SHADES of SHIFTERS-Special Guest Mychal Daniels & special GIVEAWAY

Please welcome this week's Author of the Wild, MYCHAL DANIELS!

As a treat to all you awesome readers, Mychal Daniels is giving away a copy of Ajax's Harpy Holiday! Comment for your chance to WIN!  

Dragons, Gryphon, and Magic—Oh My!

Welcome to the new Dragon and Gryphon Shifter Series:

Dragofin Clan Mated

by Mychal Daniels

The Dragofin Clan is the twelve-member group of warrior guardians that consist of eight Drake (dragon) brothers and four of their gryphon cousins, the Griffins. There is a prophecy that says when the first of the Drake brothers takes a mate; the others will soon follow. This will also initiate a great battle for Earth with the coming of a mighty assault on it from the other realms. The only issue: the prophecy is so old and has never shown any signs of coming to pass that not many of the clan believe it to be true.

The Power of a great Shifter Romance

Let’s face it—Shifter Romance is hot. All that primal energy channeled into sensual, and sexual energy burns up the page. And if we’re talking about burning, why not explore what it means to have sexy dragons and gryphon shifters who guard our world.

As an avid reader, I love to be caught up in the world and community of fantastical characters. All the magical what ifs that interplay with human reality make me want to immerse myself in the story until I get that satisfying, glorious happily ever after ending. This series is no different.

When this world presented itself to me, I thought how cool it was that right under our noses could exist multiple realms of life. I also loved the fact that although these shifters were decidedly stronger and able to do more than mere humans, they still needed that one thing to survive and succeed—mates.

As dominant members of a social group that are far from our norm, shifters help us to explore that side of us that ventures into the super powerful, supernatural and mystical realm. Think about it for a moment. The idea that there could be a person in love with you who could also defy the laws of existence to protect and help you are seductively powerful. I don’t know about you, but that’s a definite turn on when it comes to selecting a book boyfriend(s). Dragon and Gryphon are the top of the mystical food chain, so to speak.

They’re found in numerous traditions and representations around the world. Most of the time they are depicted as valiant guards of some wisdom or treasure. One of the things that I love about writing about dragons and gryphon is that they are keepers of infinite wisdom. Playing with this notion, it played and taunted me until I saw the story for this series emerge.

What if the infinite wisdom that these shifters guarded was more precious than gold and more dangerous than death itself? That would be a story worth investigating.

The idea and story percolated in the back of my mind for well over a year before I put the first notes down about it. Since I lean toward blowing past the boundaries of our planet, of course, these shifters came to me as beyond our reaches. Thus, they presented themselves as guardians of the portal to different dimensions. There was a reason we hadn’t seen evidence of aliens. It was because instead of coming from the sky, seas or caves, aliens come into a portal within the Earth’s core, called Inner Earth.

Yep, while we dwell on the surface looking toward the skies for the arrival of aliens, they come and go freely into the center of our planet. These dragon and gryphon shifters are the regulators of who and what can come onto the surface of the planet since not all aliens are benevolent visitors. But why have dragons and gryphon shifters and not the regular were forms?

The ability to do what was required of a warrior guardian had to supersede human capacity in various ways. For instance, going into another dimension meant the guardian had to be able to withstand excruciating elemental changes. I’m talking heat, cold, energy fluctuations, and time differentiations. They needed to be ancient and yet young, and they needed to be larger than life. That’s what formed the base of each of these shifters. 

Many readers are familiar with dragons but not the gryphon. I loved gryphon and their magical, mystical ways. From the Sphinx of ancient Egypt to the mighty ones adorned on too many crests and coats of arms to count, gryphon have tickled and teased me for years. Half eagle and half lion, these beings have guarded the gates and entries to pyramids, treasures, and knowledge. How could one not want to see how and who a gryphon would love? 

Then there was the problem of who would be able to mate with these guardian warriors.

Exploring their mates has become one of the most enjoyable parts of writing this series. Take for example Hildegard Newton. She’s an abandoned Harpy orphan who has had to find her way in this world. Plucked up as a baby and trained her entire life by a shadowy organization to kill for a living, Hildy has no sense of who or what she really is. A chance meeting with the super sexy Ajax Drake in a bakery sets things in motion for not only her to find her new family, but start the wheels of prophecy and destiny into motion for the entire Dragofin Clan. 

Having strong female heroines is a must for any story I write. Hildy Newton may be a Harpy, but her journey into the world of the Dragofin Clan will show how much love can shape, reform and birth new possibilities within us all. Not only that, the chemistry between the Clan and their mates is off the charts.

Why we love Paranormal and Fantasy Romance

I see you, yeah you. And I get it because I’m a lot like you in what gets me to fall in love with a story. Paranormal Romance and Fantasy Romance goes beyond what is possible in the everyday world. Growing up, I read the Harlequin Romances and others as a kid. The fact that I was never going to be some cute, plucky auburn or blond sprite who didn’t realize how hot she was to the opposite sex kept me removed from the story. Sure, I enjoyed them, but from afar. I was the voyeur looking in instead of the object of affection for the hero or heroes. It was marked on the page clear as day as to what these guys like, and it sure as hell wasn’t me: a very curvy, woman of color without the slightest ability to be plucky. Nah, I was a take-no-crap pragmatist who didn’t always want or need the guy to save the day. Sure, I wanted to be swept up off my feet, provided the guy could handle the fact that I was solid and not the size of some small fairy.

