Unusual Shapeshifters

When I asked my newsletter subscribers about “out of the ordinary” shifters, they came through for me! Click on the title and author to go to the Goodreads page for that book, or one of the books in the series.

DISCLAIMER: I have not read all–or even most–of these books. This info came from reader volunteers who are generous with their time and experience. I tried to double-check shifter characters when they were listed in the book descriptions, but the details aren’t always available. If you find a mistake, please let me know and I’ll fix it in the post! 🙂

Birds

HAWK: King of Prey by Mandy Roth. 

VULTURE: Trials of a Werevulture, by Emily Martha Sorensen.

RAVEN. Revenge, by Keira Blackwood.

Mammals (that can be found in nature)

HEDGEHOGS: Hedging His Bets, by Celia Kyle and Mina Carter.

Hedging Her Bets, by Erzabet Bishop.

Prickly Business, by Piper Vaughn and Kenzie Cade.

PORCUPINE: Grizzly Attraction by Hattie Hunt.

DEER: Frost Brothers’ Brides series, Anya Nowlan. A reader also told me she has a gorilla shifter, but I couldn’t track that one down.

BUNNY: His Bunny Kicks Sass, by Dawn Sullivan. Bunny in book 1, fox in Book 2.

KOALA: The Luck of the Shifters, by Bianca D’Arc.

SHEEP: Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, by Lauren Esker. (The sheep shifter is paired with a wolf!) There are reportedly other exciting shifters in her Shifter Agents series.

STALLION: Blackwood Stallions series, by Rachel Real.

MOLE: Love at first Roar, by Celia Kyle.

SQUIRREL: Squirrel Bait, by Chip Davis. (Note: this doesn’t look like a PNR book, but it does look interesting!)

FOX: For Fox Sake by Emma Dean.

CHINCHILLA: Gumption & Gumshoes, by Alex Kidwell.

Reptiles

SNAKE: Viper Game, by Christine Feehan. This is part of a series with genetically modified people who turn into shifters.

CROCODILE: Shifters of Soho series, by J.S. Striker. The crocodile shifter is in Book 3.

Fish

SHARKS: The Master Shark’s Mate, by Zoe Chant. Shark and coyote. Chant’s Fire and Rescue series also includes a Pegasus, a griffin, a unicorn, and a phoenix.

Touching Paradise (Shark Shifter series), by Cleo Peitsche.

OTHER FISH AND MARINE ANIMALS: Lords of the Abyss series, by Michelle M. Pillow. A reader also said she has great stories about falcons and birds of prey, but I haven’t yet had time to hunt them down (Goodreads is showing over 150 books for this author!).

Other (extinct or imaginary animals, insects, plants, and babies)

SELKIE: The Bear’s Matchmaker, by Emilia Hartley.

SABERTOOTHS: Bearpaw Ridge Firefighters series, by Ophelia Sexton. Books 3 and 4 contain Sabertooth Tigers.

BUTTERFLY: Hounded, by Tasha Black. The butterfly is paired with a dog.

IVY (YES, A PLANT!) SHIFTER: Unbound, by Elle Thorne.

GARGOYLE: Stone Heart, by Ariel Marie. In addition to gargoyles in this series, there is an Elven princess.

KRAKEN: Treasure of the Abyss by Tiffany Roberts.

BABY ANIMALS: Alpha Unit One, New York, by Chris T. Kat.–according to the reader who shared this one with me, the characters are adult humans, but when they shift, they become baby animals.

Collections of different shapeshifters

Poisoned Pen, by Zenina Masters. Snake and swan. (She has a unicorn, beavers and others in the Shifting Crossroads series.)

Hotel Safari series, by Tori Knightwood. Giraffe in Book 3, elephant in Book 5.

Furry United Coalition series, by Eve Langlais. This is a series with several different shifters–rabbit, fox, swan, crocodile, doe, falcon, ostrich, kangaroo.

Kodiac Point series, by Eve Langlais. Fox and a moose, among more ‘normal’ shifters.

Bitten Point series, by Eve Langlais. Crocodile, python, among others.

Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, by Laurell K Hamilton. According to one reader, “she has had snakes, dolphins along with the normal ones of wolves, panthers, lions, foxes.”

Big Bad Bunnies series, by Golden Angel. Bunny, squirrel, turtle hybrids, and others.

Safari Shifters series, by Lola Kidd. Rhinoceros, crocodiles, gazelle, elephants.

Were Zoo series, by RE Butler. Includes gorillas, elephants, and more.

My mind is blown.

I had no idea there was such a wealth of shifters out there–this is an incredible list. If you think of more to add, feel free to drop them in the comments! One thing that creating this post has taught me is that the only limit to creating shapeshifting characters is our imagination, and our imaginations are, apparently, limitless.

Thank you!

