Are Werewolves Real?

Do you really believe were-animals are real? If so, why don’t we know about them? I get these questions a lot. Why? Because I write fantasy and paranormal romance.

So, let’s start with how I portray the Weres in the Warriors For Light (WFL) series. They are human. Born human, live as humans and die as humans. They just have a little extra in their DNA—okay, a lot extra. If they mate with a human, their children will take after the stronger DNA—Were.

All Weres pass as norms. In early life, they can’t change forms. My term is phasing. They don’t phase until puberty. That just proves Mother Nature has a sense of humor. Imagine, acne, growth spurts and suddenly nature throws in the shift. Yup, it just has to happen at the same time.

Is it a smooth event for the poor teen? Not a chance. That’s why I said Mother Nature has a sense of humor. Except for the Alpha born, who phase into their animal form correctly the first time. For the average Were, it can be only one part of their body that phases. Such as the legs, or both legs and arms, but the rest looks human.

Image being fourteen and losing control of who and what you are. One minute you are human, the next your head and body are a wolf or leopard but you have human legs and arms. Homeschooling comes to the rescue until the poor teen learns control. Then it is onto the varsity football team.

So how does the phase happen once a Were has gained control of his or her animal side? It happens in a nano-second. One minute he is human, the next a wolf or leopard or bear or badger. No rending of clothes, no pain, just poof, in the blink of an eye he changes.

In the world I have created, the clothing and weapons disappear to but return unharmed when a Were phases/shifts back to human. Their clothing looks same as before the change. Fae talk about having an In-between Space where they store stuff, including their many weapons. It’s possible the Weres’ different forms are in a were-in-between space. Who knows?

The predator species have three forms: human, animal and Warrior-Beast. I think some novelist or filmmaker spotted one of the Weres in warrior-beast form, because the movie creations are closest to that. The face—while clearly wolf—will retain some human characteristics. The eyes never change. Fur covers the body, but the warrior-beast stands upright, going, say, from a sold five foot ten to almost six foot eight. The legs are shorter than the body and have the look of a wolf/dog being held upright. However, the warrior-beast is super fast and strong in that form; make that deadly.

You will find them in the military, as firefighters, forest rangers; police officers, school teachers, your Boy Scout leader, and an Eagle Scout may really be an eagle.

In warrior-beast form, a Were is enough to make a meth head go straight. Unfortunately, it doesn’t frighten demons.

Why?

Surely a Were in warrior-beast form could tear apart a demon. True, they could. However, Weres are tasty and much sought after treats. Once eaten, the demon’s absorb the poor Were’s magick. So it’s the goal of every Were in my stories to stay alive and whole.

L.J. DeLeon

The Alpha Male-sinful and sexy

Is there a book or story written where the hero is anything but an alpha male? Probably not because we like our heroes to be strong, sexy, protective, leader. We want to know that the heroine can call on him in any and all situations. But there are so many misconceptions about what an alpha male really is. The definition of an alpha male is very simple: he is a dominant male among other males. And comfortable enough in his own skin that he cares deeply for his friends and the women he is with. He is not a man who simply dominates without regard for others. 

But what characteristics make him the way he is?

For one thing he knows who he is down to the core. His convictions will be strong enough to convince you (at least momentarily) that he is right. The alphas decisions are thoughtful yet usually come to him instantly. If he has a choice to make, he rarely moves back and forth weighing and wavering in indecisiveness. Once a decision is made there is little questioning on whether or not it was the right one. He simply assumes it is right and moves on to more important matters.

He knows what to do in every situation to survive, physically and socially. He adapts quickly to his environment and wastes little time thinking about what to do. Throw him on a deserted island or into an unfamiliar social situation, he will adapt quickly and find himself easily taking control of the situation, even if unconsciously. It is not uncommon to see people surround alpha males at cocktail parties and other events merely because of their ability to adapt so well to the situation.

A major attribute is his ability to take care of the people he loves. Unlike most, his fears are not self based but rather geared towards others he cares about. He could care less if he dies in a struggle as long as his wife and children survive. If you were to cross him be ready to throw your life on the line because you can sure he will do the same.

He develops himself in every possible way, works hard at his pre-set goals with grit and determination. He is naturally gifted with one of the biggest talents - the ability to laugh at himself, and he does that often. He has an excellent sense of humor which naturally draws people to him.

The alpha is a calculated risk-taker. He never risks more than he can afford to lose and makes an internal checklist of the expected return of any venture.

And of course, he is smoldering, scorching hot sexy. His physically honed body is enough to melt any woman’s panties and in bed he is concerned first about the woman’s pleasure before his own. He woos her, seduces her, commands her and takes her to the heights of ecstasy.

Meet Gabe Walker, hero of Night Mission, the ultimate alpha male, looking for one night of pleasure with a woman who is smart, sexy and mature. One night, with memories he can take into his next mission to keep himself warm. But when he meets Maggie Fitzgerald all plans go out the wind like tumbleweeds in the desert.

Where can you meet them?

 http://www.decadentpublishing.com

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html

http://www.amazon.com/Night-Mission-Stand-ebook

And come visit me at www.desireeholt.com

Can A Hero Be TSTL?

We’ve all heard about the Too Stupid to Live heroine.

You know the one I’m talking about. The foot-stamping, thirty-something contemporary heroine who has no excuse to behave this way except that she’s always exhibited this behavior to get what she wants—and she never changes. Her character never sees the light and somewhere near the end of the book, the hero gives a knowing nod or some signal that basically conveys his acceptance of the situation because he wants her. My question is—why?

I ask the same question of a heroine who accepts being treated abominably through the entire book by a hero that doesn’t give any indication he sees a reason to change. There is a danger when writing a hero of making them over-the-top alpha's and so disagreeable that the reader will wonder what kind of “happily ever after” these people are actually going to get. And although it doesn’t speak well of the heroine for accepting or excusing his behavior, presumably for the same reason as above—because she wants him, I tend to lose respect for them both.

No, I’m not anti-alpha hero. I love them as characters and there’s an alpha male on practically every book cover on my shelves and in my e-reader. What can I say; I’m a sucker for a ruggedly handsome face and a muscular bare chest. Throw in a five o’clock shadow and some dark eyes and you’ll get me to the blurb and probably whatever excerpt is available. All of this may get me to buy the book but a TSTL hero/heroine between its covers will get said book deleted or thrown into the donation pile quicker than you can say, “five o’clock shadow”.

A very smart critique partner once told me that as long as my character’s actions were believably motivated the reader would sympathize and even identify with that character. If I had an alpha who was stoic and brusque, I’d better show him casting longing gazes at the heroine and give him a background that explained his churlish behavior (I was writing historical romance at the time). Then I’d better show him struggling to change/grow. In other words, I could make the hero as rough as I wanted, but if I didn’t show his vulnerability and connect it to why he behaved the way he did, the reader wouldn’t believe his actions when he finally revealed his true feelings for the heroine.

How about you? What do you think would make a hero TSTL?

Until next month,

Paris

http://parisbrandon.com

Cross My Heart-NOR Top Pick

Head Over Heels-2^nd Place –Passionate Plume-Novella

Assassin’s Kiss—4 Stars Romantic Times Review