Creative Shifting, or What About Animals Other Than Wolves?

 
I grew up loving stories of shifters, called "werewolves" back in my teen years, when wolves were the only animals available for a second form. Or maybe a bat. And my early forays into writing were inspired by a paranormal series that branched out into bears, hyenas, and even rats! What a novel idea! And while my published works are mostly contemporary, sometimes the muse wants paranormal.

It is my honor to be Author of the Month at Boy Meets Boy Reviews where they've reviewed two of my stories: Naked Tails and Galen and the Forest Lord (read review here). While Galen and the Forest Lord features wolf shifters, Naked Tails introduces a slightly different animal: the North American Opossum, or "possum" for short. The story required a good deal of research, and includes some wonderful suggestions from friends about possum behavior and how this carries over to my heroes in their human forms. And why possums?

The story was my way of coping with "The Great Possum Invasion of 2011" when a four-legged marsupial decided the wall of my home made a good place to spent the winter. 

But let's not stop at possums. There's so many other lesser known shifters to explore. How about Tam Ames' snork-worthy Caged, (which you can download here)? Hamster shifter anyone? Do not drink liquids while reading on your computer.

Most recently, my pal P.D. Singer released an otter shifter on unsuspecting Colorado with Tail Slide. And gave him a box of Cheerios. Madness (of the fun kind!) ensues. Again I give you the "don't drink liquids while reading" warning.

So, if you're looking for a different kind of shifter, think small, like possums, otters, and hamsters. Oh! I also included foxes, a skunk, and a chipmunk in Naked Tails. Can't have enough shifters, in my book!

Look for my interview with Boy Meets Boy Reviews on Jun 25 or 26.

And many thanks to the Goodreads reviewer who shared the lovely possum pictured above.