Don’t Mind Me – I’m Just the Writer

by Joy Lynn Fielding

A year ago, I was asked if there were any genres I wouldn’t write.  I opened my mouth to say “Paranormal”, but before the words escaped, I thought better of it.  I didn’t want to hold myself hostage to fortune even though I knew I’d never write paranormal.

So how is it that, a year later, I’m five books into a paranormal series?  All I know is that I was in the shower one day and this shifter pack came to life in my head.  I wasn’t even thinking about shifters, just musing on the fact I needed to buy more shower gel before too much longer, and there they were – most of them fully formed, and each with a story to tell.

The Elk Ridge pack has turned out to be a rowdy, demanding bunch.  I suspect part of that is generic to shifters, as one of the things that Dave notes in Riding the Whirlwind is how shifters tend to buy into a macho culture.  His theory is that it’s because the territorial nature in their wolves is never far from the surface.  I agree with him, but would also add in the whole alpha concept, with its veneration of power.  As well as being rowdy and assertive, this lot also love the limelight.  I’ll be writing another character’s story and, before I know it, half of them have turned up in cameo appearances.

I mentioned that they’re demanding – Riding the Whirlwind is a direct result of that. When I started the series, I didn’t intend to write this book. I knew roughly what happened between Christian and Dave in their trip to New Mexico and thought I could cover it in a few lines in the last book. Big mistake. Christian was adamant that if everyone else was getting their own book, he needed one too.

Despite getting his own way, the stubborn cuss proved to be my most difficult character to date to write. I think it’s because he and I are so different in temperament – he’s short-tempered, aggressive, and confrontational. But no matter how much I wanted to wring his neck at times, he was right – he and Dave did need to tell their story. Had I stuck with my original plan of summarising the contents of the book in a few lines, they wouldn’t have reached the same emotional outcome they do when we actually see them go through the events. I also discovered things about them I didn’t know before I started it, like Christian’s less than flattering views on Canadian whiskey and quite how deep Dave’s mystical beliefs go.

Don’t tell any of them I said this, but it seems that sometimes the characters do know best!

About Riding the Whirlwind

Five years undone in just five days. 

Dave Mitchell and Christian Taylor are on a mission from their alpha—to discover what happened to a pack of Argent shifters thirteen years ago. Away from their pack and out of their usual routine, they find underlying tensions in their relationship coming to the surface. 

When their investigation leads them to the resident pack, Christian seeks respite from his demons by throwing himself eagerly into the cage-fighting ring the pack runs. He knows Dave hates him to fight, but he also knows Dave will understand. Dave always understands. 

But when Dave meets a kindred spirit among the pack members, all Christian’s certainties come crashing down around him. It becomes clear that their relationship might not survive this. And when things between them reach crisis point and the local pack gets involved, it may prove to be the death of more than just their relationship.

Available at: Siren Bookstrand, Amazon & Kobo

About Joy Lynn Fielding

Joy Lynn Fielding is a sucker for happy endings. She believes, however, that if characters don’t suffer along the way, they won’t fully appreciate being happy. Not all of her characters thank her for this viewpoint, but what do they know?

Joy lives in a small English market town, but also inhabits a number of fictional worlds at any one time, reflecting what she’s writing and what she’s reading. She has a tendency to share enthusiastically the latest fascinating facts she’s stumbled across in her research for books with anyone who will listen. Thankfully she has a very patient Labrador, who has a gift for looking as though he’s interested in what she’s saying while he waits for the food to arrive.

You can find out more about Joy on her Blog or Facebook.

Joy is giving away an eBook copy of Riding the Whirlwind to one luck winner! The giveaway starts now and ends September 3, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. To enter, just click the link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway, except to verify your Rafflecopter entry.

Don’t forget to check out Nikyta’s review of Riding the Whirlwind to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!