Christine Feehan's Blog - Posts Tagged "leopard-shifter"
Choosing a Leopard
I’ve always been interested in big cats. When I started writing I knew I’d write at some point, so mixing the two felt natural. While some people have werewolves or dragon shifters, I was intrigued by leopards for several reasons.
First of all, there are so many species of leopard all over the world, but so many are endangered and near extinction. I wanted to be able to bring people’s attention to that without it sounding preachy or forced.
I’ve used several different types of leopards. I hope to include other varieties of leopard in future books as well. I enjoy research about them, learning the differences between the leopards from all areas of the world.
, like Timur and Fyodor, is an Amur leopard from Russia. There are less than 100 Amur leopards in the wild. These are very dominant leopards. Most leopards are, and I knew that would make for some passionate romance.
Sometimes I choose a leopard because of geography. I knew the Russian leopards would be a perfect choice for my guys becoming part of the mob. Of course, they’re really there ensuring nothing too horrible happens with these mobsters they’re in bed with, but they are not choir boys. These are men dangerous and deadly.
But, I’ve written about leopards in the jungle and there are those I’ve been writing about who live in Louisiana. Sometimes the geography matters, sometimes what matters most are the traits of a particular leopard. I do give thought to what kind of leopard best suits the character.
Matching the right leopard to the right human is important. They need to be able to blend seamlessly. My shapeshifters are all a combination of human and leopard, sharing traits and needs. The world of shape-shifting leopards I’ve built has rules in place that I, as the author, follow. Choosing the right leopard is one of the most important.
(Exclusives, Sneak Peeks, Discussions and more) -
First of all, there are so many species of leopard all over the world, but so many are endangered and near extinction. I wanted to be able to bring people’s attention to that without it sounding preachy or forced.
I’ve used several different types of leopards. I hope to include other varieties of leopard in future books as well. I enjoy research about them, learning the differences between the leopards from all areas of the world.
, like Timur and Fyodor, is an Amur leopard from Russia. There are less than 100 Amur leopards in the wild. These are very dominant leopards. Most leopards are, and I knew that would make for some passionate romance.
Sometimes I choose a leopard because of geography. I knew the Russian leopards would be a perfect choice for my guys becoming part of the mob. Of course, they’re really there ensuring nothing too horrible happens with these mobsters they’re in bed with, but they are not choir boys. These are men dangerous and deadly.
But, I’ve written about leopards in the jungle and there are those I’ve been writing about who live in Louisiana. Sometimes the geography matters, sometimes what matters most are the traits of a particular leopard. I do give thought to what kind of leopard best suits the character.
Matching the right leopard to the right human is important. They need to be able to blend seamlessly. My shapeshifters are all a combination of human and leopard, sharing traits and needs. The world of shape-shifting leopards I’ve built has rules in place that I, as the author, follow. Choosing the right leopard is one of the most important.
(Exclusives, Sneak Peeks, Discussions and more) -
