Why I Am A Team Werewolf

Hey all,

Sorry I haven't been around too much. My internet is down--I'm assuming due to the problems going on over here. I had someone else put this up for me so forgive me if it isn't as CJ like as usual.  Not sure when things will be back to normal, hopefully soon.

Today's guest blogger is Eva Gordon, another fellow Truly Madly Deeply Romance Author.  Here's a little bit more about her.

She has a BS in Zoology and graduate studies in Biology and has taught high school Biology, Environmental Science and Anatomy/Physiology. Her background in science and passion for wildlife biology adds credibility to her writings.  She also moonlights as a faculty member of the Grey School of Wizardry, an online school for kids and adults interested in magic and lore.  A member of Romance Writers of America, she has also taught workshops on wolf lore and falconry for writer groups.  She has volunteered at a wolf sanctuary and is involved in other aspects of wildlife education. 

 

She is a world traveler and loves visiting the places where her novels take place. She lives in Northern California with her husband and family. 

Sounds great, right?  So lets see what Eva has for us today!  Welcome, Wolf Maiden!  :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

My blog is about why I am team werewolf when I chose to create my paranormal romance lycan series, The Wolf Maiden Chronicles. My passion for wildlife, especially wolf biology (my degrees are in Zoology and Biology) and my love of mythology was like the mixing of chocolate and peanut butter to create the Reeses Peanut Cup. I had to combine my two great loves. The call of the wild meets romance. Why the wolf? That was easy. The wolf is one of my totem guides and in fact has been the totem guide for numerous cultures. Nothing sends a chill down your spine more than hearing a wolf’s howl in the night. 

While at a wolf sanctuary, I spent the night in a trailer on the grounds and was privileged to hear night after night of thirty wolves in their nightly serenade. No sound is more awesome. Wolves have traits we admire. They are powerful predators, with complex social behavior, and what appeals to most romantic readers, wolves are monogamous. In reality wolves have a low hunting success rate and the average wolf is the size of a German Shepherd so I made my lycan wolves huge, the size of bears with cool tribal tattoos. The Beast of Gevaudan legend of 1764 of Southern France spoke of such a large wolf creature/werewolf said to be the size of a bull. I knew then that my lycan had to be larger than the average wolf.

I studied myths about wolves from around the globe. In Native American culture the wolf is an important archetype. They had great respect for the wolf and often offered prayers before a hunt to the wolf spirit. Wolf spirit was also powerful medicine for shamans who traveled to the world of the dead. In Europe just as in the New World, myths and stories about wolves are universal. Early Europeans Respected the Wolf as Protector and Teacher. From the Steppes of Asia Minor to the British Isles the Wolf was mighty totemic protector. Hecate, an Ancient Greek deity was worshipped as a goddess with three wolf heads. Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus who were fed by the she-wolf, Alcala/Lupa.

In Ireland, King Cormac was nursed by a she-wolf. Myths about heroes being suckled or raised by wolves are ubiquitous and would take too much space for this blog. In the Viking world to be a member of the Wolf Clan, Ulfhednar was the greatest honor. Viking warriors believed that if they died a heroic death they would be turned into magnificent wolves. Vikings also believed wolves chasing and devouring the sun and moon caused eclipses. Two wolves accompanied Odin, ruler of the Norse Gods. He created the wolves Freki (Hungry One) and Geri (Greedy One) as loyal companions. 

Many of these wolfish tales were actually werewolf stories. As Europe went from hunter/gather to a agricultural land grabbing cultures the wolf was no longer seen as friend but rather foe. Tales of ravenous wolves haunted the land. From Lycaon being turned into a werewolf by Zeus to Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf became the new evildoer. Werewolves roamed looking for human prey. There are numerous accounts of werewolves devouring people. And so many ways to become a werewolf, from wearing a wolf pelt, from a curse, drinking from a specific water hole or the classic bitten by a wolf and influenced by the full moon. I then I began to see history through the eyes of a werewolf. What if werewolves were real? Mine would be genetic and super powerful. If they were, they would need to keep themselves secret. Thus my creation of my werewolf universe, in The Wolf Maiden Chronicles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Eva says, wolves are powerfully romantic characters.  Lucas, my hot hunky werewolf in The Peacekeeper series is one of my favorites.  He's strong, totally alpha, but sensitive, moody and with a temper that would scare the most frightening demon.  I love using wolves in my books and while a wolf isn't my personal totem--mine is a hawk--I am drawn to them because of their beauty, mystery and serenity.  Eva's books are well written and have that touch of realism from her studies that shows she knows what she's about.

And you have to admit she looks great in a Red Riding Hood outfit!  The pic at the beginning of the blog is of Eva and her handsome--if you like them hairy--husband. LOL   Let her know what you think in the comments below.

For more about Eva, check out her blog http://evagordon.blogspot.com where on each full moon she interviews a famous werewolf and like creature or person. This month she plans to interview Little Red Riding Hood and she welcome comments about the new movie, Red Riding Hood. Go take a peek at her trailer on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UMtDFJB7kE Explore her other books on http://www.ravenauthor.com

Become a fan on Face Book http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eva-Gordon/45924449313

Hopefully, I'll be back on Monday with more fun chats.  It depends on if they get the internet dealt with and I can find somewhere to hole up and get all my work done.  But if you don't see me, don't worry.  I haven't been taken by wolves *vbg*.  At least, not yet, damn the luck!  LOL

Hugs to all,


CJ England

Follow Your Dreams
http://cjengland.com/secondchances/lifesadance.htm
http://cjengland.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/