If you’re looking for Shiloh, you won’t find her here today.

Today she is over at Jordan’s.  And Jordan is here.

If you’re looking for details on THE MAGNIFICENT EIGHT, click here.

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Shiloh and I decided to do something different in honor of our simultaneous book releases (ie THE MISSING and RED). We thought it might be cool to take over each other’s blogs for the day…

So once you’ve finished voting—YOU HAVE VOTED, right? Right? RIGHT??? Get ye to the bookstore and acquire said booty. Argh, me hearties! Sorry, I had a pirate moment. This brings me to werewolves, wolves, and shifters. (You follow your thoughts. I’ll follow mine. *g*)

Wolves, shifters, and werewolves have been featured in many well-known fairytales/myths/fables. Beauty and the Beast, Three Little Pigs, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, and Little Red Riding Hood to name a few. All were created to reflect the times in which the authors existed. Some were warnings to children. Some protested societal oppression. Every single story was a cautionary tale. Stray too far from the path and you’ll get eaten. Watch out for the two-legged wolves for they are far more dangerous than their four-legged friends. Tell too many tall tales and no one will listen when you’re telling the truth. Personally, I think the wolf was a scapegoat and it nearly cost him his existence. To this day, they’re still hunted. Made me wonder what would happen if they decided to hunt us back?

That’s right, when I wrote my new release, RED I was looking to give the wolf a little payback. After all, we’ve seen him as the villain. What happens if he’s the hero? What happens if he’s a little of both? What happens if he is a ‘she’?

I went back to the fairytales/myths/fables. I knew there had to be a way to spin them into something I liked. That’s when the question popped into my mind: What if Little Red Riding Hood and the Big, Bad Wolf turned out to be the same person?

A story was born.

I’d like to say the characters appeared right away, but they didn’t. It took a while for Red to arrive. When she did, she came armed to the teeth. (Pardon the pun.) She was a no nonsense, highly skilled—yet socially remedial woman. In other words, perfect.

The Dead World expanded from there, adding characters, locations, and obstacles, until it grew from one book to three. Below you’ll find the blurb for book one, RED:

War is brewing in a near-future world where murder is all but unheard of and the existence of creatures known as the Others has yet to be proven. In the end, one woman will face her fears to stand and fight.

Grandmother, what big eyes you have.

Gina Santiago is a member of an elite tactical team in charge of protecting the world. She’s devoted her life to apprehending the most heinous criminals that prey on society—and now she’s after the worst one yet.

Grandmother, what big ears you have.

On her own, with no backup, the trail takes her to a dusty, tight-knit town on the fringes of society, where everyone’s a suspect. Even the sexy sheriff, Morgan Hunter, isn’t telling her everything.

Grandmother, what big teeth you have.

The closer Gina comes to finding out the secret of this sleepy little town and its big, bad sheriff, the more scared she gets—because she’s beginning to realize that she has a secret, too. A secret that will change her life…and make her the killer’s next prey.

I threw in the quotes from Little Red Riding Hood to add flavor. It’s very difficult to sum up a story that’s essentially part one of three. I realized some questions would be answered, while others would have to wait. If you’re game for a dark fantasy adventure and don’t mind being in the mind of a killer, then join me in the Dead World. I double dog dare you.

My thanks go out to Shiloh for inviting me to play. It’s been fun. You can find excerpts and more info at: www.jordansummers.com