Why do I write about animal shifters?

All over the world, people have different ideas about animals. For some, animals are food - cows, pigs, chickens, fish. Others say they are the reincarnations of relatives, making cows sacred in India. Some consider reincarnation as an animal as either good or bad karma for behavior in a previous life. Others want to cuddle, nurture, and protect them. I see them in the wild and experience a thrill, impressed that they survive on their own terms.
 
What if animals are also thinking, feeling beings, but we don't know their language? They have different abilities, like heightened sense of smell, sight, hearing, the ability to sense magnetic fields, sleep while flying and swimming. They have a different perspective whether they live in wild or domestic spaces. Does this give them advantages? I assume so.
 
In my books, my teenaged protagonist not only has to figure out who he is, but how and where he fits into a secret society of people who shift into animals, just like all humans have to figure out how to fit into their own cultures. So far, Josh has discovered that as an elk he can walk through deep snow and find food without the need for any camping or hiking equipment or artic clothing. 
 
Book 3 will explore dating and courting traditions within Josh's Netah elk community. I'm playing with ideas for Olympic style contests, races, a parade, and dances. I also imagine there will be a full rainbow of relationships and roles within the community. Unlike George Orwell's Animal Farm, my animals will not adopt the ways of humans, but will be more tolerant and accepting, as they not only learn from their animal sides, but their other animal Netah friends. 
 
As a fantasy writer, I could write about witches, vampires, or magic, but I think there's so much to explore within this concept of human/animal shifters, that I have ideas for several more volumes. 
 
Volume 2, The Netahs, Down in the Valley is freshly minted and available in stores and online. I am planning a virtual launch party on April 28.  Register to attend at the link below.  Don't miss your chance for prizes and all the inside scoop about the Netahs. The party will also  include a reading,  and a chance for us to meet. Can't wait to see you there! 

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