Shout-outs and thank-yous to the readers who helped me track down these unconventional shifters! Sue, Leanne, Ruth, Kim, Christal, Amanda, Carletta, Donna, Rebecca, Ching, Sue, Joanne, Jody, Shirl, Melissa, Lauren at Romance Novel Giveaways, Amy, Lynn, Ruth, Leslie, Rachal, and Lisa!

Wild Engagement is Available Now

Wild Engagement is out today, whee! If you missed the serialization in my newsletter, or you don’t like reading serials, or you just want to read it again, now’s your chance!

It’s 99 cents and in KU for a limited time!

Trouble has a way of finding you…especially in the Dark Pines Pride.

Becca Van Housen has been feeling left out ever since her best friend, Summer, married into the Jaynes family. But when a naked man asks for her help on the side of the road, everything starts to change.

Wolf shifter Nick Gaines came to the Dark Pines territory to find Hayley, his fated mate. To his embarrassment, Hayley barely remembers him, but luck is on his side when he meets Becca. He falls fast and he falls hard.

The Dark Pines shifters are willing to take Nick in for a little while, but when a stupid mistake follows him all the way into their territory, Nick will have to face a monster or lose his place at Becca’s side.

Amazon

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Dragon Shifters! Cover Reveal and Love List

This news has been burning a hole in my keyboard for too long, and finally I get to share!

Ready?

Keira Blackwood and I have joined forces to create a dragon shifter series!

Even better, this isn’t our typical paranormal romance fare. This is reverse harem. If you’re not familiar with the term, in this case it means our lovely heroine gets not one, but THREE heroes.

*dances*

Okay, so here are a few things I love about the Spellbound Souls books:

• Working with Keira is a delight. She’s funny and we laugh a lot. She’s also an excellent brainstormer, and when one of us gets stuck on something, the other one can swoop in and help.
• Scorching hot scenes with our leading lady and one or more men. There’s this scene in Dragon Shattered that Keira wrote, and I think I’ve read it twenty times now. And just wait until Book 2. I’m still blushing.
• Ariana, our kickass heroine. She’s smart, successful, strong, and kind. I think we’ll all agree that she deserves to find love.
• The hotties. Taylor, Slade, and Quentin all make my heart beat faster. They each bring a different meaning to “hero” while complementing each other and their new mate.
• Dragon shifters! I’d always wanted to write them, and now I’m doing it and it’s everything I dreamed of. Grace, danger, strength. FLYING.
• Suspense. There’s always a larger story with elements of danger, there are always secrets just beneath the surface, waiting to be revealed.
• Love. It’s not all about the sexytimes. These shifters feel deeply for each other, and in the end, that brotherhood and romance is what holds the entire book together.

Dragon Shattered, the first book, will be out in March. 🙂 And here’s the cover, designed by Keira! The woman’s got talent, and I adore what she came up with for Dragon Shattered!

Two souls, eternally bound.

One shattered, but never lost.

Ariana believed she’d been lucky to find love once. No other man could compare to her mate, and his memory lived strong even after his tragic death.

Whitesong Security became her way of continuing his legacy, fighting for good causes.

Silent battles rage amongst the shifter elite over artifacts from the war that claimed Ariana’s mate. As more elite shifters make demands for Whitesong’s expertise, Ariana is forced to take a partner.

Ariana has three equally skilled applicants to choose from, but each one calls to her dragon and stirs emotions long forgotten.

It’s only a matter of time before they win her heart.

Dragon Shattered is the first book in a reverse harem trilogy featuring one strong female dragon shifter and the three hot-as-sin dragon shifters who win a place in her company…and in her bed.

You can add Dragon Shattered to your Goodreads list by clicking here!

Stay tuned for all release news and exclusive fun by signing up for my newsletter here.

Soundtracks for the Dark Pines Pride

Honestly, I don’t listen to music when I write; it’s too distracting. But I do love finding songs that connect to the stories and characters, and I’ll often listen to them over and over for inspiration when I’m not sitting at my desk.

For fun, I put together a Dark Pines playlist on YouTube, which you can find here! Below is the list of songs that go with each book. Enjoy!

Wild Homecoming

1. Editors – “No Sound But the Wind”
2. Fiona Apple – “The First Taste”
3. Leagues – “Spotlight”
4. The Brothers Bright – “Blood on My Name”
5. Imagine Dragons – “Believer”

Wild Atonement

1. Dave Matthews Band – “Crash Into Me”
2. The Features – “How It Starts”
3. The Foo Fighters – “The Sky is a Neighborhood”
4. The B52’s – “Love Shack”
5. Muse – “Madness”

Wild Reunion

1. The Black Keys – “Lonely Boy”
2. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – “Done All Wrong”
3. Diana Krall – “Sway”
4. Steve Kahn – “Nomads”
5. Sarah McLaughlin – “Possession”

The Dark Pines Pride books are all available on Amazon now, and I recently bundled them together into one boxed set.

