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Sunday, May 17, 2015

BLOOD, BOOBS, CARNAGE, AND MERCY THOMPSON


Alex Cavanaugh & Heather Gardner have a blogfest:



{SHIFTING SHADOWS cover by Dan dos Santos}


SHIFTING SHADOWS is a collection of short stories in the Mercy Thompson universe:

the modern world as if the beings of the Brothers Grimm existed unknown to civilized Man.

Mercy is a Volkswagon mechanic, the daughter of a Blackfeet Indian and a white teenage mother.

 She is a "Walker" (a Native American shapeshifter not linked to the moon) who turns into a coyote, a gift she inherited from her father.

A rodeo man, he died a few days after consummating his relationship with her mother.

One day, not too long after Mercy was born, her mother went to her crib only to find a small coyote pup in her place.

Afraid and unsure how to raise her, her mother took her to the only place she knew was capable—

friends of an uncle, who had been a werewolf.

This is how Mercy came to be raised with the pack of Bran, the Marrok of the werewolves.


Now, she is on her own in the Pacific Northwest. 

The local vampire seethe collects protection money from the non-humans in their city. 

Mercy has no money, so she repairs the car of one of the vampires, Stefan ( the Soldier, born in Renaissance Italy) --

whose van is painted like Scooby-Doo's Mystery Machine.

She falls in love with the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, whose members detest her as a coyote. 

She is paying monthly payments to the Dark Smith of Fae legend whose shop is now hers.

Her keen sense of smell allows her to pierce Fae glamour -- an act punishable by death from the fae should they learn of it.

After a life of staying to herself,
Mercy finds herself coming to the aid of supernatural outcasts,
though her strength is but that of a human's.

But be you Uber-Vampire, Faerie Queen, River Demon, rogue government agent, or volcanic elemental,

you hurt those she loves at your peril. 

Mercy will keep on coming as long as there is breath in her body and gambits in her sharp mind.

MOON-CALLED is her first book.





Oh, and to make her life complete ...
Mercy's just learned her rodeo rider father was actually ...
Coyote, the Trickster.

***

"Mine," growled Adam from the open door of my mechanic shop.

"Mine," rasped Mac, his eyes the yellow of the change, his arms wrapped tight around my waist.

It would have been flattering, but at least one of them was talking about lunch.
 
***
 

43 comments:

  1. I read, and enjoyed, Moon-Called. I will have to explore further. Thank you.

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  2. Elephant's Child:
    The tales become more nuanced, the world more indepth, and Mercy learns more about her past. I think you will like the further books. Mercy is a fascinating character whose wounds make her stronger ... after a season of hurting. :-)

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  3. R. Mac:
    Do yourself a favor, and look up all the covers of Mercy Thompson's books. It was the cover to MOON-CALLED that first attracted me to the series. I have the hardcover of it autographed. I am such a kid! :-)

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  4. This sounds like a wonderfully complex story, and the cover is stunning (I can see why guys will especially like it), so I'll check it out.

    Love the name of this blogfest--truth in advertising!

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  5. My hubby has downloaded this, so I will now be giving it a go.

    I'm LOVING this Blogfest!

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  6. Shifts into a coyote - nice!
    Thanks for participating in our blogfest.

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  7. Both the book and the new series look good. I'll have to check them out.

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  8. Me again. Just downloaded the virtual pet cat featured on your site. Now how do I concentrate on blogging?

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  9. I can dig it, it's a story I have heard in the DC world... those are glorious cover art.

    Jeremy [THE WOLF]
    Howlin' Wolf Records: On-Line Magazine

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  10. Sounds like an interesting character with a long story life.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Road trippin' with A to Z
    Tossing It Out

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  11. Boo premise sounds very interesting. And I love Penny Dreadful... we don't have Showtime, so I need to binge when we get the free week, but it keeps tempting me to just pay for the channel.

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  12. Having 24 of the last 48 hours, I slept half the day away!

