~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Top Ten Shape Shifters Plus One
Linda, thanks for hosting us on your blog. We’re going to talk about shape shifting today, a paranormal element we consider pretty cool.
If you Google shape shifters you might come up with a list similar to this:
1. Werewolves
2. Vampires
3. Selkies
4. Skinwalkers
5. Kitsune
6. Leshy
7. Berserkers
8. Púca
9. Wendigo
10. Encantado
We are not going to say anything about werewolves and vampires because most know what these are capable of doing. However, you might not know much about the others on the list.
Selkies are found in Faroese, Icelandic, Irish, and Scottish mythology. They have the ability to transform themselves from seal to human form by shedding their seal skin. Mermaids have their basis in the selkie shape shifter lore. Selkies, male and female, are extremely beautiful when in human form. If you hide a selkie’s seal skin they are forced to remain human.
Skinwalkers are Navajo shape shifters who have broken tribal taboos in order to obtain the magical ability to shape shift. They are most frequently seen as a coyote, wolf, fox, eagle, owl, or crow, but they also have the ability to assume the form of any animal they choose. Additional powers include the ability to steal the face of a person, and absorb themselves into your body if you lock eyes with them, read human thoughts, and make any human or animal noise they choose.
Kitsunes are intelligent, magical Japanese foxes, with nine tails, who can assume human form. Tricksters, they have the ability to clone the appearance of an individual, but they prefer the shape of a beautiful woman, young girl, or elderly man. Able to manifest themselves in people’s dreams, they create elaborate illusions that can be perceived as reality. Additional kitsune powers include flying, invisibility, the power to generate fire or lightning, bending time and space, and driving people mad.
The Leshy is a Slavic, mythological, male woodland spirit, who is a protector of wild animals and the forests. They usually appear as tall men with pale white skin and dark green glowing eyes, but can shape shift into any animal or plant. They are mischievous, but not always evil, and enjoy misguiding humans and kidnapping young women.
Berserkers are human Norse warriors, with the ability to transform, via a trance-like fury, into wolves, bears, and wild bulls. This transformation enables the men to fight with incredible strength and endurance. In order to make the full transformation they wear the pelts of bears and wolves into battle.
The púca is one of the more friendly shape shifters. They don’t eat you, kill you, or kidnap you. They do, however, like riddles, playing pranks, and confusing and scaring humans. This Celtic fairy is capable of assuming animal forms, the most common a black horse with a flowing mane and luminescent orange eyes. No matter what form they take they are capable of human speech. If treated nicely, they will help humans.
Watch out for the Wendigo. Malevolent, cannibalistic creatures, Wendigos are associated with the winter, the north, and coldness. Cannibalism transforms humans into Wendigos. Gluttonous, greedy, and prone to excessiveness, they are never satisfied with a one-person meal and are constantly searching for new victims. When humans become Wendigos, they will grow considerably in size.
An encantado is a seductive Brazilian shape shifter, who loves parties and is very musical. They have the ability to shift from their freshwater dolphin or sea snake shapes into human form. Magical abilities include the power to control storms, haunt humans, and various mind control techniques used to inflict illness, insanity, and even death. They are also known for kidnapping humans.
The Google search has missed one form of shape shifters and those are the ones that appear in our series, The Turning Stone Chronicles. When we created our shape shifters we wanted something a bit different than the ordinary werewolf and not quite as malevolent as some of the shifters mentioned above. So, using the theory that all of us have three states of personality: Id, Ego, and Super-ego, we created our shifters with the ability to shift to multiple forms.
For purposes of our world, we’ve translated the Id to be the shifter’s normal persona or ego. Their alter-ego is the opposite of the ego. If the shifter is male then his alter-ego is female and vice versa. Not wanting to completely ignore the animal side, we made the shifter’s super-ego, the animal nature of the person. Interestingly, new shifters don’t know what their animal ego is until they become skilled shifters. Sometimes this shift comes as a surprise to the person, which can make for interesting scenes.
Another different aspect of our shifters is the mimic shift. They can look at a person or picture and mimic that look. But watch out! You have to be careful what you do as a mimicked shifter. There are consequences if you do something evil.
