“Touching the Moon” is a shifter novel set in the
Black Hills of South Dakota. Although there is a strong Native American element
to the story, the shifter legacy in this book is not tied to the local Sioux
mythology; its origin is Norse.
In the days when Vikings raided the coastal towns of
Europe, legend tells of the wolf-skinned— fierce warriors that were linked to
the Norse god, Odin. Playing with the historical record just a tad, I have
these wolf-skinned fighters landing with Leif Ericson 500 years before
Columbus.
In my paranormal world, there are few lycanthropes
(wolf-men) left. Their driving desire to have a family is the root of their
undoing. In their desperate desire to find a mate, many physical unions are not
consensual. As a result, lycanthropes are imprisoned or killed and are found in
ever diminishing numbers in modern society.
Only the men can change into animal form. The women
(lycannts) are powerful healers and musically inclined. They have a calming
energy that sooths the beast in their male counterparts. Both are mortal.
The men are physically strong but tend to make
impulsive decisions. They feel little pain or cold; otherwise, their senses are
incredibly heightened. Their endurance level is off the charts.
The men can shift at will; their inner wolf is not
tied to the moon, nor do they become violent at any point within the lunar
cycle. The exception is the rare Vargr, a rogue wolf/rogue man that develops a
taste for the kill.
Vargrs are also based on the historical record.
These wolves decimated entire herds, but ate none of the animals they killed.
Their blood-lust led to the endless wolf hunts that nearly drove that animal to
extinction in Western Europe. The term was also applied to particularly
ruthless, lawless men.
My constructed shifter universe uses fact as a
springboard.
Do you think this technique makes my world more
believable or too real for the paranormal? Does fact-based drama take away the
strange and edgy “unknown” within a paranormal setting?
Touching
the Moon
Lisa
M. Airey
Genre: Romantic Suspense with a
Paranormal Twist
Publisher: Aakenbaaken &
Kent, NY
ISBN: 978-1-938436-05-5
ASIN: B00A6GM0X8
Number of pages: 272
Word Count: 89K
Cover Artist:
www.reese-winslow.com
Book Description:
A gifted healer with a genetic
secret and a haunted past, Julie Hastings takes her new veterinary degree to
South Dakota hoping to bury memories of a physically abusive stepfather and
unprotective mother.
Although intending to lead a
quiet life, she finds herself relentlessly pursued by two unwelcome suitors:
the Chief of Police and a powerful member of the Sioux Indian Nation.
The man she chooses shatters her
world-view.
Her stepfather taught her that
not all monsters run on four legs. Now Julie must face another truth—some
beasts are good.
About
the Author:
Lisa has worked in the wine
industry for 20 years, the most recent eight in education with the Society of
Wine Educators and the French Wine Society. In these roles, she has authored
and/or edited wine study manuals and developed or expanded certification
programs for the wine trade.
In her free-time, she writes
fiction...naturally, with a glass of wine at the elbow.
She is a Maryland Master Gardener
and puts that training into practice in her sizable vegetable garden. To assist
her, she has recruited the services of a very helpful staff: two Chinese geese,
two mini-Rex rabbits and 2,000 red wigglers (worms)…all of which are “master
composters”. An adopted feral cat guards the perimeters and keeps the
groundhogs at bay. She resides in Monkton, Maryland.
Twitter: @LisaMAirey
2 comments:
I love fact blended with fiction. I use this a lot when writing. I take pieces of fact, of old myths and legends, or throw in real places and people then work around it.
I think in many instances it is a great way to connect with readers and spark their imagination.
I couldn't agree more. It's fun to use fact as a springboard and then take the ball and run. It certainly makes the reader open up to alternate versions of history and ask the big "what if"!
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