Shepherd’s Moon
by Stacy Mantle
Genre: Fantasy/Thriller
Word Count: 103,000
It’s taken twelve years to earn the official title of Shepherd but she’s now mostly trained, fairly effective, and the first female in over two centuries to hold the position as protector of animals. All animals…
The Territorial Council isn’t thrilled with her new title of Shepherd, but they don’t have any more control over the appointment than they have over her. All they can really do is wait for her to screw something up – which Alex is determined not to do.
Everything changes when a chance encounter with a genetically modified Shifter leaves Alex shaken and initiates a quest to locate its maker. In a desperate bid to save her pack, Alex must infiltrate the Parallax Corporation – an international organization attempting to breed the perfect weapon.
Despite years of training, Alex finds herself woefully unprepared to tackle the new threat. To make matters worse, she must work with a mysterious man who’s been trying to kill her since the day they met. Together with her pack, they must learn how to stop the biological cloning before it really does become a global threat.
Shepherd’s Moon is available for the Kindle on Amazon.com and in print from both Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Stacy, how did you come up with the title for your book? Does it have any special meaning?
Each book in the series includes “Shepherd” in the title. I wanted something that reflected the Shepherd as a guardian of all species in the title, but the Shepherd’s Moon title is even more significant. A Shepherd moon is a small moon that orbits near the outer edges of rings around planets (Saturn has 61 shepherd moons, Jupiter has 63, Uranus has 27, Neptune has 13, and Pluto has 3). These moons literally guide the matter of a planetary ring, giving it a crisper edge and more definition. I felt that the concept of a Shepherd is just that – it gives definition and maintains order, which is exactly what Alex does in the book with her pack of animals.
Who was your favorite character and why?
You may think that Alex is my favorite because its from her point of view that I use to tell the story, but really I love all of the characters. Brock is fascinating because of his calm nature and sense of duty. Billy is one of the most fun characters – he’s entertaining, fun to write and fiercely loyal – to the point of being reckless. Modnik and Aida are both damaged, and I love exploring their differences as they learn to cope with their past. Tristan, well, Tristan may be my favorite. He’s a Nephilim, which means he has all these religious connotations but he’s so completely unhappy with immortality, he just likes to mess around with people’s lives. That makes him really interesting to me. He is sarcastic and witty, which makes him a lot of fun to write.
Does your book have any underlying theme, message, or moral?
I think the main message is that everyone has problems, everyone has conflicts both internal and external, and we’re all just trying to survive. If we can do it together, we’re much more powerful in the long run. Community is more powerful than people think and the more we can get along and accept differences in one another, the happier our world will be. Of course there is the underlying message of corporate greed and corruption <smile>.
What would/could a reader or reviewer say about this book that shows they “get” you as an author?
I love it when people say they don’t miss the romance in this novel. I really love it when I can get men more involved with the urban fantasy realm. Generally, it’s a female-dominated genre and while I love a little romance in my books, I don’t get overly concerned with it. My emphasis is more on overcoming problems – whether it’s a fight scene or dialogue. Of course, I do include a little romance in there because it’s always great to have a triangle going on!
Give us an excerpted quote from your favorite review of this book:
5.0 out of 5 stars Totally Unexpected, November 8, 2012
“For someone who’s not that into detective stories this was a very enjoyable story. The characters captivate and you get a true sense of these characters. The author keeps you on the edge at every turn even in the end you are still in awe. Can`t wait for the next installment. I love all the supernaturals and the roles they play. Kept me guessing and I like that. Thanks for writing an exciting novel!”
Where can people learn more about your writing?
My home page is at http://www.StacyMantle.com