Here’s a peek, from our newest book, Blood Brothers, at one of the rogue shifters getting ready to do something bad:
Outside University Hospital Sylvia waited, watching for a nurse to mimic shift into so she could get into the building undetected. A blonde, about her height, wearing green scrubs-the same color as the ones she wore-crossed in front of her and headed for the parking lot. Sylvia slipped her coat hood over her head, turned toward the building wall, and shifted. As the last tingle of muscles and cells reforming subsided, she stepped sideways, dropped her hood, and moved to the building window. Strands of blond hair lifted off her shoulders in the breeze and a pair of blue eyes stared back at her. Her own mother wouldn’t know her. Satisfied with her disguise, she headed inside.
“Back already?” one of the nurses at the registration desk asked as she came in the door.
Smiling, Sylvia nodded. The phone rang and the nurse answered, her attention diverted. Sylvia slipped behind the desk and flipped through the patient list for Alexi’s name. Room 352. She dropped the list and headed for the elevator.
Title – Blood Brothers, The Turning Stone Chronicles
Author – C.D. Hersh
Genre – Paranormal Suspense Romance
Heat Level - Sensual
Release Date: October 29, 2014
Blurb:
When Delaney Ramsey is enlisted to help train two of the most powerful shape shifters the Turning Stone Society has seen in thousands of years, she suspects one of them is responsible for the disappearance of her daughter. To complicate matters, the man has a secret that could destroy them all. Bound by honor to protect the suspect, Delaney must prove his guilt without losing her life to his terrible powers or revealing to the police captain she’s falling for that she’s a shape shifter with more than one agenda.
The minute Captain Williams lays eyes on Delaney Ramsey, he knows she’s trouble. Uncooperative, secretive, and sexy, he can’t get her out of his mind. When he discovers she has a personal agenda for sifting through all the criminal records in his precinct, and secretly investigating his best detective, he can’t let her out of his sight. He must find out what she’s looking for before she does something illegal. If she steps over the line, he’s not certain he can look the other way for the sake of love.
Hook:
Shape shifter Delaney Ramsey’s daughter is missing, and she is bound by honor to protect the man she suspects of the deed. To bring him to justice, she must go against her code, the leader of the secret shifter society, and the police captain she is falling for.
Links:
Amazon buy link for The Promised One (The Turning Stone Chronicles): http://t.co/yW59QqvkLh
Amazon buy link for Blood Brothers (The Turning Stone Chronicles): Will get to you as soon as available.
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CDHersh
Bio:
Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They’ve written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s. As high school sweethearts and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after.
Together they have co-authored a number of dramas, six which have been produced in Ohio, where they live. Their interactive Christmas production had five seasonal runs in their hometown and has been sold in Virginia, California, and Ohio. Their most recent collaborative writing efforts have been focused on romance. The first book of their paranormal romance series entitled The Promised One (The Turning Stone Chronicles) is available on Amazon. The second book in the series Blood Brothers is coming October 29, 2014 from Soul Mate Publishing.
Where you can find CD:
Website: http://cdhersh.wordpress.com/
Soul Mate Publishing: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cdhershauthor
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/C.-D.-Hersh/e/B00DV5L7ZI
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCDHersh
The Turning Stone Chronicles—The Promised One
In the wrong hands, the Turning Stone ring is a powerful weapon for evil. So, when homicide detective Alexi Jordan discovers her secret society mentor has been murdered and his magic ring stolen, she is forced to use her shape-shifting powers to catch the killer. By doing so, she risks the two most important things in her life—her badge and the man she loves.
Rhys Temple always knew his fiery cop partner and would-be-girlfriend, Alexi Jordan, had a few secrets. He considers that part of her charm. But when she changes into a man, he doesn’t find that as charming. He’ll keep her secret to keep her safe, but he’s not certain he can keep up a relationship—professional or personal.
Danny Shaw needs cash for the elaborate wedding his fiancée has planned, so he goes on a mugging spree. But when he kills a member of the secret society of Turning Stones, and steals a magic ring that gives him the power to shape shift, Shaw gets more than he bargained for.
Hook:
When homicide detective Alexi Jordan is forced to use her shape shifting powers to catch a paranormal killer, she risks the two most important things in her life—her badge and the man she loves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lynda Again --
Hope you've enjoyed our guest today. Please click on the Google (g+) button to help spread the word and leave a comment to let them know. Remember, if you're a member of my newsletter, you'll get the latest news on my books along with the newsletter. Sign up. It's free!
Have a Blessed day!
Contact me
Website: http://www.lyndakscott.com.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/LyndaKScott
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lynda-K-Scott/201599553208653
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/lyndakscott
Post a Comment
Post a Comment