In honor of my upcoming release, Lynx to the Pharaoh which features a caracal shifter hero:
Thirteen Things about Caracals
1. A caracal is related to both the leopard and the lynx.
2. They have large elongated ears with long tufts of hair on the ends, which make them very distinctive.
3. The caracal has a reddish-brown coat and is short-haired.
4. The caracal makes its home in Africa, Arabia, Afghanistan and India.
5. It’s usually nocturnal but can be seen during the day.
6. A caracal is very dangerous if it’s cornered and will attack.
7. The caracal is agile, is a good climber and is known to catch its prey in the air – i.e. it will spring into the air to capture birds on the wing.
8. Men in India and Iran used to capture them and use them to hunt birds.
9. It’s generally a solitary hunter.
10. They occupy varied habitats such as grasslands, plains and rocky hills. My caracal shifter lives in the desert. This is actually not usual, but my hero is not a usual man.
11. Their tail is short.
12. Their eye color ranges from golden or copper to green or grey.
13. Lynx to the Pharaoh is a historical paranormal set in Egypt. It comes out at Ellora’s Cave on 1 July.
Here’s the blurb:
Sethmet Khalil comes from a line of shapeshifters who protect the pharaoh from tomb robbers. It’s a sacred duty handed down from father to son—a duty he’s determined to carry out successfully so his family retain the shapeshifter powers they cherish. Failure means death at the hands of a deadly curse.
Desperate to escape the strictures of mourning, Charlotte Webster travels to Egypt with her stepbrother. The freedom of Patria Oasis is heady after the stuffy rules of the London season. It’s full of temptation. Sethmet, their guide, is handsome and sparks forbidden desire in Charlotte. Risking censure, she embarks on a passionate affair, secret rendezvous full of lingering caresses and explosive pleasure.
Charlotte pleases both man and feline, but she’s with the men Sethmet suspects are hunting for the pharaoh’s treasure. If Charlotte is involved, he can’t protect her from the pharaoh’s curse and she’ll die with the others. Love, danger and betrayal battle beneath the blood-red desert moon as the lovers steal moments together and fate works its wiles.
To read an excerpt.
Win an ARC of Lynx to the Pharaoh – comment on this post or one of the other Egypt posts to come before 29 June and you’ll go into a draw to win an ARC of Lynx to the Pharaoh.
Related posts:
June 25th, 2009 at 1:35 am · Link
Very intriguing. I’m off to read your excerpt. Wishing you many sales!
Happy T13!
June 25th, 2009 at 4:45 am · Link
Sounds like a winner! You’ve done it again!
June 25th, 2009 at 4:55 am · Link
Who knew?
Happy TT!
http://iamharriet.blogspot.com/2009/06/thursday-thunks-and-13-items-from.html
June 25th, 2009 at 5:38 am · Link
Just read my first book the other day about Egypt, I fell in love with the scenery. Please count me in. This sounds exciting. Have a great day.
June 25th, 2009 at 5:45 am · Link
Well, you know how much I love pussy cats, so this is a fantastic blog post. I didn’t know that much about caracals, but now I do after reading your post. Very cool.
((hugs))
We didn’t do a T13 this Thursday since it is a Midnight Brew Thursday and our guest is Georgia Evans. Stop by if you can and wave hi.
Cass
http://midnightmooncafe.blogspot.com
June 25th, 2009 at 6:23 am · Link
Very cool list! Good luck with the book! I wish you a ton of sales! *Hugs*
June 25th, 2009 at 7:44 am · Link
Sounds good.
June 25th, 2009 at 8:38 am · Link
Sounds like another Awesome read to me. GOOD LUCK! wishing you many sales!
June 25th, 2009 at 8:39 am · Link
They’re beautiful animals! The story sounds great! Congratulations on your new release!
*hugs*
Paige
My TT is at http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/
June 25th, 2009 at 9:33 am · Link
Sounds awesome!!!! Interesting stuff.
