Full Moon of Werewolves Schedule
About today’s guest: Marissa Turner
Today’s post is by Cliodhna ‘Clio’ Richardson–the main character of Marissa Turner’s novel, GENTRY. Cliodhna lives as simple a life as she can. She’s married, has a job, and friends she can count on. Which comes in handy, as her husband has just left for his second tour of duty in the Giant Sandbox of Hell, also known as Iraq.
The night he leaves, she sneaks off to Tybee Island, land of money and vacationers, to do something that, if the other wives found out about, they’d lynch her.
You see, Clio is a werewolf, and damn proud of it. Her husband… well, he’s still learning to deal with the fact his wife goes furry a couple of times a month.
Hi all, Clio here. If you want to get into stats, my full name Cliodhna Lee Richardson, and my dam uses it often when I’ve done something wrong. I’m twenty six, shorter than I’d like to be, married to a soldier, and usually pretty happy about that. There’s a bump in the road right now, but that’s normal, isn’t it?
Moving on. You’re not here to hear about my marriage anyway, you want to know about the werewolves.
First things first, we do exist. Sit back and soak that in for a second. I just came out of the proverbial woods to you, dear stranger, and believe me, this is a big step. We live in secrecy for a reason, and I just popped that secret bubble with the mother of all straight pins.
I’m going to assume you’ve read the history of the werewolf legend; some of those legends are true. We do change shape into that of a wolf, but we’re big ass wolves. The male grey wolf (Canis Lupus) can sometimes reach weights of one hundred and thirty pounds. That’s not the norm however. Typical weight is around seventy, and can be up to a buck-ten.
Werewolves weigh more than that, simply because most people are not one hundred and ten pounds. I myself am one hundred and fifty pounds, but it’s only a forty pound difference. Add in thick midnight fur, and most write my wolf form off as a Canis Lupus who had the bad luck to interbreed with a large domestic dog, such as a Great Dane or Irish Wolfhound. (How’s that for irony?) My best friend, Angelo Nydarski, is almost three hundred pounds; no human who sees his wolf form thinks he’s anything but a monster.
As a funny side note, did you know that the black pelted wolves have a genetic abnormality that first appeared in the domestic dog? Make all the jokes you want about that.
We hunt, but only animals. Rabbit is a favorite of mine, they have a buttery taste that is both sweet and smooth on my tongue. And their bones don’t hurt my teeth when I bite them. Angelo prefers deer, but I think that has more to do with him wanting to have a full stomach than with how they taste.
We aren’t repelled by silver, nor are we ruled by the moon. Our emotions run high in the full moon, but that can be said about the entire people population of this great planet. We do need to change shape often, at least twice a week, in order to keep our duality running normally, but we can go through full moon nights on two legs and be as innocent as three lambs.
Our changes are incredibly painful. Have you ever broken a bone? Even a little one? Now, take that pain, and multiply it by two-hundred and five (since you’ve broken one bone already, we won’t count that one.) Every single bone in our human shape shatters and reforms into those of the wolf.
Other myths and legends, however, are complete and utter bullshit. Harsh opinion, I know, but that’s how I feel.
There is not a grain of truth in the whole being bitten (or scratched!) makes you a werewolf thing. I’ve bitten my mate several, if not hundreds, of times during intense interpersonal relations, and he’s as human now as he was the day I met him. And I am not a gentle biter by anyone’s standards. He’s had to do PT with his back cut to ribbons from my nails, and believe me, I think he’d have preferred the pain of a transformation than sweat in bleeding wounds.
As far as I know, there is no magic ritual to make you a werewolf either. Have you seen what is in most of those ‘magic’ salves that need to be used? There’s enough hallucinogenic plants in there to make you think you’re a purple dragon in a red tutu named Louise.
Wearing a wolfskin won’t make you a werewolf either. It’ll make you a killer.
Sorry, that last part came off as bitchy, but it’s how I feel. I don’t understand the driving need some people have to eradicate a species based upon fear. It’s one reason me and mine have stayed in the woods for so long; look at history and tell me that people don’t kill off whoever, or whatever, they can when their fear is riding high.
I guess what my plan was for this little essay was to show you that we’re not the beasts of legend. We love, we hurt, and we try to enjoy life the best we can. We’re just like most humans, except we can change shape.
Remember, we’re all in this together, whether you like us or not. It’s best not to take anything too seriously, because we never make it out of this world alive anyway.
Zombie Moon
Hey Clio! Thanks so much for this essay… it’s really good to hear that your husband is coming around to your “extra” qualities (=
by Mishel March 29th, 2009 at 9:57 amHello Clio!! Thank you so much for coming and shedding a light on the werewolf subject for us. It was so cool to hear from an actual werewolf. I learned alot!!
by Jamie March 29th, 2009 at 10:25 amNice to meet you Clio and to get the real scoop.
by Pam P March 29th, 2009 at 10:59 amI really hope everything goes fine with your husband Clio!
It’s nice to hear from the source, instead of people who think they know what they’re talking about.
by Ashley Madden March 29th, 2009 at 11:25 amI loved your wolf essay from the wolfs point of view. I hope some day people will stop seeing you as monsters, but people like the rest of us.
by kanarytx March 29th, 2009 at 12:05 pmThank you Clio for showing us you’re just like the rest of us.
by Jody F. March 29th, 2009 at 12:22 pmThanks Clio, for sharing so much with us. especially considering the lengths you and yours go to for the sake of annonymity. Having our eyes opened by those like you, who are willing to take a risk or two along the way for the greater good, is what it takes to bring us all around to accepting a world where we can all co-habitate in peace.
by Moira Keith March 29th, 2009 at 12:36 pmThanks for sharing with us today Clio. That was really informative… I learned some new things…
by Colleen March 29th, 2009 at 12:41 pmHI Clio! It was a great essay, and I think you have some very valid points :)
by crystal adkins March 29th, 2009 at 1:00 pmAt least you have those nice pine wooks of the Carolina’s to run in. Looking forward to reading your story.
by DinahT March 29th, 2009 at 1:21 pmThanks for sharing, Clio!
by Estella March 29th, 2009 at 1:55 pmHope your husband stays safe.
Nice to her from you Clio. Hope you can stop by with the rest of your story.
by Cathy D March 29th, 2009 at 2:37 pmI am amazed how many different angles authors can find to show the lycantropic breed!
by Mirko di Wallenberg March 29th, 2009 at 2:57 pmHi Clio,
Thank you for taking time to give us the real deal on werewolves.
by Lisa W. March 29th, 2009 at 3:36 pmHi Clio, glad to know that some werewolves aren’t afraid to tell it like it is. Some of my best friends are werewolves but most don’t want their natures’ known. Of course if you know that you are just a shift away from being a new coat I guess it would make you careful.
by Linda McKenzie March 29th, 2009 at 5:22 pmSo I’m not a purple dragon in a red tutu?
Thanks for the inside scoop!
by Olivia Leigh Black March 29th, 2009 at 7:19 pmEnjoyed visiting your blog! Love the part about Tybee!!!
by kim March 29th, 2009 at 7:31 pmHmm, interesting blurb…may have to give this one a try…
by Michelle B. March 29th, 2009 at 7:46 pmThanks for stopping by today Clio! Loved hearing about things from the werewolf point of view. Awesome post!
by Barb P March 29th, 2009 at 9:03 pmi like the part and the truth, we dont make it out of the world here alive
guess thats one of the main reasons i like paranormals. gives us fantasy of maybe living , {and drinking blood, and getting hairy }
by blackroze37@yahoo.com March 29th, 2009 at 9:36 pmdoesnt seem that bad, when thought of not being here at all
Thanks for posting Clio. Its nice to hear about werewolves from a real werewolf. I hope I get to read the rest of your story soon.
by Donna S March 29th, 2009 at 11:44 pmNice read!!! Great to check out new authors to me!!!
by Shell Bryce March 30th, 2009 at 12:29 amGreat essay, Clio. It’s nice to get the facts straight from someone who knows.
by tricia fields March 30th, 2009 at 9:14 amI think I like this chick.
*adds book to growing list*
by Ley March 30th, 2009 at 6:46 pmThanks for sharing your point of view, Clio. Wish you could be with your hubby to protect him!
by Julie Robinson March 31st, 2009 at 12:44 pmJulie
Nice to hear it from a wolfs point of view.
by Carmen R March 31st, 2009 at 4:29 pmwow love this. I am going to check out your books for sure. diferent twist with the female were and human male.
by pamk March 31st, 2009 at 9:07 pmI love reading posts by the characters. Always lots of fun! :)
by Virginia Hendricks April 2nd, 2009 at 9:46 pmGreat post. It’s sad that throughout history people have been persecuted because of real or preceived differences. It’s those differences that make living so interesting. Best of luck to your husband, Clio.
by Karin April 6th, 2009 at 1:11 pm