Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Writer's Wednesday--Shapeshifters!

What is it that so attracts us to shapeshifters?

Wolves, panthers, dragons, bears and more. They all fascinate us. Or at least they fascinate me, and if the number of shapeshifter books on the shelf at the local bookstore and available on-line are any indication, I'm not the only one.

Romance is filled with alpha males, but shapeshifters offer us that and much more. They are not constrained by the laws of "civilization". That doesn't mean they don't have a moral code of their own. They do and it's usually quite strict, but it is different from the norm. With shapeshifters the law of the jungle reigns supreme!

Tough, exciting and dangerous, we are drawn to these alpha males. These men are often loners who exist outside of society. Or if they are part of a larger community, then that community is usually under some kind of threat from encroaching humans or another evil force. Either way, we can't resist them.

Many times they'll hide their better qualities under a gruff exterior, but the heroine knows just how to reach him. And that's one of the reasons we love the shapeshifter--macho male animal that he is, he's protective and loving once he's claimed a female as his own. And woe the person who keeps them apart or threatens his mate.

There is something exciting about that.

I dabbled with a shapeshifter in Drakon's Treasure and I absolutely loved doing it. The boundaries get pushed aside and you get a chance to discover the man beneath the beast. I definitely plan to do it again!

What do you think about shapeshifters? Do you have a favorite?

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