“Give her but a wavering leaf-shadow breeze combing the grasses and she
was back a million years, glaring with night-lit eyes in the thickets,
projecting a terrible aura of fear that still and quelled all creatures” – Paul
Annixter, American Writer
Anyone who
has ever been the lucky owner of a cat, or should I say, been owned by a cat,
has known one of the most exquisite and puzzling joys such a sharing of one’s
life with them is. I have always been a cat lover, even before I had cats and
was raised in house populated by dogs and various rodents (bunnies, hamsters
etc). I never cared one wit about the image of becoming a writer with a
thousand cats lounging about the various odd bits of furniture in my one room
apartment. True cat lovers will understand of course, because we don’t see
ourselves the way the world sees us. We take after the cats we love so well.
Cats are unique, relish the life they have and don’t let the opinions of others
rule their thoughts. In a way, cats are a writer’s best role model.
Even now as
I write this blog article, my own cat Isis, more fondly called Tiki, is sitting
on the bed, eyeing me with apparent fascination. Is it the movement of my
fingers along the keyboard or the simple knowledge that I provide her food and
comfort at my own expenses often times. Love with cats isn’t unconditional. I
believe that’s why non cat lovers find it hard to understand the appeal. A cat
demands love, demands trust, and will give it return when it believes you are
capable, which sounds quite like a human thing to me.
The appeal
of cats is something deep, primal in many humans. I believe we see the
greatness of their pasts, buried in the luminous depths of their gazes. The
Egyptians held them up as gods, and they’ve ruled the earth with their hunting
instincts and a shadowy presence at all the great moments of human history.
They are lovers, they are nurturing, they are powerful, and yet still manage to
exude a sense of utter relaxation and complete laziness that we often envy.
It’s the mysterious air of the impossible they seem to exude every moment of
the day that compels us to take them, offer them a home with us, in hopes we
might learn their feline secrets.
But if
you’re like me, you can’t rescue every cat, you can’t save every animal that
crosses your path and a part of your heart bleeds at the thought of each
precious life lost due to human carelessness. I spend a majority of my spare
time when not writing or doing my day job as an attorney, by helping animal
causes even if I can only offer something as simple as money to shelters or
rescue funds. Last year, I heard of a national call for submissions for a charity
anthology to benefit the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas where big
cats like tigers, cougars, leopards and jaguars are given homes and cared for.
Elle James and Delilah Devlin created the anthology Wild at Heart and picked 10
or so adult romance stories involving big cats and 10 or so young adult romance
stories involving big cats to make up two volumes for charity. 100% of the
proceeds of the sales of the anthology go directly to the wildlife refuge,
giving those cats food, shelter and support.
I was
thrilled when my story “Archer Falls” was chosen to be a part of the adult
romance anthology. I decided to write about a woman who falls in love with a mysterious,
handsome shapeshifter.
BLURB
Spotted Pines Refuge worker Samantha
Gray gets more than she bargains for when she is rescued by a jaguar in a
national park. But there’s more to this jaguar than meets the eye, in fact, he
reminds her of the mysterious and wealthy owner of the refuge, Archer Falls.
Caught between danger and the pull of Archer’s seductive gaze, Samantha begins
to wonder just how her boss is connected to the jaguar that went missing since
the night he saved her life.
EXCERPT:
Samantha was kneeling in the glass-enclosed room
of the refuge’s nursery. She had a bottle of milk and one
jaguar cub curled in her arm, feeding it. The cub’s paws were braced
around Samantha’s hand, securing the bottle to its mouth. Archer was
transfixed by the look on Samantha’s face. She gazed in wonder and
delight at the cub and made gentle cooing noises while hugging the cub closer.
Archer barely noticed Simone coming up behind
him.
“She has quite a fondness for cats. Big
cats. Would you like me to formally introduce you?”
He found himself nodding. Samantha had only
worked at Spotted Pines for two weeks. Archer usually avoided meeting the
workers until they’d been there at least six months. The less people he brought
into his circle of trust, the better. But he couldn’t pass up the opportunity
to be close to her again, even if his mind shouted at him in warning. He was
too interested in her and haunted by the memory of her hands stroking his fur
as he drifted into unconsciousness.
“Sam!” Simone dragged Archer by the arm
toward the nursery and opened the door. “Come meet our benefactor.
This is Mr. Archer Falls. Archer, this is Samantha Gray.”
Samantha set the bottle on a table and walked
across the room.
The cub in her arms stared drowsily at him when
she approached.
“Nice to meet you Mr. Falls.” She held out
a hand.
He shook it. Her palm was warm, her skin
soft. She had gray eyes, soft and mysterious, like skies after a winter
storm. He held her hand for longer than was necessary; his desire to hold
her was fierce and powerful. He needed to protect her, ensure she was
safe.
The cub stirred and let out a little mewl at
being ignored.
Archer dropped Samantha’s hand and stroked the
cub’s head. It squirmed and fussed, its little teeth scraping playfully
on his fingers. He felt the rumblings of a purr deep in his chest, and he
only just fought off the need to let Samantha hear how content he was.
Simone nudged Archer in the back. “It
seems you have a way with cats, Sam.”
He jerked, recalling where he was, who he was
with. A woman who didn’t know him and didn’t know his secret.
“Welcome to Spotted Pines, Samantha. Are
you settling in well?” A smile crept across his lips. “Simone tells me
you’re the newest volunteer.”
“Oh yes. This place is wonderful, Mr.
Falls.”
The cat inside him could detect lies and there
were none in her words. “Call me Archer, please.”
“Archer.” Samantha looked suddenly shy,
her gray eyes darkening to near blue. “The way you keep the cats here,
with these habitats, it’s amazing. You’ve saved so many lives.”
Archer studied Sam, her appreciation was
genuine. She cared deeply for the wounded souls he’d rescued and brought
to the refuge. Each cat here had been abandoned or abused. Exotic
pets, retired circus creatures, each and every one left in a situation that
threatened their lives. For the last five years, he and Simone had worked
to build the refuge and find cats who needed homes. The jaguar within him
purred in approval of Samantha’s reactions.
I hope everyone who enjoys cats or a good
shapeshifter paranormal romance will pick up their own copy of Wild At Heart.
Is there any better way to help cats than to buy an ebook or paperback copy and
know that the proceeds go directly help the cats? It’s a win-win.
I send out a big thank you for the authors at
Happily Ever After Thoughts, who hosted for me this blog!
Buy Links
GIVEAWAY: One lucky commenter will win a signed paperback copy from me
or an ebook if they prefer, and a sneak peak of the first two chapters of my upcoming
release Wicked Intentions, the first
book in a sexy regency romance series about a notorious band of rakehells
called the League of Rogues, to be released from Samhain Publishing in January
2014.
