Guest Blog: Lycan Gladiator by Eva Gordon

Lycan Gladiator
Wolf Maiden Saga

Eva Gordon 

Published By: Corvallis Press

Genre: Paranormal Historical Romance
Published: Aug 18, 2013 Print Length: 282 Pages

A lycan gladiator in Rome's brutal arena vows to claim his forbidden mate … but her secrets may seal their doom.

Book Blurb:

During a time of bloody gladiator games and treacherous schemes, a secret society of lycans live amongst the Romans. When Ulric, a lycan gladiator, meets a mysterious human woman with green eyes, he’s drawn to her fiery beauty, enraptured by her alluring aroma. Unfortunately, Ulric and the beauty are slaves. To make matters worse, he can mate only with someone marked with the sign of the wolf.

Cassia’s hidden wolf mark burns in the presence of the handsome gladiator. While her heart yearns to be near Ulric, logic warns her against it—having a slave as a mate is against the lycan society’s plans for her.

In spite of the lycan society’s rules and the emperor’s brutal plots, their love grows … but their passion just may cost them their lives.

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PRFL is thrilled to have a guest post by author Eva Gordon! Enjoy ~ 

Lycan Gladiator is chronologically book 1 in the Wolf Maiden Saga (Other books in the saga were first published as the Wolf Maiden Chronicles. My rights for the books were returned and I sold the rest of the books to Corvallis press, and coming soon. Each book is a stand-alone set in a different historical setting.

I love werewolves, wolves and all canines in general. I have volunteered at a wolf sanctuary and I teach wolf and werewolf to writing groups. This year at the 2014 San Antonio Romance Writers of America Convention I will be teaching my wolf lore workshop.

I thought I would provide you with a glossary and welcome questions and comments.

Glossary for the Wolf Maiden Saga

Pack Hierarchy

Lycan:  An ancient line of humans that shift into large bear sized massive wolves with distinctive tattoos depicting their specific pack. Also known as wolfen, wolf men, wolfskins and werewolves. Their shape shifting is not painful but rather pleasurable. Lycans are superior to humans in many ways. They have the strength of ten men, and the alpha has the strength of five or more lycans. They can heal over night from severe wounds and are immune to most diseases except for the dreaded rabies and the toxin from wolf bane flower.

Alpha Lycan:  Dominant lycans that are leaders of their packs and can are not under the influence of the moon. They can shift at any time.  The alpha male must control his pack of betas.

Male Alpha: The male alpha leads the pack.  He is the result of a lycan and human woman mating. He is the most powerful member of the pack and like all alphas can shift at any time. Alpha males can only marry a wolf maiden, a human life mate.

Female Alpha:  A female lycan not under the influence of the moon. She helps protect the pack and serves as a surrogate parent to all the pack children. Alpha females are barren. The Lupercal or Lycan secret governmental body is run by twelve alpha females.

Wolf Maiden: A human woman with the wolf print birth mark, which turns bright red when she is imprinted by her alpha life mate. A wolf maiden can be born to a pack or randomly among humans, unaware of her role. She is also known as an Ulf hexen in Viking culture. During the Middle Ages she was also called a wolf witch or a woman marked with the sign of the beast. Though she is meant for an alpha mate, she can marry and though it takes longer can get pregnant by a human and have normal males who can then have future wolf maidens.

Beta Lycans: Lycans that shift only during the full moon. They must be controlled by the alpha since they can become mindless beasts that roam around and kill.

Omega Lycans: Lycans that are used as slaves, no matter their rank. In ancient times they were no more than slaves for the higher ranked lycans. The Lupercal no longer allows pack members to be treated like omegas since a near revolt during ancient times.

Lupercii: Human men that serve the Lupercal and Lycans. They serve as spies for the secret lycan society and worship the lycan goddess, Feronia. They often take alpha female lycans as consorts. The Lupercii hope that in their next life they will be born as lycans.

Lycan Gods and Society

Feronia:  The goddess of the lycans. She is said to have been a wolf maiden who took a shape shifting giant wolf as a lover. She communes with her oracles, especially with the leader of the Lupercal and wolf maidens.

Lusna: Moon goddess that gave them the gift of painless shifting.

Lupercal: Governmental and spiritual body of the secret lycan society. It is run by twelve alpha female lycans. The leader of the Lupercal is often a seer and or sorceress. Their word is law and any who disobey will be considered rogue and or be punished by returning to their next life as a prey animal.

Lupercalia: Early spring festival when most wolf maidens and beta lycans become fertile. Rituals allow for wild sex escapades.

Den brother or sister: Pack that a lycan grew up with, not necessarily related by blood.

Valeria Luperca: A wolf maiden that has the healing touch. Can heal any lycan both physically and emotionally. Mentioned in White Wolf of Avalon.

Bear men: Also known as bearskins. An ancient line of humans who could shift into bears at anytime. Their shift is painful. Like bears they hibernate during the winter.  They can be slow witted, strong and have a short temper. During ancient times lycans killed most off from the continent.

Conditions that Harm Lycans

 Lunar Madness: A condition, though rare, which can occur when an alpha suppresses his shift for too long. It will cause the alpha to shift with the pull of the moon until his system stabilizes.

Rabies: A viral disease transferred from the bite of an infected animal.  Can cause a lycan to kill many.

Werewolf Bite fever: An infection that can kill a human from the bite of a lycan.

Wolfsbane: A flower that is toxic to a lycan. It is often used as poison because a lycan cannot smell or taste it.

About the Author:

I write fantasy and paranormal novels with a strong romantic element. I love to create stories that combine my passion for mythology, romance and werewolf lore. Apocalyptic Moon was inspired by my love of the zombie genre. It is book 1 in my After the Bane series. Book 2, Raven Moon will be released 2014.

I also write steampunk and Victorian era historical and alternative novels. Hand of Miriam, A Bayla and the Golem story should be released soon. December 2013.

Please Note: I have my rights back to The Wolf Maiden Chronicles series and Corvallis Press will be publishing my updated, revised books. The series is now called the Wolf Maiden Saga. Lycan Gladiator, book 1 is out with more to come.

I have a BS in Zoology and graduate studies in Biology. I have taught high school Biology, Environmental Science and Anatomy/Physiology. When not in my den writing, I enjoy world travel, steampunk conventions, hiking, raptor rehabilitation and wolf sanctuaries.

I also teach online workshops on wolf lore ancient falconry and animal lore for Romance Writers of America and other writer groups. 

Author Links:

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