SUPERNATURAL
FUN FACTS
Hi
everyone, I’m Sherry Soule—waving from California, where it’s getting pretty
foggy! Well, it’s the start of summer here, and even with the fog burning off
by afternoon, I’m cranking the air conditioner and chatting on Twitter about my
love of YA books.
Thanks
for letting me stop by today as part of my Moonlight Mayhem Blog Tour this summer. It’s a thrill to get to
be a guest and meet all of you lovely followers.
My
tour has a great response and it is nice seeing the familiar names in the
comments box at each stop. For those of you who haven’t heard of my epic blog
tour it’s not too late to join the fun! Hashtag on Twitter: #MMBlogTour
To celebrate the release
of author, Sherry Soule’s new paranormal novel, MOONLIGHT MAYHEM, she
has put together 4 unknown and fun facts about the YA Spellbound series. In this fun post, you can learn more
about the intriguing, supernatural facts that makeup the eerie world of Whispering
Pines. Read on to learn some
things you didn't know...and really don't need to. :-D
Fun Fact #1
Shadow
People,
(also known as Shades) are usually
vague human shapes, completely black or dark in color, with no discernible
facial features. Sometimes they appear as mere silhouettes, generally lacking
any characteristics of gender.
However, there are many types of shadow
beings; there are hooded shadows, cloaked ones, solid or wispy, and even smoky
shapes. They dart into corners, through walls, into closets, or behind bushes,
and buildings. Sometimes they simply fade into the dark recesses of the night.
Lacking in the description is one common denominator unifying the many
different types of Shadow People that enter our world—they are all thought to
be “intensely dark.”
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines
paranormal as an adjective meaning “not scientifically explainable.” Spooky,
huh? In the Spellbound books, Shadow
People are ominous creatures that were once slaves of a band of fallen angels.
When they rebelled, the Fallen hexed these creatures to spend eternity in a
hell dimension. A few have found a way to slip through the gateway. The real
worry is—what happens if they ALL escape?
So, do you believe
in Shadow People?
Fun Fact #2
Readers
of the Spellbound Series have often
wondered if the town of Whispering Pines had a real-life counterpart. Is there a particular town that inspired the
haunted area we’ve come to know and fear in the books?
Well, yes,
now here’s a place you can actually visit for REAL.
While
looking for a foggy and woodland area, I came across Marin County in California.
The popular SF Bay Area tourist spot planted the seed for what developed into
the fictional version of the town we’ve come to know and love as, Whispering
Pines (one CP told me it sounded like a retirement community. LOL). The coastal
town is located in the Madrone Woodlands near Larkspur, California neighboring
Muir Woods. (You need to use a Bing map to locate the region).
Echoes
of the tragic disappearances still plague the town. When the season passes and
all the tourists leave, the haunting memory of past events once again shatter
the peace of the inhabitants of Whispering Pines...
Have
you ever been to the coastal towns of Marin County?
Fun Fact
#3
Werewolves and Lycans (shortened form of the word
lycanthrope, which means shape-changer) are two completely different species. The
terms are definitely NOT synonymous. The werewolf can only transform on a full
moon, and they represent more of witchcraft and curse, unlike the lycan who can
transform into a wolf at will. The lycan species are also considered
shapeshifters, but can ONLY shift
into wolves—not into other animals. Lycans are also capable of walking on their
hindquarters, and are much more muscular than werewolves. Lycans and werewolves
do share these qualities; they both have enhanced physical attributes, enhanced
strength, reflexes, coordination, speed, and regenerative abilities. However, these
traits seem to apply to lycans, even when in human form.
Furthermore, lycans can retain their human
intelligence and personalities while
transformed, whereas werewolves become pure animal, devoid of any
memory regarding their actions once they shift. Silver
is the lycans only weakness, as they seem to be violently allergic to it.
In my new novel,
MOONLIGHT MAYHEM (second book in the series), the story hinges on a terrible secret
guarded by some of the town’s people as one-by-one teens are attacked by a
mysterious were-creature.
Do
you think it’s a lycan or a werewolf stalking the kids in Whispering Pines?
Fun Fact #4
A Grimoire, or in some cases it’s called a Book of Shadows (BoS), is used to store magical information, like
a textbook of magic spells, rituals, supernatural-related data, and
invocations. Some grimoires can even be a sort of magical
journal that keeps a record of a witch’s magical experiments and exploits.
Overall, a grimoire is used
predominantly by Wiccans; however, this does not mean that those outside of
Wicca can’t use a grimoire. Nor do you have to be in a coven, like the
Blood Rose Circle or Generation Hex.
I used the grimoire
concept in a different way in my novel,
BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN (first book in the series) where the
magical book is used more like that of a diary and contains prophecies, which
was written by the heroine, Shiloh’s ancestors and passed down through the
generations.
Do
you have a grimoire or personal journal?
Book
Blurb:
Otherworldly Creatures. Dazzling Magic.
Fiery Romance.
Shiloh Ravenwolf
thought she was getting used to the strange events in Whispering Pines, until
the full moon brings another surge of supernatural threats to her coastal town.
Ferocious wolves, deadly necromancers, and shambling zombies have descended
upon the neighborhood, so Shiloh needs to gain control of her magical
abilities—fast!
It sucks that she
has a crippling fear of the dark, which for a demon hunter can be an epic
problem.
When her classmates
are attacked by a mysterious creature and her father is murdered, Shiloh vows
vengeance. Forcing her phobias aside, she forms an unlikely coven of
supernaturally gifted teens to help her eradicate this menace. Except that's
not all Shiloh has to worry about. She’s battling a different monster within
herself and struggling not to become the very thing she fights: evil.
But with demon
blood inside her—anything can happen…
Where
you can find author, Sherry Soule online:
