‘Shifter’ Shifted

 
I told the world that ‘Shifter‘, the third book in The Were Chronicles, would be out in November.
Alas, it wasn’t.
 
But don’t despair, my publisher assures me it will be available shortly — well in time for Christmas for anyone needing a gift for a loved one.
 
 
In the meantime, if you haven’t read the first two books in the series, ‘Random’ and ‘Wolf’, you can grab them now. HERE and HERE

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
For those new to The Were Chronicles, it is a world in which Weres live in an uneasy alliance with normals, living lives of not quite quiet desperation. They are tolerated, but face constant discrimination and bullying. They are carefully regulated, forced to live in isolation or even imprisonment during their Turns, and forced to carry identity cards stamped with a dehumanizing paw print.
The tensions between the two groups constantly threatens to erupt into open warfare.
And in ‘Shifter‘ .. well, …..
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Writing a story, building a world
To write a story or build a world, you need answers to some fundamental questions: i.e. Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How
When I started writing the Were Chronicles, one of the things I wanted to explore was the basis, and the mechanics, of being Were.
In other words, the How of Were kind.
Sure, they were by definition creatures which shift into animal form. That was a given; that had always been a given. But why did they Turn, and HOW?
My educational background was perfect for thinking about this. So back I went to the field in which I hold an MSc degree, Molecular Biology.
I sat down and worked it all out. The basic genetics that differentiate the Were from their non-shifting human kindred. With a lot of creative license, of course.
Read it all HERE
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OK, OK, I’m a bit late
In honor of Thanksgiving, Buzzfeed asked some writers to tell them about the book they’re most thankful for.
What I am thankful for are WORDS. All of them. Even those in books I ended up not finishing because the order of the words rubbed me the wrong way in some manner. I still remain grateful for all of them, for the fact that they exist.
There is no single BOOK.
Or more accurately there are legions of them. I am grateful to all sorts of books for all sorts of reasons. I could write a book on the subject.
But other authors did as Buzzfeed asked and picked one book. For example:
David Livingston / Getty Images — Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
Why R. L. Stine is thankful for Dandelion Wine: “Beautiful writing, poetry on every page, and an amazing depiction of a wonderful world of childhood that probably never really existed.”
R. L. Stine is the bestselling author of more than three hundred books, including the phenomenally bestselling Goosebumps series.
Read all the author’s choices HERE
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“The first time I dated a girl who was a profound reader,” Joshua Fechter writes at Lifehack, “something happened, and it was beautiful. I realized there were girls who finally understood me and I understood them.”
­­­19 Things Only People Dating A Girl Who Reads Would Know
I can particularly relate to
17. She gets upset when people don’t know her favorite book
When the man I married first started wooing me over the Internet, I sent him one of my favorite books, ‘Corelli’s Mandolin’, by Louis de Bernieres. He insists he thought it was a litmus test and worried that if he didn’t like it, he would be history.
I’m admitting nothing, but let’s just say that it was fortunate that he did. 🙂
Read all 19 things HERE
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Quote of the DayEvery author’s fear.
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Alma Alexander      My books       Email me
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