Thursday, September 4, 2014

Guest Post: If I Was a Shifter, What Animal Would I Be? by Chris T. Kat

I first discovered Chris T. Kat when I read her book, Secret Chemistry. I thoroughly enjoyed that read and hoped that if she were to ever write a sequel it would feature Tim's younger brother, Robin. You can imagine how excited I was when I first heard about Secret Energy. I'm am  looking forward to reading this sequel and delving into the world of shape shifters and their mates once again.

Chris T. Kat was kind enough to write a guest post and I hope you all enjoy it!

~ M

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If I Was a Shifter, What Animal Would I Be?

M, thank you very much for the opportunity to be a guest on your blog. Dreamspinner Press published my new release, Secret Energy, on August 29th. Secret Energy is a shape-shifter story, and the sequel to Secret Chemistry.
Shape-shifters are humans that possess the ability to (consciously or sometimes subconsciously) alter their shape. The best-known trope in literature is the wolf-shifter, although the animal world is large. Wolves are followed by cats (big cats, like tigers, etc.) and dragons. Mostly the stories have the humans shift into animals when they're already grown up.
While I like these kind of stories, I adore stories in which the human shifts into the baby form of an animal. It just gives me the warm fuzzies to portray small animals with their typical baby fur and behavior. It also allows me to portray the characters in a different way. That's why I chose to write Jay as a child and Tim as a teenager in Secret Chemistry. Although there are no baby shifters in Secret Energy, Robin is a bundle of energy. :)
The shifter is able to indulge in playful behavior, let out his “inner child” and, if he's usually a caretaker, he can make sure to be taken care of instead. The human counterpart, who might act all tough usually, can show kindness and protectiveness toward the small animal. It's a whole new dynamic, and it's one I love to explore.
To get back on topic, if I could be any paranormal creature, I'd love to be a shape-shifter with the ability to shift into a cat, dog, wolf, fox or horse. Not very specific, right? If I can only choose one, I'd love to be able to shift into a fox. I adore the bright red fur and the overall marking (black socks and the pristine white chest and so on). Their eyesight and hearing and are described as astonishing, and they always appear as graceful, elegant creatures. I'd love to experience a day in the woods with the eyes of a fox. The intensity of the smells must be overwhelming, as well as all the noises around him. Although shifting into a wolf and experiencing the pack dynamics sounds fascinating as well.
If you were a shifter, what animal would you be?

Buy Secret Chemistry: ebook | paperback


Blurb:
When wolf shifter Robin agreed to cover for his older brother Tim and Tim’s lover Jay, he never imagined feeling so stifled. Tim's overprotective attitude suffocates him. Pressure from within—the urge to find his own mate—mounts daily. With a little help from Jay, Robin finally convinces Tim to let him go for a run alone, but he has no inkling that his life will change forever as a result.
Unexpectedly, he finds his mate Peter Brannigan, an old and special soul, and the one shifter who can bring balance to Robin’s life. The new couple spend days together, developing their bond as mates. Yet even as they explore and cement their relationship, crisis looms just ahead when an old enemy of the pack shows up and kills someone Robin loves.

Excerpt:
The scent called to Robin, setting something free within him—something unfamiliar and primal in nature. Robin’s mood alternated between exhilarated and scared, the combination and sheer intensity of both feelings troubling him.
Robin stopped near a small creek and carefully stepped inside the stream, the cool water soothing his paws and ankles. He took a few swallows of the clear water while his heartbeat slowed down.
The scent was strong around the creek, but Robin was unable to pinpoint it. After raising his snout high in the air, he inhaled the smell deeply, hoping it would infuse his lungs and from there spread to every part of his body, because whatever it was, it had a highly arousing but also calming effect on him. A long, high-pitched yowl broke free from his throat, announcing his longing.
Robin waited before he swept his gaze around. High pines surrounded the small creek, casting shadows on the water’s surface. The creek flowed slowly and smoothly, only occasionally hindered by rocks strewn in its bed. The water swirled around them, creating small vortices that gurgled.
Would anyone answer his plea? What would he do if someone did? Why was he even expecting someone to answer? It couldn’t be his mate—it just couldn’t—although everything would make sense, then.
No one answered Robin. In fact, he couldn’t even hear the usual cacophony of animal noises, just the water lapping at his feet. Robin pricked his ears, concentrating hard on what he could hear—the purling of the creek, the wind whipping through the treetops, and sometimes branches creaking. His breathing sounded harsh, closer to panting. Something wasn’t right, not at all.
Robin walked over to the other side of the stream, the earlier exhilaration dwindling. He shifted from foot to foot, darting his gaze around. An uncomfortable sense of isolation nestled into his insides. Maybe he should have listened to Tim after all?
Shivering, he stood there, not sure whether he wanted to go on with his search or go back to Tim, Jay, and Walter. Going back meant safety, whereas going after his potential mate—or whatever it was he was following—could mean anything.
Robin tucked his tail between his hind legs. He had never heard of a wolf being afraid of his mate. Wouldn’t that mean the scent didn’t belong to his mate? Or maybe his mate was nuts and he somehow recognized it? Whatever the scent was—or to whomever it belonged—it didn’t smell like a wolf.
What if his mate was female?  How would that work? He had never been into girls. He liked them as friends, but any kind of advances had him running for the hills. Robin was gay, period. No, the scent had to belong to a male wolf.
No, wait. He’d already ruled out another wolf.
The darkness settling around him didn’t help the queasy feeling in his stomach. Whichever direction he turned his head, something moved in the shadows, leaving him vulnerable and scared. The moon remained partially hidden behind the clouds, but even if the sky had been clear, the moonlight wouldn’t have been able to illuminate the forest ground properly. Or at least not in a way Robin wanted.
Suddenly he started. The moon? Oh hell! Shouldn’t he have been back hours ago? Surely Tim was already looking for him. Why hadn’t he realized hours had passed? Had his wolf taken over without him noticing? His father obviously had a point with not wanting Robin to go anywhere alone in his wolf form.
Robin threw his head back and closed his eyes before he howled at the moon, the sound of his voice echoing through the forest, silencing every other animal in his vicinity. This time someone answered him. Robin jumped at the sound of a roar at the other side of the creek.
The roar didn’t sound like a wolf; it was too guttural for that. After his initial jump, Robin stood frozen, shock waves rolling through his entire body.

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Chris T. Kat
Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there's any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

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~ M

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