Author Lydia Parks makes the shift (pun intended 
) from vampire romances to shape-shifters with her new Silhouette Nocturne Bite, Marked. Read Lydia’s guest post to learn more about the Native American mythology that inspired her brand of shape-shifters…and why she thinks cat-shifters are sexier than wolves!
by Lydia Parks, author of MARKED (Silhouette Nocturne Bites, May 2010)
If you recognize my name, it’s probably as the author of hot vampires. That’s okay – I love hot vampires! But I’ve recently ventured into the world of shape-shifters, and I like it. (I hope my readers will, too.)
I started out working with shape-shifters in a novella for Sexy Beast VI from Aphrodisia, Animal Instinct. That work led me to Marked, one of the May Nocturne Bites. In both, the hero is a shape-shifter; in Marked, the heroine may not be “just” a human. (I don’t want to give it all away before you read it!)
What I realized at some point is that vampires and shape-shifters aren’t all that different in the romance world. Both are dangerous, both “hunger” for humans, and both can be incredibly sexy. In Marked, Cole is a Kimosh – a “mountain lion person”—from a hidden valley in northern New Mexico. Living in New Mexico inspired me to create a history for the Kimosh that intertwined with the true history of this amazing place. That’s why the Kimosh were hunted by the conquistadors and hidden by a group of Native Americans many centuries ago. A friend from the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo helped me weave factual information into the Kimosh mythology, so this story has a special feel for me. I had a blast writing it. The wonderful part is that other Kimosh have started telling me their stories!
I’ve enjoyed reading shape-shifters for years. There are some amazing authors of werewolf stories out there. But for me, cats are sexier than wolves. There’s something about their gracefulness, their amazing abilities to jump and hunt and climb. Is there anything that fires the imagination more than a mountain lion staring right at you as he moves closer, his golden eyes fixed on yours, his steps fluid silence? (Heck, no!) I guess that’s why my shape-shifters (so far) have been mountain lions and leopards. That doesn’t mean I’m not open to other types of shape-shifters. There’s something to be said for that wolf-like loyalty…
What kind of shape-shifters do you enjoy most? (Yes, I think vampires fit into this category in a general way – they shift from humans into vampires, don’t they?) Any shape-shifters you’ve never read about but would like to? (Some just don’t work, as far as I can see. Hedgehogs just don’t do much for me.)
I hope you all enjoy Marked!
Hi Lydia:
As a lifelong SF fan, I tend to think of shape-shifters as being able to shift into any physical shape whatsoever from mouse to motorcycle. Yet, romance paranormals seem to limit shape-shifters to only one kind of shift. (From jaguar to human for example.) I could call such a creature a were-jaguar and not a shape-shifter. How do you see this?
Also, is there a general dissatisfaction with human males? It seems paranormals feature non-human heroes. There seems to be no male counterpart to this phenomenon. I never met a man who fantasized about a cat who could turn into a woman. Now a woman who can turn into a beauty queen at any time, now that’s my kind of shape-shifter.
Vince
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Vince — great observations! I certainly don’t see anything wrong with human males. I’m kind of partial to them, actually. But the were-animals represent an inhuman level of desire that many women find to be a turn on, I think. Non-human animals don’t tend to work under the kind of social mores we do, so we think of their lust as more pure… animal-like, in fact. Hey, and what about Cat Woman? Isn’t she the female version of that (sort of)?
Some of my shape-shifters have been based on a shaman mythology; I feel like those really are shape-shifters. But maybe there’s not much difference in the shape-shifter/ were-cat stories? Don’t know.
Thank you for your comment!
I think the inhuman level of desire in a male animal is a huge turn on. I love men who have a little bite in them.
Hey, Lydia, keep those stories coming.
Thank you, Cat! And you, too!
Hey Lydia,
Your book sounds intriguing! I’m new to this kind of thing, but your story sounds fantastic. I just clicked on the handy dandy link on the right and I can’t wait to read it!
Thanks!
I agree; I’m more partial to the big cat shifters but I like all paranormal creatures when in an exciting story
Hi Lydia. Although science fiction romance is my preferred read, I’ve been known to stray into paranormal territory if the story intrigues me enough. Your description of how you interwove the Kimosh legend with the local Pueblo history sounds absolutely fascinating. And the northern New Mexico landscape–what a setting!
I’ll definitely have to check out MARKED.
Hey Lydia~~~
So looking forward to reading Marked. Girl, whatever hero you write, whether vamp, cat or mortal man — you make him so powerfully appealing, the heroin doesn’t stand a chance.
***Belle
Thank you, Belle! And Laurie, Bella, and Tammy – you gals are wonderful! I appreciate the comments, and hope you enjoy the story.
~Lydia
Hi Lydia:
I don’t think ‘catwoman’ could turn into a cat. She just wore a cat costume and carried a whip! The only man who could probably deal with her (and all her baggage) is probably ‘batman’. And even he wouldn’t commit. : ) ———-
I just read your bio on eHarlequin and you have already lead an amazing life. Do you use any of your engineering knowledge in your stories? It would sure be useful in hard SF. ———–
I just read “The Demon Next Door” and wonder, if you have written any demon stories? Demons make very good bad boys. ———-
I just downloaded, “Marked” for my Kindle. BTW, I read the first ten Nocturne Bites when they came out but I got impatient. The stories were very fast reads but it took so long for Nocturne to issue new ones. ———
I have a writer’s question: Some of the Nocturne Bites are so good, with such memorable characters; do you ever feel bad about ‘spending’ a story idea on a novella when it would make an excellent novel? It would seem hard to do. ——-
Vince
This story sounds absolutely fantastic!!! I cannot wait to get it. I love your writing. Your style is so sexy and sensual and you really have the paranormal world down pat. So excited!!!
Hi Lydia:
I just finished “Marked” and you have the voice of a poet! Beautiful writing. —
The story is so strong on its own that I think it would have been just as enjoyable even if the heroine were a shaman healer and her tribe were Native Americans. —
What I found most interesting about the paranormal aspects of the story is that it is very hard to anticipate what is going to happen next. You just don’t know at any given point what is going to happen – even in the next second! —
I think you made extraordinary use of the paranormal theme and it makes me eager to read one of your vampire stories. — Vince
Lydia ~Just wanted to give you a high-five on the book! It’s awesome. The cover is sexy, your writing is captive, and your characters are to-die for! I love it! I’m ashamed to admit this is the first book I’ve read by you, but it certainly won’t be my last! I look forward to many more reads in the future.
Great job!!!
Vince — thank you for the wonderful review! I hope you find the vampires as much fun.
I haven’t tried using my engineering background for SF yet. Since this is what I do for fun, I hesitate to mix the two worlds, you know? As for Nocturne Bites — I think it has given me a chance to visit worlds that will show up in longer books. I know the Kimosh are waiting around for more.
Again, thank you!
Suzie — you’re a sweetheart! I appreciate the kind words. (If you need to know where to find more books, don’t hesitate to ask! )
Thank you!
Thank you so much, Darynda! And I can’t wait for your book to hit the shelves.
~Hugs~
Hey Lydia, your books are always a great read. I can’t wait for you to do a full length paranormal. You’re totally awesome!
Thank you, Shea! I’m looking forward to doing a full-length shape-shifter. One of these days…