of Annwn:
These are the cu of legend; giant, pure white wolfhounds. They usually look human when not in animal form. Certain druid families can also take bird form, usually an owl.

Shifter Lords: any shifter who is strong enough to call the Wild Hunt. They are properly called “Wild Lords of the Hunt.” One does not need to be male to be a hunt lord. There is one hunt lord strong enough to call all shifters, even the other hunt lords. He is Faolchu Ruadh, High Lord of the Hunt and one of the feared Black Lords of Argental.

The Wild Hunt: when a hunt lord needs an army or hunting party to chase down criminals, they can compel lesser shifters to join them. This whole group is known as the hunt. It got the name “Wild Hunt” because you never knew what mix of shifters was going to be compelled to follow a hunt lord. And most of the shifters who need to be compelled are not entirely tame.

The Black Lords of Argental: nobles of the high elfin house of Argental. They are the warlords of elfin society and over-see every aspect of protecting the cosmic balance of power.

So there you have it- where I came up with elfin shape shifters and a brief glossary of the “good guys” in the world of the Wild Lords. The next story of the series is “Equal Partners.” It’ll be a full length novel (about 300 pages). I’ve got it more or less finished, just trying to figure out how to fix a flow problem with it then it’s off to the publisher.

In the mean time, I’m also writing a second, but interconnected, series about the humans the wild lords come in contact with while chasing Lady Donnella and her cronies down. They will all be short stories and I’m doing them as erotica rather than mainstream romance. I have three in that series so far. I will be submitting the first of that series to Siren-BookStrand on Friday, assuming my proof reader gets it back to me by then. That series is going to be called “The Mortal Guardians.” Each individual book is going to be titled after the hero or heroine who is connected to the elves in some way.

With that, I will leave off. Have a great week!

Rebecca
RebeccaLGillan.com

Two Year anniversary for TANGERINE CARNAL DREAMS

Tangerine Sail by Lady Di ~ themeshack.net

Greetings, shapeshifter lovers, Sunday was an amazing day for me. And I hope I never recover. At least, not fully.

BRANDED BY THE TEXANS, my latest release ended up, after a flip-flop change of place with UNBRIDLED AND UNDONE by Elle Saint James, as #1 on Siren-BookStrand’s Bestseller list. Last I dared a look, Branded was still riding high. However, it could have slipped by now.

Still, wahoo. Yahoo! Yippie Kai Yay! I am a happy author camper. THANK YOU!!! to everyone who has purchased Branded. And, THANK YOU! To all my author friends for their support and well wishes. It is deeply appreciated. You’ll never know how much.

*Sunday* was also the two year anniversary for TANGERINE CARNAL DREAMS, my sci fi stallion shifter story with Aspen Mountain Press. Here’s the tagline ~

...a fire-shooting fierce woman...a shapeshifting prince of a stallion...and the tangerine aphrodisiac winds on a world far away...

You might recall I began a prequel scene awhile back for Tangerine. My heroine and hero were steaming up the mirror panels, and it was titled ~

The Intergalactic Chase ~ Corporal Kattalonia and Prince Zio

x-rated

Part Four ~

Did those words really slip past her lips? Katta knew they had. Why, oh bent-space-hell why did she turn into a mindless wanton for him? Only him.

“Katta.” He groaned her name against her mouth. His lips seized hers in that dominant way that made resistance impossible. In that way, also, that ignited her like old-fashioned rocket thrusters. Zing out into space she went, lust’s slave.

He leaned forward pinning her to the mirror’s slippery surface with his stud-muscled frame. Goddess of the universe, could anything ever feel better? Certainly not in the I-want-this-man department. Planting his hands on either side of her, Zio fused their lips and ground his mouth against hers until she moaned uncontrollably.

Returning passion for passion, Katta let her hands go wild, and have their way with his back. The slick fabric of his shirt only encouraged her, defining the fierce strength of his stallion-like physique.

Feeling like a sex starved she-devil, Katta lunged upward. At the same time, she thrust her tongue past the barrier of his lips. The sky horse had never denied her before. He didn’t now. Their tongues battled for supremacy. Tangling, sliding, writhing furiously in an all-out war that brought about the most intense spikes of pleasure and need.

Zio stepped back suddenly, and lowered his hooded gaze. With a deliberation that drove her straight to weak-kneed insanity, he claimed every inch of her. His, the star-storm glitter of his eyes proclaimed. His to take as he pleased.

Helpless, with her hands trying to clutch the mirror panel, Katta watched him strip off his shirt. He tossed it aside, his demeanor the casual arrogance she despised, but dreamed about... unbidden dreams that became raunchy fantasies and always ended with his cock ravaging her. Oh, Goddess, don’t save her.

Not yet.

Katta whimpered as he loosened his breeches, the nano-specialized leather yielding to his touch. The slickness of her inner thighs threatened to be her undoing, as in landing on her ass. Loosed from its prison, she watched the forceful lunge of his cock toward her. Katta fell back against the mirror, barely glimpsing him palm off his boots, then his breeches.

“Woman. My woman.” His gaze was only for her face, only for her eyes. And, only for her.

She witnessed it in the deep-space black depths of his eyes.

Katta screamed inside for him to come take her. She might have screamed the words, maybe... but her loud breathy pants didn’t allow for any other sound to escape.

With a growl that was utter possession, he launched against her. She felt the edge of his teeth slightly graze her shoulder a split second before he gripped the red striping. Zio tore the lingerie from her body so ruthlessly, Katta’s entire body quaked.

Beneath his hungry gaze her breasts trembled and out-of-this galaxy sensations she’d never felt ripped through her. Simultaneously, her nipples ripened to an ache only he could stop.

That’s what got her every time – why she couldn’t fight him, or deny him – their overwhelming take-no-prisoners passion.

“Zio... yes. Yes, you bad wicked stud.”
~~~

TO BE CONTINUED... (hopefully!)
~~~~~~

~ HAPPY SUMMER SHAPESHIFTING ~

Savanna Kougar

~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~

Author of ~

All Shades of Blue Paradise
Red Lioness Tamed
When a Good Angel Falls ~ In Print
Tangerine Carnal Dreams
Murder by Hair Spray in Gardenia, New Atlantis ~ In Print
Black Cat Beauty
Her Insatiable Dark Heroes ~ In Print
Stallion of Ash and Flame ~ In Print
Branded by the Texans ~ E-AVAILABLE from Siren-BookStrand
The Tiger’s Masquerade ~ Coming from MojoCastle Press