    Helena:
    It is certainly a 3 dimensional world: one adventure will dwell mostly on one aspect of it with the others intruding occasionally. Another adventure will have poor Mercy trying to deal with government, vampiric, and fae threats at the same time: a supernatural Queen of the Hill so to speak! And when her husband's manipulative ex-wife steps in to try and wrest Adam from Mercy -- well, it is fun ... for the reader.

    Dajft Scot Lass:
    I do think you'll enjoy Mercy's world: it has layers -- and Mercy tends to rescue herself and even the men in her life! She is a female Ulysses in a world of stronger enemies, though sometimes she must bear witness to horrific evil (she always get the scales balanced though!)

    Alex:
    When you are a wee coyote in a world of werewolves, vampires, and faerie queens, you have to outwit your way out of death-traps ... though having studied martial arts all her life does help!

    Having Coyote the Trickster as a father not so much: to determine the length of a river devil, he pushed poor Mercy into said river and watched!

    Teresa:
    Mercy is a Christian who will not wear a cross (she will not bear an instrument of death and torture on her neck). She wears a lamb pendant around her neck (surrounded by disapproving werewolves and wearing a lamb around your neck is shouting you are prey!) But it did catch the Empress of the Seattle vampires by surprise when it burned her due to Mercy's faith! Live by your wits, remember?

    Tamara:
    I love my virtual pet cat: originally he was called Maukie! Good to see you here!

    Jeremy:
    Mercy has comics and graphic novels of her adventures, too!

    Arlee:
    Her world just keeps getting more interesting. There is a Grey Council ruling the faes. Mercy has helped them, nearly dying each time. The Fae are not notorious for their gratitude ... and they have just now declared war on humans!

    Hart:
    Rainierland was a site you could watch PENNY DREADFUL for free. I do not know if it is still up. I love the audio books of Mercy Thompson ... oh, and there is another series by Patricia about the enforcer son of Bran and his new wife who is an Omega wolf, who calms the wolves around her.

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  13. I wish I wish I wish I could read urban fantasy like this.... written by a Native American author. Every time I see something that sounds good I check... but it's usually a white person appropriating culture. I am not trying to rip on books I have not read, they actually sounds really cool. But as someone from a culture that is regularly associated with vampires and co-opted for fantasy, it still bugs me somehow.
    The artwork is gorgeous!
    Cheers through the blogfest :)

    @TarkabarkaHolgy from
    Multicolored Diary
    MopDog

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  14. TarkabarkaHolgy:
    My mother was half-Lakota, making me only part Lakota and raised far from the reservation. She tried her best to teach me what she remembered of the good parts of what she saw of Lakota life.

    She was also half-Irish and tried to do the same with Celtic stories told her as a child.

    I do not try to pass myself off as anything but a human trying to spin enjoyable tales. Hibbs, the cub with no clue. The Bear With Two Shadows. The Last Shaman, Return of the Last Shaman are done as a respectful tribute to the tales told me by a mother who loved me with all her heart and mourned our isolated social status.

    Due to my mixed heritage, I have never fit in so I am not surprised that I and my fantasies are being shunned. :-(

    Isn't the artwork gorgeous? Good of you to visit and share of your spirit. :-)

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    Replies
    1. Oh, Zalka, I would gladly send you my small Chrildren's Book: Hibbs, the Cub With No Clue, that taps into all the world's mythologies. :-) If you can listen to Audible Audio Books, I would send you the audio version of it.

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    2. I don't have Audible, but shoot me an email at csenge att zalkacsenge dot hu and we'll figure it out! I'm curious :)

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  15. Sure sounds like a world with plenty of gas in the tank and exploration. That artwork is awesome

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  16. Pat:
    Yes, each cover is truly beautiful. The faes went public right before the first novel and are kept on reservations like Native Americans ... but they are Trojan Horses, really means to re-establish the magic they lost with the coming of iron and steel. The vampires are still existing in secret and long for the time when they fed when they would. Witches exist, mostly evil ones as the good ones are killed by the Dark to boost their power. Werewolves are secret at the beginning of the tales and then come out so to speak.

