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Caracals
Clouded Leopards
Foxes
Gyrfalcon
Book-Specific
Critters
Caracals
Caracals are one of Africa's most impressive wild cats, known for their striking appearance and incredible athletic abilities. These medium-sized felines are instantly recognizable by their distinctive long, black ear tufts and golden-brown coats that help them blend seamlessly into their desert and savanna habitats. Often called the "desert lynx," caracals are actually more closely related to servals than true lynx species.
What makes them truly remarkable is their extraordinary jumping ability - they can leap up to 10 feet straight into the air to snatch birds right out of flight! These solitary, nocturnal hunters are incredibly stealthy and agile, with excellent hearing that helps them locate prey in the darkness.
Found primarily in Africa and parts of Asia, caracals are masters of survival in harsh, arid environments. Their name comes from the Turkish word "karakulak," meaning "black ear," and these magnificent cats have been revered throughout history - ancient Egyptians even trained them for hunting. With their combination of grace, power, and mysterious nature, it's easy to see why caracals make such compelling inspiration for shapeshifter characters!
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​Check Out This Fascinating Documentary on Caracals Working with the Air Force
I stumbled across this absolutely fascinating documentary called "Top Cat" from 2000, and I had to share it with you! It tells the most incredible story of a caracal family - two adults and three youngsters - who were rescued from the exotic pet trade in Britain and given a second chance at life in the wild.
But here's the amazing twist: they ended up working with the South African Air Force! These beautiful wild cats were transported from a rescue sanctuary in the UK all the way to South Africa, where they had a very special job - keeping birds away from military aircraft to prevent dangerous collisions with jet engines.
The documentary follows their journey as they learn to hunt again and adapt to life in the African wilderness. It's both heartwarming and incredible to watch these captive-born caracals rediscover their wild instincts. If you love wildlife stories with a unique angle, this one is definitely worth watching - I found the full documentary on YouTube, so you can watch it there for free!
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Clouded Leopards
The clouded leopard is one of nature's most enigmatic cats - so secretive and elusive that scientists have learned more about them from zoo studies than from observing them in their wild Southeast Asian forests. These remarkable felines pack some serious prehistoric punch: their canine teeth are the longest relative to body size of any living cat, reaching up to 2 inches in length. Those impressive sabers aren't just for show - they mark clouded leopards as the closest living relatives to the legendary saber-toothed cats that once ruled ancient landscapes. With such formidable weapons, they're surprisingly effective hunters, capable of taking down prey much larger than themselves.
But here's where things get interesting: despite their name, clouded leopards aren't actually leopards at all! They belong to their own unique genus (Neofelis) and occupy a fascinating evolutionary position. As the most ancient branch of the big cat subfamily Pantherinae, they essentially serve as a living bridge between big cats and small cats. In fact, research suggests these incredible cats diverged from all other big cat lineages over 6 million years ago, making them the most ancient feline species in our modern cat world - truly living fossils with fangs!
Here are some other remarkable facts about clouded leopards that make them truly unique:
• Master acrobats: They're one of only three cat species (along with margays and marbled cats) that can climb down trees headfirst like a squirrel, and they can even hang upside down from branches using just their hind feet and tail.
• Jaw-dropping bite: They can open their jaws wider than any other cat species - nearly 100 degrees compared to about 65 degrees for other big cats. This massive gape, combined with those saber-tooth-like canines, gives them incredible bite mechanics.
• All about that tail: Their tails are exceptionally long - up to 36 inches - which can be as long as their entire head and body length, giving them the longest tail relative to body size of any cat.
• Unique vocals: While they can neither purr like small cats nor roar like true big cats, they make "the sweetest sounding chuffs and squeaks." Their signature sound is "chuffing" - a friendly greeting that sounds like a rumbly, purr-like gust of wind, made by closing their mouth and exhaling through their nostrils, usually with a little head bob.
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Two Very Special Clouded Leopards...
