If you follow Weekend Writing Warriors (#WeWriWa), you should recognize the title. Jessica has been sharing snippets for several weeks now. BTW, I love WeWriWa. Besides sharing my own stories, I get to read snippets from other great authors.
When I invited Jessica, I asked her to tell us a little about Omegas. At first, I thought they were the opposite of Alphas but wasn't really sure. Turns out there's more to it. Here's Jessica to tell us.
Omega
Shifters
Thank you so much, Diane, for inviting me
back to your blog with my new release, Mink Omega in Hiding!
Shifters can be found in multiple
televisions shows, movies, and books. They can be a human who takes the form of
an animal, the most popular being a wolf. They could also be an alien or a
mutant who can take the form of a human to blend in. I’ve seen and read about
these types and many more.
In my Shifter Towers series, there are
shifters and humans living side by side. Not just wolf shifter, but multiple
types of animals, including predator and prey. They all live in harmony, most
of the time, and the shifters spend the majority of their life in human form.
In my world, there are rules regarding when and where they can shift into their
animal form. And there are even drugs used to prevent them from shifting, used
mainly by law enforcement.
Another aspect of this series is the alpha
/ beta / omega dynamics. This comes from the original shifter romances being mainly
about wolves. It’s basic pack dynamics with the alpha male and female being the
highest ranking wolves in the pack, the beta wolves next, and the omegas being
the common wolves with no ranking. In fiction, I find this can vary somewhat.
The Shifter Towers stories are MPreg,
meaning only omega males can get pregnant. There are females, but they are
unable to get pregnant. (It’s an alternate world.) So, alpha males—while some
may relate to dominance—in my stories, it means they are the ones who can get
the omega pregnant. I don’t have any specifically beta characters in my story,
but from the fiction I’ve read, they can neither get pregnant, nor get anyone
else pregnant.
It may seem a bit confusing, but I found
the dynamics were easy to pick up on by reading other MPreg stories before
sitting down to write my own.
I decided to write an MPreg after reading
fiction by some authors I know, and reading some fan fiction as well. I enjoyed
the dynamics, but wanted to put my own spin on it, as I usually do when I find
fiction that captivates me. I’ve written about alien shifters before, and even
a couple paranormal creatures, so it wasn’t completely new. But, overall, it
really is still all about the romance between the main characters. And with any
MPreg story, a baby by the end of the book. My alphas are not the dominant,
I-can-have-whatever-I-want type. And my omegas are very independent, or trying
to be. But when they find their true mate, they can easily slip into their
alpha and omega roles. I’m already writing the third book in this series, and fleshing
out the idea for a fourth one into an actual plot. With this series, the
possibilities are endless.
MINK
OMEGA IN HIDING
Shifter Towers book two
by Jessica E. Subject
Release date: July 29, 2019
Genres: Romance, Paranormal
(shifter), LGBTQ, MPreg
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-68361-348-0
Published with Decadent
Publishing Company, LLC
Cover artist: Fantasia Frog
Designs
# of words: 35,000
BLURB:
Roan is looking for a way out...
As a mink shifter omega, I never thought I’d escape the soul-crushing, gang-ruled world I lived in. But, one night on my way home from working at the strip club, the opportunity arose. I needed to find a place to hide, somewhere I could go where no one from this life would ever find me. Someplace I could start over. With my parents deceased, I only had one person from my past I could ask for help. But would he want to see me again?
Hansol has everything in his life, except his mate…
After two years of running a successful fitness center with celebrities as my personal clients and friends, one would think I had everything I’ve ever wanted. But I don’t. The one thing I still desire is to have my mate by my side. Something my sun bear keeps reminding me of every day. Sure, I’ve had plenty of omegas and other alphas in my bed, but no one I want to wake up with each morning. That person left my life years ago with no explanation and no goodbye.
Will they find their way back to each other?
Then Roan shows up on my doorstep, soaking wet, and with no belongings. Of course, I take him in. But I don’t know how long I have until he leaves again. Can I trust him this time? Can I finally claim him as my mate? Or am I holding onto false hope? Because I know there is something he is keeping from me.
Mink Omega in Hiding is a super sweet with knotty heat shifter M/M mpreg romance featuring a mink shifter escaping horrific abuse, a reconnection with an alpha friend from the past who stands between him and danger, and the discovery of what really could happen between them. It is the second book in the popular Shifter Towers series and can be read as a standalone.
As a mink shifter omega, I never thought I’d escape the soul-crushing, gang-ruled world I lived in. But, one night on my way home from working at the strip club, the opportunity arose. I needed to find a place to hide, somewhere I could go where no one from this life would ever find me. Someplace I could start over. With my parents deceased, I only had one person from my past I could ask for help. But would he want to see me again?
Hansol has everything in his life, except his mate…
After two years of running a successful fitness center with celebrities as my personal clients and friends, one would think I had everything I’ve ever wanted. But I don’t. The one thing I still desire is to have my mate by my side. Something my sun bear keeps reminding me of every day. Sure, I’ve had plenty of omegas and other alphas in my bed, but no one I want to wake up with each morning. That person left my life years ago with no explanation and no goodbye.
Will they find their way back to each other?
Then Roan shows up on my doorstep, soaking wet, and with no belongings. Of course, I take him in. But I don’t know how long I have until he leaves again. Can I trust him this time? Can I finally claim him as my mate? Or am I holding onto false hope? Because I know there is something he is keeping from me.
