Teresa D'Amario | Why Shape shifters?

Hi Everyone! I’m so excited to be here! And many thanks to the folks of Fresh Fiction for inviting me to their blog. I’ve met several of the ladies in person at Celebrate Romance in Columbia, SC, and let me tell you, they are a fun group! CR was my first ever conference, both as a reader and as an author, and I can tell you I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Rubbing elbows with some of my favorite authors, and getting to know the folks who love to read! What could be better?

It was a wonderful experience, and one I shall always remember. I only wish I could make it to RWA or to RT this year, but sadly I will be unable to join all the wonderful authors and readers at those two. So instead, I thought I’d introduce myself here at Fresh Fiction and answer the one important question I seem to get.

“Why Shape shifters?”

Paranormal romance in general constitutes so many different types of creatures. There’s the vampires we all know and love. The demons we are just learning to have love affairs with, the selkies, the faeries, and even more. So what makes the shape shifter so different?

First, we have to look at ancient lore. For hundreds of years we’ve heard of the werewolves. Creatures of the night who lose control of their bodies at the full moon and run rampant on the unsuspecting souls of the local communities. In ancient times they were believed to be controlled by witches. In fact, documents from the middle ages don’t doubt the existence of werewolves, but instead debates how they came to be controlled by witches.

An interesting concept.

And so the werewolf has haunted our imaginations for more generations than most of us can guess. But why is it suddenly so romantic? So sexy? What is it about this creature that pulls at our imaginations?

First, let me say that while my first book is about wolf shifters, I love the idea of all animals being shifters. For instance, my next work is about a Tiger. Now that has been really fun to write. Lions, tigers, bears, wolves, you name it. The powerful and the strong.

But that still doesn’t answer the question. For me, though, the answer is simple. It’s Instinct.

When we read contemporary romance, the human male is handsome and sexy, and oh so masculine. He’s either funny or serious, but he’s everything a woman ever wanted in a husband. And he’s politically correct.

That’s right ladies. A man can only be so masculine before our natural instincts kick in and say “ewww” if he gets too aggressive. We don’t want a real alpha male. Now a fictitious one? Maybe.

In walks the vampire. He’s oh so handsome, and has lived for hundreds of years. He’s so strong he can lift an ox single handedly. He is cold and calculating, yet when he gives his heart, whether it beats or is still as death, he gives it all. He’s everything we Dark Shadows fans longed for when we met Barabus Collins. The damaged soul that only the heroine can repair.

But the shifter, he’s different. He’s powerful and strong, like his vampire friends, but he has something they do not. Pure animal instinct. He doesn’t worry if his vampire buddies thinks he oversteps his bounds. Oh no. When he wants something he takes it. Whether that something be the pack or family, or if it’s the future mate. He respects power and strength and that calls to us ladies as well. But who wants a mate who’s always powerful and strong and we’re mere weaklings in his mind? That’s not a problem with shape shifters. The animal instinct inside him drives him to respect the feminine, to respect her strength and intelligence. He longs for the woman who can handle what he has to offer, and can give what he wants to take.

He steps in to protect when he is needed, is possessive of his chosen mate, and his sexual appetite, well…. Ladies, you have to read the book to find that out, but I promise you, he delivers, whether he’s a tiger, a panther, a leopard or a wolf.

So the next time you’re off looking for good reading material, and want to rely on the hot, powerful animal instincts, check out your local shape shifter author. I bet she’s got something for you, whether it be the cat, the wolf, or even the dragon. You’ll find the perfect author to your taste!

Teresa D'Amario

teresadamario.com