Character Profile: Hayley Jaynes

It’s easy to fall in love with characters, whether they’re my own creations, or characters I’ve read about in other books. Hayley Jaynes, from Wild Atonement, is one of my favorites. Her potty mouth and DGAF attitude hide her vulnerability over proving herself to her brothers.

image copyright DmitryPoch, purchased through DepositPhotos.com

Name: Hayley Ann Jaynes

Date of birth: February 21, 1996

Age: 21

Occupation: General Contractor

Hair: golden brown

Eyes: blue

Fun quirk: her creative swears (click here to get a pdf of Hayley’s Swears)

Excerpt:

Hayley rushed toward Summer and Jackson. She liked seeing her brother so happy, with his arm casually wrapped around Summer’s waist, his attention on her. And Summer looked back at him, a gooey expression on her face. Hayley squashed a feeling of envy. She wanted that. She wanted to be the focus of one man’s world, and she wanted to be accepted for who she was—bold, strong, and dirty-mouthed.

She had the insult “rubbercock” on the tip of her tongue, ready to unleash it cheerfully on her brother. But someone stepped right in her path.

“Hayley,” he said.

She looked up. She didn’t know this guy, but immediately she could smell that he was a shifter. A fellow mountain lion. She should’ve sniffed him out when she’d first walked into the bar, but envy over Jackson and Summer’s lovey bliss had distracted her.

The dude’s dark eyes were fathomless, and he wore a fake, disarming smile. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him. She sniffed again. He smelled like sawdust and raisins, and her nose itched.

If she’d been in lion form, her hair would have lifted and her back would’ve arched defensively. “Who the hell are you?” she asked.

“I’m Alec,” he said smoothly. “We met briefly, long ago. You probably don’t remember me. You hung up on me earlier, but we need to talk.”

Now she remembered him. Her parents had made that awful deal with the Spokane Pride, just before the war with the Clausen Pride. Alec had been there with his father, the Spokane alpha. Hayley had been bartered like a piece of meat in order to ensure the Spokane Pride’s help.

Hayley had fought it, until her dad took her aside and said, “There is no way you’ll ever have to go through with something you’re not comfortable with, okay? This is a formality only.”

It hadn’t mattered, because the Clausens won the war, and the last of the Jaynes family had been chased out of the Dark Pines territory.

But maybe it had mattered, at least a little bit. Because this nasty fuckbasket was here, claiming to be her fiancé.

“I don’t want to speak to you,” Hayley said.

He chuckled. “You made that pretty clear when you hung up on me a few hours ago. But we need to talk.”

“I’m already with someone,” she said, trying to shove past him. Hopefully, he wouldn’t sense the lie.

His hand closed around her upper arm, and she spun, ready to stomp on his instep. Before that could happen, a giant, burly biker dude stood up from the table nearest them. “This guy bothering you?” he asked.

Hayley looked from the biker to Alec. “I don’t know, Alec. Are you bothering me?”

He sized up the biker and shook his head. He dropped Hayley’s arm, glowering. “We’ll talk later.”

Hayley watched as Alec retreated to a corner of the bar. Shit, that had been close. There was nothing to say to him, but now she’d told him she was seeing someone. That would be the best possible solution to this shitstorm. He couldn’t marry her if she already had a mate.

She turned back to the bar, where she’d seen Jackson and Summer a second ago. But neither of them could help her out of her predicament. She needed…a boyfriend. And fast.

The guy standing next to Jackson—dark-haired, brown-eyed, with a set of monster muscles—would do the trick. He must be Jackson’s friend, Marius. She’d heard a little about him already, how he’d helped Dan Clausen scare Summer.

Striding up to him, she pretended that the butterflies in her stomach hadn’t grown talons and weren’t clawing their way up her throat. Instead, she shook her hair back and made eye contact with those chocolate brown eyes of his.

“Hello, Marius,” she said, turning her voice into a purr.

He gaped at her until she closed the distance between them and pressed the full length of her body against his. Wrapping her arms around his massive shoulders, she whispered, “Are you single?”

“What?” His voice was so quiet, she could barely hear him.

Somewhere behind her, Alec was watching this show. She had to be convincing, but she didn’t want to mess anything up if Marius already had a mate. “Are you single?”

“Uh…yeah. Yes.”

“Good.” She tilted her face up toward his and kissed him like she meant it. Her lips pressed against his in a spark of heat that surprised her, but she went with it, afraid to break contact. If Alec thought for a second that she was lying—and he probably did because shifters were so good at sensing dishonesty—then she’d have to convince him right now, with her actions. If she convinced him well enough, hopefully he’d go back to whatever rock he’d come from and leave Hayley alone.

Thoughts of Alec flew right out of her head as Marius took control of the kiss. His arms came around her waist, tightening her to him. He parted his lips and pressed harder, so she had no choice but to open to him. Not what she’d intended, but his tongue tentatively brushed the edge of her mouth and she couldn’t hold back a moan of need.

This was not at all what she’d expected.

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Interested in getting your very own PDF of Hayley’s swears, for handy reference? Here you go–Hayley’s Swears!