Mink Omega in Hiding is a super sweet with knotty heat shifter M/M mpreg romance featuring a mink shifter escaping horrific abuse, a reconnection with an alpha friend from the past who stands between him and danger, and the discovery of what really could happen between them. It is the second book in the popular Shifter Towers series and can be read as a standalone.
EBOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V6LJP32/
Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/mink-omega
GOODREADS:
PG EXCERPT:
Tonight, I took the route a little farther than normal to avoid the
pouring rain. I wasn’t in the mood to enjoy the wet, blurred scenery. It would
only dampen my mood even more. TK had gotten me thinking about my lack of a
mate, about the person I’d thought would be in my life forever who’d
disappeared without a trace. I hadn’t grown attached to anyone after him, too
afraid they’d eventually leave me as well. A lonely life, but I kept myself
busy so I hadn’t thought about it too much. Not until tonight.
When I reached my exit, I pressed the button on my remote then waited
for the gate to open before driving the final two blocks to my bungalow. It
wasn’t a large house. A two bedroom, the second of which I used for an office
and workout room. And in a fairly quiet neighborhood where neighbors still
waved in passing and kept an eye on each other’s homes. They all knew the night
I had the rogue photographer, and one had even phoned the police.
Yet no one seemed to have noticed the bundle of
clothes curled up on my porch. I parked in my driveway and wondered if I should
even step out of my car. What did the person want? Were they there specifically
for me or just looking for a dry place? I was a strong guy and could take most
people down on my own, but I had no defense against a gun. Should I risk it?
I cautiously got out of the car and walked to the porch steps. “Um, can
I help you?”
The person glanced up at me, and I gasped, locking onto the most
beautiful pair of eyes I’d ever seen. Eyes belonging to a person I would never
forget. “Roan?”
He didn’t stand as I drew closer, only continued to stare with big, sad
eyes. And he still had his naturally pouty bottom lip. What had happened to him
since I’d last seen him? And why did he suddenly show up on my porch? Was I
dreaming? Had I fallen asleep at the wheel? I pinched the top of my hand then
let go at the pain. Nope. Not a dream.
I waved, but he looked away, hiding his head in his arms. “Um, it’s
good to see you again.” Not wanting to spook him, I unlocked the door then held
it open. “Would you like to come in?”
Was that a smart thing to ask? I hadn’t seen him in years, didn’t know
what he’d been involved in, why he’d disappeared without even a simple goodbye.
My heart was beyond happy to see him, but my mind had so many doubts. And I
couldn’t trust my bear at all. It recognized its mate and only wanted one
thing.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jessica E. Subject is the
author of science fiction romance, mostly alien romances, ranging from sweet to
super hot. Sometimes she dabbles in paranormal and contemporary as well,
bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not
only meet a sexy alien or two, but also clones and androids. You may be
transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or
to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.
When Jessica is not
reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to go to fitness class,
listen to BTS, and walk her Great Pyrenees/Retriever her family adopted from
the local animal shelter.
Jessica lives in Ontario,
Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from
her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com.
AUTHOR LINKS:
Website -
http://jessicasubject.com
Newsletter -
http://eepurl.com/eX1Zw
Twitter -
http://twitter.com/jsubject
Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jessicasubject/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jessicaesubject/
BookBub Page - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-e-subject
Amazon Author Page -
http://amazon.com/author/jessicasubject
Goodreads Page - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4959083.Jessica_E_Subject
Authorgraph -
http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/jsubject
I never realized the shifter genre had so many rules- if you can call them rules. Best of luck with the book. That's a handsome pair on the cover!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Elizabeth! Yes, there are rules, but they seem to change with every author. Some are steadfast for some, but flexible for others. But, they are romances first and foremost. Still require the happily ever after ending.
DeleteI am the same as Elizabeth, didn’t know about the rules. It would be interesting to trace the ‘original’ shape-shifter stories. The one that comes to mind is ‘Lord of the Rings’, or was it in ‘The Hobbit’? An example of eternal wish-fulfilment stories that seem to be a part of all us us.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I think shifters date back even farther than we realize.
DeleteI felt totally out of the loop when Jessica started posting about Omegas and MPreg. No idea what that meant. Now I know! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for inviting me back, Diane! It was a subgenre I didn't know much about when I was first exposed to them. To be honest, my daughter knew more about them than I did in the beginning. But, I read so many, learned the steadfast rules, and those that are flexible. And of course, I still put my own spin on everything.
DeleteYou are so welcome, Jessica. I love learning about new sub-genres. Don't we all make up our own rules in fantasy and sci-fi? Great that you've taken the ideas and made them yours.
DeleteVery true!
DeleteThere are "rules" to follow, no matter what world we're writing about. But a world in which only certain males get pregnant and females don't would take a lot of adjustment! Glad you found a new niche.
ReplyDeleteTrue! And consistency is key. Especially when writing a series. It was a bit of an adjustment, but reading other MPregs definitely helped. Thank you, Patricia!
ReplyDeleteWow, interesting post. Sounds like an entertaining read. Congrats and best wishes!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Alicia!
DeleteWow, this is a whole subgenre I've never heard of. Interesting!
ReplyDeleteIt's a lot of fun! And always about the budding romance.
DeleteWow...great post! Your book sounds fascinating.
ReplyDeleteGood luck and God's blessings
PamT
Thanks so much, Pam!
Delete