The Shifter Chronicles Q&A

Originally posted by ARe Cafe

What inspired you to begin The Shifters series?

I love shape-shifter romances and wanted to try my hand at it. I didn't have a set plan about writing a series until the second or third book, and then I couldn't be stopped! LOL. With this series I wanted to mix all the things I loved into one place: paranormal, supernatural, magic, etc. That's where the "magical" people in the Agency and Knights came from. I didn't want to do just a shape-shifter series but something more. I wanted the element of "secret societies" working underground and fighting a war the average person doesn't know about. I've always liked that premise.

Your series features a nice mix of historically-set stories, contemporary and western. Did you plan to inject so much variety in your series all along, or were you inspired as you wrote?

I was definitely inspired as I wrote. As the series progressed, I started to create new elements that will prove very important as the series near its end. But to do that, I had to jump into the past and show the journey of those important elements (i.e. scrolls). I also wanted to see if I could write historicals. They are certainly not my cup of tea (though I do like to read them now and then), but I think I fared well. Ideas kept populating and I was forced to organize my series into five parts, which made things much easier. That way, I could center on themes, characters, and villains. The first part ("Psychic Moon" through "Master's Blood") is the beginning, or introduction, to the series and the main villain (Arcas). With it, I presented the shape-shifter world, the war between the Agency and Knights, and the few average people who get caught in the middle. Part 2 “Scrolls” features the journey of the ancient scrolls and the lives of the guardians of the scrolls. This is the part that has my main historicals. The rest of the books will be contemporary until Part 5, which is the ending. Since I have about 4-6 books in a part, I will be writing this series for a while. LOL.

What do you find is the biggest challenge in keeping a series fresh for readers?

With this particular series, most of the books deal with a different couple. This makes it harder for me sometimes, but for most readers, they don't feel redundancy or the feeling that the conflicts in the story are being pushed, like they can encounter when the series is about one couple only. Coming up with different storylines can be frustrating, but thankfully, knowing the series arch helped me develop the individual stories, and I can include the needed storylines within a romance setting. Then the challenge becomes balancing the needed series plot elements with the individual romance, giving enough face time to both. That is what betas are for and they are priceless!

Is there a story element not yet featured in a Shifters story that you hope to include (BDSM, menage for example)?

I'm rather limited by my personal experience when it comes to certain story elements, and they mostly center around what I'm interested in myself. I like traveling in my books and researching possible settings for them. I took a chance writing the historical ("Hunted Guardian") and the western ("The Serpent and the Angel") but those had to be written. I also wrote my first menage, Wisdom’s Allegiance, which was a nice difference. At this point, I'm happy with my stories and can't wait to dive into the next one!

What's next for this series?

I’m talking a short hiatus from the series to work on other projects. But never fear! I shall return in a year or two. I have seven books left in the series, and I want to do them justice. I will be diving into the lives of other master shifters (like Nordik) and traveling all over the world. You’ll meet tigers, jaguars, lions, and rhinos! I also want to write a story about the formation of the Agency, along with the resolution to the Odin and Mac’s story. The final book will be Merlin’s story—The Master Shifter of all Shapes. (No, not that Merlin. He just chose the name because it fit him so well—he can shape-shift and use magic. He's far more ancient than King Arthur's Merlin. Really, really, ancient). He’s already featured a couple of times, and his choices thousands of year ago have contributed to the present situation with Arcas, the Agency, and the shifters. I want an epic conclusion, not only for myself but for those people who’ve been with me from the start. I plan on splitting the final book into two parts, Merlin in his youth for the first half and then the present, final battle in the second.

Explanation of series sections:

Part 1: Beginnings (introduces the world along with a few key players who will pop up continually): Psychic Moon, Celtic Warrior and Wolf Spirit, Love is a Whirlwind, Blind Devotion, Hunter and Hunted, Healing Minds, and Master's Blood.

Part 2: Scrolls (introduces ancient scrolls, their part in the fate of shifters, and why Arcas (main villain) wants them): Hunted Guardian, The Serpent and the Angel, Predator and Prey, Shifting Moon, Feather and Scroll, and Kindred Truths.

Part 3: Blood (linked with the events of Part 2, continues Arcas/Knights of the Dawn’s search for ingredients to spell): Wisdom’s Allegiance, Red Sun, Crimson Purity, Blood of the Whirlwind.

Part 3A: Sequels (extends the story of two important couples): Hearts & Minds and Ghosts of Halloween Past.

Part 4: Master Shifters (introduces other Master Shifters around the world. Master Shifters are nigh-immortal shape-shifters who are said to be directly descended from Merlin, The Master Shifter of All Shapes): Four books to be published after brief hiatus.

Part 5: War (We learn all about Merlin, how the Agency was formed, and a few other secrets): Three books to be published after brief hiatus

May dragons guard your dreams,

M.D. Grimm