    And in the middle of all this deadly chaos is one lone coyote shifter, trying to keep a whole hide and those she loves safe from the madness.

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  17. Mercy Thompson sounds amazing. I am really intrigued by the premise and that is a provocative cover--in the best way. Excellent choice for the bloghop!

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  18. Shell Flower:
    The audio books to which I listen while I am on my long rare blood runs are riveting, too. :-) Isn't that a great cover, attractive without being too garish. Thanks for visiting. I've missed you. :-)

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  19. The Mercy series is one of my favorites! Mercy is unique in the world of urban fantasy heroines. Fantastic choice, Roland! :)

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  20. I might pick this up sometime. I have not been impressed with new Urban Fantasy authors lately. Patricia Briggs may be a good starting point.

    Penny Dreadful sure looks good though.

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  21. Christine:
    Finally! I've found another fan! Good to know that you are one. :-)

    Donna:
    Patricia Briggs, besides Jim Butcher, is the only urban fantasy author I am fond of. She also writes a related series set in the same universe: the Alpha and Omega series ... it makes me feel not quite so alone in writing of different heroes in the same universe. :-)

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  22. Sounds like an interesting book. I've always been a fan of Aboriginal myths and legends. Lots of fodder for great stories there.

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  23. J.H.:
    A fan of aboriginal myths and legends? Then, you may enjoy the audio book I sent you of HIBBS, THE CUB WITH NO CLUE, based in part on the Lakota and Celtic teaching tales. :-) Mercy Thompson's adventures are absorbing.

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  24. I enjoy both her series. She also wrote a one-off high fantasy type book (I think it was her) that I enjoyed, but she never wrote anymore in that world. Too bad. Have you heard of the Jane Yellowrock series? I think that's it. She's also a shifter (Native, not moon-related). I can't remember the author's name off the top of my head, though.

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  25. Shannon:
    I haven't heard of the Jane Yellowrock series; I will have to look it up. :-) Patricia seems to have found two series and a world she likes to write about and that sells -- there is only so much time to write -- I guess the other series just lost out.

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  26. I love Mercy! It's my favorite urban fiction series! I'm not exactly caught up, but I hope to read the next one soon.

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    Replies
    1. You won't be disappointed. Yay! I have found another Mercy fan.

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  27. Replies
    1. MOON-CALLED is the first book. It is a good one and the adventures only get better. I think you would enjoy the ride. :-)

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  28. Wow, that sounds like quite the story! Sounds a bit complicated. But having the ability to turn into a dog is tops in my book! :)
    Michele at Angels Bark

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    Replies
    1. "Coyote not dog" is what Mercy would growl softly. :-) And her "father," Coyote the Trickster, might have a Loki-style revenge on you, too. Loki is a Trickster, also, you know! :-)

      Mercy's world is richly detailed, making for no end of storylines to her days.

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  29. I read the first 4 or 5 in the series, then I moved away from it. I really liked her character. Great choice.
    THANK YOU for joining Alex and me in this EPIC blogfest!
    Heather M. Gardner

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    Replies
    1. I was glad to join in this blogfest! It was fun. The last Mercy was a bit odd: her against a volcano entity -- she dies and learns what it means to be a daughter of Coyote ... and she discovers her half-brother!

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  30. Great choices for the BB&C hop!
    Thanks for visiting me.

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  31. THANK you for the Native American heroine! Also? how does one respond when one finds a puppy in the baby's crib?

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    Replies
    1. I think Mercy's mother is a feisty spirit ... but even she freaked ... hence leaving her newborn with a werewolf pack! Thanks for visiting my own blog! :-)

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  32. Thanks for writing this informative content, keep sharing.

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