The Redland Conservation Center is located close to Miami, Florida. Amongst their residents are two clouded leopards, Ollie and Nebula. If you follow their founder, Jacob, on Facebook he posts lots of pictures and reels of the various animals... 2 servals (Cheech and Chong), some sloths, a jaguar, and more. Anyway! Here's a reel of Jacob with Nebula, who's just a year old. Nebula has special needs due to eyesight issues.
I sponsored Nebula for $25/month (Tier 1, of 3 tiers), and you can too!! Just click the Sponsorship Opportunities tab on their website. Of course, you can sponsor Ollie, or any of those on the sponsorship page, too! You can do a one-time contribution, or a monthly sponsorship. They also have Animal Artwork available... and I SO plan on getting a pawprint by Nebula (in the color of her choice, of course).
Foxes
Did you know... that foxes laugh? No, really. I'm serious. They laugh.. like... hee hee hee! See for yourself in this hilarious video of Dixie laughing!
Gyrfalcon
Gyrfalcons are absolutely magnificent birds - they're actually the largest falcons in the world! Your shapeshifting character has excellent taste in bird forms.
These arctic hunters are built for harsh northern climates, with thick feathering that even covers their legs and feet (unlike most raptors). They come in several gorgeous color morphs, ranging from almost pure white to dark gray, with the white ones being particularly stunning against snowy landscapes. The females are notably larger than males, which is typical for raptors - they can have wingspans reaching up to 5 feet!
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What makes gyrfalcons such incredible predators is their versatility. While many falcons are known for high-speed dives, gyrs are more like the fighter jets of the bird world - they can hunt in multiple ways. They'll do the classic falcon stoop (that dramatic high-speed dive), but they're equally comfortable pursuing prey in direct flight or even hunting from perches. They primarily go after ptarmigan and other arctic birds, but they're opportunistic enough to take mammals too.
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These birds have this wonderful combination of power and grace. They're incredibly strong fliers, capable of covering vast distances across tundra landscapes, yet they can also be surprisingly patient hunters. In medieval times, they were considered the ultimate status symbol among falconers - reserved for royalty because of their rarity and hunting prowess.
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Your character would have access to some pretty amazing abilities in gyrfalcon form - exceptional eyesight, incredible speed and agility in flight, and that fierce predatory instinct that comes with being an apex aerial hunter. Plus, there's something deeply mystical about these birds that makes them perfect for fantasy storytelling!
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Long ago, when I was a kid, there was a wonderful author named Rita Ritchie, who wrote a couple of YA novels around falcons. I managed to get a copy of one of them: The Golden Hawks of Genghis Khan. There was another, The Ice Falcon, that was about a gyrfalcon and the boy who found her and trained her. I found that recently, on Amazon, but it's an old, out of print one, and starts at like $36. I'll probably wind up buying it... maybe for my birthday or Christmas!
A True Confession
I originally had it written that Tobi changed into a white goshawk, which is native to Australia, because of this gloriously absurd image that had me in stitches. Something about that perfectly round, judgmental face with its upside-down glance felt exactly like Tobi's personality when he's feeling particularly sassy.
In the end, though, I chose the gyrfalcon because of Tyr and Tobi having been native to Norway, where the gyrfalcon would have been well-known. The geographical authenticity ultimately won out, but I'll always associate Tobi, in my mind, with this hilarious goshawk!
Critters: A Comparative Study
I made this comparative chart a couple of years ago, about the time I was writing Reluctant Rogue. By then, I already had two Maine Coons (Katerina & Kester), a caracal (Tamera), a clouded leopard (Naomi), and a Great Pyrenees (Liam). I've since added a wolf (Jake), a red fox (Harper), and another clouded leopard (Beth). In the next book I'm going to have a cougar. Of course, those are just the main characters... we've got more! ;)
Book 9: Night Shift
Dance of the Vampires
Dance of the Vampires is actually a story of triumph and disaster—depending on which version you're talking about! The musical has a fascinating dual identity that makes it perfect bonus content for your vampire romance.