Thus when I found the world of PNR and FR (Paranormal Romance and Fantasy Romance), I fell hard for the fact that a lot of times the heroines looked and behaved like me! I’m not saying that all these romances have this bent to them, but there are enough to allow me to find myself falling for the guy who wants someone like me.

Dragons and gryphon are more than able to literally and figuratively sweep me and you off our feet. These shifters are schooled in the art of how to make a woman feel loved, cherished and sexually satisfied. They’re also hefty enough to toss the best of us around for a great lay as well, wink ;) In PNR and FR there are no boundaries, ceilings or rules that prevent anyone from having the book boyfriend of her or his dreams.

I invite you to come into the world of the Dragofin Clan. Explore how sensually intense and powerful these warriors are, and how much of a struggle it is to love them by their would-be mates.

Books in the Dragofin Clan Mated Dragon & Gryphon Shifter Series:

Ajax’s Harpy Holiday: Dragofin Mated, Book #1 Available now (https://books2read.com/u/4Xgjg6 )

Lucien: Dragofin Mated, Book #2 Coming mid January 2017

Gregori: Dragofin Mated, Book #3 Coming mid April 2017

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~~~

He stepped closer. “I dare you.”

Before it registered, Hildy stepped into him, brought his head down and brushed her lips against his. It wasn’t a full kiss, just enough to throw him off and gain her the upper hand, or so she’d hoped. In an instant, fire and arousal spiked within her, driving her to take more of him, press in harder to connect with him. She did.

With a hand firmly hooked around his neck, Hildy pulled him down farther to make it a true kiss. Her lips pressed against his, allowing her a moment to imprint the feel of his lips on hers. Hildy made a concentrated effort to commit the sensation to memory. He remained still. She was supposed to let go and follow with a disabling blow or take down. This was supposed to be part of her tactic. Now she was snared by her own trap. But, he felt so good.

As if his brain had caught up with what was happening, he opened his mouth, tasting her lips. Heat from his full lips slashed hers as she fell into him. Strong arms encircled her, as they melded together. Breathing became harder, as she continued to seek out the newness of kissing. His tongue pressed against the seam of her lips, darting and retreating, as if looking for entry.

When she pulled back to take in a gulp of air, he advanced, seizing the opportunity. When they collided, she gasped in surprise at the quick switch of their positions. He was now on the offense, holding her tightly to him.

In the artificial light of the night that intertwined with shadows, his eyes were dark and cloudy. Uh-oh, that might not be good. Maybe she’d gone too far with this. Again, her eyes betrayed her, as they locked on his lips again. He drew in ragged breaths, as they both continued to regain breath from that long kiss. It was her first and it was more than anything she could have fantasized about. Kissing Jax had done something to her entire being. She wanted him and wanted to do what it took to spend more time with him. Leaving him was the last thing she wanted to do now.

His mouth was here for the plundering and she took full advantage. Grabbing him back down to her, Hildy opened her mouth and brought him in. She didn’t know what to do, allowing instinct to guide her. His tongue invaded her mouth, seeking and toying with her own. She groaned from the overload of sensations.

Outside sounds took a back seat to the heartbeats that thumped loud in her head. His scent, masculine and invigorating, enslaved her. He pulled her into him, crushing her body against his. Everywhere their bodies touched, it sizzled and wound her deeper into him. Fire, mixed with extreme want, slinked into her being. Her leg found itself wrapped around his, seeking more connection.

Again, and again, his delicious tongue darted into her mouth, engaging them in a sensual battle. She parried, toying with him and daring him to make bolder moves. Jax pulled her into him more, wrapping her arms around his massive back as he covered her with his own body. Deeper she fell into his trap. If this was only a counter-strike to her initial move to throw him off, she was doomed. This had quickly turned into something real for her. There was no way Hildy would be able to deny the truth of this kiss. She’d fallen quick and hard for Jax.

His taste was better than the finest meal. She couldn’t get enough. Hungrily responding to him, Hildy relaxed more into it, allowing herself to go where he led. More and more his tongue danced with hers. She’d imagined kissing over the years and this was completely different. What they did now turned her imaginary kiss into a weak imitation. This sensual “in real life” kiss rocked her to the core.

Every part of her body hummed with excitement with an insatiable need for more of him. Way past craving, Hildy itched to have him inside her. A new part of her opened to blossom. Only one directive made any sense—get him inside her, stat. Her sex throbbed and ached for him. Pressing in more, she ran a hand up and into the nape of his hair to grab a handful. This time he groaned. She swallowed it, loving how the vibrations tickled the back of her throat.

Visions of being surrounded by him in pleasure flooded her. She arched into him as his hand moved up and down her back, pulling out a cry from deep within her. Need and desire pranced to the forefront as Hildy clung to him in surrender. With each breath, locked in this embrace with him, she grew bolder. Everything that had made her shy and reclusive was cast in a new light.

No more. She wanted life—she wanted this and Jax. Returning the gesture, she thrust her tongue into his mouth, enjoying how it startled him for a split second. His rebound was quick as he welcomed her in.

~~~

Author Bio: Mychal Daniels grew up fantasizing about the wonderment of what ifs. This love spilled over into her ability to weave stories that arrested the attention of her siblings and friends. After going the way of the office drone for far too many seasons, she decided to follow her love of romance, fantasy and storytelling to create and share her highly imaginative take on the great what ifs. The result is these books that allow you to step into the world of her fanciful imagination. Enjoy and don't forget to leave a review while Mychal is off lassoing in your next book boyfriend!