Tuesday, May 20, 2008

A Babe With Bite

I think that by now even casual readers of this blog know that I write werewolves. Big, sexy, Scottish werewolves. And really, that said, isn't the reason why I write them pretty self-explanatory? But what you may not know is that with the release of Dark Highland Fire in October, which is the sequel to Call of the Highland Moon, there are a host of other creatures from the Drakkyn otherworld that begin to reveal themselves. And one of them, I'm happy to say, is my heroine, Rowan an Morgaine.

Rowan is one of the nine daughters of the dyana of the Drakkyn Tribe of the Goddess, the Dyadd Morgaine. And yeah, she totally looks like that picture! The Dyadd is a purely matriarchal tribe, a nomadic group of powerful demigoddesses directly descended from the goddess Morgaine who roam the vast forests of their home world of Coracin. The dyana herself traditionally does not marry, instead loving freely and bearing children by numerous fathers. So, each of her daughters is singular in both looks and ability, though most never know who sired them. It just isn't important in their society. But all are legendarily beautiful, and the non-magic villagers come in droves when the Dyadd passes through to beg favors of the dyana and to join in the whirlwind celebrations that her people are famous for. And the men also come in the hopes of being chosen to give sustenance to one of the powerful beauties. Because, apart from all being female, that's the one thing all members of the Dyadd Morgaine share: their magic is dependent on the drinking of blood. Don't mistake them for vampires, though! The fangs are their only real resemblance.

Rowan herself is an outspoken redhead with a sharp tongue and the gift of fire. As in, if you tick her off, she'll throw some at you! She's also being groomed to one day become the dyana. At least, she was, until she attracted the attention of a dragon prince with issues who doesn't seem to understand the word "no." I don't want to reveal too much, but I enjoyed every moment I spent with Rowan...she's a heroine who doesn't really need saving from anyone or anything (at least, not that she'll admit to, though she doesn't mind some help once in a while), but there's still a softness there that allows a certain someone to forgive her for some of the stuff that comes out of her mouth. I love her power, and the joy that she and her kind take in their femininity. It does make it kind of uncomfortable for her brother Bastian, the only male ever born into the tribe, but...well, it sets him up well for his own adventure, which I'm working on now.

I hope the promise of a demigoddess on the run, who you'll meet when she's just about had it with her stripping vampire routine in a skeezy dive in Reno, will get you to open up a copy of Dark Highland Fire this October. Because Gabriel MacInnes, playboy werewolf extraordinaire, has no idea what's about to hit him!

Kendra