In Darkness: The Werewolf

 I'm so pleased to welcome L. Diane Wolfe to my blog for a guest post in celebration of the next installment of her In Darkness series, The Werewolf. Most of us know something about Werewolf legends, but how did it all start? Diane is here to tell you.

How the Werewolf Legend Began

 

The werewolf legend dates back at least 2000 years. Maybe even more.

 

In Greek mythology. A king called Lycaon served Zeus a dish of his slaughtered son, and as punishment, Zeus transformed Lycaon into a wolf and killed his fifty sons. (Probably where the term “lycan” comes from.) There is also a man called Damarchus who was turned into a wolf after eating the entrails of a human child sacrificed to Zeus. These men were both of Arcadia and there are several other instances of Arcadians being turned into wolves.

 

In Virgil’s poetic work Eclogues, a man named Moeris uses herbs and poisons to turn himself into a wolf. In Gaius’ The Satyricon, Niceros tells the story of a friend who turned into a wolf. Early Christian authors also mentioned men turning into wolves.

 

Medieval Europe saw a widespread belief in werewolves. They were mentioned in law codes, religious writings & teachings, and many forms of literature. The word werewolf is German but never appears in medieval German poems or prose. The persistence of werewolf tales continued longest in Scandanavia, including berserkers who wore the skins of wolves.

 

In more modern times, there were numerous werewolf novels in the early 20^th century. The legend gained widespread appeal through movies such as The Wolf Man. It continued with films such as An American Werewolf in London and The Howling. Even in games the myth was represented, with Dungeons & Dragons featuring a lycanthrope, a humanoid shapeshifter.

 

The werewolf legend has been with us for centuries and it doesn’t appear our fascination with shapeshifters will wane anytime soon. Not so long as the full moon continues to appear…

 

 

In Darkness: The Werewolf

By L. Diane Wolfe

Souls shrouded in darkness…

On her own in England, Vicki trains at a prestigious fencing school. Face marred by a birthmark, she’s suspicious of Nicholas’ attention. A dinner date reveals his genuine interest and they begin to connect. Nicholas is attractive and she wonders why he’s so shy and reclusive.

Then one evening she happens upon him changing into a lycan. Every werewolf legend is challenged by the gentle, fearful creature before her. Vickie accepts his secret, but Nicholas knows he’s an unpredictable beast. Can they trust love enough to overcome their physical challenges?

Release date – Sept. 5, 2023
Romance/Paranormal/Shifter, Romance/Paranormal, Fantasy/Paranormal
$3.99 eBook ISBN 9781939844927

A professional speaker and author, L. Diane Wolfe conducts seminars, offers book formatting, and author consultation. She’s the senior editor at Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. and contributes to the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.
http://www.spunkonastick.net/ - Spunk On A Stick
http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com - Spunk On A Stick’s Tips
http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/ - Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Links:

Amazon -  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRR4VLN7/
iTunes - https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6445310855
Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940165994548
Kobo - https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9781939844927
Scribed - https://www.scribd.com/search?query=9781939844927&language=0
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75711711-in-darkness

 

Did you know where werewolf legends came from? Do you have a favorite werewolf tale? Do you like your werewolf as the good guy or the bad guy?

IWSG: September 2023 and Happy Anniversary

 It can't be time for IWSG already, but here we are on the first Wednesday of the month to share our woes, victories, and knowledge. As always, a special thanks to our founder. Alex J. Cavanaugh, and all the other admins for keeping the group amazing. Find all the participants on this list.

A special shout out to this week's co-hosts:

J Lenni Dorner  https://jlennidorner.blogspot.com/

Sonia Dogra  https://soniadogra.com/

Pat Garcia  http://www.patgarciaandeverythingmustchange.com/

Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen  http://thefauxfountainpen.blogspot.com/

Meka James  https://authormekajames.wordpress.com/

And thanks to all the IWSG members who have cohosted in the past. You help it happen.

And have a cupcake today to celebrate the 12th anniversary to IWSG! The time went so fast and it gets better with age, like all of us.

"You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream." C.S. Lewis

I was one of the early admins for the IWSG blog hop and have been here since Alex started the group. More people were blogging 12 years ago and I met so many wonderful people. Many were writers but some were not. The the time, I was blogging a lot, usually at least 3 times per week. I don't know how I found the time, but it was fun. 

During those early years, I hosted many of my fellow bloggers when they had new releases and they reciprocated. Still doing that for any of my fellow authors who'd like to guest post. I learned about things like Twitter pitches and saw the beginnings of those great anthologies IWSG has created to showcase some of the awesome writers in this group. I own all those anthologies in print and they grace my keeper shelf.

I think it is so important for a writer to find their tribe, a group who understands what it is like to work, struggle, and grow in this difficult business. I love in-person writing groups, but they're difficult to find. And during the Covid shutdowns, they were nonexistent. But IWSG kept going strong and helped me stay at my writing. I hope they've helped you in some way.

"The best is yet to be." Robert Browning

How has IWSG helped you? Do you belong to other groups? How long have you been part of IWSG?