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The original "Tanz der Vampire" was a perfect blend of gothic horror with slapstick, drama, comedy, romance and a hefty dose of Rock 'n' Roll ballads. It doesn't play with all the vampire stereotypes, it revels in them, creating an entertaining spectacle that's bitingly entertaining and bloodily amusing.
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The Story
The plot follows Professor Abronsius and his handsome young assistant Alfred, who are vampire hunters. Count Von Krolock wants to seduce the virginal Sarah—if he succeeds at midnight on Halloween, vampires will take over the world! Meanwhile, Alfred is also in love with Sarah, and the Count's gay son Herbert is in love with Alfred.
The Story Elements That Create Comedy
The Garlic Obsession: One of the most prominent comedic elements is the villagers' obsession with garlic. Professor Abronsius, upon noticing the countless strings of garlic hung about the place and around people's necks, is overjoyed, confident of the nearness of his goal. The inn positively bristles with garlic – a strong indication that there are vampires in the vicinity, which the villagers vehemently deny.
Bumbling Characters: The comedy comes largely from the contrast between the characters' incompetence and the serious vampire threat. Professor Abronsius is described as an absent-minded vampire hunter, while Alfred is his bumbling young assistant. Alfred is described as clumsy and timid.
The Love Triangle Absurdity: Count Von Krolock's gay son Herbert is in love with Alfred, while Alfred is in love with Sarah, who's being pursued by Count Von Krolock. This creates some juicy, blood-sucking chaos!
The Mirror Scene: Alfred and Professor Abronsius sneak into the vampire ball dressed as members of the undead, but unfortunately for them, a mirror is unveiled, blowing their cover since they're the only ones reflected.
The European Success Story
The original version, "Tanz der Vampire," premiered in Vienna on October 4, 1997, and was a massive hit. It originally played from October 4, 1997, to January 15, 2000, at the Raimund Theater in Vienna, Austria, starring Steve Barton as Count von Krolock, who won the 1998 IMAGE Award for Best Actor.
The creative team was stellar: Roman Polanski himself directing, Germany's foremost lyricist Michael Kunze wrote the book, and world renowned rock composer Jim Steinman, who created "Bat out of Hell," wrote the music. The show was based on Roman Polanski's 1967 film "The Fearless Vampire Killers," a flamboyantly funny parody of the classic horror movie genre.
The Broadway Catastrophe
When they tried to bring it to Broadway in 2002, everything went spectacularly wrong. The production officially opened on December 9, 2002, after 61 previews, with critical reviews that were overwhelmingly negative. Michael Crawford starred as Count von Krolock, but Crawford insisted on performing the role with a nigh-on indecipherable accent, which sounded more like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins by way of Mario.
The Broadway version was such a disaster that Jim Steinman publicly distanced himself from the final product, refusing to attend opening night and later writing on his blog that the Broadway show was "UTTER SHIT!" The show closed on January 25, 2003, after 56 performances, incurring losses estimated at $12 million, marking it as one of Broadway's most significant financial failures at the time.
"Total Eclipse of the Heart"
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" was originally written by Jim Steinman as a vampire love song, with the original title "Vampires in Love."
Here's what actually happened: Steinman had originally written the song for a planned musical based on the 1922 vampire film Nosferatu, but that project was never completed. When Bonnie Tyler was looking for songs in 1982 for her new album after switching record labels, Steinman had this song that he'd been carrying around for years. She loved it and recorded it for her 1983 album "Faster Than the Speed of Night."
The vampire connection came full circle later when Steinman included a revised version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" in his 1997 musical "Dance of the Vampires" (based on Roman Polanski's 1967 film "The Fearless Vampire Killers"), where it became a love duet between the characters Sarah and Count Von Krolock. For the musical, the song was retitled "Vampires in Love," returning to its original intended name.
Steinman explained in a 2002 Playbill interview: "If anyone listens to the lyrics, they're really like vampire lines. It's all about the darkness, the power of darkness, and love's place in the dark." When you think about it with that context, lines about eternal love, darkness, and someone "turning around" take on a completely different meaning!
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