Thanks for having us on Love Is an Exploding Cigar. Ariana Dupre, Karen McCullough and I will be talking about writing paranormals. Ariana and Karen joined me in creating our paranormal Christmas anthology Beneath a Christmas Moon, now available through Cerridwen Press (click the cover to buy).

My story in this collaboration is Lander's Moon. It’s the tale of Lander Paletsos, an immortal shape shifting beast and Selena Alvarez, the beautiful healer who tries to tame his wild heart. For my section of the blog, I wanted to focus on a specific aspect of writing paranormals. Creating believable characters. It’s one thing to write about a lawyer, doctor, nurse or teacher living in a big city, suburb or small town, and quite another when writing about a vampire, werewolf, or even a shape shifter in these settings. How do these very paranormal characters integrate into a very normal world with everyday mortals like you and I in a believable way?

I thought about how best to discuss this and finally came to the conclusion that I really wasn’t the one who should be talking. A paranormal should. So I, er, “politely asked” Lander, my immortal shape shifting hero from Lander's Moon to explain…

Lander: Okay, I’m here-but not because I want to be. I had little choice in the matter.

Politely asked?

Yeah. Riiiiiight.

I’m Lander Paletsos, better known as the Nemean Lion from Hercules’ Twelve Labors. My mother had the misfortune of falling in love with none other than the king of all the Greek gods, Zeus. My true father, Zeus is not a man known for his, uh, discretion when it comes to women. Though married to that wretch, Hera, he had no issue seducing the plethora of beautiful mortal women, female demi-gods and even goddesses like my mother within his domain. I’m one of the many bastards Zeus left littered here and there as he went about his conquests. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, my birth caught the attention of Hera. And not in a good way. Was she pissed! She called upon her friend, the dark witch, Hecate, to curse me to live as a beast for all my days on this earth. My mother’s friend, the fate Clotho took pity on me and modified the curse. So instead of living my life as a beast, I only walk the night as a giant lion. By day I live as human but I still retain the senses of a lion and am gifted with impenetrable skin. Now, if that’s where things ended it would have been somewhat simple, but life is never simple. I was also gifted with immortality. I never age, and I never die. That complicates things a bit. Makes living a little bit trickier. So what’s an immortal shape shifting guy have do to live in the mortal world? Well, let me tell you, it’s not so easy…

Career: You guessed it-I need a job, if for no other reason than to appear “normal” to the mortal world. Do I need the money? Are you kidding? After all the centuries I’ve been alive, I’ve learned a few things. Does the word investment ring a bell? Been there, done that. Did extremely well. Enough said. But still I need to seem normal, and I have to pick a job that either A) I move around a lot in, so folks don’t realize I’m not getting older or B) Self-employment that limits my contact with others and allows me to work when/if I want to. The first I tried, but got really tired of moving around all the time. So I went for self-employment. And what better way to utilize all those life experiences I’ve acquired than to become a writer? So I’m a best selling multi-published author. A little notoriety was the price, but I’m well established as an eccentric recluse, and have been able to enjoy the perks and protection of that penchant.

Speech/Dress: As you might already have figured out, I don’t do the whole ancient Greek speak/Toga thing. Over the ages, my speech and apparel has changed and modified with the flow of the culture around me. I adjusted as needed. Why do I do this? Bottom line, it helps me better understand and keep track of the world around me, helps me blend in with mortals, and very importantly, it helps mortals better understand and accept me without suspicion when contact is necessary.

Lifestyle: Ultimately, I live how I choose. But I keep some parameters. I live as a wealthy person, in a nice home because, after all, I am wealthy. And I enjoy the benefits of that money in the cars that I drive, the food that I eat and the activities that I choose. That wealth also helps me protect my true identity. However, even if I weren’t wealthy, I would still need to maintain some semblance of normality. In other words, I wouldn’t be able to go about my life living in a cave wearing animal skins for very long without gaining notice. Granted I could disappear into a remote wilderness somewhere and do that, but that wouldn’t really be integrating into society. And even though I am a recluse, I still want to feel part of a society. So, wealthy or not, I would live in a condo or house, have a job and attempt to have a lifestyle that flows with the community I’m part of.

A man is a man: What I am doesn’t define who I am. Though I’m an immortal shape shifter, I’m also a man. And truth be told ladies, I like being just that. Regardless of my agelessness I still appreciate those male ideals. Although Nemean wines get me going, I also like an ice cold beer now and again. I enjoy watching football, or just about any other contact sport. I retreat into my “man cave” when I feel the need. I like to be in charge, or at least think I’m in charge. And without a doubt, I absolutely appreciate, enjoy and get hot for a beautiful woman.

All in all, when the dust settles at the end of the day, I am above all else, still a man.

Deal with it.

Hope you enjoyed hearing from Lander. If you have any questions for either of us, please feel free to ask.

Best,

Eden Robins