June 25th, 2009 at 9:44 am · Link
Congrats on the new release!! And thanks for all the cool info on the caracal, a big cat I wasn’t familiar with.
June 25th, 2009 at 9:48 am · Link
Off to google a picture of a caracal!!
http://talesfromthecrit.wordpress.com/
June 25th, 2009 at 10:28 am · Link
Ooh, very cool, Shelley! Thanks for letting us know about caracals–I’m learning about all kinds of new shifters from you!
June 25th, 2009 at 10:43 am · Link
Ooh…sounds interesting, Shelley! Here’s wishing you many sales!
June 25th, 2009 at 12:05 pm · Link
Enjoyed learning about this big cat. Best wishes on your book’s release.
Hugs and blessings,
June 25th, 2009 at 1:00 pm · Link
Those are interesting facts Shelley. The blurb about the book is great. I can’t wait to read it.
June 25th, 2009 at 1:14 pm · Link
Sounds yummy. Is it hot in here or is it me?
Happy T13.
- Mary
http://maryquast.blogspot.com/
June 25th, 2009 at 2:10 pm · Link
Thanks for all the good wishes for my new release. As you’ve probably guessed I have a soft spot for feline shifters!
June 25th, 2009 at 2:48 pm · Link
Congrats on the new books and having a contract with Elora’s cave.
Janice~
June 25th, 2009 at 4:19 pm · Link
You are so prolific, Shelley
How do you do it? And I love all your shifters!
June 25th, 2009 at 6:23 pm · Link
Congrats on the new book! I love caracals.
Happy T13
June 26th, 2009 at 7:47 am · Link
You’ve been digging up the interesting stuff to create your shifters with, I’ll say that. I’m envious at your imagination; maybe I ought to spend some time playing with shifters. Expand my brain.
June 26th, 2009 at 8:36 am · Link
Really like your post on caracals. They’re one of my favorite wild cats and I learned more about them today-thanks to you. The Egyptian and shifting aspects of your book sound great. Kelley
June 28th, 2009 at 12:58 am · Link
Beautiful animal! I love shifters, especially cats and this book sounds great!
Congratulations on your release!
June 28th, 2009 at 1:54 am · Link
Congrats on your new release. I’m not familiar with the caracals so your post is really informative for me. I believe that one of the Egyptian Gods is Bast, who is the Goddess of Cats. Would caracals be under her protection too, I wonder? :o)Tamsyn
June 28th, 2009 at 2:32 am · Link
Susan – it’s fun writing about different animals. I have to admit that the big cats are some of my favorites.
Kelley – thank you. I’d love to see a caracal in real life. Maybe one day.
June 28th, 2009 at 2:34 am · Link
Eva – feline shifters are my favorite type of shifter to write. I never tire of writing them, especially feline alpha males. They make delicious heroes.
Tamsyn – Egyptians loved their cats. We saw some cat mummies when we were there.
June 28th, 2009 at 3:39 am · Link
I love cats,thanks for all the info on caracal
Congrats on your book!
June 28th, 2009 at 5:12 am · Link
It sounds like a gorgeous feline, like one other poster I am off to Google a picture.
June 28th, 2009 at 8:15 am · Link
I love the sound of your caracals. Many interesting facts that I never realized.
Can’t wait for Lynx to the Pharaoh.
June 28th, 2009 at 9:06 am · Link
I just got the e-newsletter, so I clicked on the “Caracals” blog link, read it, then clicked on the “excerpt” link, which took me to the EC site for the book. I clicked on the “Read excerpt” link there, and got … nothing. That is, nothing but the “if you are under 18 …” disclaimer, and the book title. I really wanted to read that excerpt!!! Luckily, it was available on your website. So, just one burning question: Will this be available in print SOON?!?
Later,
Lynn
June 28th, 2009 at 5:47 pm · Link
Have always had a fascination with ancient Egypt. Went through a phase when I read everything I could get on the history of that ancient civilization. Of course, shifters were never part of it.