Behind "The Wild Side"

The idea for “The Wild Side” had been in my head for a while. I am a huge fan of shifter stories, so writing one seemed like a great plan. The original story was simply called, “Wild Side.” It was a young adult romance that I posted on the website Textnovel. The story centered on Leander, an Alpha’s son, and Lena, the young daughter of a single father. Lena was the outcast of the pride due to her being small and not being able to shift.

It received a good response and people really liked it. Unfortunately, I hit writer’s block pretty hard. It seemed too common. A poor girl falls in love with popular high school boy – blah, blah – only in a feline shifter setting. The story was put aside for about six months, and I never thought I would finish it.

One day, I was browsing some artwork by Carol Cavalaris, and I saw her picture called, “Lion Man.” I fell in love with the picture and the handsome lion/man. He had such a pensive expression that it made me wonder what could make him so serious. I was immediately reminded of my story, Wild Side.

The words came to me, and I began to tell the story of a Feline Pride teetering on the edge of survival and the desperate measures one would go to in order to save his people. The character of Leander became the pride’s Alpha. Lena became Alena, and I made her human. It seemed easier to understand why the pride didn’t accept her if she came in as a true outsider.

Writer’s block was gone, and it occurred to me that I was just writing my characters at the wrong stage in life.

Many people have asked me if “The Wild Side” will ever continue as a series. As of right now, I have no plans to continue. But you never know! I